How to Start a YouTube Channel for Beginners
Before You Begin a YouTube Channel
Perhaps you have heard of viral videos shared on YouTube which turned a previously unknown business or product into a sudden sensation. Maybe you just want another way to market your business inexpensively. Regardless of why you want your own YouTube channel, you may be overwhelmed by the prospect of getting started. Here is a guide covering everything you need to know about how to start a YouTube channel for beginners.
Before you sign up for a YouTube channel or make your first video, there are some things you should consider. Here's what you need to know before you start.
Why Are You Making a YouTube Channel?
You may have decided that you need to have a YouTube channel and set about making one without actually thinking about what that YouTube channel will do for your business.
Do you want to connect with new customers to expand your client base? Do you want to establish yourself as an expert in the industry, building trust with current clients? Do you want to answer questions new customers may have about your product or service?
You may want to do a little of all of these things or you may have a different goal in mind, but regardless, you need to know what you want to do before you get started.
Choose Your Audience
Your audience may be existing customers, prospective customers, or both. Knowing your audience is important for choosing content that will appeal to them. If you want to attract new customers who are likely to be interested in what you have to offer you need to know what kind of videos they are searching for.
Google Trends is a great resource to help you find what your audience is searching for at any given time and to see trends over the course of time.
Know Yourself
Maybe you have discovered that your target audience is searching for a number of subjects which apply to your business. You may feel that your best tactic is to cover all of the topics which could draw in new customers.
This may not be the best way to go, however. You will need to provide real value. If your YouTube channel is focused on topics that you don't know much about or don't have much interest in, it is unlikely that your videos will be viewed and shared. Find subjects that are interesting to your client base and which you are passionate and knowledgeable about.
Understand Your Competition
Even if you have excellent content to deliver in a particular niche or about a certain subject, if there are lots of other YouTubers covering that subject, you will have a hard time getting attention. This is especially true if your competition in the subject area is excellent.
You will have a very hard time building enough quality content to compete with a channel that has been producing high-quality content for years. If you see that the subject you want to produce videos in is oversaturated, you can consider choosing keywords that have lower competition in that area and gradually building up to compete with the giants. You can also choose to produce videos in a less saturated area.
Understanding your competition isn't just about learning whether you can compete or not. Watching what your competitors are doing and seeing whether or not certain tactics seem to be effective can do a lot to inform your own campaigns. Try to get a sense of how your competitors keep their audience tuned in.
Why are people watching these videos? How often are videos being shared or people tagging their friends to watch the videos? Get a sense of what works and doesn't work for the people who are already successful.
Study Your Customers
Once you know who your audience is, what they're searching for, and what videos they're watching, pay attention to whether their needs are being met. Read the comments on competitor videos or videos that your audience is watching.
Are people asking for more information or suggesting improvements? Are there gaps in information being provided or an opportunity to offer a video that provides more value? Learning where your audience is being failed can enable you to learn how to provide them with what they are looking for.
YouTube: How to Succeed at Starting a YouTube Channel
When you consider how much research and effort it takes even before you are ready to begin your YouTube channel, you may begin to ask yourself, what does success in YouTubing require? This is an important question to ask. Success on YouTube requires time and dedication. If your heart isn't in it or you have too many other things occupying your time, you may find it difficult to achieve YouTube success. One of the most important keys for starting a YouTube channel for beginners, is recognizing whether you have these personal traits that you need for success.
Dedication
Whether you have a heartfelt passion for your subject matter or you are determined to post regularly to achieve marketing success, you need to be dedicated to your goal. Successful YouTubers post frequently and do not allow the quality of their videos to vary. Before taking the leap into your own YouTube channel, make sure that you have the dedication to stick with it.
Creativity
Obviously, making videos is essential to YouTube success. You will need to have the basics of controlling a camera, creating a script or storyline, and editing the footage. Thankfully, with the advancements in technology available to us today, it is generally not difficult or expensive to create quality videos. That said, it can be extremely time-consuming and does require some know-how and creative energy.
Patience
Sometimes, a viral video takes off on YouTube and achieves success for its creator overnight. For the vast majority of cases, however, this isn't the case. Most YouTubers will never create a viral video. Even with consistently high-quality videos, it will take time for your YouTube channel to pay off. Think about this as a long-term project and be ready to practice patience.
