How to Create a Profitable YouTube Channel from Scratch in 2024
A Step-by-Step Guide on Creating and Profiting from your YouTube Channel
There’s a saying I’ve been drawn to ever since I heard it:
“Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he’ll never stay hungry.”
Well, the good news is, I’m here to be your fishing guide in some uncharted waters — YouTube.
In the digital era, YouTube has emerged as an excellent platform not only for entertainment but also for generating income.
Hosting a diverse range of content, YT presents an attractive opportunity for you to turn your passion into profit.
In this post I’ll explore how to create a YouTube channel and make money.
Launching Your YouTube Channel: A Guide to Getting Started
Starting a YouTube channel that you want to make money from needs some careful consideration in the setup phase if it’s to be profitable.
For instance, some niches are more profitable than others, but could be too competitive as well, so you need to strike a good balance.
Don’t worry though as I’ve got you covered in this guide on how to create a YouTube channel to make money in 2024.
How Much Does YouTube Pay After Monetization
Everyone wants to know “how much does YouTube pay in South Africa” or anywhere else in the world.
Well after monetization, YouTube pays out anything from a few dollars to thousands of dollars a day depending on the niche you’re in and the amount of views your videos get.
Below are the estimated monthly earnings that YouTube pays to these creators, so as you can see there’s no reason not to start your own money-making YouTube channel.
How do your videos actually make money from YouTube?
The money YouTube pays you, after you’ve been monetized, is your share of the ad revenue which Google (YouTube) makes from the ads that get displayed on your videos.
- Earning Adsense revenue is not the only way you can earn money from your videos though.
- You can also have links in your video description to your web site where you promote affiliate products or courses.
- Or you can send your subscribers and viewers to an email signup form to build your email list which you can use to promote products & services to sell.
This is how much YouTube pays these creators every month
- $5million+ (Started in 2012)
- $2million+ (Started in 2015)
- $1million+ (Started in 2025)
- $500,000+ (Started in 2009)
- $300,000+ (Started in 2012)
- $250,000+ (Started in 2012)
- $200,000+ (Started in 2010)
YouTube Gold: Unlock the 5 Steps to a Profitable Channel
1 Choose a Profitable YouTube Channel Niche in 2024
YouTube’s playground is vast and splintered into countless niches.
There are tones of good YouTube niche ideas from cat videos to DIY plumbing — it’s all here.
So how do you find low competition niches that will also be profitable?
- To start with, don’t chase the money, chase the passion.
- If you are genuinely passionate about a subject, it will shine through in your content.
- What are the things you love to talk about with friends?
- What obscure hobby do you have the uncanny knowledge about?
- Harness it.
- “But wait,” I hear you say, “is my hobby of origami folding of Star Wars characters profitable?”
- There’s only one way to find out.
Start with Market Research
Ever got lost in the rabbit hole of YouTube videos?
Use that skill here.
- Dive deep into your niche and identify what’s trending.
- Are there specific topics that get consistent viewership?
- Are there any gaps which you can fill?
You’d be surprised how often the niches that can seem the most abstruse at first glance are actually quite lucrative.
Trust me, there’s an audience out there who loves what you love, you just need to find it.
2 Launching Your Channel: Branding and Basics
When it comes to YouTube channel creation, you need to maximize your YouTube channel branding as follows;
- YouTube banner design
Create a professional looking branded banner and profile picture - YouTube channel name ideas
Make sure it’s a catchy and memorable channel name.
You can research some great YouTube channel name ideas 2024 by asking ChatGpt to suggest some. - Channel Description
Write a compelling and keyword-rich channel description - Optimize your channel for search
These need to be eye catching, engaging and memorable.
The success of your YT channel will be negatively impacted if any of the above channel design aspects are neglected.
Let me share an example with you on this one.
A friend of mine, let’s call him Bill, loved cooking.
His Jalapeño Poppers were legendary in our circle.
So, he opened up a YouTube Channel – Bill’s Jalapeño Poppers.
Now, don’t get me wrong.
His content was as spicy as his poppers, but his channel branding was as bland as unsalted popcorn.
His logo was a generic image of a Jalapeño, and the channel name was indistinguishable from a restaurant menu item.
Make Your Channel Stand Out
What would have been better?
How about this — “PopALapeño with Bill.”
It’s catchy, it’s fun, and it’s unique.
Your channel name, logo, and even the video intro should echo your unique self, etching a lasting impression on viewers’ minds.
3 Creating Engaging Videos That Convert
Once you’ve Brainstormed some good YouTube video ideas that resonate with your audience, you can start creating your video.
To ensure your videos are engaging and keep your audience watching until the end, it’s important to use creative YouTube video editing techniques.
Free Online YouTube Video Editors
Remember the old adage ‘Content is King’?
Scratch that.
Today, ‘Engaging content is King, Queen, and the entire royal court.’
You could be making videos about the most enthralling topic in the world, but if the delivery is average, the impact is lost.
Always remember, converting viewers into subscribers isn’t just about “what you say,” it’s also about “how you say it.”
Using Storytelling Techniques
Craft your videos like a gripping movie; have a hook at the start, maintain a pace, and conclude with a moral or a call-to-action (CTA).
Storytelling helps to cultivate a deeper connection with your viewers.
