There is a multi-billion dollar shopping event that happens every single year without fail, and most people treat it as a thing to participate in, not a thing to profit from. Black Friday. The biggest spending day in America. The day companies “enter the black” because consumers spend money on everything from 65-inch TVs to PlayStation 5s to HDMI cables. And the vast majority of YouTube creators have no idea this is sitting right in front of them as one of the most straightforward income opportunities on the platform.
I’ve been making money on the internet for close to 10 years. I’ve seen trends come and go. This one is not a trend. Black Friday is evergreen. Every year there are new deals. Every year there are new buyers. Every year people go searching on YouTube to figure out where the best discounts are hiding. And the channels getting those views are not mega-channels with hundreds of thousands of subscribers. They’re tiny channels. Channels with 1,000 subscribers. Channels with 5,000 subscribers. Channels with 6,000 subscribers. Getting thousands of views per video. And making money in multiple ways while they sleep.
This post covers everything in the video: the niche overview, real channel examples with real numbers, the five-step process to get started, and every revenue stream attached to it.
What You’ll Walk Out With
- A clear explanation of the Black Friday YouTube niche and why buyer intent makes it different from most content
- Real channel examples showing what small channels (under 7,000 subscribers) are actually pulling in views-wise
- The alphabet soup keyword method for finding unlimited video ideas without paying for a tool
- A five-step process to go from zero to your first published video
- All four revenue streams you can build from a single channel in this niche, including digital products most creators never think about
- A breakdown of how affiliate commissions actually stack up, with real numbers from the video
- A clear answer on whether this works if you live outside the United States
- A link to take the free Finder quiz at https://finder.platformproof.com to figure out which online income model fits your specific situation
Part 1: What the Niche Actually Is
Ask most people what the number one thing Americans love to do is, and they’ll guess sports, or food, or TV. The real answer is spending money. And no single moment concentrates that spending better than Black Friday.
Black Friday is the point in the year when retailers actually turn profitable, moving from operating at a loss into “the black.” Consumers buy things they need and a lot of things they probably do not need, all because the discount is there and the buying mindset is fully activated.
That last part is the key phrase: the buying mindset.
Most content on YouTube aims at people who are curious, entertained, or researching something broadly. The people watching Black Friday deal videos are already in purchase mode. They have opened their wallet in their mind. They are searching specifically because they want to buy something and they want to make sure they are getting the best price. That is the hardest state to create in a viewer, and in this niche, the audience arrives there on their own.
You do not manufacture demand. You show up where the demand already exists.
Your job is simple: create videos showing people the best Black Friday deals across major retailers like Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Amazon, Home Depot, and Harbor Freight. You share what is on sale, how much they can save, and you put your affiliate link in the description. When someone clicks and buys, you earn a commission.
You do not have to show your face. You do not need expensive equipment. You can do this from anywhere in the world. And because new deals come out every single year, the content opportunity resets on an annual schedule automatically.
Part 2: Real Channels Already Doing This Right Now
One of the first questions people ask about any YouTube opportunity is: does this actually work for small channels? The answer in this niche is yes, and the proof is already public.
Buyer Favorites — 6,000 subscribers, 46 total videos. That is not a big channel by any standard. But their most-viewed videos are pulling thousands of views consistently. Their Best Buy Black Friday video hit 11,000 views in two days. Their Target Black Friday video was at 71 views within four hours of going live, on its way up. Another video in the same series had 14,000 views. A channel with 6,000 subscribers and 46 videos is getting five-figure view counts.
Blacker Friday — 1,000 subscribers. Even smaller. But the view counts tell a different story: 111 views in six hours on a fresh video, 188 views at the one-day mark on another, 1,100 views from a video uploaded the same day, 3,000 views from a video posted five days prior. For a 1,000-subscriber channel, that is real traction.
A third channel — 5,000 subscribers — uploaded a video two days before it was checked and had already hit 2,500 views.
All three of these channels sit below the 7,000-subscriber mark. None of them are running paid ads to their content or sitting on years of audience building. They are getting views because people are searching, finding videos about exactly what they want to buy, and clicking.
This is what it looks like when content matches search intent at the right time of year.
Part 3: How to Get Started (Five Steps)
Step 1 — Create Your YouTube Channel
If you do not already have a YouTube channel, create one. This takes less than 10 minutes. There are plenty of tutorials showing the exact steps. The most important thing is to pick a channel name that works for a deals or Black Friday focus so your content makes sense to a first-time visitor.
Step 2 — Find Your Keywords
You need to know what people are searching for before you film anything. Two routes here.
The first is a paid keyword research tool like Ahrefs. You can look up search volume, competition, and related terms to find exactly which Black Friday video ideas have the most traffic potential. If you have the budget and want to move faster, this works well.
