YouTube is no longer just a video-sharing platform. It’s also a means for content creators to earn money while producing engaging content for their respective audiences. The YouTube Partner Program is one way for creators to monetize their platforms through ads placed in their videos.
Are you a YouTuber who’s looking to join the YPP? Keep reading to find out what you need to know about the YouTube Partner Program and how you can get approved.
Benefits of the YouTube Partner Program
The YouTube Partner Program is essential for anyone who wants to learn how to make money from their YouTube channel. This partnership helps monetize content and comes with plenty of perks that can help grow your channel.
Provides a profit-sharing system
YouTube partners get a share of the revenue generated from ads on their videos. Advertising partners place these ads, and YouTube shares the revenue (55% of the total amount your videos generate) with you as part of the program’s benefits.
Gives access to data and analytics
As a YouTube partner, you have access to valuable data about your viewers that can help you create more popular videos. The available statistics include information on engagement, views, and interactions with your content.
Learning what your audiences want and enjoy can help tailor your future videos to get even more views and earn more income.
Allows brand promotional opportunities
Working with YouTube can be a great way to expand the reach of your website or brand. You can include a link in your videos that sends viewers to your site or provides information about one of your products.
Protects your content
YouTube partners have more control over their content and can block anyone who attempts to steal your videos or violates copyright laws. YouTube also offers the option of renting consumer videos securely and safely.
Step-By-Step: How to Join the YouTube Partner Program
A lot goes into joining the YouTube Partner Program. Here are the key steps you’ll need to get accepted.
Set up Your Google AdSense Account
To become a YouTube partner, you must first set up a Google AdSense account. An AdSense account allows you to get paid from YouTube advertisements. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up your AdSense account.
- Sign in to your YouTube account and go to the channel monetization page under “Channel.” Then, go to “Status and features.”
- Accept the YouTube Partner Program terms to proceed to the next steps. Note that you must sign up through your YouTube account and not directly through AdSense to avoid getting banned.
- Click “Sign up for AdSense.”
- Sign in to verify your YouTube account. Read and accept the terms and conditions.
- Select the Google account you’ll be registering to AdSense. Your YouTube channel should appear in the URL section when you sign in.
Once logged in to AdSense, ensure you’re using the correct account. You’ll then be redirected to YouTube Studio. Wait until your application gets approved.
Optimize YouTube SEO content
YouTube is a video-sharing platform that is similar to Google’s search engine. It is driven by content and keywords that determine which videos are most relevant to users. Optimizing your content on YouTube can help you attract more views and subscribers.
Here are some ways to optimize your YouTube videos:
- Your video title should be keyword-driven to give potential viewers an idea of what your video is about.
- There is no one perfect way to use tags for videos, but Google recommends using no more than 60 tags to avoid getting your video removed. You can find inspiration from well-known YouTubers and compare your competitor’s tags usage to get ideas.
- Make your videos interactive by asking your viewers questions or their thoughts on your content to elicit more comments.
- Ensure your video is optimized by enabling closed captions and transcripts and including your keywords and tags.
- Cross-promote your channels and videos to broaden your reach. Post links to your content on other social media sites and forums to get more people to see it.
Be Real to Your Viewers
As a YouTuber, staying genuine with your subscribers is important to keep their support. Your subscribers watch your videos because they love the content you produce and appreciate your originality.
Don’t change who you are to get more subscribers. Be authentic, and they will feel more connected to you. Make content that you will enjoy and share opinions and advice that you’ll personally appreciate.
Increase Viewer Engagement
To be a YouTube partner, you must do more than grow your subscribers. You need to have 4,000 hours of total watch time over the past 12 months.
Here’s how you can meet the requirements:
- Set objectives. When you have a goal in mind, it will be easier to identify your target audience and what kind of content they would be interested to see.
- Creating a content calendar for video postings can help you stay organized and on track. Setting proper timings for when you’ll post your videos can give you a better sense of the overall theme you’re trying to achieve.
- Organize your previous videos into playlists to make it easier for viewers to access them.
Analyze Your Viewers Journey
When analyzing your marketing and sales funnel, you need to look at how your viewers perceive your videos from the beginning until they are convinced to become subscribers.
The journey starts when users watch your videos because of your title, thumbnail, or description. The last stage of the funnel is convincing subscribers to hit the notification bell to stay updated on your content.
Aim for Constant Improvement
You can’t always create perfect content as a YouTube creator, but you can improve using free tools like YouTube Studio and YouTube Analytics. With these tools, you can assess your content, find best practices, and track your video performance, engagement, and total watch time.
Comply with YouTube’s Monetization Policy
To become a YouTube partner and have your videos eligible for monetization, you must get your account verified and adhere to YouTube’s terms and services.
While this can be overwhelming for newbies, as the policies are updated regularly, YouTube does monitor your videos for monetization potential through factors such as your overall theme, top-performing videos, new uploads, and average watch time.
Key Takeaways
YouTube partners have met all of YouTube’s requirements and produce content regularly. By improving your video strategies and analyzing your metrics, you can become a YouTube partner and benefit from all that YouTube offers.
Getting approved for the YouTube Partner Program can:
- Monetize your videos and share earnings with YouTube
- Grow your channel
- Increase brand awareness
- Maximize viewer engagement
- Earn copyright protection for your content
Looking for more ways to grow your YouTube channel? Check out our full guide here!
Ervin Kalemi