Equipment for Youtube Beginners
When you film for YouTube, how to choose equipment is one of the first questions you’ll likely ask. Getting the equipment necessary to create high-quality videos for YouTube is easier than ever before. You don't need to invest a lot of money to produce videos that accomplish your goals, but some equipment is essential. You don't want to put a lot of time, energy, and money into creating videos and writing scripts if your equipment can’t shoot quality videos.
Camera
You are shooting a video, so the camera is pretty important. You do need a camera that can shoot HD, but there is no reason to be too worried about video quality at the beginning. As long as your camera can shoot clear video in normal light, you should be good to go.
Don't try to get too fancy with studio lighting. Unless you have no choice but to shoot at night, use natural daylight if at all possible. Many professionals prefer natural daylight even if they can afford studio lights because it offers brighter colors and a more natural feel. Choose a camera that performs well in natural light.
If you want more than your smartphone has to offer, GoPro is an amazing choice for YouTubers that offers excellent exposure without manipulation and plenty of battery life to get the job done. As an added bonus, this waterproof, rugged camera can hold up to whatever conditions you want to throw at it. If you’d rather shoot right from your PC, the Logitech Pro Webcam is an awesome and affordable option.
Microphone
Surprisingly, quality in audio may arguably be more important than quality in video. People may tolerate a video with relatively low quality as long as it provides important information that they want to know, but if your audience can't hear what you are saying or understand the important points made in the video, they are unlikely to keep watching.
You don't need to spend a lot for a microphone. High-quality microphones that pair with most cameras or even smartphones are not as expensive as you might fear. Don’t skip this step and opt for the microphone built into your camera. Even high-quality cameras rarely have sufficient microphones for good audio quality.
Tripod
Most YouTube videos involve you, the video maker, being in the video. You will set the camera and microphone up with a tripod and then step into the frame to shoot the video. Even if you have help shooting, handheld videos are shaky and much lower quality.
Most YouTube videos do not require the camera to be handheld. Still frame shots with perhaps some panning is all that is required. Therefore, a basic tripod that allows for some degree of panning will accomplish your goals. Unless you want to lean your camera and microphone on whatever is nearby to get your shot, a tripod is essential.
For YouTubing, flexibility is important. The JOBY GorillaPod is a compact tripod with flexible and gripping legs that allow you to position your camera pretty much anywhere.
Software
No matter what kind of YouTube video you are creating, you will need some kind of software to edit it. Don't worry about searching out the best video editing software or paying for software at the beginning. There are plenty of free video editing programs that can accomplish the goals of a beginner YouTuber. Just choose a software editor that allows you to put stickers or captions over video and enables transitions. If you have Windows, Windows Movie Maker is probably already on your PC. There’s no reason to look further, as this software can accomplish your editing goals. If you are an Apple enthusiast, iMovie will be your go to. If you’re not in love with either of those options, consider Lightworks. This comprehensive editing system offers great free options or a pro package and works for Windows, Linux, and Mac.
How to Start a YouTube Channel for Beginners
Now that you have done your research and brainstorming and purchased your equipment, it is time to start your channel. After all of the work you've already put in, this may seem like a very simple process. When it comes to YouTube, how to create a channel is the easy part.
Choose a Channel Name
Your YouTube channel name is extremely important. You want a name that is short and catchy so that your potential customers will be able to remember it. The name should be readable and free of numbers or symbols that don't add to the meaning. Perhaps most importantly, your name should be relevant to the goals of your channel. A potential customer should be able to see the name of your channel and immediately get a sense of what kind of videos they will find there.
Youtube How to Create a Channel
YouTube runs through Google so you will need a Google account in order to create it. If you do not already have a Google account, go to Google to create one. Once you are logged into a Google account, you will see an icon for your account in the upper right-hand corner of the YouTube screen. When you click on this icon you will see a drop-down list with “My channel” as an option. YouTube will automatically set the name associated with your Google account, but you can create another name if you like.
That's it, your channel is up! Now you are ready to create art for your channel and begin making videos.
YouTube How-To Conclusion
Now you know everything necessary on how to start a YouTube channel for beginners. If you are feeling overwhelmed by everything before you even get started making videos, don't lose hope. Youtube marketing is a very effective strategy, especially for smaller businesses. Look out for our next article covering SEO for YouTube, how to optimize your channel, and more tips.
If you are struggling or want some tips to help you get started, contact Perfectly Optimized. Whether you want someone to manage your YouTube account going forward or you just need some help at the beginning, you can save yourself a lot of stress and leg work by going to the experts.