How do you get more views on your YouTube videos?
How do you get more subscribers to your YouTube channel?
How do you monetize your YouTube channel?
These are all questions that I wanted the answers to. Especially for someone like me, a tax professional. Someone who doesn't talk about trendy tax topics but things that are more fundamental and educational. (If that type of information is your vibe, you can subscribe here: @AmericasFavEA. It took a while but I finally figured out how to monetize my YouTube Channel as an Enrolled Agent.
As I have shared this victory, a lot of people have asked me to share how I achieved this. Enrolled Agents, and people that aren't even in the tax world. I attempted to share the steps I took in a live-stream video on my YouTube channel. But there was so much engagement, and so many questions that I didn't get to share it all.
That's why I'm writing this article to share my YouTube tips, with you the exact steps I took to gain over 1,200 subscribers in 12 months. During this time I also was able to gain ~10,000 watch hours and 105k views.
Are you ready to learn how I did it?
Cool, but first accept this disclaimer from me. I am not a YouTube expert. I am a person that has found success in creating a YouTube channel. I am sharing with you my personal experience and what worked for me. I am not guaranteeing any results.
I have 6 tips to share with you and 2 resources that I use for every video. In this article, I will share the first 3, which I will refer to as the 3 Es. Before I get to those tips, let me share what most people are looking for, YouTube monetization requirements.
What are the YouTube Monetization Requirements?
When people think of YouTube monetization the first thing they think of is being paid directly from YouTube. That's not the only way to monetize but since it's what comes to mind first I'll share how to achieve it.
You have to join the YouTube Partnership Program (YPP).
Live in a country where the YPP is available.
Have no active community guideline strikes on your channel.
YouTube users have to have watched at least 4,000 hours of long-form videos within the past 12 months.
Your channel must have at least 1,000 subscribers.
You need to have a linked AdSense account.
The exception to the 4,000 watch hours is if you have 10 million short views within the last 90 days. You can find more information about the YouTube Partner Program and Eligibility here: YouTube Help. Joining this program not only puts you in a position to get paid but also provides you with additional tools and resources for your video creation.
Now let's take a look at the first 3 steps that I took to monetize my YouTube channel within 6.5 months.
Tip #1 - Establish Your Goals
 We have already talked about the main goal that I hear people share, monetization. But can I encourage you that monetization via Google Adsense is not the only way to monetize your YouTube page? I technically monetized my YouTube page years ago, when I started getting tax representation clients from it. So if monetization is your goal, be clear on how you will monetize.
You can use it to funnel prospects to a product or service that you offer. Or you could look to build your audience and engagement so that you can get brand deals with a company. This is where a company pays you to promote their product in your video. Another option is to get affiliate income for selling their products, using your video as a promotion. Be mindful of who you partner with because they will become an extension of your brand. And as I always say, all we have in this industry is our name and reputation.