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Are you tired of trying to make a living on YouTube but only earning a few pennies per view?
Well, fear not my fellow YouTubers! In this article, we’re going to explore the 14 most profitable YouTube niches based on CPM (cost per thousand views) and provide real-life examples of successful creators in each category.
So, grab your camera, your mic, and your best content ideas because we’re about to uncover the secrets to making some serious dough on the world’s most popular video-sharing platform!
List of The Most Profitable YouTube Niches
In case you just want the list, here are the 14 most profitable niches on YouTube that we’ll be covering in this article.
Read on for the lowdown on each niche along with links to example channels:
- Finance Niche
- Make Money Online Niche
- Technology Niche
- Health & Fitness Niche
- Investing Niche
- Travel Niche
- Legal Niche
- Insurance Niche
- Beauty & Fashion Niche
- Digital Marketing Niche
- Real Estate Niche
- Cars Niche
- Movies Niche
- Gaming Niche
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How Does Ad Revenue Work On YouTube?
Are you curious about how those snazzy YouTubers make money from their videos? Well, let me break it down for you!
First things first, creators must apply to join the YouTube Partner Program. Once they’re in, they can start monetizing their videos by displaying ads. This is a great way to earn passive income from your channel.
But wait, don’t get too excited yet!
To actually earn any money, creators need to have people watching their videos, so they better start brainstorming some ideas that’ll make the masses click.
Once creators have built up their viewership, they can start earning money from ads.
Advertisers bid on ad space through Google AdWords, and YouTube displays the highest bidder’s ad on the creator’s video. This means that the amount of money a creator can earn from ads varies, and it’s not a fixed rate. It depends on how much the advertiser is willing to pay for that specific ad.
So, if you’re a creator, how do you make the big bucks?
The short answer is by getting more people to watch your videos. The more views you get, the more potential there is for ad revenue.
But there are a few other factors that can come into play, like the length of the video and the viewer’s location.
And there you have it! Ad revenue on YouTube is a complex system that involves advertisers, creators, and viewers.
It’s not an exact science, but creators who put in the effort to create engaging content can reap the rewards.
Just remember, as with most things in life, there’s no magic formula for success.
What Is CPM and Why Is It Important
CPM stands for “cost per mille,” which translates to the cost per thousand views. CPM is an important metric for YouTube creators because it indicates how much revenue they can expect to earn from ads displayed on their videos.
YouTube pays creators a portion of the revenue generated by ads shown on their videos. The amount of revenue earned per ad depends on the CPM, which is calculated by taking the total revenue earned from ads and dividing it by the number of views the ads received.
A high CPM indicates that advertisers are willing to pay more to reach the audience watching a creator’s video. This can be influenced by a variety of factors, including the type of content, the audience demographics, and the location of the viewers.
For example, an advertiser might be willing to pay more to show an ad on a video about luxury cars to an audience in a high-income country than they would for a video about pet care in a lower-income country.
Creators can use the CPM metric to evaluate the effectiveness of their content and identify areas for improvement. A higher CPM can also indicate that a creator’s audience is highly engaged and valuable to advertisers, which can lead to more lucrative brand partnerships and sponsorships.
So, in a nutshell, you’ll be able to make more money with fewer views in a high CPM niche from YouTube ad revenue.
The Most Profitable YouTube Niches (by CPM)
Now, let’s get into the most profitable YouTube niches so we can make the most money possible on YouTube.
Finance Niche
The first niche on our list of most profitable YouTube niches is the Finance niche.
There are several reasons why Finance is such a high CPM niche. Firstly, there are a TON of advertisers in this space who are looking to advertise on YouTube videos. This includes some of the top investing and finance companies in the industry, and we all know those guys have A LOT of money to spend on advertising!
Example Channels
Make Money Online Niche
The Make Money Online niche is next up on our most highly profitable niche on our list.
The reason why this niche is so profitable is that there is such a high demand for content within this niche, and there are also lots of advertisers with high margins willing to pay good money to put their ads on your YouTube videos.
Products in this space range from courses that help you to make money online, to software tools that you’ll need to build an online business and market your products.
