YouTube Monetization | How To Get 1000 Subscribers on YouTube (my journey)
Are you interested in monetizing a YouTube channel? If so, we should talk.
When I started my YouTube journey, YouTube Monetization was not on my radar. I had no idea how to make videos people cared to watch, how to edit them, how to market them, how to get subscribers, let alone how to make money from them. I just knew that I wanted to start a YouTube channel because I had a message that I wanted to share with the world.
In this blog post, I will share my journey with YouTube Monetization from 0 to 1000 YouTube subscribers, including how long it took to achieve this youtube milestone, how much I invested in getting here, and how much money I earned one week as a YouTube partner.
I hope that my story will inspire you to start your own YouTube channel or continue with your YouTube journey even if you haven't yet reached 1,000 youtube subscribers.
I started my YouTube channel in May 2013. At the time, I had no idea what I was doing; I just knew that as a kid, I enjoyed making videos and needed something to take my mind off my miscarriage and to pull me out of my depressive funk. It was the start of my fitness business; that channel is called Team Luna Gains. *first video
My video uploads were inconsistent, and I had no clue how to frame the video, light the room, create a thumbnail, or leverage YouTube SEO to get more views.
The channel didn't gain much traction, and as a newbie entrepreneur, I fell prey to shiny object syndrome and ran off to try the next thing.
Over the years, I continued to produce videos, mostly on other social platforms and occasionally on my current channel, but with no clear direction.
On August 3, 2019, I was fed up with creating random content. I finally landed on my ideal client avatar and began producing a podcast, the Online Business Clinic, designed to help "her" start and scale an online business.
The show was steadily gaining traction, and I was hearing from my clients and prospective clients how they wished I was on YouTube.
Someone hinted at the fact that I could be monetizing my content by becoming a YouTube Partner, so I began to investigate it further.
What is The YouTube Partner Program?
YouTube is a business that makes its money primarily through advertising.
The YouTube Partner Program is a way for content creators to monetize their videos and share the revenue that YouTube gains from advertising on their channel.
Creators can earn money in various other ways, such as ad sense, Super Chat, channel memberships, merchandise, and Super Thanks, aka tip the Creator for their content.
How to Apply to the YouTube Partner Program
Your channel has at least 1,000 subscribers.
You have at least 4,000 valid public watch hours over the last 12 months.
You live in a country where the YouTube Partner Program is available.
You have an AdSense account linked to your YouTube channel.
What is YouTube Monetization?
YouTube monetization is the process of making money from your YouTube videos. There are a few different ways to do this, but the most common is through advertising. You can sign up for an ad network like AdSense, and you'll be able to place ads on your videos. When someone watches one of your videos, they'll also see the ad, and you'll earn money based on how many views the ad gets.
Once I realized that I could provide value to my audience members via video and earn money, it was a win-win, and I was all in.
On August 17, 2021, I recorded and uploaded my first video to grow my youtube channel and achieve youtube monetization. *Episode 52 of my podcast
Shortly after, I began binge-watching every YouTube video I could find that taught me YouTube SEO, thumbnail creation, script writing, lighting, etc.
I enrolled in not one, not two, but three online courses, each taught by 'YouTube Experts' with over 500K subscribers, hoping that each of them would deliver on their marketing process to help me fast-track my way to YouTube monetization.
Despite following their instructions to a T, my channel continued to grow at a snail's pass.
Not to say that the expert's advice didn't work. How do I know how long it would have taken for me to reach this youtube monetization milestone had I not enrolled? But I also believe that with the rollout of youtube shorts, the YouTube game changed a bit since those tips and tricks the 'experts' gave when they started their channels.
Regardless, I pulled what I could from their courses and implemented everything to the best of my ability. Little by little, figuring out the technical side of things and becoming more excited to share my videos on social: Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, you name it.
I even called people on the phone; I sent DM asking for the sub.
And guess what? Nobody watched it. Well, a few people watched it but not nearly as many as I had hoped.
Yes, my YouTube channel was growing, just painfully slow.
So how long did it take for me to reach YouTube monetization?
My rededication date: August 17, 2020
My monetization date: August 29, 2022, 6:39 AM
Two years, 12 days
107 videos uploaded, podcasts published, and newsletter announcements sent
428+ social posts shared
13,589 dollars invested (roughly)
Wait, what do you mean? I thought YouTube was free.
It is.
As a busy homeschooling mama of two kiddos, time is more important than cash, so I chose to invest part of my business operational expenses into hiring (2) part-time employees, a video editor, and a post-production publisher.
Note: while it took me two years to reach YouTube Partnership and become Monetized, I still made money from my channel.
Curious to know how?
Drop me a comment below, and I'll consider giving you the behind-the-scenes breakdown of how to make money producing videos even if you aren't monetized.
YouTube (and life) lessons I wish I had learned sooner
To win at anything, you must make a firm decision to do so
Creating a new revenue stream via youtube or otherwise takes an investment of time and sometimes money
Seek counsel from experts, but persistence trumps all. Remember that one person's journey is not another; stay the course, and your hard work will pay off.
Once one goal is achieved, its time to set a bigger one.
Now that I've hit 1,000 subscribers, I've got my target to reach 10,000 more viewers just like you who want to start a business and achieve freedom.
But to do that, I'll need your help.
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How much money did I make being monetized on youtube in my first week with 1000 subscribers?