With YouTube’s popularity continuing to grow, so too does the popularity of many of the content creators on the platform. Names like PewDiePie, Mat Pat, Markiplier, Lily Singh, KSI and Logan Paul are mentioned in the same breath as some of the more mainstream celebrities like Beyoncé, Jimmy Fallon and Floyd Mayweather. You’ve probably already heard the hype surrounding the proposed boxing match between ‘Money’ Mayweather and Logan Paul, which was due to be held in February of 2021, but has since been postponed.
With so much noise surrounding content creation, more and more people are considering the possibility of starting a career as a YouTuber. Starting your own channel from scratch and growing it into something special isn’t just a pipe dream. Many YouTubers have done it and more will do it again in the future. One of those YouTubers could be you. If you’re looking for some tips to get started, this series might be just what you need.
In this article, we will look at 5 of the most important things to consider when starting your channel.
Follow Your Passion
If there’s one thing that all of the top YouTubers have in common, it’s their passion for what they do. You can have excellent editing skills and a winning personality, but if you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, you’ll soon get called out in the comments. And don’t worry about covering niche topics! Even if your passion is for something as mundane as comparing paint shades, you’ll be able to build an audience of like-minded people soon enough.
Develop Personal Branding
Once you’ve decided what you want to create videos about, start thinking of how you can develop personal branding around that. Look for a unique selling point that’s related to the niche you’ve chosen and start owning it. If you’re going to make it on YouTube, you need to have something that sets you apart from the thousands of other content creators on the platform. It could be something as simple as your sign-off, or as elaborate as creating an avatar to present your show.
Take your subject and approach it from a new angle. For example, you could explain complex information in layman’s terms, turn serious topics into something more light-hearted, go into extreme detail to provide the most valuable content or put an alternative spin on a piece of music.
Choose Your Target Audience
The sheer size of YouTube means that you’ll get a wide variety of users looking for all kinds of videos. Trying to decide who your target audience will be might seem daunting, but you should look at it as an opportunity.
It’s often best to target an audience that’s the same age and gender as you, as it’s easier to relate to them. Ask your friends what they’d be interested in watching and their answers could give you an insight into what your peers would like.
Create a Channel That Stands Out
If you want to be a YouTuber that’s taken seriously, you need to have the full package! That’s why it’s crucial to have a channel that stands out. People won’t be impressed if they click on your channel’s page and it looks dull and uninspiring. Brighten things up with some high-quality YouTube channel art. You could make a personalized banner that will give visitors some more info about who you are and what you do. If you catch their eye here, you’ll have a better chance of getting another subscription.
Plan Your Content
Before you start recording your videos, you need to have an idea of what you want your channel to look like in 1 weeks’ time, in 1 months’ time and in 1 years’ time. You really need to have planned the direction you want to take your channel in and create videos that are in sync with that.
A video series is a fantastic way of making engaging content. You can potentially create a great story that leaves them wanting to come back for more. If a video becomes somewhat successful, jump on its success and make a series around it.
Look at what other channels that get views are doing and try to learn what you can from them. It’s not advisable to flat out copy them, but there are lots of popular ideas out there that any YouTube can try.
If you’ve already chosen the niche you want to pursue, it will make it easier to decide what your content is going to be. For example, if you’re going down the beauty route, you may be interested in doing makeup tutorials, product reviews, makeup challenges and skincare routine videos. On the other hand, a gaming channel typically has content like gameplay streaming, walkthroughs, previews and predictions.
Get Your Camera and Start Creating!
Now that you have an idea of what it takes to begin your journey as a content creator on YouTube, it’s time to put in the hard work. No matter what happens, make sure that you enjoy creating the videos you put out. YouTube is a place for entertainment, so it’s important that you have fun too! Be sure to check back for the next part of this series, where we will look at some more tips on how to get your channel up and running.
