Making money online has never been this easy since the advent of some online platforms, most notably YouTube.
YouTube has allowed millions of people around the world to make money online by just uploading non-copyright video content to their platform.
This has made millions of people smile at the bank every 21st day of every month ( YouTube payout day ).
As a beginner, you can also be among those smiling to the bank every month
Firstly, you need to know making thousands of dollars monthly on YouTube, is possible even as a beginner.
Making money on YouTube is not for a privileged few
If you want to know how to be among those who make thousands of dollars from YouTube monthly, then this article is for you
Here is a guide on how to make money on YouTube in 2025 with proven strategies on audience behavior, YouTube’s algorithm, and monetization.
Choose a Niche
When starting a YouTube channel, it is best advised to choose a niche so that your prospective audience can easily know what your channel is all about, and when ever they need any information on your niche, they will consider you an authority.
When choosing a niche on YouTube, choose a niche that you are either knowledgeable of or an expert in.
The most popular niches today are
- Gadgets and tech
- Entertainment
- Cooking
- Finance and banking
- Movies
- Education (STEM, tutorials, explainer videos)
- Investment
- Fitness and health
- Beauty ( makeup, hair, fashion)
- House appliances
- Real estate
- Cars
- Pets
Create High-Quality Contents
While you might want to start however you can make sure the quality of your videos is not below your competitors in the same niche.
A good phone with great camera quality can be a start combined with good lighting and visuals.
After creating a high video, make sure to create a suitable thumbnail with relevant keywords relating to your niche, and always upload new videos regularly at least once weekly when starting.
Note: Your content must be advertiser-friendly, free of any explicit language or violence, and must be 100% original.
Build a Loyal Audience
Building an audience is where the hard work lies.
You shouldn’t expect to have a large followership after your first video and not even after your 10 videos except if you are a celebrity like Ronaldo with a large followership.
Building an audience on YouTube takes time brick by brick, you will build a wall of followership.
To achieve this, you have to consistently post high-quality videos, create videos based on popular requests, respond to comments on your posts, collaborate with other YouTubers in your niche, and use social media to drive traffic to your YouTube page.
How to Monetize your Youtube Account
Every worker deserves pay and this is where the joy is for content creators.
For a YouTube channel to be approved, certain criteria and eligibility have to be met and once this is done, you are on the way to start earning every 21st of the month.
The first criterion is to qualify for the Youtube Partner Program (YPP)
- 500 subscribers
- You must have 3000 watch hours in the past 12 months to qualify
- A linked Adsense account
The second criterion is to qualify for Ad revenue
-
- 1000 subscribers
- You must have 4000 watch hours in the past 12 months to qualify
- A linked Adsense account
Once you meet the listed requirements, YouTube will display ads on your videos and you will earn when your audience watches or clicks on the ads displayed.
The revenue generated from watched or clicked ads will be shared between you and YouTube.
Note: While YouTube pays all channels that meet the requirements regardless of the country, it is worth noting that earnings vary based on the quality and location of the audience.
Countries with the Highest YouTube Earnings
Here is a list of the top 10 countries in the world with the highest cost per mile (CPM).
As a YouTuber, you should target an audience from these countries.
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- United States $11.04 CPM
- Norway $7.49 CPM
- Switzerland $8.85 CPM
- Australia $9.05 CPM
- New Zealand $6.81 CPM
- Netherlands $5.83 CPM
- United Kingdom $6.31 CPM
- Canada $6.55 CPM
- Sweden $5.54 CPM
How to Earn More On YouTube
Building a loyal audience on YouTube allows you to introduce other streams of income, such as affiliate marketing, which involves selling other people’s products and services and earning a commission, or selling your products, all using a link attached to your bio or each post.
You can also earn from a sponsored post and brand influencing or marketing.
Youtube is one of the best ways to earn money in 2025