If you are serious about having a career on YouTube as a gamer, then nothing should stop you. However, be warned that it won’t necessarily be an easy journey. If you are thinking of using your YouTube gaming channel as a way to support your livelihood, then know this – solely relying on views and ad click money won’t be enough in the long haul due to ever-changing YouTube Guidelines.

With that said, in this post, we talk about 12 ways in which you can earn money from your gaming channel. For more useful gaming tips, you can visit ExAbsentia. 

But, first things first…

1. Get Your Channel Verified 

You cannot connect your channel with AdSense unless it’s a verified account. Also, verification allows you to post longer videos that are over 15 minutes in length. Furthermore, it allows you to add a custom image to your video thumbnail.

But, remember – getting your account verified is not the same thing as getting the verification badge. Those are exclusively for channels with over 100k subscribers.

If you want to take advantage of all the useful features of the platform, make sure to complete the verification process. Here’s how you can do it.

1. Google AdSense

If you ever watched a YouTube video, you must have noticed the multiple ad breaks you have to see at several points throughout the video. When you view those ads, the channel owner gets a flat rate per ad. This is what Google AdSense does. AdSense program connects content creators with paid advertisers who place ad breaks in the video several times. 

As a gaming content creator, you can expect to earn anywhere between $1 – $5 per 1000 views depending on your region. Google Adsense is the first starting point in the realm of making money off of YouTube before you explore other options.

1. Crowdfunding via Patreon and User Support

Yes, crowdfunding is a thing on YouTube. Patreon is a popular crowdfunding website where your subscribers can support you by making donations. You can also set up different levels of perks on this website. For different dollar amounts, people can subscribe to you and offer you pledges in exchange for which they get access to certain exclusive perks from you.

As a gaming channel, you can come-up with several perks. For example, you can offer a private discord server, release content early to your subscribers or set up a Minecraft server exclusively for them. But, do remember that it requires significant work on the content creator’s part.

1. Super Chat

If you are big on live streams on YouTube, Super Chat is one of the best ways for you to raise some extra money during your live broadcasts. Essentially what happens is that during a live stream, fans get to donate to you if they like your work. In exchange, they can leave a comment that remains pinned at the top of the chat for 5 hours.

As strange as it sounds, a lot of viewers like to pay just to get a shoutout in the chat. And while this route is very specific to live streamers only, it’s great if you love going live and connecting with your audiences.

1. Sell Merchandise

If you have a devoted following, you can always create exclusive merchandise for them. It could be shoes, hats, or t-shirts, or any other product you can think of. Supply the merch with your unique slogans or a picture of your YouTube Channel. 

Devoted fans don’t shy away from showing their affiliation with their favorite gamers and YouTubers. There are endlessly creative ways to create unique merchandise and make a whole lot of money off of it.

1. Brand Sponsorships 

When a brand sponsors your video, it means the company will usually pay you a one-time flat fee in exchange for the shoutout. All you have to do is mention the brand in the video or incorporate its usage. You must have seen many YouTubers do this wherein they shoutout a product, explain in brief what it is all about, how the product works, and the company will pay them for the shoutout. 

Usually, brands reach out to YouTube channels they would like to sponsor to advertise their product.

1. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a little different from sponsorship in that the channel gets paid every time a product purchase is made via a trackable link or a discount code that came as a result of the channel’s suggestion. So, unlike sponsorship, you will be paid a percentage of sales or a flat fee.

You can both seek out or be contacted by brands that may be a good fit based on the type of content that you put out. In the gaming community, you can place links to game-related or tech-related products. You can share discount codes in the video to place a clickable link in the description redirecting the customers to the product page.

1. Pre-Roll Ads

Pre-roll Ads are the ones that you see right before YouTube starts a video. By placing these ads on your videos, you can split the revenue with YouTube. This is a good strategy when you have a good number of followers because the more people click on your video, the more money you make.

1. YouTube Applause 

YouTube Applause is a lot like Super Chats except in that the fans get to donate and support your videos as well instead of waiting for your live streams only. This is an excellent way for small gaming YouTubers to support themselves and make some extra money.

1. Create Paid Channel Membership

The difference between a regular YouTube Channel and Paid membership is that members get access to exclusive content. They have to pay a small fee and in exchange, they get access to stuff which is not available to regular users. As a gamer, you can also give them clips of behind-the-scenes, chance to interact one-on-one, as well as other special privileges and perks.

1. Leverage your followers for your social media or website

You can create your website to post special, exclusive content that is not shared on the channel. You can also use the website for selling your products like merchandise or set up your blog. The ways to diversify a website are plentiful. But, know that having a website will require a lot of regular work and dedication.

Additionally, you can also leverage your YouTube subscriber count by having them subscribe to you on social media channels like IG and Facebook. 

You can diversify your portfolio and use all these platforms in a variety of ways. For example, you can become an influencer on Instagram or earn revenue by placing affiliate links on your Facebook Page.

In Conclusion

Making money from a YouTube gaming channel is not an impossible task. It’s very much possible. But, do remember that you will have to consistently work at it. Think of it as a full-time job. 

And, we strongly recommend that you diversify your efforts from the beginning as much as you can because YouTube is an ever-changing community. There’s no saying when the platform may take down your videos or channel if you fail to follow community guidelines. But, if you can somehow manage to secure even semi-success as a gaming channel, there are plenty of ways to go from there and monetize your content.