How Long Should a YouTube Video Be to Make Money? Factors that affect Video Monetization on YouTube
Making money from YouTube videos is one of the most popular methods of earning income online, and it’s an especially great way to continue to grow an audience and build an engaged following. But for any content creator looking to monetize their videos, one of the key factors that can have a large impact on video quality and viewership is the video length.
In this blog, we’ll go into detail on the factors that affect YouTube video monetization, how long a YouTube video should be to make money, the impact of video length on YouTube algorithms, as well as our recommendations for making your videos as successful as possible when it comes to views and earnings. We’ll also include a few tips and tricks from our own experience on what you could do to get the most out of YouTube as an affiliate marketer and make the most money possible.
What are the Factors that Affect Video Monetization on YouTube?
Monetization on YouTube is straightforward, but there are a number of factors that influence whether a video is monetized or not. These can be broadly classified into two categories – technical requirements and content requirements, which we’ll go into further detail below.
Technical Requirements
These are the technical requirements that all YouTube users need to meet in order to enable monetization on their channel:
• YouTube Account: To begin with, you must have a YouTube account.
• Monetization Enabled On Your Channel: You must enable monetization on your channel before you can start earning money. This can be done by visiting your YouTube channel settings and clicking on the “monetize” button.
• AdSense: You need to have an AdSense account linked to your channel in order to monetize your videos.
• Video Captions: Whenever you upload a video you’ll need to add captions so the automated YouTube system can detect the contents of your video for monetization.
• Video Tags: You need to add relevant video tags to your video in order for it to show up in relevant searches.
• 600+ Subscribers: YouTube requires that your channel has at least 600 subscribers before you can monetize your channel.
• 4000+ View Hours: YouTube requires that your channel has watched at least 4000 hours in the last 12 months in order to monetize it.
Content Requirements
Apart from the technical requirements, YouTube also has a set of content requirements. In order to ensure videos are of an appropriate quality and are suitable for monetization, YouTube also requires that all videos meet the following criteria:
• No Nudity/Profanity: Videos must not contain any nudity or profanity.
• No Copyrighted Content: Videos must not contain any copyrighted content.
• No Dangerous Activity: YouTube has a policy against dangerous activities such as pranks, stunts, and the like in the videos uploaded to the platform.
• No Hate Speech: Videos must not contain any hate speech or incitement to violence.
• No Advertising: Videos must not contain any advertising content.
• No Promotions: Videos must not contain any promotional material for external businesses or websites.
How Long Should a YouTube Video Be to Make Money?
The duration of a YouTube video is a key factor that can have a huge impact on the success of your video, and thus your monetization. It’s important to take note of the fact that longer videos do tend to do better when it comes to viewership and monetization, as the average watch time of a user on YouTube grows with the length of the video.
Also, because longer videos allow you to cover more topics and go into more detail regarding each point, there’s a greater chance of them ranking higher in searches and thus earning more money. On the flip side, shorter videos tend to have lower viewership and shorter watch times, making them less effective when it comes to monetization.
That being said, it’s important to know that there’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to the length of your videos, as the content and quality will always play a major role in monetization results. In general, it’s best to find a balance between the two – videos should be short enough to be interesting and engaging, yet long enough to provide the necessary amount of detail and information.
Recommended Video Length for Maximum Views and Earnings
The ideal video length for maximum views and earnings depends largely on the type of content you are producing. For example, if you are producing videos for educational or tutorial purposes, then longer videos will be necessary as there’s a need to go into detail and provide in-depth analysis.
On the other hand, if you are creating videos that are more entertainment-based, then shorter videos can be used as the audience is more likely to stay engaged if the content is more focused and to the point.
Typically, videos with lengths between 5 to 20 minutes tend to bring in more views and earnings than those with longer durations. However, our advice would be to experiment and see what works best for your individual channel.
The Impact of Video Length on YouTube Algorithms
YouTube’s algorithms are designed to prioritize videos that ensure a good viewing experience for its users. The watch time of a video is one of the key metrics used to determine its ranking on YouTube, and video length does have an impact on this metric.
Longer videos tend to have higher watch time as viewers will be more likely to stay engaged when there are more topics to cover. On the other hand, shorter videos will tend to have shorter average watch times.
Another way that video length is taken into consideration is in regards to ranking in the search results page. YouTube takes the duration of a video into account when it is ranking the videos for specific search terms. This means that videos with a longer duration are more likely to show up at the top of the organic search results for a particular keyword or phrase.
Tips and Tricks for Successful Affiliate Marketing
As an affiliate marketer, you want to make sure you are effective in every aspect of your operation. Here are a few tips and tricks from our own experience that we think will help you out.
1. Find a Niche: It’s important to find a niche that you are knowledgeable about and passionate about, as this will make the process of creating content and promoting products easier and more enjoyable.
2. Streamline Your Process: Make sure you have a streamlined process in place to ensure that your content creation and promotion is as efficient as possible. This could include automating some parts of the process, such as keyword research and product discovery, to save you time and energy.
3. Utilize Online Platforms: Make use of online platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to reach out to more people. This will help you to spread the word about your products and services, as well as build an engaged community around your affiliate product.
4. Focus on Quality Content: When it comes to content, it’s important to focus on quality rather than quantity. Do your best to create content that is high-quality, well-researched and engaging. This will mean that people are more likely to both watch and share your videos, increasing your chances of monetization.
5. Be Patient: The process of affiliate marketing can be a slow one and it may take time for you to start seeing results. Be consistent and dedicated, and don’t give up or become discouraged if things don’t go your way at first.
Helpful Advice for Those Looking to Get Started with Affiliate Marketing
Starting out as an affiliate marketer can be a difficult and daunting task. Here are a few tips that we think could be helpful to anyone looking to get started on their affiliate marketing journey:
1. Do Your Research: It’s important to research the subject of affiliate marketing extensively so you can decide which route to take and prepare for the challenges ahead.
2. Find the Right Product/Program: You should always make sure that the product or program you are promoting is of good quality and is a good fit for your target audience.
3. Create Quality Content: Quality content is key for any affiliate marketer. Make sure you provide your audience with quality information and valuable insights.
4. Promote Your Content: Promoting your content can help you to reach a larger audience. Make sure to use effective tactics when doing this.
5. Track and Monitor Results: Tracking and monitoring your results can help you to optimize and adjust your strategy to get the best results.
Conclusion
Making money from YouTube videos can be a great way to monetize your content and build an engaged following. Although technical and content requirements need to be met, the length of the video is a key factor that can influence its success in terms of viewership and monetization. To achieve the best results, it’s important to find a balance between the two and produce videos that are short but detailed.
In addition to understanding the length of videos, there are also certain tips and tricks that can be applied to help you make the most money from your YouTube videos. Be sure to have a niche that you specialize in, have a streamlined process for both content creation and promotion, utilize online platforms for promotion, and focus on creating quality content.
Finally, for those just getting started with affiliate marketing, it’s important to research extensively, choose the right product or program, create quality content, promote your content effectively, and monitor and track your results. Doing this will help you get the most out of your affiliate marketing journey and maximize your earnings.