How To Make Money Selling Merch through YouTube (2023)

If you're a regular user using YouTube, you may notice certain of the most well-known YouTubers -- and some of the tiniest YouTube creators have entered into selling merch (short to "merchandise").

For example, makeup guru Huda Kattan has launched her own beauty line Huda Beauty. Jackie Aina created FORVR Mood which is the lifestyle brand which offers scented candles and self-care packages. Additionally, Emma Chamberlain has her own company for tea and coffee, Chamberlain Coffee.

These creators know that the conventional means of making money on YouTube is not sustainable and have discovered ways to diversify their revenue. Selling products is an excellent way to do this and eventually, merch sales can actually become a major source of revenue in the case of YouTube creators. More than that, selling custom merch can aid creators in engaging their fan base and keep them up to date with their YouTube content, as it's the first place they'll usually make announcements about a new launch.

Contrary to YouTube famous people mentioned earlier There is no need for millions of subscribers to create and market merch. If you start early enough, selling merchandise can help you grow the popularity of your YouTube channel.

The evidence speaks for itself: Emma Chamberlain and others have demonstrated that sales of merchandise can be significant streams of revenue that YouTubers can earn. If you're a YouTuber looking to start selling the merchandise you create, read on to learn what you need to know about. This comprehensive guide we'll explain why you should begin selling your merch on YouTube and what you could sell as creators of YouTube creator and how to promote your merch on your channel.

What are the reasons to sell merchandise as a YouTuber

The life of a YouTuber is frequently portrayed as glamorous, and that's partly because people believe it's true that thousands of YouTube views are the equivalent of thousands of dollars. That couldn't be farther from the truth.

The majority of online creators (including those who are who are on other platforms such as Instagram -- often have to play by certain rules in order to earn profits. YouTube requires creators wanting to create ads. Brands set their own rules regarding creators they may collaborate with. Moreover, YouTube can stop a creator from running ads on the channel at any moment or even call off deals whenever they wish.

The standard way of making money on YouTube is through YouTube Partner Program. YouTube Partner Program. In order to join You must:

• A minimum of 1,000 members.
• At least 4,000 hours of public watching hours were logged in the past twelve months.
• In a nation where the program is available.
• In order to comply to the YouTube monetization policy.
• In the event that there is no guideline for community members, this strikes on your channel.

If you're able to meet the requirements, you can apply to the program. But even then, there's no guarantee that you'll be accepted. Even if you're approved, YouTube reserves the right to stop your advertising revenue, and suppress your channel -- or completely in the event that it believes you've violated its guidelines.

1. Diversify your revenue streams

In the past, ad revenue and brand sponsorships aren't among the most reliable methods to make money on YouTube due to their volatility. Yes, it is possible to accomplish these things, however, you don't want to place all your eggs into one basket.

Many people don't realize just the amount of money YouTube creators earn through selling merchandise. Consider Ryan Kaji of Ryan's World as an instance. The 11-year old boy began as an toy reviewer, but has now created over 55,000 items of merchandise that are branded. In the year 2020, he reportedly had a profit of $250 million by selling the merch he designed.

The reason he could do this is that the products are his, which means that he alone and his staff decide what the products will be made and what the retail store will look like, and how they'll sell the items to the people who Ryan wants. If you're in charge of your stock like this and you'll probably enjoy the full benefits.

2. Increase fan engagement

The most important factor in establishing an effective YouTube channel is audience engagement. If viewers don't feel compelled to check out your channel's content and you don't expect to make the most money through YouTube. Selling merchandise is a fantastic method to keep your viewers entertained.

Why? Because it gives your fans an opportunity to give you their support as well as receive something in return. Robert Hoffmann, the Marketing Manager of CashbackHero summarizes it well: "By selling merchandise, YouTubers can establish a more personal connection with their followers and improve their engagement," Robert says. "Additionally the site gives viewers the opportunity to personally help the creators of content they follow, creating an ideal situation for all the parties concerned."

Even if you don't have an abundance of customers 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. In the case of offering apparel, it has to feel comfortable, possess an inclusive sizing range as well as be constructed from premium materials. That, and strategic marketing are among the most important things you need to get your customers to buy your customized merchandise.

