Since it was first launched in 2005, YouTube has changed a lot.
It was acquired by Google, then monetization became available and this changed the platform forever.
From being a place where people share homemade videos, it became a platform that gives work to tons of people all around the world who have the ability to build a successful career on the platform.
YouTube hasn’t stopped evolving. One of the most recent features added is YouTube Channel Membership. Let’s find out more about it.
What is YouTube Channel Membership?
YouTube Channel Membership is a feature that was introduced in 2018. It allows creators to provide members with access to exclusive content. In exchange, viewers pay a small fee for their membership.
Viewers who decide to subscribe to a specific channel pay a monthly fee. They are paying for access to exclusive video content, live streams, and any type of exclusivity the content creator is willing to offer.
Creators can customize their channel membership as they like: they can offer extended cuts of their videos, bloopers, exclusive videos, and more.
Creators can also create different tiers for their membership. There are different levels that aredifferent prices, and the higher the price, the more exclusive the access.
YouTube Channel Membership has created a new opportunity for creators to create a source of income from the platform.
However, this is also an opportunity to enhance the relationship between creators and viewers, helping YouTubers create a strong community around their channel.
Can you qualify for YouTube Channel Membership?
Potentially, anyone with a YouTube channel can activate their membership program. However, there are some requirements that you need.
They are not super strict, which is why most YouTubers can easily activate their membership program if they have the right credentials.
The requirements to qualify for YouTube Channel Membership are the following:
- Have at least 1,000 subscribers
- Have ZERO videos in the Made for Kids category
- Being part of the YouTube Partner Program (you are already monetizing your videos)
- Being active in a location where YouTube is already operative
- Being older than 18
- The channel must comply with the YouTube’s terms of use
What can you offer with your Membership program?
Many YouTubers can’t wait to activate their membership program because it’s a great opportunity for them to profit further, but then they face the first challenge.
How can you make exclusive content interesting enough to push viewers to pay a monthly fee to have access to it?
Well, the main reason why viewers subscribe to a membership is that they want to know more about the creator or the process of creation.
Your exclusive content, therefore, should be all about behind the scenes. When you set up your membership program, make sure you also:
- Set up three different membership levels so that undecided viewers can start with the cheapest and then scale up if they’re happy with it.
- Other than exclusive content, also make sure to provide the possibility for members to interact with you. Having a closer relationship with you will push them to subscribe.
- Merchandise can also be a part of your membership exclusivity.
- Advertise and promote your membership program. Unless you tell them so, your viewers have no idea that your membership program exists, and they have no idea about what they can find once they have access to exclusive content. So, make sure they are aware of it.
The golden rule is to give value to the membership program. Make sure that those who subscribe can actually have more exclusive access, more direct interaction with you, and so on.
If the exclusive content is very similar to your standard content, your membership program will fail.
How to activate your membership program
Like many things on YouTube, activating and setting up your membership program is prettyeasy. This is how you do it:
- Log in to your YouTube account and access the YouTube Studio
- Navigate to the Monetization section and click on Memberships
- Click ‘Set Up Your Membership Offer’
- On the panel you’re provided, click on the Start button to set up the different membership levels.
How much can you earn from your YouTube Channel Membership?
The amount of money you can earn with your membership program depends, just like every other monetization feature on YouTube, on how big your channel is.
Of course, the exact amount is calculated depending on the number of YouTube subscribers to the membership program, but, the bigger your channel the more viewers will be interested in joining the membership program.
As you may already know, becoming big on YouTube isn’t only a matter of channel subscriptions, it is also a matter of views.
So, make sure you take both of these things into consideration if you want to make sure that your YouTube Membership Program will be successful.
Why should you use YouTube Channel Memberships?
For a creator, using YouTube Channel Memberships has many advantages, for example:
- It’s an additional source of income within the same platform
- Getting more membership subscribers increases the value of your channel
- Having a successful membership program allows you to strengthen your position with collaborators, obtaining – for example – better deals with sponsors
- Your membership program allows you to create a strong community around your channel.
Conclusion
YouTube Channel Memberships isn’t the newest feature on YouTube, but it can still be one of the most challenging for YouTubers. With this article and guide, we hope we’ve just made it easier for you to understand how to make the most of this feature.
We are going to finish off this article by again recommending that you offer value and quality to your membership subscribers.
Otherwise, there is no incentive for them to become a member, and they are going to quickly find that it’s a waste of their money – and time.
About the Author:
John Hamilton is an executive writer for UseViral.com and has been researching all things Social Media for the past 10 years.
He has a passion for creating informative and helpful free content that provides value to the readers. When John is not traveling you can find him in his home town in Dubai hanging out with friends.