How To Make Money Selling Merch via YouTube (2023)

If you're spending enough time using 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 the business of selling merch (short of "merchandise").

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

They know that using the standard means of making money on YouTube is not sustainable and have come up with ways to diversify their revenue. The sale of merchandise is a fantastic option to accomplish this eventually, merch sales can actually be a main source of income in the case of YouTube creators. More than that the sale of custom-made merchandise can aid creators in engaging their fan base to keep up with their YouTube content, as that's where they'll typically first to announce the launch of a new product.

Unlike the YouTube stars mentioned above You don't require millions of followers to make and market merch. In fact, if you begin early enough, selling merch can even assist in growing the popularity of your YouTube channel.

The evidence speaks for itself: Emma Chamberlain and others have demonstrated that sales of merchandise can be major sources of revenue to YouTubers. If you're a YouTuber and want to begin selling your own merch, read on to learn the steps to follow. In this comprehensive guide, we'll discuss the reasons you should begin selling your merch on YouTube, what you can offer as an YouTube creator, and the best way to advertise your products on your channel.

Why you should sell merch on YouTube

The life of a YouTuber is often glamorized in part because people believe that thousands of views are thousands of dollars. It's far from the reality.

Most online creators such as those using other platforms, such as Instagram -- often have to play by certain rules to make income. YouTube is a requirement for creators that want to use advertisements. Brands set their own rules to creators that they are able to partner with. Additionally, YouTube can stop a creator from advertising on their channel at any point as well as brands are able to call off deals whenever they want.

The most common method of earning money on YouTube is via YouTube Partner Program. YouTube Partner Program. For joining the program it is necessary to:

• At least 1,000 members.
• At least 4,000 hours of public watch hours in the last twelve months.
• To live in a country in which the program is readily available.
• In order to comply with YouTube's monetization policies.
• In the event that there is no guideline for community members, this strikes on your channel.

If you're able to meet the requirements If you meet these requirements, you may apply to the program. However, even the case, it's unlikely that you'll get accepted. If you're not accepted, YouTube reserves the right to stop your advertising revenue and even shut down the channel or even remove it completely in the event that it believes you've violated its guidelines.

1. Diversify your revenue streams

As explained earlier, earning ad revenue and brand sponsorships are not the most reliable methods to earn money from YouTube due to their risk. You can certainly do those things, but you shouldn't place all your eggs into one basket.

Many people don't realize just how much money YouTube creators earn from selling merch. Consider Ryan Kaji of Ryan's World as an instance. The 11-year old boy began as an toy reviewer, and has since created more than 5,000 pieces of branded merch. In 2020, he reportedly earned $250,000 through the sale of the merch he designed.

The reason why he can achieve this is the fact that the products are his, and only he and his staff decide what the products will be made, what the store looks like, and the way they'll promote the product for Ryan's intended audience. Once you've got control over your stock like this and you'll probably get all the benefits.

2. Enhance fan engagement

The most important factor in establishing a successful YouTube channel is audience engagement. If people are not motivated to watch your videos it is likely that you won't earn any money from YouTube. Selling merchandise is a fantastic way to keep your fans interested.

Why? It gives your viewers the opportunity to show their support and get something in return. Robert Hoffmann, the Marketing Director at CashbackHero says it the best way: "By selling merchandise, YouTubers can establish an intimate relationship to their viewers and boost participation in the process." Robert says. "Additionally, it offers viewers a tangible way to directly support the content creators who they are following, creating an ideal situation for all people involved."

If you don't have a ton of subscribers yet, there will always be people that want to help you. Therefore, when you decide to offer customized merchandise, people will buy it so long as your designs are good. In the case of selling clothing, it needs be comfy, come with broad sizing options, and be made from premium materials. And, of course, a well-planned marketing are among the most important items you must make sure you sell your inventory of personalized merchandise.

related: 9 Tips for Getting Your 1st 1,000 YouTube Subscribers

One thing to keep in mind is that the demographic that is most likely to purchase merch will be Generation Z (ages 11 to 26 in 2023) who desire to feel they're part of some sort of. It's the best opportunity for YouTubers to communicate to their Gen Z fans on a deeper level. The fans can purchase or wear the custom merch, and feel a sense of pride in supporting their favorite YouTuber as well as being an integral part of the larger YouTube group of fans.