The second is the alphabet soup method, and it costs nothing. Go to YouTube’s search bar and type “Black Friday” followed by an underscore and a space. Then type a letter. YouTube’s autocomplete will fill in what people are searching for. Go through the alphabet:
- “Black Friday _ W” surfaces “Walmart Black Friday” and “Walmart Black Friday 2024”
- “Black Friday _ A” surfaces Amazon Black Friday
- “Black Friday _ H” brings up Home Depot and Harbor Freight
You can also type in the company name directly: “Walmart Black Friday” and see the autocomplete suggestions that come up. Or use ChatGPT to give you a list of the 20 to 30 biggest big box retailers and work through each one. Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Home Depot, Harbor Freight — those are all starting points. Each company is a separate video. A list of 30 companies is 30 videos, plus sub-topics within each (best tech deals, best appliance deals, best toy deals), which multiplies the opportunities significantly.
Because you are doing this every year with new deals and new products, the keyword research compounds. Videos you made last year can rank and drive traffic again this year when the same searches come back around.
Step 3 — Research the Actual Deals
This part is straightforward. Once you have your keyword — say, Walmart Black Friday — go to Walmart’s website and look up their current Black Friday deals page. Walmart wants you to know about their deals. The information is public and easy to find. You screenshot it, record it, document what is on sale, what the original price was, and what the discount is.
You can do this for one company per video or break it down by category within a company: tech deals, kitchen appliances, toys, home goods. Each angle is a separate piece of content.
You do not need to own the products. You are not doing hands-on reviews. You are reporting the deals the retailer is already advertising.
Step 4 — Apply to Affiliate Programs
This step is where the money actually connects to the views. Every major retailer you will cover has an affiliate program. Walmart has one. Best Buy has one. Target has one. Amazon Associates is one of the most accessible in the country.
To apply, go to your search engine and type “[company name] affiliate program” — for example, “Walmart affiliate program” — and follow the steps on their affiliate signup page. Some programs approve you instantly. Others review your application and follow up. Either way, start creating content before you get approved. You want views building while the approval processes. Once approved, you receive a unique affiliate link, and that link goes into the description of every relevant video.
When a viewer clicks your link and buys something, you earn a commission. The specific percentage varies by retailer and product category. But the structure is the same everywhere.
Step 5 — Create the Videos
For the video itself, you have two real options.
If you want to go 100% faceless, you do not need to appear on camera at all. Take screenshots of the deals from the retailer’s site. Source b-roll footage from royalty-free platforms like Storyblocks, Pexels, or Unsplash. Record a voiceover reading through the deals: what is on sale, what it normally costs, what the discount is, why it is worth clicking. Edit it together and upload it.
If you want to show up on camera, you do not need expensive equipment. A smartphone works. A webcam works. On-camera presence builds trust faster and typically leads to higher engagement, which is why it is worth considering. But the faceless route is a fully legitimate entry point, especially if you are just getting started and want to remove every possible barrier.
A Real-Numbers Look at How the Money Stacks Up
Not sure which online income model fits your situation? Take the free Finder quiz at https://finder.platformproof.com to get a clear answer based on your time, skills, and goals.
Here is the affiliate math from the video broken down simply.
A video has 2,000 views. Ten percent of viewers click an affiliate link and buy something. That is 200 buyers. If the average cart value is $1,500 — someone buying a TV, an HDMI cable, a soundbar, and a game console — and the commission rate is 10%, a single cart is worth $150. Two hundred buyers at $150 each would be $30,000 in commissions from that one video.
The actual percentages and commission rates vary by retailer and product category, and not every cart will be $1,500. But the illustration shows why buyer-intent traffic converts differently than general browsing traffic. People who click a Black Friday deal link are not window shopping. They are buying.
With platforms like Amazon and Target, the commission does not apply only to the product you linked. It applies to everything in the cart at checkout. So if someone clicks your link for a 65-inch TV and then adds a soundbar and a PlayStation 5 before checking out, your commission applies to the entire order.
The consistency compounds because you are not dependent on a single video. Thirty videos, each getting views from a different keyword, each converting a percentage of their viewers to buyers, across multiple retailers and affiliate programs. That is the architecture of how this becomes a real income.
Part 4: Every Revenue Stream in This Niche
1. Affiliate Marketing
The primary revenue stream. Covered in full above. Apply to affiliate programs for every retailer you cover. Put links in descriptions. Earn commissions when viewers buy.
2. YouTube Partner Program
Once a channel hits 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours within the last 12 months (rolling), it qualifies for the YouTube Partner Program ad tier. At that point, YouTube places ads at the beginning, middle, and end of videos, and the creator earns a cut of that ad revenue. This is a passive layer that sits on top of affiliate income.
The channels in the examples above — one with 1,000 subscribers, one with 5,000, one with 6,000 — are at or near that threshold. As views accumulate, the path to 4,000 watch hours closes faster than most people expect in a niche with strong viewer intent.
3. Digital Products
This is the revenue stream the video points out that almost no one in this space is talking about.
Two specific products work well for a Black Friday audience.
The first is a comprehensive Black Friday deal guide: a PDF or digital document that aggregates the best deals across multiple retailers in one place. Priced between $7 and $17, it solves a real problem — people want to find the best deals without spending hours on multiple websites. A buyer who has already watched your video and trusts your curation is a natural customer for this.
The second is a deal tracking template — a spreadsheet or planner that helps someone organize which deals they want to grab, which stores to visit, and what their budget is. Priced between $7 and $27, it is a simple tool that addresses a specific pain point. People who take Black Friday seriously often spend weeks planning purchases. A well-built template saves that planning time.
Both of these are products you build once and sell repeatedly. No inventory, no shipping, no overhead beyond the time it takes to create them.
4. Monthly Membership and Newsletter
The fourth stream is recurring income. Two versions worth considering.
A VIP community where members get early access to deals, exclusive discount opportunities, or direct communication about the best finds across retailers. If you can build relationships with some of the brands you cover, exclusive offers become possible. Members pay a recurring monthly fee to stay in the community.
A weekly paid newsletter covering the newest deals and opportunities. Subscribers pay a monthly or annual rate to get curated deal information in their inbox, saving them the time of searching themselves.
A fifth option is a short course teaching people how to save money during the holiday season: how to compare prices, how to track deals, how to avoid impulse buying, how to plan a budget. Priced around $49, it addresses a broad audience need and fits naturally as an upsell to viewers who have already engaged with multiple videos.
Is This a Global Opportunity?
Yes. Black Friday has spread well beyond the United States. Retailers in Canada, Australia, the UK, and other countries now run Black Friday promotions. If you are outside the US, you are not locked out of this. You can cover deals from retailers in your home country, or you can cover US retailers and target US viewers regardless of where you are physically located.
Affiliate programs do not require you to be located in the country of the company. Amazon Associates, for example, is accessible to creators internationally. The channel infrastructure is the same regardless of geography.
Find Your X
Every income model works for someone and does not work for someone else. The gap is usually not motivation. It is fit. The Finder quiz at https://finder.platformproof.com takes about two minutes and tells you which online income path lines up with your current schedule, skills, and goals. If you are unsure whether a YouTube affiliate channel is the right starting point for you, start there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to already have subscribers before this works?
No. The channels in the video have between 1,000 and 6,000 subscribers and are getting thousands of views on Black Friday videos. You do not need a built-in audience. You need content that matches what people are already searching for.
Can I do this year-round or only during Black Friday season?
The highest volume of searches happens in the weeks leading up to Black Friday, but this is presented as an evergreen niche. Every year brings new deals, new product releases, and new buyers who did not know you existed the year before. You can publish content during the lead-up period each year and build a library that compounds over time.
What affiliate commission rates should I expect?
Commission rates vary by retailer and product category. The video uses 10% as an illustrative number in one example, but the actual percentage depends on the specific program. Amazon’s rates are publicly listed on their Associates page and differ by category. Walmart, Target, and Best Buy have their own program structures. Applying to each program and reviewing their rate sheets gives you the accurate numbers before you build your content plan around specific income projections.
Do I have to wait until Black Friday to start?
No. The video recommends creating content before you even have affiliate approvals in place. You want views accumulating while the application is being reviewed. The sooner you start building the video library, the more content is indexed and ranking when peak search traffic arrives.
What is the alphabet soup method?
It is a free keyword research technique. You go to YouTube’s search bar, type your base term (like “Black Friday”), add an underscore and a space, then type a letter. YouTube’s autocomplete shows you what people are actually searching for that starts with that letter. You work through the alphabet to generate dozens of specific video ideas. It requires no tools and no budget.
Is Ahrefs required to find keywords?
No. Ahrefs is one option for keyword research but it is a paid tool. The alphabet soup method using YouTube’s own autocomplete is free and gives you real search data based on what viewers are already typing. Many of the smaller channels succeeding in this niche are likely using the free approach.
What if an affiliate program rejects my application?
Some programs have minimum requirements around channel size or existing content. If you are rejected, keep publishing, build your view count, and reapply once the channel has more traction. In the meantime, you can still create the content and add the links once approved, or link to the retailer’s page directly while the application is pending.
Can this work if I live outside the United States?
Yes. Black Friday is a global event now. US-based retailer affiliate programs are available to creators internationally in most cases. You can also cover retailers based in your own country. The video specifically mentions this is a global opportunity, using Australia as an example of a country where it applies.
Read Next
How to Make Money With a Faceless YouTube Channel (Beginner Guide)
Sources
- Video transcript: “Multi Million Dollar Niche Hiding In Plain Sight | How To Make Money On YouTube For Beginners” — Alston Godbolt, YouTube
- Channel examples cited in video: Buyer Favorites, Blacker Friday (view counts and subscriber numbers current at time of filming)
- Affiliate program information: Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Amazon Associates (publicly available program details)
- Stock footage platforms mentioned: Storyblocks, Pexels, Unsplash
*Helping 1 million working adults make their first $3,000 online with the skills they already have. Alston Godbolt, Platform Proof.*