Let’s say your channel meets all the thresholds. It’s time to cash in—sort of. YouTube pockets 45 percent of ad money generated from long-form videos and 55 percent from short clips. As a result, YouTubers earn an average of 18 cents per ad view. So a video with 100 ad views may rake in . . . $18.
That’s why most social media stars diversify their income streams. That means they earn money from several different sources. For instance, YouTubers can post links for products in their content. Every time someone clicks one of the links and buys an item, the creator earns a small percentage of the sale. YouTubers also sell channel subscriptions and merchandise, like T-shirts and baseball caps.
But the main way creators make money is by teaming with brands to sell stuff. Maybe you’ve noticed that your favorite gamer always guzzles a particular sports drink. Or that a popular sneaker channel often gives away a certain sock brand. Such deals make up 70 percent of creators’ income, according to Goldman Sachs.
These partnerships take different forms. A company might fund an entire video themed around a product, for example, or supply free goods for a creator to unbox.
Paying creators pays off for brands. Advertising research firm NCSolutions found that 66 percent of 12- to 27-year-olds in the U.S. bought a product after it was featured in a creator’s content.
You don’t need millions of followers to get deals. So-called nano creators—those with 1,000 to 5,000 followers—charge brands between $25 and $250 per post, according to Viral Nation. That is an influencer marketing firm based in Canada. At the other end of the spectrum are mega creators, with more than 1 million followers. They can charge more than $10,000 for a single post.
The more engaged subscribers are—regularly liking, commenting on, and sharing content—the more money a creator can earn, says Joe Gagliese. He is the co-founder of Viral Nation.
“You could have millions of followers, but if they aren’t actively engaging with your content, your influence is limited,” says Gagliese. “In contrast, a smaller creator with a highly engaged audience can have a much greater impact.”