YouTube Automation – How To Create a Cash Cow Channel Business

YouTube Automation channels, also referred to as Cash Cow Channels, have grown in popularity over the last few years. We’re going to go over how to create a YouTube automation channel and turn it into a profitable business. I, Robert Szoke, have experience creating and managing these channels dating back to 2012 before it was something advertised and sold in a course. I prefer to call them content channels because that is what they are. This article will provide you with the basic outline of what YouTube automation cash cow channels are and how to create them. Each element to running a YouTube Automation channel requires it’s own in-depth article, so keep in mind this is an overview.

What Are YouTube Automation Channels?

To keep it simple, YouTube automation channels are YouTube businesses that outsource content creation. These channels make money through various income streams, including AdSense, merchandise, affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and more. The goal of YouTube automation is to reap the benefits of YouTube monetization, while working a small amount of hours to do so. The low-time investment comes from outsourcing the full production of content. Owners of these channels oversee strategy, operations, and manage the content creation team. Regardless of what guru’s tell you, profiting off of a YouTube automation channel is just as challenging as a normal channel. There is no shortcut.

Getting Started With YouTube Automation

I’ll be going over 8 steps that outline the process of creating a YouTube automation channel. My recommendation is to immerse yourself in educational content related to YouTube before investing money in a project like this. Also, if you have skills related to content creation, I recommend doing the work yourself to keep costs low until the channel is profitable. With that being said, let’s go over YouTube automation. 

1. Choose A Niche

Before anything else, it is important to choose the niche that you will be creating content for. It’s not wise to mix niches, such as cooking and automotive. By narrowing your niche down to one broad niche, you have a better chance of growing your channel and building a loyal following. We recommend a broad niche, such as finance, because there are many sub-niches related to finance. Our reasoning for choosing a broad niche is because you want to ensure that there are hundreds of possible topics you can make content about. In the example of finance, you can make content about investing, credit, debt, taxes, and more. You don’t want to limit the potential content opportunities by narrowing your niche down too much.

CPM/RPM is also a factor when choosing a niche, which is how much you get paid for 1000 ad views. We’ll be creating a list of high and low CPM niches in the future. For starters, high CPM niches include business, marketing, education, finance, fashion, and automotive.

2. Competitive and Keyword Research

Start by identifying your main competitors. Analyze what content topics they are uploading, their thumbnails, title format, video format, what performs best, and what doesn’t perform well. This will give you an idea of what your target audience is interested in and various ideas to create content around. Then, perform keyword research on various broad and long-tail keywords to get an idea of the search demand for specific keywords. This will help in the planning phase.

3. Strategic Business & Marketing Plan

Now that you’ve identified your niche and various content topics, it’s time to create a strategic game plan. This is an important step for all channels, regardless of automation. It’s important to map out everything, from your target audience and video style, to day-to-day operations and budget. Without a road map leading your actions, you are making decisions on the fly, which is not beneficial. 

We recommend including these elements:

• Listing your goals and objectives of the channel
• SWOT Analysis
• Competitive Analysis
• Target Audience
• Promotional Activities
• Video Presentation
• Positioning Strategy
• Value Proposition
• Budget
• Channel Branding
• Operational Planning
• Minimum List of 52 Video Topics

You can find details about how to create and perform each of these elements all over the internet. We’ll have an in-depth YouTube focused plan template published on our website soon. 

4. Content Creation

Now that you have your strategic plan and list of 52 video topics, you can get started. Determine how you are going to create your videos and what they demand. Let’s say you’re creating educational videos about animals and your first video is “Top 15 Foods That Are Poison To Dogs.” 

First, you start with the script. Make sure to include an interesting hook in the beginning, and call-to-actions (CTA) throughout the video at the very least. Research 15 foods that are poisonous to dogs and write a compelling script based on that research.

Then, based on your video presentation strategy, determine what needs you have to make a video. Are you going to film a video of yourself or record a voiceover?

Third, video editing. If you recorded a voiceover, you will have to utilize visuals to illustrate the script. If you recorded yourself, we recommend utilizing visuals but allowing a balance between your recorded video and visuals. Visuals include photos, text, and videos related to said topic. You can source these visuals from a wide variety of royalty-free and licensable stock content.

Lastly, thumbnail creation. Create a thumbnail that catches viewers attention and aligns with your overall branding. 

Outsourcing Content Creation

The reason we recommend creating the content yourself first is because you now have examples of what your standards and expectations are for freelancers. You can find quality freelancers on websites such as Fiverr and UpWork, or find freelancers on social networks. When outsourcing content, we recommend hiring 3 freelancers per job to compare their work and find the perfect freelancer for each job. You will need a scriptwriter, voiceover artist, video editor, and thumbnail designer.

5. Uploading & SEO

Upload your video and optimize it using best SEO practices. We recommend that your first 20 uploads have a large focus on SEO and driving as much organic search traffic as possible. Also, it is key to stick to a consistent upload schedule in the beginning and not skip uploads. We recommend having at least 2 produced videos ready to go ahead of time to ensure you maintain consistency. 

Learn about YouTube SEO practices here.

6. Promotion & Growth

Once you have launched your channel, begin implementing the promotional activities you outlined in your strategic plan. There are many ways to promote your YouTube channel and in the beginning, promotion is key to establishing your base viewership.

After establishing a base of at least 1000 subscribers, you can begin analyzing your content to identify what works and what doesn’t. Do this by analyzing key video metrics like watch time, click-through rate, and audience retention. Double down on what works and analyze how you can improve. Learn more about key metrics here. 

7. Monetization

If you have reached 1000 subscribers and 4000 hours of public watch time, you can apply for monetization in your YouTube studio. If you get denied monetization, you will be given a reason and can re-apply again in 30 days. Learn more about why you might be denied monetization here.

You can begin monetizing your channel in other ways, such as merchandise. Learn about the various income streams you can generate using your YouTube channel here.

8. Scaling Your Channel

Start focusing more on what your viewers want and deliver them just that. After establishing your base of subscribers, you can analyze what works and what doesn’t. Start doubling down on what works and the chances of your channel growing faster are much higher. The ultimate goal in scaling your channel is to please the YouTube algorithm so it recommends your videos to new viewers across the platform. Stay up to date on trends in your niche, continue analyzing your channel’s growth, and make changes to your strategy when necessary.

YouTube Automation Channels: The Takeaway

Although YouTube Automation is promoted as easy and profitable, that is not always the case. I’ve provided a basic outline of how YouTube Automation channels function to give you an idea of what it is and how it works. From planning to implementation, it is no easy business to run and there is guarantee you will succeed. There will be more information relating to each element of YouTube Automation added to our website in the future. If you’re interested in starting a YouTube Automation channel and require assistance, we offer full-service YouTube management or consulting to help you get started and make your channel profitable.