TOP TEN TIPS TO STARTING A YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Introduction
This past week, I decided to start a YouTube channel focused on fashion, style, and self-empowerment. It was a very spontaneous idea, so I wasn’t that prepared for all the things that went into starting a channel. It seems easy to do on the outside, but from things like channel descriptions, to choosing your niche, uploading content, video editing, SEO, and more, YouTube is not easy.
Here are my top ten tips to starting your YouTube channel successfully.
One: Get Out of Your Own Head
A lot of people get caught up in the perfection of things. Doubting yourself for the quality of your content, your own qualifications, or trying to sound “too professional” or “too chill” are all detrimental to your growth as a YouTuber and as a overall human being.
You have to stop overthinking and trying to make everything “perfect” because the truth is, nothing you do is going to be perfect. You can always do something better, but that should not be the first thing you concern yourself with. You need to get out of your own head, because believe it or not, a lot of the time the only person doubting you is yourself.
This is something that I used to struggle with a lot, and it’s still something that gets in my way from time to time. But the key is to learn that nothing is that serious. You just need to do it. Get out of your head and see the truth for what it is. It’s only embarrassing if you think it is.
Two: Learn Who You Are and What You’re Good at
When you’re starting a YouTube channel, it’s important to figure out what you want to talk about. Who are you? What part of your life do you want to show on the internet? What skills do you want to share? Take a good look at who you are as a person, and you will find the answers there.
Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Your unique value only shines when you decide to be yourself.
I lot of time, I see people who try to overdo themselves in front of a camera. It’s different for everyone, but the truth is, anyone can learn to be comfortable in front of a camera. Yes, it’s very weird to see yourself or to hear your own voice, but if you try to change who you are, you’re just making the whole process more complicated for yourself.
Just be true to you, and share what you are already good at.
Three: Just Make Your First Video
This might be a controversial step because a lot of people advise on taking your time to truly craft a good first video with the best SEO and the best information. But the truth is, if you don’t start now, someone else will take your place. Your first video can be as simple as a 30-second introduction of who you are and what you hope to do with your channel.
My first video was just a 2-minute introduction of my hopes for the channel and what I wish to bring to my viewers. I literally shot the whole thing in one take on my iPhone. No planning. No script. No editing. Just completely raw content.
It does not have to be perfect. You do not need a fancy camera or amazing lighting. You just need the first video. That’s it.
A starting point is all you need, and most people don’t even get that far.
Four: Take Videos of Everything
If you’re someone who doesn’t know what niche they want to be in or doesn’t know what topics to make videos about, just record everything you can. Anything in your day-to-day life can turn into a good YouTube video.
Waking up in the morning? There’s your “morning routine” video.
Making your daily coffee? There’s your “how to make the best coffee” video.
Working on your business? There’s your “behind the scenes in the life of a CEO” video.
Anything. Can. Be. Content. And this applies to all social media platforms. You just have to be brave enough to see that in yourself. A lot of the times, you are the one inhibiting your own success. Don’t let that happen to you, and learn to recognize the greatness in all the mundane things you do.
Five: Don’t Overthink the Editing
Sometimes, the best videos are the ones with the least amount of editing.
This is something that I’ve been struggling with because I always think things like “what if my video is not entertaining enough without music?” or “what if I need to know how to do all the fancy camera zoom ins to make the video interesting?”.
But the truth is, nobody cares.
If your personality is true to who you are and your content is genuine, your viewers will love you no matter what. There are many famous YouTubers who have very little editing in their content. TheWizLiz, for example, mainly only has a single shot where she talks to the audience and has subtitles on the screen.
No fancy transitions. No fancy sound effects. Just genuine and raw content. So, don’t over think the editing, unless it’s a vital part of your content.
Six: Have a Good/Decent Thumbnail
Yes, it’s true that you shouldn’t overthink the editing, but having a good thumbnail can truly make or break your view count. The key to having a good thumbnail is to make sure that everything is visible. Remember, this picture is very small on the viewer’s screen, so your title must be bold or big enough to see at that small size.
The tool that I use is Canva. Even though there’s a Pro version, the Free version has a lot of unique features that you can use to get an amazing thumbnail. Make sure that you check for the thumbnail’s visibility and readability before you use it because if your audience can’t even read the picture, then they are not likely to click on the video.
Seven: Start With a Consistent Schedule: Don’t Bite off More Than You can Chew
Starting a YouTube channel is one thing, but trying to grow it is something completely different. Anyone can post one or two videos on YouTube here and there, but if you want to truly become a YouTuber, part-time or full-time, you need to be consistent.
Consistency starts with analyzing your current situation. How much time do you realistically have to dedicate to this? Planning, filming, and doing even the most basic editing for your videos can take anywhere from five to ten hours per video (if it’s a 10-minute video). If you’re working a full-time job or are a full-time student, really take a second to think about how much you can truly take on.
After analyzing your current situation, decide on a frequency that makes the most sense to you. Are you going to post a video every week? Every month? Every day? Every 12.5 days? It doesn’t matter what the number is, but try to stick to it.
Right now, my personal goal is to post a video every Friday, but that’s because I’m currently on summer break and I have time to dedicate to this venture. If I was doing this during the college semester, it could change drastically.
Eight: Be Flexible and Forgiving
And that leads us to the next tip, which is to be flexible and forgiving with yourself. You are just a human being. If your posting schedule changes a lot, don’t beat yourself up for it. Everyone has this thing called “life” to take care of, and sometimes we do bite off more than we can chew no matter how much we analyze our situations.
This not only applies for the frequency of your posting, but also to the type of content you make. If you start off making makeup tutorials and suddenly decide to change your channel to investing and finance, go for it! It literally does not matter.
YouTube, like all other social platforms, is a place where you can experiment with who you are. If you decide to change your mind, don’t be so hard on yourself. Just be flexible and move with your mind. Don’t go against the grain of your thoughts. After all, you are the only person you can count on unconditionally.
Nine: Use All The Features You Can
Starting YouTube is easier now more than ever because of all the new features that are available on the platform. Before, you could only be a successful YouTuber if you posted long-form content anywhere from 10-15 minutes long. That is not the case anymore.
With the introduction of new features like YouTube Shorts, YouTube Community Posts, and more, you can make content on the go with that much more ease. You don’t need to make a long video every time. During the days in between your long video releases, you can now post shorts or regular community posts to engage with your audience and continue bringing value everyday.
Even a two second video can make a big difference, so use your resources wisely.
Something that I like to do is make a bunch of shorts or reuse my reels from Instagram. I then use the scheduling feature on YouTube to plan out all the content, and then I don’t even have to think about it again. They just automatically post and bring more traffic to my channel, growing the community effortlessly.
Ten: Have Fun
You have to have fun if you want to make it on YouTube. If you’re constantly taking yourself too seriously and constantly trying to make things perfect, you will miss out on the whole learning process and you won’t get to experiment with who you are.
Try out new video set ups, new editing techniques, new background music, new dialogue. Try something new every time and have fun with it. This is your chance to show the world who you truly are. Don’t be afraid of that.
Conclusion
Starting a YouTube channel can be a daunting but incredibly rewarding journey. Remember, the most important part is to just start.
Get out of your head, be yourself, and don’t worry about making everything perfect. Take videos of everything, don't overthink the editing, and make sure your thumbnails stand out. Stay consistent with your posting schedule, but be flexible and forgiving with yourself when life happens. Use all the features YouTube offers to keep your audience engaged and, most importantly, have fun with the whole thing.
Every big YouTuber started somewhere, and you can too.
Embrace the learning curve, celebrate your progress, and enjoy the ride. You’ve got this!
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