YouTubers can use various psychological and marketing tricks to make viewers watch the videos and think that they earn from something else, while the main income comes from views (monetization). Here's what it might look like:
1. Illusion of "earning from a side business"
How they deceive: The YouTuber says that the main thing is his business (courses, investments, trading, dropshipping, etc.), and YouTube is just a hobby.
In reality: All "business activity" is just content for the video. Income comes from views, ads, and sponsors.
2. Demonstration of a "successful" lifestyle
How they deceive: They show expensive cars, homes, clothes — creating an image of success and saying that all this is thanks to some way of earning (crypto, trading, betting, etc.).
In reality: They earn money from views, and the display of wealth is just a way to maintain audience interest and increase views.
3. Clickbait and fake "expert"
How they deceive: Videos are titled "How I earned $10,000 in a day" or "Secrets of passive income."
In reality: The video is just a collection of general phrases or an advertisement for the course, and the main earnings come from YouTube AdSense, paid subscriptions, or donations.
4. "Educational" videos
How they deceive: They pretend to share useful knowledge to help others earn.
In reality: The content is created with one goal — to hold attention and evoke emotions (motivation, envy, excitement) to increase watch time and ad revenue.
5. Hours-long streams/videos
How they deceive: They launch "marathons", 10-hour streams with supposedly important information or "live trading", claiming you earn together with them.
In reality: Their goal is to keep you watching the video for as long as possible to maximize ad revenue.
6. Advertising courses and products
How they deceive: They say that all income comes from courses or info products.
In reality: Part may come from courses, but most buyers came through YouTube, and the main capital and promotion come from monetization and sponsors on YouTube.
Conclusion:
Many YouTubers earn primarily from you, the viewers, and not from the schemes they talk about. Their content is a show created for monetization. The main goal is to hold attention and build trust so that the viewer watches for as long as possible.