Mastering YouTube Cards & Markup Tips

How to Use YouTube Cards and Annotations?

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Building a Business From Blogs and Video Reviews

How to Get Paid to Review Products on YouTube

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

You can get paid to review products on YouTube, and that’s just one of the benefits. Here are a few more:

• You get to help your viewers by providing them with both factual information, and the opinion of someone they trust (you!).
• Your reviews can help people save money! By watching your videos, viewers will be able to make informed buying decisions.
• Your reviews can help YOU save money! Once you build up a following of loyal subscribers, brands will start sending you free products to review.

How to Make Money on YouTube Doing Product Reviews

First, you need to find a product that you want to review. The product should be related to a topic you know a lot about. This will make your review more credible. It is easier to grow your channel if you focus on a niche (i.e. camera equipment or makeup) you are particularly knowledgeable about.

• Affiliate Links
• Getting Products for Free
• Filming the Video

Part 1: Get Paid by Reviewing Product with Affiliate Links

One of the main ways you can make money doing reviews is through affiliate links. When you join the affiliate program of an online store they will allow you to create special links, called affiliate links, to products listed there. You post these affiliate links in the descriptions of your video reviews and, if viewers choose to click on those links and buy the products, you will earn a sales commission. Here are some stores with great affiliate programs:

1. JVZoo

You can find high end products for about $5 to $10. Budgeting will be important if you plan on purchasing products to review instead of only reviewing products you already own (you should try to review items you already have as much as possible).

2. Click Bank

You can find a wide range of interesting products here, and you can earn as much as 75% on sales commissions if you provide your viewers with an affiliate link.

3. Warrior Plus

This is a highly renowned affiliate program. It very similar to JVZoo.

4. Amazon

It doesn’t get any better than Amazon. You can find just about anything.

Part 2: Getting Products for Free

Once you’ve built up authority as a reviewer, brands will start giving you free stuff to review. Until then, you can buy the products yourself or review products which you already own. It will be a lot cheaper to review things you already have, or which you were already planning to buy, than to buy products for the purpose of reviewing them. Your reviews will also be more detailed and useful when they are on products you are especially familiar with.

Once you start building a following, brands will come to you and it will be your choice whether you want to review the things they send you. Until then, try to promote/review products you already have opinions on.

Part 3: Filming the Video

Be completely honest. People are going to know when you are trying to sell something. Fake reviewers are all over the place, and they are easily spotted.

That does not mean you shouldn’t make money through affiliate links, or accept free products to review. So long as you are honest in your opinions, and open with your viewers about any relationships you have with brands, you are not ‘selling out’.

Bottom Line

It takes time to earn any money reviewing products on YouTube. However, once you are an established authority in your niche, brands might start coming to you on their own.

If you were going to be paid to review products on YouTube, what kinds of products would they be? And if you want to make the reviewing video better, you should use a video editing software like Filmora .

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

You can get paid to review products on YouTube, and that’s just one of the benefits. Here are a few more:

• You get to help your viewers by providing them with both factual information, and the opinion of someone they trust (you!).
• Your reviews can help people save money! By watching your videos, viewers will be able to make informed buying decisions.
• Your reviews can help YOU save money! Once you build up a following of loyal subscribers, brands will start sending you free products to review.

How to Make Money on YouTube Doing Product Reviews

First, you need to find a product that you want to review. The product should be related to a topic you know a lot about. This will make your review more credible. It is easier to grow your channel if you focus on a niche (i.e. camera equipment or makeup) you are particularly knowledgeable about.

• Affiliate Links
• Getting Products for Free
• Filming the Video

Part 1: Get Paid by Reviewing Product with Affiliate Links

One of the main ways you can make money doing reviews is through affiliate links. When you join the affiliate program of an online store they will allow you to create special links, called affiliate links, to products listed there. You post these affiliate links in the descriptions of your video reviews and, if viewers choose to click on those links and buy the products, you will earn a sales commission. Here are some stores with great affiliate programs:

1. JVZoo

You can find high end products for about $5 to $10. Budgeting will be important if you plan on purchasing products to review instead of only reviewing products you already own (you should try to review items you already have as much as possible).

2. Click Bank

You can find a wide range of interesting products here, and you can earn as much as 75% on sales commissions if you provide your viewers with an affiliate link.

3. Warrior Plus

This is a highly renowned affiliate program. It very similar to JVZoo.

4. Amazon

It doesn’t get any better than Amazon. You can find just about anything.

Part 2: Getting Products for Free

Once you’ve built up authority as a reviewer, brands will start giving you free stuff to review. Until then, you can buy the products yourself or review products which you already own. It will be a lot cheaper to review things you already have, or which you were already planning to buy, than to buy products for the purpose of reviewing them. Your reviews will also be more detailed and useful when they are on products you are especially familiar with.

Once you start building a following, brands will come to you and it will be your choice whether you want to review the things they send you. Until then, try to promote/review products you already have opinions on.

Part 3: Filming the Video

Be completely honest. People are going to know when you are trying to sell something. Fake reviewers are all over the place, and they are easily spotted.

That does not mean you shouldn’t make money through affiliate links, or accept free products to review. So long as you are honest in your opinions, and open with your viewers about any relationships you have with brands, you are not ‘selling out’.

Bottom Line

It takes time to earn any money reviewing products on YouTube. However, once you are an established authority in your niche, brands might start coming to you on their own.

