How to Earn Money By Selling Merch via YouTube (2023)

If you're spending enough time on YouTube it is possible to notice that some of the more well-known YouTubers -- and more modest YouTube creators -- are now in selling merch (short of "merchandise").

For instance, makeup artist Huda Kattan has launched her own beauty line Huda Beauty. Jackie Aina also created FORVR Mood, an online lifestyle store that sells candle scents and self-care kits. Additionally, Emma Chamberlain has her own tea and coffee company, Chamberlain Coffee.

They know that relying on the traditional method of earning money through YouTube isn't sustainable and have found ways to diversify their revenue. Selling merchandise is a great method to achieve this. And eventually the sales of merch can be a main source of income for YouTube creators. Additionally selling custom merchandise could assist creators with engaging their fans base to keep up with the content on YouTube, since this is where they typically announce a new product launch.

Unlike the YouTube celebrities listed above There is no need for millions of followers to produce and market merch. In fact, if you get started early enough selling merchandise can aid in the growth of the popularity of your YouTube channel.

The evidence speaks for itself: Emma Chamberlain and others have demonstrated that merchandise sales can become significant streams of revenue for YouTubers. If you're a YouTuber looking to start selling the merchandise you create, read on to learn what you need to know about. In this comprehensive guide, we'll discuss the reasons it's a good idea to start selling merchandise on YouTube and what you could offer as a YouTube maker, as well as also how to promote your merch on your YouTube 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 many think that thousands of views are thousands of dollars. This isn't the reality.

The majority of online creators -- including those on other platforms like Instagram -- often have to play by certain rules in order to earn income. YouTube has requirements for creators wanting to create advertisements. Brands also have guidelines for creators they can collaborate with. Moreover, YouTube can stop a creator from running ads on their channel at any point as well as brands are able to end deals as they please.

The best way to earn money on YouTube is through the YouTube Partner Program. In order to join You must:

• A minimum of 1,000 subscribers.
• An average of 4,000 watch hours in the last twelve months.
• Living in a country in which the program is readily available.
• In order to comply with the YouTube monetization policy.
• To have no community guideline is a red flag for your channel.

If you meet these criteria You can submit an application for the program. Even the case, it's unlikely that you'll be accepted. If you're not approved, YouTube reserves the right to block your ads and even shut down your channel , or even remove it completely in the event that it believes you've violated its rules.

1. Diversify your revenue streams

Like we said earlier, ad revenue and brand sponsorships are not the most reliable methods to make money on YouTube due to their volatility. You can certainly do those things, but it's not advisable to place all your eggs into the same basket.

A lot of people aren't aware of the amount of money YouTube creators make from selling merchandise. Take Ryan Kaji of Ryan's World as an example. The 11-year old boy began as a toy reviewer however, he has created nearly five thousand pieces of brand-name merchandise. In 2020, he reportedly had a profit of $250 million by selling his customized merch.

The reason he could achieve this is the fact that the items are his the only person who can make them is him and his staff determine how the products are made and what the retail store will look like, and the way they'll promote the product to Ryan's target audience. Once you've got control over your inventory like this it's likely that you'll reap all of the rewards.

2. Improve fan engagement

The key to the success of a YouTube channel is the level of engagement. If your viewers aren't motivated to watch your videos and you don't expect to make the most money through YouTube. Selling merchandise is a fantastic method to keep your viewers engaged.

Why? Because it gives your fans the opportunity to show their support and get something in return. Robert Hoffmann, the Marketing Manager at CashbackHero summarizes it well: "By selling merchandise, YouTubers are able to build an even more intimate connection to their viewers and boost their engagement," Robert says. "Additionally, it offers viewers a tangible way to directly assist the content creators that they watch, resulting in an ideal situation for all people involved."

Even if you don't have an abundance of customers at present, there'll always be people who want to be a part of your team. When you begin selling products that are custom-designed, people will purchase it as long as the styles are appealing. In the case of offering apparel, it has be comfy, come with an inclusive sizing range, and be made from high-quality materials. That, and strategic marketing, are the basic items you must sell out your stock of customized merchandise.

related: 9 tips for getting your First 1000 YouTube Subscribers

A second thing to think about is that the audience that is most likely to purchase merch will be Generation Z (ages 11-26 by 2023) who desire to feel they're part of something. It's the best opportunity for YouTubers to communicate to their Gen Z supporters in a deeper way. The fans can purchase or wear their own merch and take a moment of pride in supporting their favorite YouTuber, and feeling an integral part of the larger YouTube crowd.

