So You Want to Start a YouTube Channel? Here's How!
Do you want to be the next PewDiePie? Do you have a passion that you want to share with the world? Are you looking to make some money on the side? There are plenty of reasons to start your own YouTube channel, and even more ways to benefit from having one. But what’s it really like to make your own YouTube channel, and how do you get started? This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about how to start a YouTube channel and develop it into something your audience enjoys, engages with, and wants more of.
Create Your Own Unique Style
Crafting your own style is one of the best ways to make sure that your channel isn’t overlooked. It’s good practice to be inspired by others, but don’t feel like you have to follow what everyone else is doing. Set yourself apart and find something that truly represents who you are and what you have to offer. If you’re looking for inspiration, try watching videos that cover similar topics or run on similar channels as yours.
Look at how they structure their content, transitions, length of video and things like that. What do they do well? What could be improved upon? Use these examples as a jumping off point for creating your own unique style. Also remember to watch out for copyrighted material; if you plan on posting popular music in your videos, check with a copyright lawyer first. Your music should be 100% original. Keep it legal!
Define Your Audience
One of the key components to making your channel grow is by figuring out exactly who you want to target with your videos. Are you trying to appeal towards a certain demographic, like women between 18 and 24 years old or are you aiming for a more general audience that’s not limited by age, gender, or other factors?
Once you have an idea in mind, it’s time to research how big that market is and how much demand there is for your content. This will help inform what kinds of videos you should create—do viewers tend towards humor or do they prefer something more educational? Do they want videos about politics or DIY tips? Make sure you know who your audience is before diving into production.
(For more on defining your audience, check out 5 Ways to Grow Your Audience Through Social Media.) Decide What Kind of Videos to Create: Now that you’ve figured out who your audience is, think about what kind of videos they might be interested in watching. Maybe your subscribers would enjoy behind-the-scenes looks at different aspects of filmmaking or seeing how-to guides for various tasks related to their day-to-day lives. These types of videos give them a chance to feel as though they are learning from you while also connecting with their fellow subscribers through shared interests.
Create an Outline
The easiest way to ensure you've got all your bases covered is by making an outline. Outlines will help you think through your content and ensure that you give your viewers/subscribers value. What information do they need from you? How many videos should there be in each series?
What is it about your channel that sets it apart from others out there already? Make sure to answer these questions before starting on filming day! It'll make for a smoother, more organized experience for everyone involved. (And who doesn't want that?) But don't worry if you're not a fan of outlines—they're just one of many ways to plan ahead. If writing isn't your thing, try using mind maps or even sketching things out to get started. There are no rules here; whatever works best for you is what you should use!
There are lots of different types of equipment available to film with, but today we’re going to focus on lighting equipment because it’s something that can have a huge impact on how professional your video looks. Lighting is one of those things you really don't want to skimp out on—it makes all the difference in creating a high-quality image for your viewers. If you're just starting out and you don't have any lights yet, don't worry! Today I'm going to be talking about three affordable options for lights that will help you take your videos from amateur to pro in no time at all.
Record When You Have Time
If you’re just starting out, record videos when you have time. If you don’t have kids or other responsibilities, try recording on weekends or when you have down time. This will give your audience something fresh to watch, and also reduce overwhelm since there won’t be many videos at first.
Once you build momentum (and gain a following), shift into recording multiple times each week so that you always have new content on your channel—even if it doesn’t get used right away. Starting slow is key here. Don’t expect thousands of views in one day. It takes time for viewers to find you and subscribe. In fact, it can take months or even years before your channel gets off the ground. So start slowly and keep building up your viewership over time.
Edit Your Videos Before Sharing Them
It’s not easy, but if you really want to create a successful YouTube channel, you should edit your videos before you post them. In other words, don’t publish raw footage of yourself speaking in front of your computer.
Instead, take some time to trim and organize your video into something watchable. Even if people only watch it for one second—and then click away—your video will at least be professional looking. Make Sure Your Videos Have a Purpose: One of my favorite parts about being on YouTube is that there are no rules when it comes to content.
