Looking to diversify your income streams? Well, have you ever considered buying a YouTube channel? Chances are, you never even thought about it. Can you even buy a YouTube Channel? The answer is yes! But before you work out a purchase agreement, there are some things you need to know.
Is Buying a YouTube Channel Legal?
Obviously, before you purchase a YouTube channel, you will want to make sure it is legal. The good news is, it is legal to both buy and sell YouTube channels. In fact, the practice has been going on for many years and is more common than you may think.
That being said, it is up to you to protect yourself legally in the purchase agreement. Before you buy a YouTube channel, it’s a good idea to enlist the help of a vetted and trusted attorney to help you navigate the deal.
How Expensive is it to Buy a YouTube Channel?
Now that you know it is legal to buy a YouTube channel, you are likely wondering how much it costs. Well, the answer varies drastically and the cost depends on a variety of factors. There are many things you will want to consider before negotiating a price for a YouTube channel. Here are some questions to ask a potential seller:
How many followers do you have?
The number of followers is an important factor to consider when buying a YouTube channel. After all, the more followers a YouTube channel has, the bigger the opportunity for monetization.
That being said, followers certainly aren’t everything. You also want engaged and loyal followers who trust the brand. This is difficult to evaluate, but one place to gauge the quality of the channel followers is to review the comments section. What do the followers seem like? Are they engaged with the content?
Lastly, keep in mind that it is possible to buy fake followers. You certainly don’t want to buy a channel, only to find all of its followers are phony! To combat this, take a look at the users who follow the channel. Are they real accounts? Or do they look phony? Fake accounts are often newer, have strange usernames, and no photos. Keep this in mind when evaluating whether or not to buy a YouTube channel.
What is your channel’s niche?
Here’s a secret – you don’t have to like the niche in order to make money off of it. However, you should buy a YouTube channel with a niche you know at least a little about. That way, you can more closely identify with ways to monetize the niche.
Is the channel monetized? What is its revenue?
If you are looking to buy a YouTube channel, chances are you are doing so with the intent of earning money off of it. So, asking about the channel’s monetization strategy is an important factor in your decision of whether to buy.
And while you can certainly purchase a channel with monetization potential, keep in mind that YouTube has strict rules about who can monetize a channel. Before channels can be monetized, they have to have over 4000 watch hours in the last 12 months, plus 1000 or more subscribers. This takes a substantial amount of time to do, so it’s best to buy a channel that has already passed this threshold.
Additionally, if the channel is monetized, you will need to ask more questions about it. What is its monetization strategy? What’s its monthly and annual revenue? Who are its main clients?
Who is the primary audience? What are their demographics? Where are they located?
Understanding the YouTube channel’s primary audience is key in order to have a successful effort of monetizing it. Without a clear understanding of who the channel is geared toward, you could spend a ton of time marketing a channel to the wrong people. To combat this, it’s key to have a deep understanding of who the audience is for the channel. What is their age? Where are they located? What is their gender? What languages do they speak? What interests do they have?
The more detailed demographics you can get, the higher your chances of success in the world of YouTube.
Does the channel have any strikes?
When YouTube channels violate policies, they are given what YouTube refers to as a strike. Strikes are very bad in the YouTube world, and can even cause your channel to be deleted.
Typically, YouTube channels earn strikes when they infringe on copyright, whether it is intentional or not. Three strikes in three months will cause YouTube to delete your channel. One strike isn’t the end of the world, as you can contest it. However, if YouTube finds you responsible for all three strikes, your channel is likely to be shut down. Talk about important information to know before you buy a YouTube channel!
Ready to Buy? Here’s What to Do.
Now that you have fully vetted a potential YouTube channel deal, you are ready to buy!
Buying a YouTube channel might seem like a complex process. However, if you have done your homework, the hard part is done! Buying a YouTube channel is actually fairly easy.
First, search the YouTube channel you want to buy to see if you can find the contact information of the channel owners. Once you have the contact information, reach out to tell them you are interested in potentially purchasing their channel. Ask any last-minute questions you may have, and be sure to run any paperwork through your attorney first. If it meets all of your criteria, and you and the channel owner can reach a deal, then congratulations! You are now the new owner of a YouTube channel!
Rachel Slifka is a freelance writer and human resources professional. She is passionate about helping fellow millennials find success with their finances and careers. Read more by checking out her website at RachelSlifka.com.