Most of the advertisers in this niche either sell digital products (ie courses, ebooks, etc), or software, which means they have high margins in which to roll into advertising. This is because they don’t have the production and shipping costs that a company making and selling a physical product would have.
Example Channels
Technology Niche
The Technology niche is another one that’s highly profitable for YouTubers. This is because there are so many tech companies out there all vying for exposure on YouTube.
If you have a Tech YouTube Channel, then you’ll have advertisers like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook, to name just a few) who’d love to pay you to feature their ads on your videos.
Of course, those advertisers don’t pay you directly. You get paid through the YouTube Partner Program.
So, if you like the idea of making tech videos, and you want to start a Tech Channel on YouTube, then you can expect to make VERY good money from your YouTube ad revenue.
Example Channels
Health & Fitness Niche
When you think about how many different health products there are out there from supplements to weight loss products, exercise equipment, guides, courses, protein powders (etc), it’s no wonder that this popular niche is so profitable.
Some niche channels within the health niche can earn a higher CPM than others as there is such a wide variety of health-related topics out there. However, the health niche overall pays a very high CPM on YouTube, so this can be a very profitable niche for you to get into.
Example Channels
Investing Niche
Similar to the Finance niche, investing is also another highly profitable space to be in.
There are also a ton of advertisers paying very good money to advertise on investing-related YouTube channels.
Being an evergreen niche, people will always want to learn about investing, or get the inside scoop on the latest trends.
Example Channels
Travel Niche
The travel niche is a high CPM niche on YouTube because it is a lucrative industry with a wide range of potential advertisers.
Travel is a major global industry that generates billions of dollars in revenue each year, and advertisers in this industry are willing to pay a premium to reach audiences interested in travel-related content.
The travel niche tends to attract viewers who are interested in high-end, luxury experiences, which can lead to even higher ad rates.
Advertisers in the travel industry often promote luxury hotels, airlines, and travel packages, which can be expensive, and thus, their ads are generally more expensive as well.
Another benefit of the travel niche is that the type of content that YouTube influencers will create in this space often involves beautiful and visually appealing locations. This can, therefore, attract a wide audience and make travel videos more shareable. This increased engagement and virality can lead to higher ad revenue.
Example Channels
Legal Niche
There are loads of legal companies advertising on YouTube, which is one of the reasons why the Legal niche has high CPM rates.
Legal videos get a lot of views on YouTube since good quality content on various legal topics is in high demand.
If you have the expertise as a legal expert, then this popular niche could be great for you. However, bear in mind that this is one of the more competitive niches on YouTube, as you might expect.
Example Channels
Insurance Niche
There are lots of insurance companies out there offering all kinds of insurance-related products, including home, contents, health, life, and automotive insurance, to name just a few.
Insurance companies make a lot of money, and they’re willing to pay a handsome price to acquire new customers. Because of these facts, the insurance niche also has high CPR rates on YouTube.
If you have the knowledge and expertise, then creating educational videos in this niche can earn you good money from ads, not to mention all the additional money you can make by recommending the numerous affiliate programs in this niche.
Although you’re not likely to get as many views on your videos as some of the other profitable niches on this list, you should easily be able to make up for it in revenue to the high CPM and also the high-paying affiliate products in this space.
Example Channels
Beauty & Fashion Niche
Beauty and fashion are two more highly popular niches on YouTube. I’ve combined them here in this roundup since a lot of products in these niches can overlap.
Beauty and fashion attract a ton of attention on YouTube, and there are thousands of advertisers in this space with hefty budgets willing to pay a lot of advertising dollars to be featured on influencers’ videos that are relevant to their products.
Not only that, but it’s also very common for beauty and fashion brands to reach out to YouTube influencers to offer them a sponsorship deal. If you land a sponsorship gig with one or more brands, then they’ll pay you a monthly fee to recommend their products as well as send you a ton of free samples that you can use and showcase to your subscribers.
For example, if you like the idea of doing makeup tutorial videos, then you’ll definitely get brands reaching out to you as your channel grows.
So, if you want to start a channel in the beauty or fashion niche, then you stand to make really good money.
Example Channels
Digital Marketing Niche
I love the digital marketing niche because there are loads of sub-niches within this space that you can build a YouTube channel around.
