Getting started on YouTube and wondering if you can make money with a small channel? The short answer is yes, you can monetize YouTube with only 100 subscribers. However, there are some important factors to consider when trying to earn revenue from a channel with a low subscriber count.
YouTube Monetization Requirements
YouTube has set up certain thresholds channels need to reach before they can join the YouTube Partner Program and start earning ad revenue. As of 2022, here are the minimum YouTube monetization requirements:
- 1,000 subscribers
- 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months
- A linked AdSense account in good standing
So with only 100 subscribers, you won’t meet the subscriber requirement for monetization. However, that doesn’t mean making money is impossible. It just means you’ll need to utilize other monetization strategies outside of YouTube ad revenue.
Benefits of Building to 1,000 Subscribers
While you can find ways to monetize under 1,000 subscribers, reaching the YouTube monetization threshold has some clear benefits:
- Access to YouTube ad revenue – This includes video ads, overlay ads, skippable ads and more. Ad revenue is a passive income stream.
- Super chats and channel memberships – Fans pay to have their comments highlighted or get special perks like custom emojis.
- YouTube Merch Shelf – Sell branded merchandise directly on your channel.
- YouTube Premium revenue sharing – Get a cut of the subscription fees from fans who sign up to watch your content ad-free.
Building up to 1,000 loyal subscribers gives you more monetization tools and higher earning potential. But you can still find ways to make money before hitting the threshold.
Can You Monetize YouTube Videos at 100 Subscribers?
While your channel isn’t eligible for YouTube monetization at 100 subscribers, you can still earn revenue from your videos by:
- Getting sponsored – Brand sponsorships are a big money maker on YouTube. Brands pay top creators millions to promote their products. But even creators with smaller channels can get sponsorships in exchange for product reviews, sponsored content, shout-outs, etc.
- Affiliate marketing – The YouTube video description box allows affiliate links. You can recommend products relevant to your niche and earn affiliate commissions when viewers purchase through your link.
- Selling merch – Custom t-shirts, hoodies, mugs and other merch is popular among YouTubers. You can create your own merch store or use a third-party merch service like Teespring.
- Crowdfunding – Platforms like Patreon let viewers support your channel through monthly donations. Even a small subscription base can bring in revenue.
- Fan funding – YouTube has a built-in Fan Funding feature that lets viewers tip you during a live stream. Just hit the “$” icon in chat to enable.
The key is getting creative with making money outside of YouTube’s Partner Program requirements. Provide value to your small but loyal subscriber base and reward their support.
Maximizing Revenue from 100 YouTube Subscribers
Here are some tips to start monetizing and maximizing revenue with only 100 YouTube subscribers:
- Turn on channel memberships – Let fans pay $4.99 a month to get special perks like custom emojis, badges and access to members-only content.
- Add affiliate links – Include relevant affiliate links in your video descriptions and pinned comments. Amazon’s Associate program is a popular choice.
- Sell merch – Services like Teespring or Redbubble let you quickly set up merch stores. Promote merch on your channel and in video descriptions.
- Set up a Patreon – Offer exclusive content and other goodies to fans who become paying patrons.
- Promote sponsorships – Pitch brands related to your niche to score sponsorship deals. Even micro-influencers can get sponsorships.
- Use Fan Funding – Go live more often and remind viewers to use the Fan Funding donation feature.
- Promote other social media – Direct viewers to follow you on other platforms like Twitter, Instagram or TikTok where you can also monetize.
Every revenue source counts when you’re just starting out on YouTube. 100 loyal fans willing to support your channel can go a long way at first. Offer them real value and use multiple monetization strategies.
Building an Audience of True Fans
Growth expert Kevin Kelly coined the 1,000 True Fans theory. It states that you only need 1,000 highly engaged “true fans” to earn a meaningful income from creative work.
While getting thousands of passive subscribers feels great, you need a smaller group actively invested in you and your content to have a sustainable business as a creator. Here are some tips for building an audience of true fans on YouTube:
- Engage meaningfully with every comment
- Reply to every DM you get on social media
- Ask viewers questions and request video ideas
- Reward loyal engagement with moderator status, merch or shout-outs
- Go live and interact with viewers in real time
- Share personal details and behind-the-scenes info
It’s quality over quantity. 100 devoted fans who feel valued and connected to you have much higher lifetime value than 1,000 casual subscribers. Concentrate your energy on nurturing true fan connections.
Growing Subscribers vs. Growing Revenue
It’s easy to get stuck in the mindset that more subscribers automatically means more money. But subscriber count isn’t always an accurate gauge of revenue potential.
Many huge channels make less than smaller ones thanks to factors like:
- Niche – Some niche topics have higher earning potential.
- Watch time – Shorter videos tend to have lower RPM.
- Ad placement – Putting ads in the right places increases CPM.
- Affiliate offers – Promoting hot selling products nets bigger commissions.
- Engagement – Channels with dedicated fans monetize better.
While hitting 1,000 subscribers to access YouTube monetization features is important, you shouldn’t rely on ad revenue alone. Nor should you get stuck comparing yourself to channels with millions of subscribers.
Focus on providing value, deepening engagement and being creative with revenue sources. 100 devoted fans can absolutely sustain a small yet profitable YouTube channel.
Turning Profit With a Micro YouTube Channel
Here are some realistic ways to turn a profit running a micro YouTube channel with around 100 subscribers:
Affiliate Links
Get approved for some affiliate programs like Amazon Associates or ShareASale. Include text and video links to featured products within your content. Over time, affiliate sales can add up, especially if you promote hot items.
Let’s say you earn a 4% commission on electronics through an Amazon Associates account. If just 10 of your 100 subscribers purchase a $200 smartphone you recommend, that’s $80 in easy passive income.
Channel Memberships
Activate channel memberships and give fans the option to pay $4.99 per month for special perks. If even 10-20 subscribers sign up, that’s $50 – $100 in recurring monthly income.
Offer real value like exclusive videos, live streams, chat access and merch discounts. Deliver 5X the value to make memberships worthwhile for fans and profitable for your channel.
Teespring Merch
Work with Teespring to design some custom t-shirt designs for your niche audience. Promote them heavily in your content and videos. A 25% profit margin on apparel is common.
So if you sell 10 t-shirts at $20 each, you’ll earn around $5 per sale. That’s $50 extra profit from a small initial merch push.
Sponsorships
Research brands targeting your niche and propose a custom sponsorship campaign. Be flexible on pricing – most brands offer around $100 to micro influencers.
Landing just one or two paid sponsorships a month nets $200 to $400 in income. Bonus if you can negotiate performance bonuses based on engagement or sales.
Freelancing
Offer YouTube-related services like editing, thumbnail design, channel management and consulting. Your authority as a creator helps land clients, even with a small channel.
Charging just $20 an hour, with 5 hours of work per week, generates an extra $500 per month. Expand your freelance services as your channel grows.
Building a profitable YouTube channel from scratch comes down to creativity and hustle. Tap into multiple income sources 100 devoted fans support you with to turn a profit quickly.
Key Takeaways
- You need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours to monetize through YouTube’s Partner Program.
- But you can earn revenue through sponsorships, affiliates, merch and more before hitting the threshold.
- 100 engaged subscribers have more revenue potential than 1,000 casual subs.
- Focus on nurturing true fans and providing value vs. sub count alone.
- Diversify income through merch, memberships, sponsorships and freelancing.
- A small yet profitable channel is possible with the right strategy.