3. Increase brand awareness

The sale of merchandise will help create brand recognition and boost visibility for your YouTube channel. If you're selling merchandise emblazoned with your channel's name or logo, they'll essentially become your own walking billboards.

Selling merch can even assist in reaching individuals who aren't YouTube users. Milo Cruz, the CMO at Freelance Writing Jobs and who has experience writing ad copy for YouTuber merchandising explains how it operates. "Active users purchase a limited edition T-shirt, hoodie or other item, wear it and present the merchandise to their family and friends," he says. "The model is similar to what's known as word-of mouth, in which YouTubers get free advertisements from subscribers already subscribed to the channel who purchase the merch. This will spark curiosity among people who view the product and encourages them to visit the channel of the YouTuber."

4. Make yourself stand out from the crowd

As a result, since most products are customized products that have unique designs and unique, you'll be different from other YouTube channels within your particular niche.

"Selling merchandise is a great way for YouTubers to distinguish themselves from other YouTubers," says Sreeram Sharma who is the head of Social Media at QikChat. "If YouTubers are able to build 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 YouTube creators? YouTube creator

There are several products you could offer as an YouTube creator. This includes products for fans to purchase, merchandise you create, as well as fans experiences.

Fan merchandise

The fan merchandise market is the standard way of offering products to fans. Imagine the kind of jerseys fans purchase to show their support for their favourite soccer team, or the branded bracelets that Gen Zers wear to attend performances. These items will usually carry the slogans or images related to the YouTube channel, which fans can wear to show their loyalty.

Here are some instances of merchandise from popular fans:

• T-shirts
• Crewnecks
• Hoodies
• Sweatpants
• Hats
• Scarves
• Socks
• Tote bags
• Mugs
• Enamel pins
• Stickers
• Phone cases
• Bottles of water

Basically, any physical item that you create with your logo qualifies as merchandise.

As an example, Ava Jules is a lifestyle and beauty vlogger with over 1.6 million YouTube subscribers, has an collection comprising sweatshirts, T-shirts, hats, sticker packs and keychains that represent her life in Hawaii.

The best thing about fan-made merchandise is that it's easy to make because of the Print-on-demand (POD) choices that are available to creators.

All creators have to do is create slogans or designs, and once someone purchases an item that is purchased, the POD business will apply the designs to the product and ship them to the buyer. That means creators do not have to be concerned about getting items, keeping track of inventory, or shipping products. This way, they'll save the time and cash.

Create products that you can sell

Producing your own product that you can sell requires lots of time and effort, but they have the potential to bring in even more money than fan-related merchandise. It is possible to create and market physical items like the way that makeup YouTubers make their own makeup palettes as well as how Emma Chamberlain sells her own coffee blends and tea powder.

The physical items you could make and sell include:

• Handmade craft
• Prints on art
• Physical wallpapers
• Gaming equipment
• Cosmetics
• Cookbooks

It is also possible to make digital items such as:

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

Digital products are valuable to your audience due to the fact that they're exclusive information or content that they only obtain directly from you.

Sarah Chrisp (aka Wholesale Ted), an online business owner with 1 million YouTube subscribers , sells ebooks as well as dropshipping courses via her website, The Ecomm Clubhouse.

Making courses at Sarah's level takes time. However, it is possible to start by offering the simplest of things like making printable worksheets and checklists available for sale. It is important to note that your products have to be useful and relevant to the people who purchase them.

Fan experiences

If you're able to build a substantial following on YouTube it is possible to give special offers to your fans, such as exclusive merchandise and meet-and-greets or other private events. Additionally, you can establish a membership service or Patreon that allows your patrons to be able to access exclusive live streaming, one-on-one sessions, or behind-the-scenes footage of your enterprise.

How can you promote your merchandise through YouTube? YouTube

If you decide to make products for fans you can use a variety of strategies you can employ to notify your viewers know that these items are for sale. These are some ideas that you could try.

1. Advertise your products through your video

This type of promotion will require you to place your merchandise somewhere within the video to ensure viewers will be able to find out about it and buy some for them. Below are some strategies for promoting your product in video:

Make Yourself Your Model

The simplest and easiest way to promote your custom merch is to feature it in your YouTube videos. So, the viewers are aware that the product is available and will be able to see what it looks like. When you're offering wearable merch such as a t-shirt, then modeling the designs in your videos can demonstrate your confidence in your product.