Similar to: 9 tips for getting your First 1000 YouTube Subscribers

Another thing to consider is that the audience most likely to buy merch includes Gen Z (ages 11-26 in 2023) that desire to feel they're a part of some sort of. Merchandise is the perfect method for YouTubers and their fans to get connected with their Gen Z followers at a more intimate level. The fans can purchase or wear the custom merch, and take a moment of pride in supporting their favorite YouTuber and belonging as an integral part of the larger YouTube group of fans.

3. Build brand awareness

Selling merchandise can help you build brand awareness and increase popularity of the YouTube channel. If you're selling products emblazoned with your channel's name or the logo, these products will effectively become the walking billboards you need to be.

Selling merch can even help you reach people who are not active YouTube users. Milo Cruz, the CMO at Freelance Writing Jobs, who has experience writing ad copy for YouTubers' merchandise explains how it is done. "Active subscribers buy the limited edition YouTuber's T-shirt or hoodie, wear it and show the item to their family and friends," he says. "The situation is similar to word-of-mouth, where YouTubers receive free ads from subscribers already subscribed to the channel who purchase the merch. This will spark curiosity among those who see the item and will encourage them to go to the channel of the YouTuber."

4. Make yourself stand out from the crowd

Since most merchandise is customized products that have distinctive designs and unique, you'll stand out against other YouTube channels within your particular niche.

"Selling merchandise can help YouTubers stand out from the crowd," says Sreeram Sharma who is Head of Social Media at QikChat. "If YouTubers have an impressive brand name and dedicated fan base, merchandise may provide a distinctive and unique offering that sets them apart from others in their niche."

The things you can offer as a YouTube creator

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

Fan merchandise

The fan merchandise market is the traditional method of providing items to fanatics. Think of jerseys that people buy to support their favorite soccer teams, or branded bracelets that Gen Zers wear to attend concerts. They usually have the slogans or images related to your YouTube channel . Fans can wear to show their support.

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
• Bottles of water

In essence, anything you can create with your logo qualifies as merch.

As an example, Ava Jules who is a beauty and lifestyle vlogger with more than 1.6 million YouTube viewers, is an merch line consisting of sweatshirts, T-shirts caps, hats, and keychains that represent her life in Hawaii.

The best thing about fan-made merchandise is that it's easy to create due to the printing-on-demand (POD) possibilities available to creators.

All they have to create concepts or slogans, after which when someone buys an item that is purchased, the POD firm will apply the designs to the item and then ship the items to the customer. That means creators do not need to think about finding materials, keeping an inventory, or shipping products. That way, they'll conserve both time and money.

The products you design

Making your own items to sell takes lots of effort and time, however, they are able to bring in even greater revenue than fan products. There are many ways to make and sell tangible products, similar to how beauty YouTube stars create their own makeup palettes, and how Emma Chamberlain sells her custom blends of tea and coffee powder.

The physical items you could produce and sell comprise:

• Crafts made by hand
• Prints on art
• Physical wallpapers
• Gaming accessories
• Beauty products
• Cookbooks

You can also make digital items such as:

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

Digital content is valuable to the people who use them due to the fact that they're exclusive content or resources they can only obtain directly from you.

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

Making courses at Sarah's level takes time. However, you could start by selling something simple like selling printable worksheets and checklists. The caveat is that your offerings must be relevant and valuable to the people who purchase them.

Fan experiences

If you've got a large following on YouTube, you could give special offers for your followers, such as exclusive merchandise such as meet-and-greets, private events. Additionally, you can establish a membership service and Patreon that allows your patrons to be able to access exclusive live streams, individual sessionsor behind-the-scenes videos of your company.

How to promote your merch through YouTube? YouTube

If you are planning to produce products for fans, there are some tactics you can use to let the people who purchase your products are available for purchase. Below are some suggestions that you could try.

1. Promote your merch through your video

This type of promotion will require you to place your merchandise somewhere within the video to ensure viewers are able to learn about it and purchase it for them. Here are a few strategies for promoting your product in video:

Be Your Own Model

The most straightforward and simple option to market your custom merchandise is to include it in your YouTube videos. So, the viewers are aware that the product exists and can see the way it appears. In the case of selling wearable items such as a t-shirt, then showing the design in the videos you make will to demonstrate that you're confident about your product.

