To get affiliate on YouTube, you typically join the official YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program, which allows eligible creators to earn commissions by tagging products from participating brands directly in their content.
Eligibility for YouTube Affiliate Programs
Before you can start earning affiliate commissions, particularly through YouTube's built-in features, your channel must meet specific criteria.
General Requirements for Affiliate Marketing on YouTube
While anyone can technically add affiliate links in their video descriptions, participating in official YouTube affiliate programs or leveraging shopping features requires your channel to be in good standing and often a part of the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).
Specific Eligibility for the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program
To qualify for the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program, your channel generally needs to meet the following requirements:
- YouTube Partner Program (YPP) Membership: Your channel must be a member of the YouTube Partner Program. This means fulfilling general YPP criteria like subscriber count and watch hours.
- Geographic Location: You must be located in a country or region where the program is available. As of various updates, this includes countries like the United States, India, Brazil, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, South Korea, Spain, and Thailand.
- No Active Community Guidelines Strikes: Your channel must not have any active Community Guidelines strikes.
- Content Type: Your channel's content must primarily be in a supported language.
- Channel Type: If your channel is not an Official Artist Channel, it usually needs to have over 1,000 subscribers. Official Artist Channels can qualify regardless of subscriber count once they are in YPP.
These criteria ensure that creators are engaged with the platform and meet a certain level of professionalism.
Steps to Join the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program
Once your channel meets the eligibility requirements, joining the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program is a straightforward process within YouTube Studio:
- Open the YouTube Studio: Navigate to the YouTube Studio on your desktop or through the mobile app.
- Access the Earn Section: From the bottom menu on mobile or the left-hand menu on desktop, tap or click on Earn. This section manages all monetization features.
- Locate the Affiliate Program: If your channel is eligible, a dedicated section for the affiliate program should be visible. Select Get started within this section.
- Activate the Program: At the bottom of the screen, click Turn On.
- Review and Accept Terms: Carefully review and accept the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program Terms of Service.
Once you've completed these steps, you're officially in the program and can start exploring eligible products to feature in your content.
What Happens After You Join
After joining, you'll be able to browse a curated list of products from participating brands directly within YouTube Studio. You can then tag these products in your videos, Shorts, and livestreams. When viewers click on your tagged products and make a purchase, you'll earn a commission on the sale.
Maximizing Your Affiliate Earnings on YouTube
To make the most of your participation in affiliate programs, consider these strategies:
Choosing the Right Products
- Relevance: Select products that genuinely align with your content niche and audience interests. Authenticity builds trust.
- Quality: Promote products you genuinely believe in or have personally used and can recommend.
- Commission Rates: While not the only factor, be aware of the commission rates offered for different products.
Creating Engaging Content
- Demonstrations: Show products in action, highlighting their features and benefits.
- Reviews: Provide honest and thorough reviews, discussing both pros and cons.
- Tutorials: Create "how-to" guides that incorporate the products you're promoting.
- Call to Action: Clearly guide viewers on how to find and purchase the products, often by directing them to the linked products below the video.
Disclosure and Transparency
It is crucial to disclose your affiliate relationship to your audience. This is not only a best practice for building trust but often a legal requirement in many regions. YouTube provides tools to indicate paid promotions, and you should always verbally mention it in your videos.
Tracking Performance
Regularly review your earnings and performance reports within YouTube Studio. This data can help you understand which products and content types resonate most with your audience, allowing you to refine your strategy.
Understanding Different Affiliate Models
While the YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program is directly integrated, many creators also engage in affiliate marketing through external programs.
| Feature | YouTube Shopping Affiliate Program | External Affiliate Programs (e.g., Amazon Associates) |
|---|---|---|
| Integration | Built directly into YouTube Studio, easy product tagging. | Requires manual link generation and often third-party tools. |
| Products | Curated list of approved brands/products via YouTube. | Vast array of products/services, depending on the program. |
| Commissions | Varies by brand and product, managed by YouTube. | Varies widely by program, product category, and merchant. |
| Eligibility | Requires YPP membership, specific subscriber counts, and location. | Varies by program; often easier to join with fewer prerequisites. |
| Payment | Integrated with YouTube's payment system. | Separate payment thresholds and schedules from each program. |
Both models offer opportunities for creators to monetize their content, and many successful YouTubers utilize a combination of internal and external affiliate strategies.
