If you dream of being a successful YouTuber, know that your dream is possible, but it will not be easy to accomplish. Even so, it is worth trying, and especially, persevering. In addition, we have some valuable tips that can help you reach your goal.
If someone tells you that it’s too late to start your YouTube channel because the platform is saturated, ignore that person. The platform is full of channels, but it is also growing at all times in terms of a number of users and, although there have been some controversies over the years, it is still possible for a new content creator to build a successful YouTube channel, even though already in 2019.
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7 things to remember before starting a YouTube channel
But before diving into your new channel, there are a few things you need to consider if you want to maximize your chances of success. There is no guarantee of success when it comes to YouTube.
1. What is your motivation for starting a channel on YouTube?
We are not talking about what motivation in the sense of “being anxious to act and work,” but rather what “the reason you act and work”?
Maybe you want to teach others how to do something, like programming apps, for example. Or maybe you want to tell brilliant stories through short film. You may also want to play and review video games. It can be anything, but it has to be something.
Your motivation is the foundation of three key elements shared by all of YouTube’s success channels: topic coverage, audience and reason for existence.
- Topic coverage is the subject of your videos.
- The target audience is to whom your videos are intended.
- The reason for existence is why they should watch your videos.
For example, YouTube’s Net Workshop channel includes reviews of gadgets and technology tutorials (what), intended for people who want to increase the level of technical knowledge (who) and do it in a realistic and accessible way, even for the newest beginners of technology (because).
You need to set these things BEFORE launching your channel. Otherwise, you will end up with a miscellaneous channel, which fails to capture any significant audience, and no meaningful audience means no long-term success.
2. How often will you post videos to YouTube?
Once you know what kind of content you are going to create, and who will watch, you need to decide on a production schedule. How often will you release new videos?
It mainly depends on the type of content:
- For vlogs and Let’s Plays, maybe daily.
- For curiosities and research, maybe weekly.
- For high-quality sketches, maybe monthly.
Be realistic and think long term. You may have the energy to make a video a day now, but will you be able to keep this routine for six months or a year? Do you want this to be a full-time effort, or do you prefer some free space on your agenda?
It may seem silly, but changing your frequency later can actually limit the audience – so much so that your subscribers can unsubscribe. Even missing a day (or week, or month), this could trigger discontent with fans. When in doubt, make videos at a lower frequency.
3. YouTube success requires substance and style
Many people will say that success is about “substance over style”. Well, they’re wrong. The real key to success is “substance and style.” YouTube viewers eat with their eyes, and if you serve a dish that is healthy but bland, many will turn their noses at him.
Of the many ingredients for a successful YouTube channel, three involve style:
- Smart Titles
- Consistent format
- Video thumbnails
If your channel involves audio, you will need to work with articulation, confident voice and get rid of annoying speech patterns (such as using loud voice). If you are going to appear in the video, you may want to film standing, looking at the camera, smiling, without moving, and so on.
Some ways to do this: Confront and kill the fear of public speaking, learn as a speaker engaging the audience by watching the remarkable Talk shows, and accessing free websites and books to improve communication skills.
But you also need to edit your videos well. It will be necessary to make cuts at intervals of a few seconds, but you should at least have a good video editing application (see free video editors ), making sure that the quality and frames per second are high enough, plus cut out any unnecessary bits.
4. What equipment does a YouTuber need?
To be successful, you will also need to purchase some essential equipment to create high-quality videos. Fortunately, you will not have to spend much to get started.
At a minimum, you will need:
Camera: Before spending a high value on a DSLR, or mirrorless camera, know that a high-quality webcam may be enough to get you started. Or you can just use your smartphone! Let’s buy the next-generation cameras when you’ve been with your channel for more than a year because with that time you can better know which equipment to buy.
Tripod: If you have a camera, or end up using your smartphone, then a good option is to use a tripod to hold it and keep it stable.
Microphone: The internal microphones that accompany the cameras are usually terrible. Invest in an external microphone, and record the audio separately, then insert the audio into the video during editing.
Green background: A green background is required if you want to change the background of your videos. You can make your own green background with a large piece of paper, which you can buy at a stationery store (measure the location the camera will film before making the purchase).
Screen capture software: It is only required if your videos involve screen captures, such as Excel video tutorials or PC gameplay. A good option is OBS Studio, which is free and can record your screen as an MP4 video file.
This is just an overview. If you’d like to learn more, check out our full article on what equipment you need to start a YouTube channel. When you start taking your channel seriously, you might want to consider creating a home theater studio.
5. How will you promote your channel on YouTube?
“If you build, they will come.” Right? NOT! Not for YouTube. You can spend many years producing new videos every day, and never breaking the 1,000-enrolled mark. It’s hard work, and you can not be passive.
Want to succeed? You have to promote yourself. Here are some ideas on how you can do this without spam:
- Social Media: Building an audience on your social networks can be as difficult as building a YouTube channel, but if you already have followers, they can be your first fans. You can also consider distributing free gifts on social networks in exchange for disclosure and registration.
- Forums: great are especially large. Find a community relevant to your content and share ONLY your best content. Do not share too often, otherwise, you may be banned from spam.
- Collaborate: Working with others is not only a good way to network and expand your contacts. When other people share your collaborations with your target audiences, they expose your audiences to you. It is beneficial to all.
Keep in mind that promotion happens in the long run. It can take months or even years for your channel to gain in popularity. Perseverance is the number one feature among YouTube creators!
6. Make money on YouTube
Making money from YouTube is harder than it used to be, but it’s still possible today, even if you’re just getting started.
Although most people think YouTube users make lots of money with ads, the truth is that ads rarely pay well for the effort.
As of 2016, the average revenue per 1,000 views on YouTube was about $ 1.50 (after YouTube cut). That equals $ 1,500 per 1 million views, and by 2017 those rates fell even more.
In short, do not expect to get rich with ads, even if your channel is viral. So how do the top YouTubers make money? A combination of many monetization methods:
- Affiliate Sales
- Sale of products
- Consulting services
- Direct ads other than Google Adsense
- Speeches
- Fan Donation
7. Set attainable goals
What’s the fastest way to become discouraged as a YouTube creator? Compare yourself with others.
Before you even start working on your first video, set some useful goals that you want to accomplish. This will not only keep you focused, and not only give you a sense of progress, but it will also give you the motivation to move forward.
An effective goal has three main elements:
- Measurable: The goal must have a quantified component, which lets you know, at any time, whether or not you have reached the goal.
- Timed: The goal should have a realistic deadline – not so far, enough for you to still feel pressure, but not so close that it is overwhelming.
- Controllable: The goal must be an action you can take.
For example, you could try launching 10 (measurable) videos by the end of the first month (timed). Note that “viewing a video” is an action you can take, when “reaching 1,000 viewers” is not an action but a result. “Winning $ 50 this month” is not a goal that is solely up to you, but “finding and negotiating a sponsorship agreement” is.
Create some goals and keep creating others by reaching them. You would be amazed at just how effective this can be in keeping you motivated and on the right path to success.
What kind of YouTube channel will you create?
I hope this post has been motivating, and not discouraging. Creating and managing a YouTube channel is easy, but creating one that is successful takes a lot of effort. There is much to learn and much to practice.
If you need help, have doubts or concerns, do not hesitate to leave a comment in the comment box below and we will try to help you as soon as possible!