Making Money Selling Merch on YouTube (2023)

Apr 14, 2023

If you spend enough time online on YouTube and you are a YouTube user, it is possible to notice that some of the more popular YouTubers -- and many of the most tiny YouTube creators are in trading merchandise (short in the sense of "merchandise").

For instance, makeup expert Huda Kattan created her name-brand makeup range Huda Beauty. Jackie Aina has also developed FORVR The Mood which is a lifestyle brand which offers scented candles and self-care products. Additionally, Emma Chamberlain has her own company for tea and coffee, Chamberlain Coffee.

These creators know that the conventional methods of earning money from YouTube isn't sustainable, and are looking for methods of diversifying their earnings. Sales of products is an excellent method to achieve this. And over time selling merchandise could be a significant source of revenue for YouTube creators. More than that selling custom merchandise could aid creators in engaging their fan audience to stay on top of their content on YouTube, since it is the way they usually announce a new product launch.

Contrary to YouTube the famous personalities mentioned earlier It is not necessary to have millions of subscribers to create and sell merchandise. Actually, if you begin with the right timing, selling merchandise could help increase the audience for your YouTube channel. YouTube.

Evidence is already in cake: Emma Chamberlain and others have proven that selling items is a significant streams of revenue for YouTubers. In the event that you're on YouTube, and are looking to start selling your creations, take a an interest in this post for more information on how. In this all-inclusive guide, we'll go over the main reasons why you should start selling merch on YouTube and what you could sell as an YouTube creator, as well as how to advertise your products on your channel.

The reasons why you should consider selling merch as a YouTuber

how to sell merch on youtube make money

YouTubers' lives are often portrayed with a positive image because many think it's true that thousands of YouTube views amount to thousands of dollars. But this isn't true.

The majority of online creators (including those using other platforms such as Instagram typically have to follow certain rules in order to earn a profit. YouTube is a requirement for creators looking to create advertisements. Brands have their own guidelines to creators which they're able to collaborate with. Moreover, YouTube can stop a creator from running advertisements on their channel at any point or even call off deals whenever they want.

The most common method of making money on YouTube is via YouTube Partner Program. YouTube Partner Program. To join the program, you must:

  • Minimum of 1,000 subscribers.
  • A minimum of 4,000 watch-time for the public have been watched over the last 12 months.
  • In a country that has a program easily accessible.
  • In order to comply with the YouTube monetization policy.
  • If your channel does not have a community guideline that will apply to your channel.

If you're in the right category, you can be considered for the program. But even it's not a guarantee of approval. Even if your channel is approved, YouTube reserves the right to halt your revenue from advertising and to shut down the channel or completely remove it if it finds you've broken the guidelines of its site.

1. Diversify your revenue streams

In the past, generating advertising revenue or sponsorships for brands aren't the safest methods to make money on YouTube because of the risk. Sure, you can accomplish these things, however it's not advisable to put all of your eggs in the same basket.

Most people aren't aware of how much dollars YouTube creators make from selling products. Consider Ryan Kaji of Ryan's World as an example. The 11-year old boy began by reviewing toys. But, over the years since then, he's created more than five thousand pieces of brand-name merchandise. In 2020, he reportedly made a profit of $250 million by selling the products he developed.

The reason why he can do this is that this product is made by him. The sole person to make them is him and his employees decide on how they'll make the product as well as what the store's design will be, and the way they'll market the products for Ryan's customers. Once you've got control over your inventory like this it's likely that you'll enjoy the benefits.

2. Increase the involvement of fans

The most important factor in the creation of a productive YouTube page is its amount of involvement. If people are not motivated to check out your channel's content, you likely won't make much money through YouTube. The sale of merchandise is an excellent method to keep your viewers interested.

Why? because it provides your followers with a way to support them and also get something back for themselves. Robert Hoffmann is the Marketing Manager for CashbackHero suggests the most effective way to do this: "By selling merchandise, YouTubers are able to establish a personal connection with their followers and boost participation in the process." Robert says. "Additionally it provides users with the chance to assist personally with the creators of content they follow. This creates the perfect environment that everyone is involved."

Although you may not have an abundance of customers right now, there'll always be those who would want to be a part of your team. When you begin selling customized products, customers will purchase it so long as they find the style pleasing. For instance, if you're offering clothing, it must be comfortable, come with an array of sizes, and constructed from high-end materials. This, along with a strategic marketing are the primary prerequisites to get clients to buy the merchandise you design for them.

