YouTube Monetization

I run a small but steadily growing entertainment/comedy channel and want to make sure that, as the audience builds, every view is set up to earn. I’m looking for a clear, actionable monetization strategy that covers all three avenues I care about—AdSense revenue, brand sponsorships, and a simple merchandise line.

Here’s where things stand now:
• The channel is live but still below the 1 000-subscriber YouTube Partner threshold, so part of the job is outlining exactly how we’ll reach the required watch-hours and subs fast, using the content I already create.
• I’m publishing light-hearted sketches, reaction videos, and short comedic clips. The voice, pacing, and thumbnail style all feel dialed in, but I haven’t optimized keywords, playlists, or end-screen flow for retention or CTR yet.
• No sponsorship outreach has been done, and there’s no merch store in place.

What I need from you:
1. A step-by-step roadmap to unlock AdSense eligibility—channel audit, content calendar tweaks, SEO tags, and watch-hour growth tactics.
2. A shortlist of realistic sponsor categories for a small comedy channel, plus a pitch template and outreach plan.
3. A light merchandise strategy (platform selection, profit-per-item estimate, and two mock-ups that match the channel’s humor).
4. Clear metrics for success (subscriber goal, RPM target, sponsorship response rate, merch margin) and a 90-day action timeline.

I’ll give you full access to YouTube Studio analytics and my brand assets once we start. If you’ve taken channels from zero to monetized before—especially in the comedy niche—let’s talk about exactly how you’d tackle each piece and what tools you use (TubeBuddy, VidIQ, Canva, Shopify/Printful, etc.).