How Much Money YouTube Paid Me After 1000 Subscribers (My First 90 Days as a Monetized Creator)

William Lee
27 Jul 202309:53

TLDRThe video script details a YouTube creator's journey from complete novice to monetization, highlighting the challenges and successes along the way. The creator, with a background in finance, shares insights on personal finance and entrepreneurship, emphasizing the unpredictability of video performance on the platform. Despite initial slow growth, the channel's success surged with a viral video, leading to significant earnings in the second quarter. The creator's experience underscores the importance of engaging content and the YouTube algorithm's role in driving viewership and revenue.

Takeaways

  • 🚀 The creator started a YouTube channel with no prior experience in video creation or YouTube mechanics but had expertise in personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship.
  • 🎓 Despite a lack of media experience, the creator's background in finance and as a chartered financial analyst provided a solid foundation for content creation in the personal finance niche.
  • 📈 The initial goal was to reach 100 subscribers in the first three months and 1,000 subscribers in six months, but the channel quickly surpassed these targets due to a few successful videos.
  • 📊 The first video was posted on January 7, 2023, and the channel grew slowly initially, with only 54 subscribers in the first three months.
  • 🥇 The channel's growth accelerated after the ninth video about Etsy, which performed exceptionally well and led to rapid subscriber growth and monetization.
  • 💡 The importance of understanding and adapting to the YouTube algorithm was highlighted, as it favors videos that engage viewers and generate interaction.
  • 🎯 The creator's experience underscores the unpredictability of which videos will perform well on YouTube, as even high-quality content may not always meet expectations.
  • 📊 The channel's earnings in the second quarter were $7,274, with the majority coming from a single video titled 'Don't do a side hustle', which earned about $3,800.
  • 💰 The earnings were inconsistent, with some videos generating significant revenue and others much less, indicating the need for a more reliable income stream.
  • 📌 The creator emphasizes the value of sharing experiences and results with the YouTube community to contribute to the collective knowledge of content creators.

Q & A

  • How much money did the YouTuber earn in the first 90 days after monetization?

    -The YouTuber earned $7,274 in the first 90 days after their channel was monetized.

  • What was the YouTuber's educational background in relation to their channel's topic?

    -The YouTuber has an MBA in finance from Cornell and is a chartered financial analyst with experience in finance, including working on Wall Street as an equity analyst.

  • What was the YouTuber's initial goal for subscribers at the end of the first three months?

    -The initial goal was to have 100 subscribers at the end of the first three months.

  • How many subscribers did the channel have after the first three months?

    -After the first three months, the channel had 54 subscribers.

  • What were the two key metrics required for a YouTube channel to be monetized?

    -To be monetized, a channel needs to achieve 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours.

  • Which video helped the channel to grow rapidly and get monetized?

    -The video discussing the creator's experience working on Etsy helped the channel grow rapidly and get monetized.

  • How many views did the first Etsy video have as of the time of the transcript?

    -The first Etsy video had 243,000 views as of the time of the transcript.

  • What was the YouTuber's total earnings per day at the peak of the channel's success?

    -At the peak of the channel's success, the total earnings per day were about $335.

  • Which video contributed to about half of the channel's ad revenue in the second quarter?

    -The video titled 'Don't do a side hustle' contributed to about half of the channel's ad revenue in the second quarter.

  • How many videos did the YouTuber post in the second calendar quarter?

    -The YouTuber posted 12 videos in the second calendar quarter.

  • What was the YouTuber's main takeaway regarding video performance on YouTube?

    -The YouTuber's main takeaway was that it's difficult to predict which videos will perform well, as some unexpected videos became big hits while others with high expectations did not.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Launching a YouTube Channel: Experiences and Learnings

The creator shares their journey of starting a YouTube channel with no prior experience in video creation or social media. Despite being new to YouTube, they had a strong background in personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship, which they aimed to share through their content. Initially, the channel's growth was slow, but after posting a video about their Etsy experience, the channel quickly gained subscribers and watch hours, leading to monetization. The creator emphasizes the unpredictable nature of video performance on YouTube and the importance of engaging content.

05:01

📈 YouTube Growth and Monetization: A Closer Look

In this section, the creator provides a detailed analysis of their channel's performance during the second quarter. They posted 12 additional videos, resulting in a total of 21 videos. The first Etsy video became a significant hit, while the subsequent ones did not perform as well. A video on the Apple card savings account unexpectedly gained popularity, along with a video discouraging side hustles as a means to get rich. The creator observed that subscriber growth and views increased dramatically after these successful videos. However, they also note the unpredictability of which videos will perform well. The channel's earnings were modest, with a significant portion coming from just a few successful videos, highlighting the desire for a more consistent revenue stream.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡YouTube Monetization

YouTube Monetization refers to the process of earning revenue from a YouTube channel through advertisements displayed on the videos. To qualify for monetization, a channel must meet certain criteria, including having at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours. In the video, the creator discusses their journey to achieving these benchmarks and the subsequent earnings from their channel.