That said, it’s important that you have a reason for making videos in addition to just sharing information with your audience. Whether that means creating entertaining content or posting helpful tips, make sure there is an overarching purpose behind every video you upload (or risk losing viewers).
Don’t Give Up: Building a following takes time. If you’re new to YouTube, it might feel like nobody is watching your videos or even paying attention to what you have to say. Don’t give up! The best way to get more views and subscribers is by simply producing more quality content. Posting regularly helps too, so try setting aside 30 minutes each day for video production. Stay Consistent: Consistency counts when it comes to building an audience on YouTube.
The easiest way to do that? Schedule all of your future posts ahead of time so they go live automatically without any effort from you whatsoever. A good rule of thumb is two new videos per week (one short and one long), plus any relevant updates as necessary throughout the month.
Post Regularly and Consistently
Consistency is key when it comes to building your audience on YouTube. If you do things sporadically, with long gaps in between posts, your audience will simply forget about you. On top of that, if you're inconsistent with your content, you won't be able to build trust and authority with your viewers. People subscribe for regular updates because they know that content is going to come out on schedule. Channels that don't post often enough are often perceived as not being committed to what they're doing or coming across as not being reliable. Set a schedule and stick with it—it'll be worth it in the end.
Your audience will feel appreciated by getting regular updates from you and seeing that you're serious about providing them with value. That, in turn, makes them more likely to stick around and watch your videos (and even buy stuff from you). Your content can vary greatly depending on what type of channel you have but make sure it always meets these two criteria: It should be engaging/entertaining (because people want to keep watching) It should provide value (because people want more) The most important thing is to just start posting regularly - once a week at first - then try bumping up to twice a week later on. Whatever feels right for you!
Get Subscribers & Engagement
Once you’ve created your channel, you’ll need to build an audience and get subscribers. One of best ways is by making videos on popular topics that interest people in your niche. However, unlike other video platforms like Vimeo or Dailymotion, it can be tough to stand out with just one video. Our advice: make good content (like our free guides) that are helpful for people interested in learning about your niche.
If you see yourself as being valuable within your niche and provide useful advice, viewers will begin subscribing and sharing your videos with others. The more views and subscribers you have, the more exposure your channel gets from YouTube search results—and so on. And remember, if you do make money from YouTube at some point down the line, it’s best to have started from day one with monetization switched on for all your videos. That way when Google sees how much traffic you bring in through ad revenue share and decides whether or not they want to give you money based off those numbers...you’re golden!
Set Realistic Goals
Whether you're posting daily or just sharing a video every few weeks, it helps to know what you're aiming for. If your goal is too vague, though, it can be hard to stay motivated. So make sure your goals are both specific and realistic. For example, if you want to gain 20 subscribers by January 1st, 2019, set that as your first goal and then determine exactly how many subscribers you need per month (and week) over that period of time.
Be as honest with yourself as possible and don't set out only wanting fame—if your goal is strictly about views but not about community building or engagement from actual humans on your channel (which means more long-term success!), re-evaluate it. Once you've set your goals, figure out how much time you'll realistically have to dedicate each week toward achieving them. That way, when things get busy at work or home, you won't feel tempted to put off recording until next weekend because it doesn't matter. Remember: Small steps lead to big results!
Promote Yourself Outside of Youtube
Though you can always start your own channel from scratch, if you already have an audience in another platform, why not leverage it? Try getting some of your existing social media followers to follow you on YouTube by posting links in your Facebook page, or by adding them on Instagram. If they like what they see, chances are high that they’ll subscribe and stay loyal once you start producing content for them.
Aside from word-of-mouth promotion, you can also try paid options like TubeBuddy or TubeAssist to help drive new subscribers your way. They even offer free trials so you can get started right away. Another great option is offering exclusive discounts to current subscribers through platforms like Vindale. These options allow you to grow your subscriber base without having to build everything from scratch. Remember: slow and steady wins the race!
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