Related: 9 Tips for Getting Your first 1,000 Youtube Subscribers

A second thing to think about is that the audience most likely to buy merch includes Gen Z (ages 11-26 in 2023) whom want to feel as if they're part of some sort of. It's the ideal opportunity for YouTubers to communicate to their Gen Z fans on a higher and more personal level. You can wear or carry their own merchandise and feel a sense of satisfaction of helping their favourite YouTuber, and feeling an integral part of a larger group of supporters.

3. Create brand recognition

Selling merchandise can help you increase the brand's visibility and recognition on your channel. If you're selling items branded with your channel, or the image of your channel, they will effectively become your own walking billboards.

Selling products can enable you to market to those who aren't actively YouTube users. Milo Cruz, the CMO of Freelance Writing Jobs and with experience in writing ads for merchandise of YouTubers explains how it operates. "Active customers purchase a YouTuber's limited edition T-shirt, hoodie or another item, wear it and present the merchandise to family members and friends," he says. "The method closely resembles what's referred to as word-of-mouth marketing, in where YouTubers get free advertisements from existing subscribers who buy the merchandise. It will attract people who come across it, and will encourage them to go to YouTuber's channels."

4. You can stand out in the crowd

Since most products are customized products which have styles that are uniquely yours and distinct, you'll stand out yourself against other YouTube channels in your niche.

"Selling merchandise may help YouTubers distinguish themselves from other YouTubers," says Sreeram Sharma who heads Social Media at QikChat. "If YouTubers are a well-established brand and a dedicated fan base, merchandise may be an exclusive and unique offering that sets them apart from others in their niche."

What are the things you can provide as YouTube creators? Creators of YouTube

how to sell merch on youtube make money

You have a variety of things that you can offer as a YouTube creator, including merchandise for viewers to purchase products you create, items that you design and fans experiences.

Fan merchandise

The fan merchandise market is a common method for offering merchandise to supporters. Consider the jerseys people buy to support their favorite teams in football, or the bracelets that Gen Zers wear to attend shows. The items usually feature designs or slogans that are connected to your YouTube channel . Wearing them will express their gratitude.

Here are some instances 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 create with your own logo can be considered product.

Like, Ava Jules is a beauty and lifestyle blogger who has more than 1.6 million YouTube viewers. She has a collection comprising sweatshirts, T-shirts and hats as well as stickers along with keychains, which depict her lifestyle in Hawaii.

The great thing about fan-created items is that they're easy to produce due to the print-on-demand (POD) possibilities available to creators.

The only thing they need to do is come up with slogans or designs, and the moment someone purchases a product that is purchased, the POD firm will apply the designs to the product  and ship the product to the buyer. The creators do not need to worry with obtaining supplies, keeping the inventory, or transporting items. This way, they can save the time and cash.

Create products that you can offer for sale

Making your own products to sell takes an enormous amount of effort and time but it is possible to generate more money than fan merchandise. There are many ways to make and sell physical items like how beauty YouTubers create their own makeup palettes, or the way Emma Chamberlain sells her own coffee blends and tea powder.

Physical items that you can produce and sell comprise:

  • Handmade craft
  • Prints printed on art
  • Physical wallpapers
  • Gaming equipment
  • Beauty products
  • Cookbooks

It is also possible to offer digital goods like:

  • Templates
  • E-books
  • Presets to edit photos
  • Digital wallpapers
  • Printable designs for art and craft crafts

Digital content is beneficial to those who utilize the internet because it's unique information or information that they only get directly from you.

Sarah Chrisp (aka Wholesale Ted) Wholesale Ted, an Internet-based entrepreneur who has one million YouTube users, offers ebooks and dropshipping classes on her website, The Ecomm Clubhouse.

Making courses at Sarah's level isn't easy, however you could start by selling things that are simple including printable worksheets, and checklists. It is important to note that your products should be useful and relevant for your target audience.

Fan experiences

If you have a sizeable number of followers on YouTube it is possible to give special offers for the people who follow you, including exclusive content, meet-and-greets, or private special events. It is also possible to establish a membership service along with Patreon where your fans will get access to the most exclusive streams live, individual events, or behind the scenes footage of your company.

How to promote your merch YouTube? YouTube

how to sell merch on youtube make money

If you're planning to create fan products, there are some tactics that you could employ to let your customers know that the merchandise is available to purchase. There are a few ideas you could try.

1. Advertise your products in YouTube videos

This type of promotion needs the inclusion of your product into your video in order that viewers will be able to discover more about it and buy some for them. There are several options for incorporating in-video advertisements:

Create Your Own Your Model

The most straightforward and simple method to advertise your customized product is to feature your product on YouTube video. Thus, people will be aware that your product is in stock and capable of seeing what it is like. When selling products that are wearable like a t-shirt, showing the design in your videos is a sign that you're confident that the product you are selling is of high quality.