If you're not comfortable showing your merchandise on your videos all the time You can put it on the background as you record and draw attention to it occasionally.

You can talk about the merchandise you have purchased at the end of your video

If you're not keen to advertise your merchandise within a video, since it might divert viewers away from the topic issue, mention it at the end of your video instead.

However, the downside of this it is that only those who watch your video till the end will learn about the merchandise you sell. This can be fixed by prompting people at the beginning of the intro of your video to watch your video until the very end in anticipation of announcing a special eventor something else to that in that regard.

Do a product unboxing

"Creating video unboxings of your products allows potential customers to get an in-depth look at the features of your products and better understand the value of your products," says Rachel Macfarlane an expert in content marketing with Redfox Visual.

Macfarlane is correct. If you sell products like gaming equipment, for instance making videos of unboxing allows you to talk about all the advantages and functions of the product when you open it up. It helps the audience understand just how valuable what you sell is.

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

2. Include your links to your products in videos with descriptions of your products.

No matter if your video's subject to your product or service, you should be sure that you include a URL to your store or page(s) in your video's description box to anyone who's attracted. Incorporating merch links as well as a store's link is particularly helpful in the case of multiple items you wish to advertise.

  3. Utilize the YouTube Merch Shelf feature

Did you have the knowledge that YouTube comes with a built-in feature which allows YouTubers to market their products directly via their videos? Check out YouTube's Merch Shelf. YouTube Merch Shelf.

The feature of the merch shelf allows creators to market their goods directly through YouTube through a variety different locations available that are available on YouTube, including their storefront, videos end screens, and beneath live streams and below videos.

Through the merch store feature on YouTube, you can place your products right before people's eyeballs in real-time while they're watching your video or perusing your channel. The intuitive feature, which is available in the app ensures that prospective customers don't need to navigate through hoops in order to discover your merch or decide to purchase it. It's all right there in YouTube's app!

YouTubers wanting to utilize the merch shelf feature must be able to meet certain conditions, and it can be restricted to a certain. However, if you meet 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 has more than 1,000 members.
• Your channel has been authorized to be monetized.
• Your channel is not identified as "made by kids."
• It is possible to join the YouTube Partner Program is available in your local area.

Do you have all the standards? Great! You can start selling your merchandise via the YouTube store for merch. Learn more about the steps to set up your own YouTube shelves for merch on the platform's Support page.

4. Offer discounts on your merch

Discounting your merch can be a fantastic method to generate a large amount of sales over a relatively short period of time. Garrett Smith who runs local SEO at GMB Gorilla understands that offering discount coupons and special offers on your merch can give your fans "feel special."

Smith suggests "Use keywords that elicit urgency, like 'limited time offer' or "limited stock available,' to urge viewers to make a purchase now. This kills two birds in one fell swoop as it increases sales. Additionally, it encourages customers to sign up to your channel. It also expands your audience."

5. Make sure to promote your products on social media

Social media is one the most effective methods to advertise any item. If you're already an YouTuber, it's important to take advantage of other platforms on social media such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok for promoting your merchandise to the people who are interested in it.

It is necessary to write posts or stories featuring your product, hold giveaways and contests, and offer special deals to your customers, and run ads to reach people who don't yet follow your account.

6. Collaborate with other creators in your area of expertise

Collaboration with YouTubers, social media influencers, or brands in your niche can be a great way to reach new audiences that you might not have reached otherwise.

You can create video content with other artists and include your products in the videos. Also, you can make a limited edition product using an influencer who is popular -- preferably one with a larger audience than you. This ensures that you're reaching the new audience and increasing your brand recognition during your partnership.

At the end of the day, marketing merch via YouTube is all about coming up with innovative methods of getting your fans excited about buying your products.

Profit by selling merch on YouTube.

Achieving success as a YouTube creator is about creating a business that brings in income, no matter what challenges you face in the world of YouTube. Selling merch is one of the best ways to achieve this.

It doesn't require a ton of subscribers or expensive equipment to sell merchandise on YouTube. All you require is a good designer, a reliable print on demand company (if you want to sell clothing), and a good marketing strategy. Since YouTube is able to be integrated into online shops, it's easy for your audience to discover your merchandise and purchase them.

Now that you know all the fundamentals about selling merchandise through YouTube It's time to take to the streets and create that merch and earn that cash.

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