How to Make Profits Selling Products through YouTube (2023)

If you spend enough time on YouTube and you're on the site, you'll be aware that some of the more popular YouTubers -- and even smaller YouTube creators -- have entered into selling merch (short to "merchandise").

For instance, makeup artist Huda Kattan has launched her own beauty brand Huda Beauty. Jackie Aina also created FORVR Mood which is a lifestyle brand that offers candle scents and self-care kits. In addition, Emma Chamberlain has her own company for tea and coffee, Chamberlain Coffee.

They know that the conventional method of earning money through YouTube isn't sustainable, and have found ways to diversify their revenue. Selling products is an excellent option to accomplish this, in the long run, merch sales can actually be a main source of income in the case of YouTube creators. More than that selling custom merchandise could assist creators with engaging their fans base and keep them up to date with their content on YouTube since that's where they'll typically first make announcements about a new launch.

In contrast to the YouTube famous people mentioned earlier You don't require millions of subscribers to create and sell merchandise. If you get started early enough selling merch can even aid in the growth of the popularity of your YouTube channel.

The proof is in the pudding: Emma Chamberlain and others have proven that merchandise sales can become major sources of revenue that YouTubers can earn. If you're a Youtuber who wants to sell your own merchandise, read on to learn the steps to follow. In this all-inclusive guide, we'll explain why you should start selling merch on YouTube as well as what you are able to sell as creators of YouTube maker, as well as how to promote your merch on your YouTube channel.

The reasons why you should consider selling merch on YouTube

The lifestyle of YouTubers is frequently portrayed as glamorous as a result of people believe that thousands of views equal millions of dollars. It's far from the reality.

Many creators on the internet such as those who are on other platforms such as Instagram typically have to adhere to certain rules to make income. YouTube requires creators wanting to create advertisements. Brands also have guidelines to creators that they are able to partner with. Furthermore, YouTube can stop a creator from running ads on their channel at any time as well as brands are able to cancel deals at any time they please.

The standard way of making cash on YouTube is through it's YouTube Partner Program. In order to join, you need:

• Minimum of 1,000 subscribers.
• An average of 4,000 watching hours were logged in the past twelve months.
• Living in a country in which the program is readily available.
• In order to comply with the YouTube monetization policy.
• If you do not have a community guideline, it is a red flag for your channel.

If you meet these criteria You can submit an application to the program. However, even the case, it's unlikely that you'll get accepted. Even if you're accepted, YouTube reserves the right to stop your advertising revenue as well as to shut down your channel -- or completely in the event that it believes you've violated the rules.

1. Diversify your revenue streams

In the past, ad revenue and brand sponsorships are not the most reliable ways to make money on YouTube due to their volatility. You can certainly make money from these options, but it's not advisable to put all your eggs in one basket.

Many people don't realize just the amount of money YouTube creators earn through selling merchandise. Take Ryan Kaji of Ryan's World as an illustration. The 11-year-old was initially an toy reviewer, however, he has created nearly 5,000 pieces of branded merch. In 2020, he reportedly had a profit of $250,000 from selling the merch he designed.

The reason he could achieve this is the fact that the products are his, the only person who can make them is him and his team call the shots on how they'll make the product, what the store looks like, and the way they'll market the products to Ryan's target audience. If you're in charge of the inventory you have, you'll likely reap all of the rewards.

2. Increase the engagement of fans

The key to a successful YouTube channel is engagement with the audience. If your viewers aren't motivated to check out your channel's content it is likely that you won't earn much money on YouTube. Selling merchandise is a fantastic method to keep your viewers engaged.

Why? It gives your viewers an opportunity to give you their support as well as receive something in return. Robert Hoffmann, the Marketing Director at CashbackHero puts it best: "By selling merchandise, YouTubers can establish a more personal connection with their audience and increase engagement in the process," Robert says. "Additionally this gives users a tangible way to directly support the content creators they follow, creating a win-win situation for both people involved."

Although you may not have an abundance of customers at present, there'll always be those who would like to help you. Therefore, when you decide to offer products that are custom-designed, people will purchase it as long as the styles are appealing. For instance, if you're offering apparel, it has to be comfortable, have an inclusive sizing range as well as be constructed from premium materials. That, and strategic marketing are the primary items you must sell out your stock of custom merch.

related: 9 Strategies to Get Your 1st 1,000 YouTube Subscribers

Another thing to consider is that the audience that is most likely to purchase merch includes Generation Z (ages 11 to 26 in 2023) that desire to feel they're a part of some sort of. It's the best method for YouTubers and their fans to get connected to their Gen Z followers at a more intimate level. They can put on or wear the custom merch, and take a moment of satisfaction in helping their favorite YouTuber as well as being part of a bigger crowd.