If you're uncomfortable with wearing the merchandise you've chosen to use during your films, it's possible to show it in the background while you film and draw focus to it occasionally.

You can talk about your purchase in the following video

If you don't want to advertise your merchandise in a video since it may make viewers lose interest about the topic It is better to mention it in the final part of the video.

A drawback of this it is that only those who view the video until the end will be aware of the merchandise. This can be fixed by explicitly asking people during your intro to watch through all of the video to make a special announcement -or something other than that.

Unbox the boxed item

"Creating videos of unboxings for your items gives buyers an up-close look at your items' specifications and understand their value better," says Rachel Macfarlane an expert in content marketing for Redfox Visual.

Macfarlane is correct. If you're selling items such as gaming accessories, for example the unboxing videos allow you to talk about all of the benefits and features of the product as you remove it from its box. It helps the customer understand just how valuable the product you offer is.

The videos of products being unpacked make great seasonal and collection launches. But you can create them with almost any product.

If your video's content is related to your item or service it is important to add a link to your online shop or page(s) within your video description box for anyone who might be interested. Incorporating merch links as well as store links is particularly beneficial if you have several products you want to promote.

     3. Utilize the YouTube display feature for merch

Did you have the knowledge that YouTube comes with built-in features that allow YouTubers to market their items directly via their YouTube videos? Explore the YouTube Merch Shelf. YouTube Merch Shelf.

The merch shelf allows creators to promote their goods directly on YouTube by using a range of places within the platform including their store page, the video screen at the end, as well as beneath live streams as well as below videos.

With the feature of merch stores using the store feature of YouTube it lets you showcase your products before the viewer's attention in real-time, when they're watching your video or perusing your channel. This intuitive, in-app feature ensures that prospective customers don't need to navigate over hurdles to locate your merchandise or even decide to purchase the item. All you need is YouTube's application!

YouTubers that want to take advantage of the merch shelf feature must be able to meet certain conditions, and it can be restricted to a certain. But, if you fulfill the prerequisites, that you are eligible to benefit from. At present you must meet the following criteria for you to be eligible for YouTube's merch-shelf feature

  • Your channel is home to more than 1,000 members.
  • The platform you're using can be made monetizable.
  • Your channel has not been designated as "made specifically for children."
  • It is possible to be a member of YouTube Partner Program. YouTube Partner Program is available within your local area.

Do you have all specifications? Great! You are now able to sell your merchandise through the YouTube store, which is a merchandise. It is possible to learn more about how to set up your own YouTube store by visiting the Support page.

4. Make sure you offer discounts for your items

Discounting your products is an excellent method to generate a large quantity of sales within the course of a short time. Garrett Smith who runs local SEO at GMB Gorilla knows that offering special discounts or exclusive deals on your merch can make your followers "feel special."

Smith suggests "Use words which create urgency, such as 'limited time offer' or "limited inventory readily available', to encourage viewers to make a purchase right now. It kills two birds with one stone as it promotes more sales. Also, it is an effective way of encouraging prospective customers to sign-up for your channel, and increase the reach of your business."

5. It is important to highlight your products via social media

Social media is one of the most efficient methods of marketing any product. As a YouTuber, it is important to use all of the various platforms offered for social media, no matter whether they're Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok in order to advertise your product to your clients.

It is necessary to write content or stories that feature your products, organize giveaways and contests, and provide special discounts to customers. Then, you can make advertisements available to those who aren't following your brand.

6. Create with other creators in the area of your knowledge

Collaboration with other YouTubers, social media influencers, or even brands that are in your area could be an excellent way to reach out to new audiences that you may have missed otherwise.

You can create videos alongside other creatives in which case you can include your merchandise in the videos. It is also possible to create a limited edition product using an influential influencer, preferably one who has a bigger market than yours. You'll be reaching new audiences and increasing brand awareness during the partnership.

In the final day, the process of selling merchandise via YouTube is about finding new ways of getting your fans to purchase your products.

Make money selling merch YouTube.

The path to success for YouTube creators is about achieving success. YouTube creator involves creating an online business which earns you money regardless of any difficulties using the platform. Selling merch is one of the easiest ways to accomplish this.

It's not going to require an army of customers or costly tools to market products on YouTube. All you require is an experienced designer, a trustworthy print-on-demand business (if you are planning to market clothing) as well as a solid strategy for marketing. Also, since YouTube can be integrated into online stores and stores, it's easy for your customers to search for your products and then purchase them.

You now know the steps involved in selling your merchandise on YouTube, it's time to take to the streets to make your merch and make that money.

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