3. Build brand awareness

The sale of merchandise will help create brand recognition and boost popularity of the YouTube channel. If you're selling merchandise featuring your channel's name and the logo, these products will effectively become walking billboards for you.

The selling of merchandise can allow you to reach out to individuals who aren't YouTube users. Milo Cruz, the CMO at Freelance Writing Jobs, who has expertise in writing ads for YouTuber merchandising explains how it is done. "Active users purchase a limited edition T-shirt or hoodie, wear it and show the item to their friends and family," he says. "The model is similar to what's known as word-of mouth, in which YouTubers get free advertisements by existing subscribers who purchase the merch. This will spark curiosity among people who view the product and convinces them to check the channel of the YouTuber."

4. Be different from your competitors

Since most merchandise is customized products that have distinctive designs, you'll be able to be different from the other YouTube channels that are in your field.

"Selling merchandise is a great way for YouTubers to differentiate themselves from their competitors," says Sreeram Sharma who is the head of Social Media at QikChat. "If YouTubers have an impressive brand name and large and loyal following, then merchandise could provide a distinctive and unique offering that sets them apart from the rest of their competitors in their respective niche."

You can make money as an YouTube creator

There are a few items you could sell as an YouTube creator. These include items for your fans, the products that you design in addition to fans experiences.

Fan merchandise

Fans merchandise can be described as the standard way of offering items to fanatics. Imagine the kind of jerseys fans purchase to show their support for their favourite football teams, or bracelets that Gen Zers wear when they go to concerts. They usually have images or slogans that are associated with the YouTube channel, which fans are able to wear to demonstrate their appreciation.

Here are some examples of merchandise from popular fans:

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

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

For example, Ava Jules is a lifestyle and beauty vlogger with more than 1.6 million YouTube viewers, is her own collection comprising sweatshirts, T-shirts and hats, stickers packs, and keychains that are a reflection of her childhood in Hawaii.

The best thing about fan-produced merchandise is that it's easy to create due to the print-on-demand (POD) options that are available to creators.

All they have to do is come up with slogans or designs, and once someone purchases an item and the POD company will apply the designs to the item and then ship them to the buyer. This means that creators don't need to think about finding items, keeping track of inventory, or shipping products. This way, they'll save time and money.

Create products that you can sell

Making your own items that you can sell requires a lot of effort and time, however, they are able to earn greater revenue than fan products. There are many ways to make and sell physical products like how beauty YouTubers create their own makeup palettes as well as how Emma Chamberlain sells her own coffee blends and tea powder.

Some physical products you can create and then sell are:

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

It is also possible to sell digital products such as:

• Templates
• E-books
• Photo editing presets
• Digital wallpapers
• Printable art and craft patterns

Digital media are beneficial to your audience because they're unique content or resources they can only get from your company.

Sarah Chrisp (aka Wholesale Ted), an entrepreneur on the internet with one million YouTube subscribers sells ebooks and dropshipping courses via her website, The Ecomm Clubhouse.

Making courses at Sarah's level does take time, but you can start with things as simple as making printable worksheets and checklists available for sale. It is important to note that your offerings must be useful and relevant for your target audience.

Fan experiences

If you're able to build a substantial following on YouTube and you have a large following, you can offer special experiences to your fans including exclusive items and meet-and-greets or other private events. Additionally, you can set up a membership program and Patreon that allows your patrons to have access to exclusive live streaming, one-on-one sessionsor behind-the-scenes videos of your business.

How to promote your merch YouTube? YouTube

If you choose to create fan merchandise There are a few strategies you can use to let your customers know that the merchandise are on purchase. These are some ideas that you could try.

1. Promote your merch in your videos

This type of promotion needs you to incorporate your merch somewhere in your video , so viewers are able to learn about it, and then purchase some to their own. There are several methods to promote your video:

Be Your Own Model

The most straightforward and simple option to market your custom merch is to feature it in your YouTube videos. That way, your subscribers will learn that your product exists and can see the way it appears. When you're offering wearable merch by way of example, modeling the designs in your videos can demonstrate your confidence in your product.