3. Build brand awareness

Selling merchandise can help you create brand recognition and boost the visibility of the YouTube channel. If you're selling merchandise that are branded with your channel's name or logo, they'll essentially become your own walking billboards.

The selling of merchandise can assist in reaching individuals who aren't YouTube users. Milo Cruz, the CMO at Freelance Writing Jobs, who has the experience of writing advertisements for YouTuber merchandising will explain how this is done. "Active users purchase the limited edition YouTuber's T-shirt or hoodie, wear it, and then show the item to family members and friends," he says. "The model is similar to word-of-mouth, where YouTubers are able to get advertisements for free by existing subscribers who purchase the merchandise. It will create curiosity in those who see the item and will encourage them to go to the YouTuber's channel."

4. Be different from your competitors

As a result, since most products are customized products that have distinctive designs and unique, you'll stand out from the other YouTube channels that are in your field.

"Selling merchandise can help YouTubers differentiate themselves from their competitors," says Sreeram Sharma, the Head of Social Media at QikChat. "If YouTubers have an impressive brand name and loyal fanbase, merchandise can provide a distinctive and unique product that differentiates them from the rest of their competitors in their respective niche."

You can make money as a YouTube creator

There are a few items you could sell as a YouTube creator. This includes products for fans to purchase, merchandise that you design and fan experiences.

Fan merchandise

Fan merchandise is the traditional way of offering items to fanatics. Imagine the kind of jerseys fans purchase in support of their favorite football teams, or bracelets Gen Zers wear when they go to performances. They usually have the slogans or images that are associated with your YouTube channel that fans can wear to show their appreciation.

Here are a few examples of popular fan merch:

• T-shirts
• Crewnecks
• Hoodies
• Sweatpants
• Hats
• Scarves
• Socks
• Tote bags
• Mugs
• Enamel pins
• Stickers
• Phone cases
• Water bottles

In essence, anything you can make with your brand's logo is regarded as merchandise.

Like, Ava Jules, a beauty and lifestyle vlogger with more than 1.6 million YouTube followers, offers her own collection of T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, sticker packs and keychains that represent her life in Hawaii.

One of the advantages of fan-produced products is that they are easy to produce due to the print-on-demand (POD) choices that are available to creators.

All creators have to create ideas or slogans and when someone pays for a product that is purchased, the POD firm will print the designs on the item and then ship them to the buyer. That means creators do not have to worry about sourcing materials, keeping an inventory or shipping items. In this way, they'll save the time and cash.

The products you design

Making your own items to sell takes an enormous amount of effort and time however, they are able to generate greater revenue than fan merchandise. You can make and sell physical products like how makeup YouTubers make their own palettes of makeup, and the way Emma Chamberlain sells her personal blends of coffee and tea powder.

The physical items you could make and sell include:

• Handmade crafts
• Prints of art
• Physical wallpapers
• Gaming accessories
• Beauty products
• Cookbooks

You can also offer digital goods such as:

• Templates
• E-books
• Presets for photo editing
• Digital wallpapers
• Printable art and craft patterns

Digital products are valuable to the people who use them as they're original information or content that they only get directly from your company.

Sarah Chrisp (aka Wholesale Ted) Wholesale Ted, an online entrepreneur with 1 million YouTube customers, sells books and dropshipping programs on her site, The Ecomm Clubhouse.

Learning to teach at the level of Sarah isn't easy, however you can start with something simple like selling printable worksheets and checklists. It is important to note that your products have to be useful and relevant for your target audience.

Fan experiences

If you've got a large following on YouTube and you have a large following, you can give special offers to your fans like exclusive products such as meet-and-greets, private occasions. It is also possible to create a membership plan as well as Patreon where your fans will be able to access exclusive live streams, one-on-one meetings, and behind-the scenes footage of your enterprise.

How to promote your merch on YouTube

If you decide to make products for fans, there are some tactics that you could employ to inform your customers know that the products are available for purchase. These are some ideas that you could try.

1. Promote your merch through your video

This type of promotion needs you to incorporate your merchandise somewhere within your video so viewers are able to learn about it and buy some for their own. There are several strategies for promoting your product in video:

Make Yourself Your Model

The simplest and easiest option to market your custom merchandise is to include the item in your YouTube video. This way, viewers will learn that your product exists , and they can view what it is like. When you're offering wearable items such as a t-shirt, then modelling the designs on your videos will help show that you're confident in the products you offer.

If you're uncomfortable with showing your merchandise on your videos continuously, you can display it in the background while you film and draw focus on it from time to time.

Talk about your merch at the end of your videos

If you don't want to highlight your product during a video because it could divert viewers away from the topic matter, you can mention it at the end of your video.

The downside to this, it is that only the people who view your video until the very end will be aware of your merch. You can remedy this by prompting people at the beginning of your introduction to view the video to the end for a special announcement -or something similar to in that regard.

Do a product unboxing

"Creating product unboxing videos allows potential customers to get an up-close look at the characteristics of your product and better understand the value of your products," says Rachel Macfarlane an expert in content marketing at Redfox Visual.

Macfarlane is right. If you're selling items like gaming equipment, for instance, doing unboxing videos allow you to talk about all the features and benefits of the item as you unbox it. Your customers will be able to see the value of the product you offer is.

Unboxing videos for products are ideal for seasonal and new release collections. However, you are able to film them for just about every product.

2. Add your product's links to videos with descriptions of your products.

No matter if your video's subject to your product or service make sure to add a hyperlink to your online shop or page(s) in your video description box for anyone that is interested. Incorporating merch links as well as a store link can be particularly useful in the case of multiple merchandise you'd like to market.

  3. Utilize the YouTube Merch Shelf feature

Did you realize that YouTube offers a built-in function that lets YouTubers sell their merchandise directly through their YouTube videos? Meet the YouTube Merch Shelf.

The merch shelves feature lets creators to market their products directly through YouTube through a variety of locations on the platform, including their storefront, videos screen at the end, as well as under live streams and videos.

Through the merch store feature on YouTube it allows you to display your merchandise in front of people's attention in real-time, while they're watching your video or perusing your channel. This intuitive, in-app feature means that potential customers don't need to navigate through hoops in order to discover the merchandise they want or to make a purchase. All it takes is YouTube's application!

YouTubers wanting to utilize the merch shelf feature must meet a specific set of conditions, and it can be restricted to a certain. However, if you meet the requirements, it's something that you must take advantage of. At present, you have to meet the following criteria to take advantage of YouTube's merch-shelf feature:

• The channel you are on has over 1,000 users.
• Your channel has been accepted for monetization.
• Your channel is not marked as "made specifically for children."
• It is possible to join the YouTube Partner Program is available in your region.

Do you meet all the requirements? Great! You can start selling your items through the YouTube merch shop. It is possible to learn more about the steps to set up your own YouTube shelves for merch through the help page.

4. Give discounts on your merchandise

Discounting your products is a great option to increase the number of sales over a relatively short period of time. Garrett Smith who runs local SEO at GMB Gorilla understands that offering discounts and exclusive offers in your merchandise will help your customers "feel unique."

Smith recommends "Use keywords that elicit the sense of urgency, such as 'limited-time offer' or 'limited stocks available,' to urge viewers to make a purchase now. It kills two birds in one fell swoop because it encourages more sales. It also encourages new viewers to subscribe to your channel, and expand your audience."

5. Make sure to promote your products via social media

Social media is among the most effective methods to advertise any item. As an YouTuber, it's important to take advantage of different social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok in order to advertise your products to your customers.

It is necessary to write posts or stories featuring your products, organize giveaways and contests, provide exclusive deals to your followers as well as run ads to reach people who don't yet follow you.

6. Create a collaborative environment with other creators who are in your area of expertise

Working with other YouTubers social media influencers or other brands that are in your field is a fantastic opportunity to engage with new viewers that you may not have had access to otherwise.

It is possible to create videos alongside other artists and include your products in them. You could also create a limited-edition product with a popular influencer -- preferably one who has a larger audience than you. It will ensure that you're reaching new audiences and increasing brand recognition during your partnership.

The end of the day, advertising merch on YouTube involves finding innovative methods to keep your viewers excited about buying your products.

Make money by selling merch on YouTube.

Being successful in your career as an YouTube creator means creating an online business that earns money, regardless of obstacles you have to face when you use the platform. Selling merchandise is among the best ways to achieve this.

You don't have to have a ton of subscribers or expensive equipment for selling products on YouTube. All you need is an experienced artist, a reliable print-on demand company (if you want to sell clothing), and a good plan for marketing. Also, since YouTube is able to be integrated into e-commerce stores, it'll be effortless for people to locate your items and purchase them.

Once you've mastered the fundamentals about selling merch through YouTube It's time to take to the streets, make that merch, and earn that cash.

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