For example, you can build a channel on affiliate marketing, eCommerce, dropshipping, lead generation, funnel building, WordPress, YouTube, etc, not to mention all the YouTube channel ideas related to marketing strategies for specific industries such as real estate, restaurants, dentists, and so on.
You can build a highly successful channel in this space and build an audience of loyal subscribers who will love to watch and recommend your videos.
Besides the many thousands of products you can recommend in this space to earn affiliate revenue, the YouTube ad revenue is also quite substantial too. You can earn a high CPM with not many subscribers, and also make 6-figures as an affiliate at the same time.
Example Channels
Real Estate Niche
Real estate is another one of the highest-paying YouTube niches out there. These channels produce all kinds of content from how to get started in real estate, how to find bargain purchases, how to set up a real estate LCC, etc.
This niche also has a lot of high paying affiliate products that you can promote alongside your videos.
In this space you’ll have a lot of local real estate companies as well as national corporations like Zillow.com Realtor.com paying to advertise on YouTube.
Example Channels
Cars Niche
The automotive industry is one of the biggest spenders on YouTube ads. Because of this, any channel related to cars is going to attract a very high CPM.
In this space you can start a channel on one particular brand, teach people how to make mechanical fixes, or you can review a lot of different types of brands and cars. You could even choose to specialize your channel on concept cars and supercars.
Example Channels
Movies Niche
Movie niche channels are very popular on YouTube, and these types of videos have a high chance to go viral very easily.
However, you need to be careful with the type of content you show here. If you’re building a Movie channel, then you need to pay extra close attention to the rules around copyright.
There are loads of movies and TV series coming out all the time, and the companies behind the movies always want to advertise to get the word out, and YouTube is the perfect place for them to do that.
Example Channels
Gaming Niche
The Gaming niche is another highly popular niche on YouTube, and is one that can earn you good money.
Gaming channels have a wide range of topics to choose from, so you don’t have to focus on just one game. You can build a channel around gaming news, game reviews, how-to videos for specific games, unboxing videos, and more.
The great thing about this niche is that there are loads of companies that want to advertise their products in the gaming space, so you can have a great CPM in this niche.
Example Channels
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The creator of this training has been deep in the YouTube game for a long time. They’ve managed to simplify the entire process of running successful faceless channels. From selecting the right niche to optimizing your content for maximum reach, it’s all covered.
This individual isn’t new to YouTube. They’ve managed multiple YouTube channels and reportedly earn a significant monthly income.
The training is thorough, and it even delves into the secrets of going viral on YouTube.
If you’re genuinely considering launching a faceless channel, this training could be invaluable.
You can access this insightful free training right now. If you’ve been toying with the idea of starting a channel, this might be the nudge you’ve been waiting for.
Other Ways To Monetize a YouTube Channel Besides Ads
If you haven’t yet been accepted into the YouTube Partner Program (the minimum requirement is 4,000 watch hours and 1,000 subscribers), then fear not!
There are a number of other ways for you to monetize your channel from day one. Several of these methods can earn you far more money than the revenue you’ll generate from YouTube ads.
If you really want to have a successful channel, then it’s a wise move to choose more than one monetization strategy, if possible.
Here are the other ways you can monetize your YouTube channel:
- Affiliate marketing on YouTube (recommend relevant products and link to them in your video description)
- Sell merch (ie t-shirts, mugs, mouse mats, etc)
- Sell your own digital products (courses, eBooks, memberships, etc)
- Sell your own physical products (dropshipping or eCommerce)
Profitable YouTube Channel Niches: My Final Thoughts
And there you have it, folks! The 14 most profitable YouTube niches that can help you turn your channel into a money-making machine.
From tech reviews to beauty tutorials and everything in between, these successful channels have proven that with hard work and dedication, anyone can make money on YouTube.
But what if you’re someone who’s not comfortable recording videos or showing your face on camera?
Well, we’ve got good news for you!
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Yep, you can still tap into the lucrative world of YouTube and create a profitable channel without ever having to put yourself out there.
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Steve West is the founder of entrepreneurnut.com, and has been working online since 2013. He specializes in SEO, YouTube, and affiliate marketing. Besides running his online business, he likes hiking, keeping fit, and eating cookies (which is why he needs to keep fit!)