If you're not comfortable carrying your merchandise in your videos all the time, you can display it as background when you record and draw attention on it periodically.

Discuss your merchandise after your videos.

If you do not want to highlight your product within a video, since it may divert viewers away from the topic matter, you can make mention of it at the conclusion of your video.

The downside to this, though, is that only those that watch the video to the very end will be aware of the merchandise you sell. It is possible to fix this issue by prompting people at the beginning of the intro of your video to watch your video until the very end for a special announcement -- or something to that result.

Do a product unboxing

"Creating video unboxings of your products gives potential buyers an in-depth look at the specifications of your products and appreciate their worth more," says Rachel Macfarlane, a content marketing strategist with Redfox Visual.

Macfarlane is right. If you're selling items like gaming accessories, for example, doing unboxing videos allow you to talk about all the features and benefits of your product as you unbox it. It helps the audience understand exactly how important your product is.

Product unboxing videos are great to promote new products and seasonal collections. But you can film them for just about any product.

2. Include your links to your products in video descriptions

Whether your video is related to your product or service make sure to include the URL to your shop or page(s) in your video description box for anyone who is interested. Included merch link or store link is especially useful if you have several merchandise you'd like to market.

  3. Use the YouTube merch shelf feature

Did you know that YouTube comes with a built-in feature which allows YouTubers to market their merchandise directly through their YouTube videos? Take a look at the YouTube Merch Shelf.

The merch shelf feature allows creators to market their products directly through YouTube from a number of locations that are available on YouTube, including the store on their channel, video ends, and even under live streams and videos.

Through the merch store feature on YouTube that allows you to place your merchandise before your 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 your merchandise or buy it. All it takes is YouTube's application!

YouTubers who want to take advantage of the"merch" shelf feature have to be able to meet certain requirements, which can limit access to certain. If you're able to meet the prerequisites, you should consider taking advantage of. In the moment, you need to satisfy the following criteria to take advantage of the merch shelves on YouTube:

• Your channel has more than 1,000 members.
• Your channel is accepted for monetization.
• The channel you are watching isn't identified as "made by kids."
• The YouTube Partner Program is available in your local area.

Do you have all the standards? Great! You are now able to sell your products on the YouTube merch shop. You can learn more about setting up your personal YouTube shelves for merch on the platform's Support page.

4. Offer discounts on your merch

Discounting your merch is a great way to make a lot of sales over a relatively short amount of time. Garrett Smith who runs local SEO at GMB Gorilla understands that offering special discounts or exclusive deals on your merch can give your fans "feel unique."

Smith suggests "Use keywords that elicit an urgency such as 'limited time offer' or "limited stock available,' to urge readers to purchase immediately. It kills two birds with one stone because it encourages more sales. Additionally, it encourages customers to sign up to your channel, and expand your reach."

5. Advertise your merchandise via social media

Social media is one of the most effective ways to advertise any item. As a YouTuber, you'll want to make use of the other social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or TikTok, to promote your products to your customers.

You'll have to create posts or stories featuring your products, organize contests and giveaways, offer exclusive discounts to your followers, 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 even brands within your area is a fantastic opportunity to engage with new audiences that you might never have access to in the past.

It is possible to create videos alongside other artists and include your merch in them. Also, you can make a limited edition product using a popular influencer -- preferably one who has a larger audience than you. It will ensure that you're reaching new people and building an image for your brand during the collaboration.

In the final day, promoting merch on YouTube involves finding innovative methods to keep your viewers to buy from you.

Make money by selling merch on YouTube

Becoming successful in your career as an YouTube creator means creating a business that brings in income, no matter what obstacles you have to face on the platform. Selling merchandise is one of the best ways to achieve this.

There is no need to have an abundance of subscribers or expensive equipment for selling products on YouTube. All you need is an experienced designer, a reliable print-on-demand business (if you want to sell clothing) as well as a solid plan for marketing. And since YouTube is able to be integrated into online shops, it's effortless for people to discover your merchandise and purchase them.

After you've learned all the tricks and tips of selling merch on YouTube It's time to go out and create that merch and start making money.

Join the Leap on TikTok and Instagram for more monetization tips for creators. We also make newsletters.