If you were going to be paid to review products on YouTube, what kinds of products would they be? And if you want to make the reviewing video better, you should use a video editing software like Filmora .

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

You can get paid to review products on YouTube, and that’s just one of the benefits. Here are a few more:

• You get to help your viewers by providing them with both factual information, and the opinion of someone they trust (you!).
• Your reviews can help people save money! By watching your videos, viewers will be able to make informed buying decisions.
• Your reviews can help YOU save money! Once you build up a following of loyal subscribers, brands will start sending you free products to review.

How to Make Money on YouTube Doing Product Reviews

First, you need to find a product that you want to review. The product should be related to a topic you know a lot about. This will make your review more credible. It is easier to grow your channel if you focus on a niche (i.e. camera equipment or makeup) you are particularly knowledgeable about.

• Affiliate Links
• Getting Products for Free
• Filming the Video

Part 1: Get Paid by Reviewing Product with Affiliate Links

One of the main ways you can make money doing reviews is through affiliate links. When you join the affiliate program of an online store they will allow you to create special links, called affiliate links, to products listed there. You post these affiliate links in the descriptions of your video reviews and, if viewers choose to click on those links and buy the products, you will earn a sales commission. Here are some stores with great affiliate programs:

1. JVZoo

You can find high end products for about $5 to $10. Budgeting will be important if you plan on purchasing products to review instead of only reviewing products you already own (you should try to review items you already have as much as possible).

2. Click Bank

You can find a wide range of interesting products here, and you can earn as much as 75% on sales commissions if you provide your viewers with an affiliate link.

3. Warrior Plus

This is a highly renowned affiliate program. It very similar to JVZoo.

4. Amazon

It doesn’t get any better than Amazon. You can find just about anything.

Part 2: Getting Products for Free

Once you’ve built up authority as a reviewer, brands will start giving you free stuff to review. Until then, you can buy the products yourself or review products which you already own. It will be a lot cheaper to review things you already have, or which you were already planning to buy, than to buy products for the purpose of reviewing them. Your reviews will also be more detailed and useful when they are on products you are especially familiar with.

Once you start building a following, brands will come to you and it will be your choice whether you want to review the things they send you. Until then, try to promote/review products you already have opinions on.

Part 3: Filming the Video

Be completely honest. People are going to know when you are trying to sell something. Fake reviewers are all over the place, and they are easily spotted.

That does not mean you shouldn’t make money through affiliate links, or accept free products to review. So long as you are honest in your opinions, and open with your viewers about any relationships you have with brands, you are not ‘selling out’.

Bottom Line

It takes time to earn any money reviewing products on YouTube. However, once you are an established authority in your niche, brands might start coming to you on their own.

If you were going to be paid to review products on YouTube, what kinds of products would they be? And if you want to make the reviewing video better, you should use a video editing software like Filmora .

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

You can get paid to review products on YouTube, and that’s just one of the benefits. Here are a few more:

• You get to help your viewers by providing them with both factual information, and the opinion of someone they trust (you!).
• Your reviews can help people save money! By watching your videos, viewers will be able to make informed buying decisions.
• Your reviews can help YOU save money! Once you build up a following of loyal subscribers, brands will start sending you free products to review.

How to Make Money on YouTube Doing Product Reviews

First, you need to find a product that you want to review. The product should be related to a topic you know a lot about. This will make your review more credible. It is easier to grow your channel if you focus on a niche (i.e. camera equipment or makeup) you are particularly knowledgeable about.

• Affiliate Links
• Getting Products for Free
• Filming the Video

Part 1: Get Paid by Reviewing Product with Affiliate Links

One of the main ways you can make money doing reviews is through affiliate links. When you join the affiliate program of an online store they will allow you to create special links, called affiliate links, to products listed there. You post these affiliate links in the descriptions of your video reviews and, if viewers choose to click on those links and buy the products, you will earn a sales commission. Here are some stores with great affiliate programs:

1. JVZoo

You can find high end products for about $5 to $10. Budgeting will be important if you plan on purchasing products to review instead of only reviewing products you already own (you should try to review items you already have as much as possible).

2. Click Bank

You can find a wide range of interesting products here, and you can earn as much as 75% on sales commissions if you provide your viewers with an affiliate link.

3. Warrior Plus

This is a highly renowned affiliate program. It very similar to JVZoo.

4. Amazon

It doesn’t get any better than Amazon. You can find just about anything.

Part 2: Getting Products for Free

Once you’ve built up authority as a reviewer, brands will start giving you free stuff to review. Until then, you can buy the products yourself or review products which you already own. It will be a lot cheaper to review things you already have, or which you were already planning to buy, than to buy products for the purpose of reviewing them. Your reviews will also be more detailed and useful when they are on products you are especially familiar with.

Once you start building a following, brands will come to you and it will be your choice whether you want to review the things they send you. Until then, try to promote/review products you already have opinions on.

Part 3: Filming the Video

Be completely honest. People are going to know when you are trying to sell something. Fake reviewers are all over the place, and they are easily spotted.

That does not mean you shouldn’t make money through affiliate links, or accept free products to review. So long as you are honest in your opinions, and open with your viewers about any relationships you have with brands, you are not ‘selling out’.

Bottom Line

It takes time to earn any money reviewing products on YouTube. However, once you are an established authority in your niche, brands might start coming to you on their own.

If you were going to be paid to review products on YouTube, what kinds of products would they be? And if you want to make the reviewing video better, you should use a video editing software like Filmora .

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett