60-Minute Side Hustle Blueprint
Why Most People Are Doing YouTube Wrong
Most people are taught to look at YouTube as a great opportunity—which it certainly is. YouTube has changed my life for the better, and it can do the same for you. However, I see many people approaching YouTube the wrong way, setting themselves up for disaster in the long run.
In this post, I’m going to explain why you should treat YouTube as a business instead of solely relying on the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) for income. There are six main reasons why adopting a business-first mindset is the way to go, and they’re all interconnected. Let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
- YouTube Videos Are an Introduction, Not the Whole Picture
- Monetization Takes Too Long
- The YouTube Partner Program is Inconsistent
- Freedom to Create Authentic Content
- More Money Is Made Outside of YouTube
- Building Your Entire Business on One Platform Is Risky
YouTube Videos Are an Introduction, Not the Whole Picture
When I think about YouTube, I view it as a tool to introduce myself to potential followers and clients. YouTube videos are great for giving people a sense of who you are, what you do, and how you can help them—but they are just the first step.
Helping People Beyond the First Step
You can’t realistically teach someone everything they need to know about starting a business, woodworking, or any other skill in just a 10-15 minute video. While YouTube is fantastic for introductory content, many viewers are left wanting more. The real transformation often comes through one-on-one coaching, courses, or memberships where people get in-depth knowledge and guidance.
For example, my YouTube channel contains over 2,000 videos. Many of them are designed to introduce you to a concept or help you get started, but they aren’t comprehensive guides. YouTube is essentially the front door—a way for me to reach out and shake your hand virtually.
Creating Higher-Level Content
Another challenge with relying solely on YouTube is that most viewers are beginners. To reach the largest audience, I create beginner-level content. Advanced videos about scaling a business to $5,000 or $10,000 a month often don’t perform as well because most people watching haven’t reached the first milestone yet, like making $50 or $100 a day.
This is why YouTube should be viewed as a starting point—a gateway to more detailed help via courses or other resources that you offer.
Monetization Takes Too Long
One of the most common mistakes I see is people putting all their effort into getting monetized through the YouTube Partner Program.
Long Road to Monetization
The YouTube Partner Program requires 4,000 watch hours and 1,000 subscribers—a daunting task, especially if you’re starting out. It took me over a year to reach these requirements. Back then, ad revenue was the only way to monetize content, which led to many creators making repetitive videos just to reach the threshold.
Why You Shouldn’t Focus Solely on YPP
If you have other monetization strategies—like affiliate marketing—you won’t stress about meeting YPP requirements. With affiliate marketing, you can start making money with just ten subscribers. By having a diversified strategy, you can focus on your true target audience instead of chasing views and subscribers. Not all views are valuable, especially if they aren’t relevant to your business goals.
The YouTube Partner Program is Inconsistent
Even when you’re in the YouTube Partner Program, the income isn’t always stable.
Inconsistent Earnings
The earnings you make from YPP can vary greatly. The RPM (Revenue Per Mille) changes by season, month, and even the type of content you create. For instance, earnings often spike in Q4 when advertisers spend big during the holidays but drop significantly in Q1. You could have one video with a CPM (Cost Per Mille) of $50 and another with a CPM of $10—leading to unpredictable revenue.
Over-Reliance Can Be Dangerous
If your entire livelihood depends on YouTube ad revenue, this inconsistency can make it challenging to pay bills or grow your business. I recommend looking at ad revenue as “icing on the cake” while focusing on other, more stable income streams.
Freedom to Create Authentic Content
When you’re not dependent on YPP for income, you’re free to create more authentic content.
Avoiding the Copy-and-Paste Content Trap
When views drop, many creators resort to copying what’s already popular to boost their numbers. This often leads to a flood of low-quality, repetitive content. On the other hand, I can create content that genuinely interests me and benefits my audience—like my “I Tried It” series, which puts a new spin on popular ideas.
Creating for the Viewer, Not the Algorithm
When I focus on helping my viewers rather than trying to please the algorithm, I feel that the quality of my content improves. This ultimately creates a better connection with the audience and helps solve their problems.
More Money Is Made Outside of YouTube
Contrary to popular belief, more money can be made outside of YouTube than from ad revenue.
Multiple Revenue Streams Lead to Stability
YouTube is a multi-billion dollar platform, but ad revenue is just a slice of the pie. There are other ways to make money—affiliate marketing, selling digital products, offering memberships, and even creating software as a service. Diversifying your income ensures that you won’t be left scrambling if YouTube ad revenue dips.
Email Lists as a Business Asset
Email lists are another crucial aspect of growing your business outside YouTube. Having an email list allows you to directly connect with your audience, promote your products, and drive traffic to your content. It’s the one thing that stays with you even if a platform changes or disappears.
Building Your Entire Business on One Platform Is Risky
Building your entire business on a single platform like YouTube can be risky and ultimately set you up for failure.
Too Many Variables You Can’t Control
If you rely solely on YouTube, you’re placing your business in the hands of algorithms and policies you have no control over. The YouTube Partner Program can change its terms at any time, and if your content doesn’t fit their guidelines anymore, you could lose everything. TikTok could shut down tomorrow, and the same risk applies.
Use the YouTube Partner Program as Extra, Not the Foundation
I encourage you to view YPP income as “bonus” money. You wouldn’t ride a unicycle on an icy road, right? That’s the equivalent of depending on just one income stream in a changing environment. Instead, have multiple “wheels” or revenue streams to stabilize your business and ensure its long-term success.
Start Treating YouTube as a Business Today
If you want to succeed on YouTube, you need to stop seeing YPP as your main goal. Instead, think of YouTube as a stepping stone—your handshake with potential clients. Build other revenue streams through digital products, memberships, or affiliate marketing, and establish a direct line of communication with your audience through an email list.
If you want to learn how to create your first digital product and diversify your income, I have a one-hour workshop available for just $20 that will guide you through the entire process. Click the link in the description to get started.
Now that you know why relying on YPP alone can be dangerous, watch the next video to learn how to grow your YouTube channel and build a real business.