How to Make Money by selling merchandise on YouTube (2023)

If you're a regular user online on YouTube, you may notice certain of the most famous YouTubers -- as well as more modest YouTube creators -- have entered into selling merch (short to "merchandise").

For example, makeup guru Huda Kattan created her name-brand beauty label Huda Beauty. Jackie Aina has created FORVR Mood, a lifestyle brand that offers scented candles and self-care packages. Additionally, Emma Chamberlain has her own tea and coffee company, Chamberlain Coffee.

The creators have realized that the conventional method of earning money through YouTube is not sustainable and have discovered methods to diversify their revenue. The sale of merchandise is a fantastic way to do this and, in the long run it can become a major source of income in the case of YouTube creators. More than that the sale of custom-made merchandise can assist creators with engaging their fans base and keep them up to date with their YouTube content, as that's where they'll typically first to announce the launch of a new product.

Unlike the YouTube famous people mentioned earlier There is no need for millions of followers to produce and market merch. If you get started early enough selling merchandise can help you grow the reach of your channel on YouTube.

The proof is in the pudding: Emma Chamberlain and others have shown us that selling merchandise is a significant streams of revenue that YouTubers can earn. If you're a YouTuber looking to start selling your own merch take a look at this article to find out the steps to follow. In this comprehensive guide, we'll discuss the reasons you should start selling merch through YouTube as well as what you are able to sell as creators of YouTube maker, as well as the best way to market your merchandise through your channel.

What are the reasons to sell merchandise through YouTube

The lifestyle of YouTubers is often glamorized as a result of many think the thousands of viewers equal millions of dollars. That couldn't be farther from the truth.

The majority of online creators -- including those using other platforms, such as Instagram are often required adhere to certain guidelines to make income. YouTube requires creators wanting to create ads. Brands set their own rules regarding creators they may partner with. Additionally, YouTube can stop a creator from advertising on the channel at any moment, and brands can cancel deals at any time they please.

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

• A minimum of 1,000 members.
• At least 4,000 hours of public watching hours were logged in the past twelve months.
• To live in a country where the program is available.
• In order to comply to the YouTube monetization policy.
• To have no community guideline is a red flag for your channel.

If you meet these criteria, you can apply to the program. Even the case, it's unlikely acceptance. If you're not approved, YouTube reserves the right to suspend your ad revenue as well as to shut down your channel , or even remove it completely in the event that it believes you've violated its rules.

1. Diversify your revenue streams

Like we said earlier, ad revenue and brand sponsorships are not the most reliable ways to earn money through YouTube because of their volatility. You can certainly make money from these options, but you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket.

Many people don't realize just the amount of money YouTube creators make from selling merchandise. Take Ryan Kaji of Ryan's World as an example. The 11-year old boy began as a reviewer for toys, but has now created over 5,000 pieces of branded merch. In the year 2020, he reportedly earned 250 million dollars through the sale of his custom merch.

The reason he could do this is that the items are his which means that he alone and his team decide what the products will be made as well as the design of the store like, as well as how they'll sell the items for Ryan's intended audience. Once you've got control over the inventory you have and you'll probably get all the benefits.

2. Enhance fan engagement

The main ingredient to running a successful YouTube channel is the level of engagement. If your viewers aren't motivated to watch your videos and you don't expect to make much money on YouTube. Selling merchandise is a fantastic option to keep your followers engaged.

Why? because it provides your followers with an opportunity to give you their support and receive something back in exchange. Robert Hoffmann, the Marketing Manager at CashbackHero puts it best: "By selling merchandise, YouTubers have the opportunity to create a more personal connection with their audience and increase participation in the process." Robert says. "Additionally the site gives viewers an opportunity to direct support the content creators they follow, creating an ideal situation for all parties involved."

Although you may not have a ton of subscribers yet, there will always be people who want to help you. When you begin selling custom merchandise, they'll buy it so long as the designs are good. If, for instance, you're offering apparel, it has to be comfortable, have an inclusive sizing range, and be made from premium materials. And, of course, a well-planned marketing are the primary things you need to get your customers to buy your personalized merchandise.

Similar to: 9 Strategies to Get Your First 1,000 YouTube Subscribers

One thing to keep in mind is the fact that the group that is most likely to purchase merch will be Gen Z (ages 11-26 by 2023) who long to feel like they're a part of something. It's the best way for YouTubers to connect to their Gen Z supporters in a deeper way. The fans can purchase or wear the custom merch, and take a moment of pride in supporting their favorite YouTuber as well as being part of a bigger group of fans.