💡Subscriber Growth

Subscriber growth refers to the increase in the number of subscribers to a YouTube channel over time. It is a key metric for measuring the success and reach of a channel. In the context of the video, the creator tracks their subscriber growth from the initial launch of their channel to the point of monetization and beyond, highlighting the importance of reaching the 1,000-subscriber milestone for monetization purposes.

💡Content Creation

Content creation involves the process of producing and publishing original content, such as videos, on platforms like YouTube. It requires skills in filming, editing, and storytelling to create engaging and valuable content for viewers. In the video, the creator shares their experience of learning content creation from scratch and improving their skills over time to produce more engaging videos.

💡YouTube Algorithm

The YouTube algorithm is a set of rules and processes that YouTube uses to determine which videos to recommend to viewers. It takes into account factors like viewer engagement, watch time, and relevance to the niche to decide which videos are shown to potential viewers. In the video, the creator discusses how the algorithm impacted the visibility and success of their videos, emphasizing the importance of creating content that engages viewers to increase the chances of algorithmic promotion.

💡Personal Finance

Personal finance refers to the management and planning of an individual's financial matters, including budgeting, investing, and saving. In the video, the creator focuses on personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship as their channel's main content area, sharing their knowledge and experiences in these fields to provide valuable insights to their viewers.

💡Etsy

Etsy is an e-commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. In the video, the creator discusses their experience with Etsy, which became a popular topic for their channel, leading to significant growth in views and subscribers due to the high engagement of the audience with this content.

💡Apple Card High Yield Savings Account

The Apple Card High Yield Savings Account is a financial product offered by Apple in partnership with Goldman Sachs. It is a savings account with an above-market interest rate designed to help users save money. In the video, the creator made a video discussing this new account, which unexpectedly received a high number of views, indicating a strong interest from the audience in tech company financial products.

💡Side Hustle

A side hustle refers to an additional job or business activity that an individual engages in to earn extra income alongside their primary job. In the video, the creator made a video arguing against side hustles for wealth building, which contrary to their expectations, became very popular and received a high number of views, highlighting the unpredictability of what content will resonate with viewers.

💡Audience Engagement

Audience engagement refers to the interaction and involvement of viewers with content, typically measured by actions such as liking, commenting, and sharing. High engagement signals to the YouTube algorithm that a video is valuable and should be recommended to more viewers. In the video, the creator notes that the success of their 'Don't do a side hustle' video may be attributed to high audience engagement, which could have influenced the algorithm's promotion of the video.

💡Revenue

Revenue refers to the income generated from a business or channel's operations, in this case, from the advertisements shown on YouTube videos. The video creator discusses their earnings from YouTube after monetization, highlighting the variability in revenue from different videos and expressing a desire for a more consistent income stream.

💡Content Strategy

Content strategy involves planning and managing the creation, publication, and governance of content to engage and meet the needs of a target audience. In the video, the creator reflects on their content strategy, noting the importance of making videos more engaging and the challenge of predicting which topics will perform well on YouTube.

Highlights

The YouTuber's channel focuses on personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship.

The YouTuber has a strong background in finance with an MBA and experience as an equity analyst and CFO.

Despite being new to YouTube, the creator managed to grow their channel rapidly by posting engaging content.

The first video was posted on January 7, 2023, with a goal of one video per week.

The channel reached an important milestone of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours, enabling monetization.

The growth was initially slow due to competition and the YouTube algorithm's preference for viewer engagement.

A video about Etsy unexpectedly took off, leading to rapid growth in subscribers and watch hours.

The channel earned $7,274 in the second quarter after monetization, with one video accounting for about half of the earnings.

The YouTuber emphasizes the unpredictability of which videos will perform well on the platform.

A video titled 'Don't do a side hustle' performed exceptionally well, earning significant revenue and subscribers.

The creator shares their experiences and earnings to contribute knowledge to other YouTubers and benchmark their progress.

The channel's growth was primarily driven by a few successful videos, highlighting the importance of creating engaging content.

The YouTuber's approach is to share their knowledge and learn new things to continuously improve their content.

The channel's earnings were highly variable, with most videos earning little, and a few earning a lot.

The YouTuber aims for a more reliable income stream rather than relying on a few hit videos.

The video encourages viewers to like and subscribe to support the channel and receive updates on personal finance and entrepreneurship.

The YouTuber is open to creating more content based on viewer feedback and interest.