Summary

The author shares their journey of earning their first $0.20 on YouTube after a year of posting content, emphasizing the significance of this small amount as a milestone in their content creation career.

Abstract

The content creator discusses the emotional and practical journey of monetizing their YouTube channel, highlighting the challenges faced and the sense of accomplishment upon earning their first income from the platform. Despite the modest initial earnings of $0.20, the author considers this amount as a pivotal moment, symbolizing the transition from hobbyist to professional content creator. They reflect on the importance of perseverance and the use of tools like VidIQ to identify niche topics with high interest but low competition, which contributed to their success. The author's experience with YouTube monetization mirrors their previous success on Medium, where earning the first dollar marked a turning point in their writing career, leading to significant financial gains and new opportunities. The article serves as motivation for aspiring content creators, emphasizing that even small earnings are a step towards larger goals and that persistence is key to success.

Opinions

The author believes that the first earnings from YouTube, despite being only $0.20, are incredibly significant as they represent the possibility of turning a passion into a source of income.
They suggest that the journey to monetization on platforms like YouTube and Medium can be daunting, but the first dollar earned is a powerful motivator that can lead to greater financial success.
The author expresses that the use of keyword tools like VidIQ can be instrumental in achieving monetization by identifying topics with high search interest and low competition.
They emphasize the importance of not quitting, even when the financial rewards are not immediately apparent, as persistence can lead to fulfilling achievements and life-changing opportunities.
The author reflects on the transformative power of setting and reaching stretch goals, noting that their success on YouTube and Medium has provided financial stability and the means to pursue other interests, such as stock market investing.
They offer their experience as an example to others, encouraging aspiring creators to view their early earnings as a stepping stone to greater accomplishments and to maintain belief in the viability of their creative endeavors.

How much I got paid on my FIRST DAY monetized on YouTube

I’m about to tell you how much money I made on my first day monetized on YouTube, and you’re probably going to laugh when I reveal the total.

But I believe it’s the most important money I’ll ever make on the platform.

The most exciting day as a content creator on any platform is usually the first one you actually get paid.

That’s because, at some point in your journey, you probably felt like your goal was impossible and you’d never get there.

In fact, I came THIS close to quitting YouTube just a few short months ago.

Even when I started, I don’t think I fully believed I would reach my goal of making actual money on the platform.

I just found the YouTube monetization requirements so intimidating.

1,000 subscribers definitely seemed within the realm of possibility, but my watch time was increasing so slowly that it felt like I would never reach the required 4,000 for full monetization.

But I’m here to tell you it IS possible — and I’m living proof.

The most exciting day on any platform is the first one you actually get paid for your efforts. (Licensed by the author under the Unsplash+ License)

The journey begins

I started on YouTube almost exactly one year ago and, over the course of 365 days, I posted a shade over 40 videos overall.

As with all content creation businesses, most of your success will come from a small fraction of your work, and this was certainly the case for me.

My first video to kind of take off was this one, which was an incredibly simple concept.

It was literally just me in front of some coffee beans talking about my decision to quit caffeine.

Later, using a keyword tool called VidIQ, I was able to zero in on topics that actually gave me a fighting chance to get monetized within a year.

One of the great things about VidIQ (affiliate link here if you want to try it — I highly, highly recommend) is that it suggests opportunities for your channel based on subjects with high interest but low competition.

Here’s how that looks on the VidIQ dashboard:

My VidIQ keyword opportunities (expand to view closer)

In addition to quit caffeine content, one of the topics VidIQ suggested for me, based on what I’d already posted, was how to make money online writing on Medium.com.

In fact, the bulk of my views have come from how-to videos about writing online.

Here are my top 3 most viewed videos — excluding the caffeine one I already mentioned — which were by far the biggest contributors to my YouTube monetization:

1. Medium earnings in my second month (7,900 views)

My most popular video so far, with 7,900 views, was one of my first Medium.com earnings videos.

Now I made quite a few of these and I couldn’t tell you why this is the one that took off, but I’m very happy it did.

This was the first video that had me believing YouTube monetization might be possible:

2. Full Medium tutorial

With VidIQ having identified Medium videos as a good niche for me, I decided to try making a really long-form one that went over my strategy for making money on that platform.

This one actually became popular fairly quickly and helped me rack up a lot of watch hours due to its length.

3. How I became a top earner on Medium (7,800 views)

I’m almost embarrassed to point this one out, but I think it’s important because it shows you don’t necessarily need fancy editing techniques or really any on-camera talent to have a relatively successful video on YouTube.

This one doesn’t even show my face, it’s just me talking quietly over my screen share of my Medium account. The sound it terrible, the thumbnail is a joke, there’s nothing special about the video, but somehow it still generates views almost every day.

My (very) humble earnings

So, after one year of work and 40+ videos, what did I have to show for it after one day?

My first ever earnings day on YouTube — September 19, 2023. It’s a day I’ll never forget.

That’s right: I earned a grand total of 20 American cents.

Cue the sad trombone, right?

Well, not so fast.

For a lot of people, this is probably laughable.

And while I think it’s easy to be dismissive of a $0.20 earnings day, I honestly believe it’s the most important money I’ll ever make on the YouTube platform.

That’s because this is real to me now.

It’s because I’ve now confirmed that yes, a Regular Joe creator like me can actually get through the grind of getting monetized and earn real money posting videos about the things that interest me.

We all know it’s possible theoretically, but it’s different when it actually happens for you.

$0 to $20,000

I made $20,000 writing on Medium last year, but it was the first dollar I earned there that changed my perspective on everything.

It got me excited to work harder and it motivated me to start taking my writing much more seriously.

What started as a hobby actually changed my life, giving me way more financial breathing room and the funds to start pursuing other money-making opportunities like stock market investing.

It also gave me the optimism needed to pursue my ultimate goal, which is to retire from the commuter life and run my own business full-time.

Now with YouTube in the mix, I’m more excited than ever at the possibilities.

Never quit

But mostly I’m proud that I didn’t quit when the pull to do so was strongest.

Few people find the grit to see big projects like this through to the end — especially when they aren’t getting paid a dime for it.

But it is possible, and it’s so worth it.

So if you’re early in your YouTube journey and you’re thinking of quitting, don’t.

If you don’t quit, you can’t fail.

If you walk out of the arena, you can’t win.

I can tell you from personal experience that setting a stretch goal and actually reaching it is one of the most satisfying and fulfilling things you can do.

And you never know — 20 cents just might change your life.

Friends, thanks so much for reading! If you enjoyed this piece or found it inspiring, please give it a clap or two so others can find it!

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