It makes your content more digestible and memorable.
For instance, instead of listing down the ingredients and diving straight into the cooking theme, start your videos with a brief backstory about where and how you found the recipe and tie it with a memorable event.
Another important tip to get potential viewers to watch your videos is to design eye-catching YouTube thumbnails that drive clicks.
Your thumbnail is like your shop window – if it looks messy and unattractive you won’t want to go in even if they have the best stuff.
The same with your YT thumbnails, which should be eye-catching as well as descriptive to encourage the viewer to click it before clicking another.
Example of a YouTube Video Telling a Story Without Showing Your Face
This example shows how easy it is to create a YT shorts video with AI images & AI voice over.
Not only does it tell an inspiring story, but it’s created without showing the creator’s face or voice.
It didn’t do badly either with almost 6,000 views.
That’s how easy it is to get started – just copy this method.
4 Building Your Audience: The Road to YouTube Gold
One of the key steps toward having a successful YouTube channel is building a loyal audience, but let’s get real—it’s not as easy as it sounds.
Yet, with the right approach, it’s not as hard as you might think, either.
Engage With Your Community
Don’t just post your videos and forget about them.
Respond to comments, ask for opinions, and show your viewers that you value their input.
It not only makes them feel more connected to you but also breeds a sense of community that’s vital for any YouTube success story.
4 Ways to get More YouTube Subscribers
- Optimizing your videos for YouTube search (keywords, tags, descriptions)
Research best YouTube SEO strategies - YouTube channel promotion
Utilizing social media and cross-promotion platforms - YouTube engagement tips
Engaging with your viewers through comments and community building - YouTube subscriber growth
Collaborating with other creators for mutual growth
5 Monetization Magic: Turning Views into Profit
Monetizing a YouTube channel isn’t like turning water into wine—it’s a science, not a miracle.
Of course, there’s AdSense revenue from ads displayed on your videos, but tying your income solely to ads can be as risky as putting all your eggs in one basket.
How Much Can You Make From YouTube?
Here’s what the top three YouTubers earn
- Mr Beast.
With his crazy stunts, challenges, and giveaways, he makes an estimated $54 million per year - Mark Rober.
A former NASA engineer turned science communicator, Mark uses engaging experiments and challenges to rake in $38 million per year (est). - Logan Paul.
From controversial beginnings, this tuber uses boxing and entertainment to make an estimated $35 million.
YouTube Monetization Requirements
The latest YouTube monetization requirements (2023) are broken down into two separate sets of criteria
- one for general ad monetization through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP)
- and another for Shorts monetization via the Shorts Fund.
Here’s the detail for each criterium;
General Ad Monetization (YPP):
- Subscriber Threshold: 1,000 subscribers
- Watch Hours: 4,000 valid public watch hours in the past 12 months
- Valid Public Uploads: At least 1 public video uploaded in the past 180 days
- Follow YouTube Policies: All content on your channel must comply with YouTube’s Community Guidelines, Terms of Service, and Google AdSense program policies.
Shorts Monetization (Shorts Fund):
- Watch Hours: 3 million valid public Shorts views in the past 90 days
- Valid Public Uploads: At least 1 public Short uploaded in the past 180 days
- Follow YouTube Policies: Similarly, all Shorts content must adhere to YouTube’s policies.
Diversify Your Income Streams
Consider subscriber exclusives like early access, behind-the-scenes clips, or special merchandise through YouTube’s Partner Program.
Sponsorship, brand deals, and affiliate marketing can also significantly supplement your income.
How to Make Money on YouTube Without Showing Your Face or Recording Videos
Matt Par Makes $30,000 a Month from YouTube.
You can too, by signing up for his FREE training course, where you’ll learn the following;
- How to choose a niche and generate tons of videos quickly
- How to use the YouTube Algorithm to your advantage to grow quickly & earn more
- How to maximize your YouTube earnings without having to show your face or record videos yourself
- 10 Videos per month with 100,000 views each (at $5 per thousand views) will make you $60,000 a year
Conclusion
Remember, building a profitable YouTube channel is like running a marathon, not a sprint.
The process involves learning, unlearning, acknowledging failures, and continually evolving.
Remember to embrace this process.
In the world of content creation, much like in life, it’s the journey that’s far more enriching than the destination.
How Much You Can Make From a Few YT Videos this Year
Lastly, here’s a snapshot of what you could be making on YouTube this year if you get started now.
- 1 video per month with 1M views at $5PM will make you $60,000 per year ($5,000 per month).
- 3 videos per month with 1M views at $5PM will make you $180,000 per year ($15,000 per month).
- 5 videos per month with 1M views at $5PM will generate $300k per year ($25,000 per month).
Of course it depends on many factors like what niche you’re in (some niches are more profitable than others), the quality of your videos and so on.
Interestingly, YouTubers earn, on average, around $0.018 for each view, which amounts to $18 for every 1,000 views (Ref: Influencer Marketing Hub)
Therefore, the estimated earnings per 1,000 views in the snapshot are very conservative, meaning you could easily make more than that with your videos in the right channel.
However, you can find out how to set up a profitable YouTube channel in the right niche and produce quality videos (without having to show your face) with this free training course – click here to get started.