YouTube has special rules regarding video content for kids. The platform follows the United States COPPA act to protect children from mature content and keep their personal data private. For that reason, YouTube encourages creators to classify their channels as “Made for Kids”. On the one hand, this is a beneficial thing – children won’t get into trouble or access non-age appropriate  materials. On the other hand, these restrictions reduce creators’ monetization opportunities. If the channel is labeled as “For Kids”, only kid-related ads will be shown, regardless of  the viewers’ actual age.

However, kid-focused channels still offer opportunities for monetization. If you own one, you may be interested in exploring these money-making options to boost your income. 

Brand-related merchandise 

Kids like merchandise, like toys, cups, clothes, etc. Offering such products is one of the most successful ways to monetize video content for kids. One nuance: according to COPPA, you cannot show ad carousels and product galleries in your ads. However, you can direct your viewers to an off-platform website where all of your items can be found. Shopify, Square, Teespring, and other similar resources can help. Add the link to your shop into the video description, mention your shop verbally, and add screenshots to your videos.

When offering merchandise, remember that you have two commercial aims: attracting kids and convincing their parents. While kids may want to play with your toys, parents are ultimately the ones making the decision to buy. Don’t forget to mention some benefits that would sound appealing to adults (like low prices or an educational aspect).

Brand sponsors 

Another way to monetize video content for children is to get a brand sponsorship. Even if your channel cannot boast of a huge fan base, you can attract the attention of large brands and skyrocket as a result. Do research and see which kids-focused brands are relevant to your channel’s theme or style. Creating sponsor-related content can bring you great financial benefits.  

The more content – the better

Kids absorb videos like a sponge. Whenever they start watching a channel that interests them, they are more likely to stay hooked and watch for hours. As always, when there’s demand, there must be opportunity. Make sure that you are ready to add a huge amount of videos for your young audience and regularly publish new ones. To keep kids’ attention, you should have 100+ videos to begin with and add fresh content at least once a week. 

Not by YouTube alone

YouTube is a king of video monetization, but it doesn’t mean that this is the only option. Additionally, YouTube policies and personalized ads can result in unpleasant outcomes for otherwise harmless mistakes. To maximize your chances for better revenue, you should look to expand past YouTube – try . Patreon, Kidoodle.TV, Amazon Prime, and other monetization options. 

Conclusion 

Kids channels do have restrictions, but you shouldn’t see that as something negative. How about turning those restrictions to your advantage? With the tips listed above, you can do so easily. Stay creative, establish contracts with cool sponsors, discover more publishing platforms, and most importantly – provide amazing content! Stay creative and keep your head up!