3. Build brand awareness

Offering merchandise helps you create brand recognition and boost popularity of your channel on YouTube. If you're selling items that are branded with the name of your channel or its brand, these will be essentially walking billboards for you.

Selling merchandise could assist in reaching those who aren't active YouTube users. Milo Cruz, the CMO at Freelance Writing Jobs with expertise in writing ads for YouTubers' merch will explain how this operates. "Active subscribers buy the limited edition YouTuber's T-shirt or hoodieand wear it, then present the merchandise to their family and friends," he says. "The scenario is close to the concept of word-of-mouth. YouTubers are able to get advertisements for free by existing subscribers who purchase merchandise. The item will entice those who see the item and encourages them to visit the channel of the YouTuber."

4. Stand out from competitors

Because merchandise usually comprises unique products, with designs that are uniquely yours and unique, you'll be different from other YouTube channels within your particular niche.

"Selling products can allow YouTubers to stand out from the crowd," says Sreeram Sharma who is the head of Social Media at QikChat. "If a YouTuber has a strong brand and a loyal fanbase, merchandise can offer a unique and valuable service that distinguishes them from other YouTubers in their field."

What you can sell as YouTube creators? YouTube creator

There are several things you can sell as YouTube creators. You can sell a few things as YouTube creator, including items for your fans, the products you create in addition to experience for fans.

Fan merchandise

Fans merchandise can be described as the traditional way of offering merchandise to the fans. Imagine the kind of jerseys fans buy to support their favorite football teams, or bracelets that Gen Zers wear to attend performances. They usually have images or slogans that are associated with your YouTube channel . Fans are able to wear to demonstrate their loyalty.

Here are a few examples of merchandise from popular fans:

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

Basically, any physical item you can print with your branding qualifies as merch.

For example, Ava Jules is a beauty and lifestyle vlogger who has more than 1.6 million YouTube subscribers, has an merchandise line of T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, sticker packs, and keychains that represent her life in Hawaii.

The best thing about fan products is that they are easy to make because of the printing-on-demand (POD) possibilities available to creators.

All creators have to come up with concepts or slogans, after which when someone buys a product that is purchased, the POD company will apply the designs to the item and then ship the product to the purchaser. This means that creators don't need to think about finding materials, keeping an inventory or shipping items. That way, they'll conserve time and money.

The products you design

Creating your own products to sell takes an enormous amount of effort and time however, they are able to bring in even more revenue than fan merchandise. There are many ways to make and sell tangible products, similar to how beauty YouTube stars create their own palettes of makeup, as well as the way Emma Chamberlain sells her own coffee blends and tea powder.

A few physical products that you can produce and sell comprise:

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

There is also the possibility to sell digital products such as:

• Templates
• Ebooks
• The photo editing presets
• Digital wallpapers
• Printable art and craft patterns for crafts

Digital content is valuable to the people who use them as they're original materials or information that they only obtain through your company.

Sarah Chrisp (aka Wholesale Ted) Wholesale Ted, an online entrepreneur with 1 million YouTube subscribers , sells ebooks as well as dropshipping courses via her website, The Ecomm Clubhouse.

The creation of courses that are Sarah's standard isn't easy, however it is possible to start by offering things as simple as offering printable worksheets, checklists and worksheets. The caveat is that the products you sell must have value and relevance for your target audience.

Fan experiences

If you have a sizeable audience on YouTube it is possible to provide special events for your followers, such as exclusive merchandise, meet-and-greets, or private events. You can also set up a membership program as well as Patreon which allows your followers to have access to exclusive live streams, individual sessionsor behind-the-scenes videos of your company.

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 on your YouTube videos

This type of promotion will require you to place your merch somewhere in your video so viewers will be able to find out about it and buy some for themselves. Here are a few methods to promote your video:

Be Your Own Model

The simplest and easiest option to market your custom merchandise is to showcase it in your YouTube videos. So, the viewers will be aware that the item exists , and they can view the way it appears. In the case of selling wearable merchandise by way of example, showing the design in your videos can show that you're confident in the products you offer.

If you're uncomfortable carrying your merchandise in your videos all the time It's possible to display it in the background while you record and draw attention on it from time to time.

You can talk about the merchandise you have purchased in the final moments of your videos.

If you don't want to advertise your merchandise within a video, since it could divert viewers away from the topic issue, include it in the final section of your video instead.

One drawback to this though, is that only those that watch the video to the end will learn about the merchandise you sell. It is possible to fix this issue by directing people in your introduction to view your video until the very end for a special announcement -or something similar to in that regard.

Unbox a boxed product

"Creating videos that show the unboxing process of products gives potential buyers an inside look at features of your products and understand their value better," says Rachel Macfarlane an expert in content marketing for Redfox Visual.

Macfarlane is right. If you sell products like gaming equipment, for instance making videos of unboxing allows you to talk about all the features and benefits of the item as you take it out of the box. Your customers will be able to see exactly how important what you sell is.

Product unboxing videos are great for seasonal and new release collections. However, you are able to film them for just about any product.

2. Put your product links in videos with descriptions of your products.

Whether your video is related to your merchandise or not, you should be sure that you include a URL to your store or page(s) in the video's description box to anyone that is attracted. Incorporating merch links as well as a store link can be particularly useful when you've got a variety of merchandise you'd like to market.

  3. Use the YouTube Merch Shelf feature

Did you know that YouTube comes with a built-in feature that lets YouTubers sell their merchandise directly through their videos? Meet YouTube's Merch Shelf. YouTube Merch Shelf.

The feature of the merch shelf allows creators to market their products directly via YouTube via a range of locations on the platform, including the store on their channel, video ends, and even under live streams and videos.

With YouTube's merch store feature that allows you to place your items before viewers' eyeballs in real-time as they're watching your videos or browsing your channel. This simple, integrated feature means that potential customers don't need to navigate through hoops to find the merchandise they want or to make a purchase. All it takes is YouTube's app!

YouTubers who want to take advantage of the"merch" shelf feature have to meet a specific set of conditions, and it can be restricted to a certain. If you're able to meet the prerequisites, that you must take advantage of. At present, you have to meet the following conditions to be eligible for YouTube's merch-shelf feature:

• Your channel has more than 1,000 users.
• Your channel is authorized to be monetized.
• Your channel is not identified as "made for kids."
• The YouTube Partner Program is available in your local area.

Are you in compliance with all specifications? Great! You are now able to sell your products through the YouTube merch shop. It is possible to learn more about how to set up your personal YouTube merchandise shelf through the support page.

4. Make sure you offer discounts on your merchandise

Discounting your products is an excellent method to generate a large amount of sales within a brief amount of time. Garrett Smith who runs local SEO at GMB Gorilla knows that offering discounts and exclusive offers for your merchandise can make your followers "feel like they are special."

Smith suggests "Use keywords that create the sense of urgency, such as 'limited-time offer' or 'only a few stocks readily available', to encourage readers to purchase immediately. This kills two birds with one stone since it drives more sales. Also, it is a way to encourage new viewers to subscribe to your channel, and expand your reach."

5. Advertise your merchandise through social media

Social media is one of the most effective ways to promote any product. If you're already an YouTuber, it's important to use other platforms on social media such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok for promoting your merch to your audience.

It is necessary to write articles or posts that showcase your product, hold contests and giveaways, offer special deals to your customers, and run ads that reach out to people who do not yet follow you.

6. Collaborate with other creators in your area of expertise

Collaboration with YouTubers, social media influencers or other brands that are in your field is an excellent way to reach people you would never have access to in the past.

You can create video content with other artists and include your merchandise in the videos. You could also make a limited edition product using a popular influencer -- preferably one who has more followers than you do. You'll be able to reach new people and building an image for your brand during the collaboration.

In the final day, advertising merch on YouTube is all about coming up with innovative methods of getting your fans interested in buying from you.

Earn money selling merchandise on YouTube

Becoming successful in your career as an YouTube creator means creating a business that brings in revenue, regardless of the challenges you face on the platform. Selling merchandise is among the easiest ways to do this.

You don't have to have an abundance of users or expensive equipment in order to market your products on YouTube. All you require is an excellent designer, a reliable print-on-demand firm (if you want to sell clothes) and a sound strategy for marketing. And since YouTube can be integrated with e-commerce stores, it'll be effortless for people to locate your items and buy them from you.

Once you've mastered the fundamentals about how to sell merch through YouTube It's time to go out and create that merch and start making money.

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