If you're not comfortable carrying your merchandise in your videos continuously It's possible to display it in the background while you shoot and draw attention to it occasionally.

Talk about your merch after your video

If you don't want to advertise your merchandise in a video since it may cause viewers to lose focus on the matter, you can make mention of it at the conclusion of your video.

However, the downside of this however, is that only those that watch the video to the end will learn about your merchandise. This can be fixed by explicitly asking people during the intro of your video to watch your video until the very end to hear a specific announcementor something similar to result.

Do a product unboxing

"Creating videos that show the unboxing process of products lets potential buyers see an inside look at features of your products and understand their value better," says Rachel Macfarlane who is a strategist for content marketing with Redfox Visual.

Macfarlane is correct. If you sell products like gaming gear, for instance the unboxing video allows you to explain all the advantages and functions of the product when you open it up. Your customers will be able to see exactly how important your product is.

Videos of unboxing products are perfect for new releases and seasonal collections, but you can film them for just about every product.

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

If your video's content is connected to your merch or not it is important to add a hyperlink to your online shop or page(s) in the video's description for everyone that is curious. Including merch links or a store link is especially useful in the case of multiple items you wish to advertise.

  3. Use the YouTube merch shelf feature

Did you realize that YouTube has a built-in feature that lets YouTubers sell their items directly on the videos they make? Take a look at the YouTube Merch Shelf.

The merch shelves feature lets creators to market their goods directly through YouTube from a number of locations within the platform, such as their storefront, videos screen at the end, as well as beneath live streams and below videos.

Through the merch store feature on YouTube it allows you to display your products right in front of people's eyeballs in real-time when they're watching your content or perusing your channel. This simple, integrated feature ensures that prospective customers don't need to jump over hurdles to locate the merchandise they want or to make a purchase. Everything is available in the YouTube app!

YouTubers wanting to utilize the merch shelf feature must meet a specific set of specifications, which could be restricting to some. But if you're meeting the requirements, it's something you should consider taking advantage of. Currently, you must meet the following conditions to be eligible for the merch shelves on YouTube:

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

Are you in compliance with all standards? Great! You are now able to sell your products on the YouTube merchandise shop. You can learn more about the steps to set up your personal YouTube merchandise shelf through the help page.

4. Offer discounts on your merch

Discounting your merchandise can be a fantastic way to make a lot of sales in a short amount of time. Garrett Smith who runs local SEO at GMB Gorilla knows that offering special discounts or exclusive deals for your merchandise can give your fans "feel unique."

Smith suggests "Use words that create an urgency such as 'limited time offer' or 'only a few stocks available,' to urge readers to purchase immediately. It kills two birds with one stone since it drives more sales. Additionally, it encourages viewers to join your channel. It also expands the reach of your channel."

5. Make sure to promote your products on social media

Social media is among the most effective ways for promoting any product. As a YouTuber, you'll need to use other social media platforms regardless of whether they're Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or TikTok for promoting your merch to your audience.

It is necessary to write content or stories that feature your product, hold contests and giveaways, offer exclusive discounts to your followers, and run ads for people who aren't already follow you.

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

Collaborating with other YouTubers, social media influencers, or other brands that are in your field is an excellent opportunity to engage with new viewers that you may not have had access to previously.

You could make videos with other artists and include your merch in the videos. Or you could make a limited edition product using an influential influencer, preferably one with an audience that is larger than yours. You'll be able to reach the new audience and increasing your brand awareness during the partnership.

The end of the day, advertising merch on YouTube involves finding innovative ways to get your followers interested in buying from you.

Profit by selling merch on YouTube.

Becoming successful being a YouTube creator requires you to create an enterprise that generates income, no matter what obstacles you have to face on the platform. Selling merchandise is one of the easiest ways to do this.

It doesn't require a ton of users or expensive equipment in order to market your products through YouTube. All you require is an excellent designer, a reliable print on demand business (if you plan to market clothing) and a sound strategy for marketing. And since YouTube can be integrated with online stores, it will be simple for customers to locate your items and then purchase them.

After you've learned all the ins and outs of selling merchandise on YouTube now is the time to take to the streets, make that merch, and earn that cash.

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