Do you know that Youtube has 2.57 billion users from around the world? This means that one in every 3 people in the world uses Youtube. Every day, people watch 1 billion hours of videos on Youtube.
Youtube is ranked as the second most popular social network after Facebook. It is also the second most popular search engine after Google. This is an indication that you cannot afford to ignore the platform. Youtube is one of the best channels to market yourself or your products.
However, starting a Youtube channel is more than just uploading videos. According to Oberlo,500 hours of Videos are uploaded to Youtube every minute. This means that competition can heat up with millions of channels and videos competing for viewership.
What does it take to start a Youtube channel? Here is our detailed guide on how to start a Youtube Channel step by step and make it a success.
Use a Google Account to Create Your Channel
Starting on YouTube is easy; all you need is a Google account. Once you have created one, you can sign in to Youtube. Tap your profile icon at the top right corner and click Create the channel.
Customize your channel by entering details such as name, Youtube channel, and profile picture. You can also add a banner to your channel to help with branding. Add a description for your channel to help your viewers understand the channel. Add keywords and hashtags in the description to help viewers find your channel.
Have a Content Creation Strategy
Once you have set up a Youtube channel, it’s time to go to the next step; content creation. You will need to have a content creation strategy which should help you to:
Decide What You Want to Achieve
Instead of creating content haphazardly when starting a youtube business, you should determine what you are trying to achieve. Some of your goals may be to:
- Become a full-time Youtuber
- Start a Youtube channel and make money.
- Advertise your product
- Make high-quality and informative videos
- Collaborate with other YouTubers
Research Your Target Audience
You should then determine the kind of content your target audience is looking for. This is important because your success will depend on whether your audience likes your content.
Understand the age, gender, and geographical location of your audience. Research their values, lifestyles, insecurities, and online and offline behavior. This will give you an idea of how to connect with your audience emotionally.
Research the Competition
But even if you create content that your audience love, you will still need to determine the level of competition in the niche and whether your videos will likely rank well. You don’t want a situation where millions of videos are already created for the content you want to create.
Plan Your Content
Video content usually falls into three categories, education, awareness, and entertainment. Identify which of these you would like to achieve. Creating your content calendar is another major step when starting a Youtube channel.
Decide whether to post weekly or even biweekly. The more regularly you create content, the more likely you retain viewers. Having a plan will also help you organize your videos in a better way.
Have a monetization strategy for your content if you will make a Youtube passive income. Some of the standard methods of monetizing a Youtube channel include:
- Affiliate links
- Selling physical or digital products
- Brand Partnership
- Adsense revenue
If unsure which methods to use, you can join an income school on Youtube.
Make Youtube Videos
With the above preparations already done, it’s now time how to create a YouTube video. Consider if you will do the shoots yourself and if you have all the necessary equipment. Ask yourself the following questions:
- How many people will I need for the shoot?
- Where will I film the video?
- Is it necessary to write a script?
- What will I use for the thumbnails and video titles?
- Will I edit the videos, or should I engage a professional editor?
Remember that reshoots are allowed if something goes wrong.
Edit Your Videos
After creating videos, you must clean up any mistakes you may have made. When editing videos, ensure that clips are organized in the right order. If necessary, you should add voiceovers. You will also need to add intros, outros, cuts, and transitions. Use color grading to adjust the color of your videos.
Make Catchy Titles and Professional Thumbnails
Remember that video tiles and thumbnails are your viewers’ first contact points. The video title should be short and relevant to the video. It should also include the keywords that your audience is searching for. However, you should avoid using click baits in the video title.
A custom thumbnail will help increase your click-through rate. Therefore ensure that your thumbnail is clear with vibrant colors and basic text. Use faces for thumbnails as people are drawn to other people. Also, add an element of curiosity to your viewers without giving too much information.
Optimize Your Videos for The Search Engine
If you would like Youtube to recommend your videos to people using the search bar, you must include the right keywords. Keywords are the phrases your viewers use to search for relevant videos.
Publish on Youtube
Now you are ready to publish your video. When doing that, ensure that closed captions are turned off so that the video can be accessible to many. Make sure you market your video on social media.
Post and Market Consistently
When starting a Youtube channel, you must post and market your videos consistently before you can start getting subscribers. Ensure that you have a call to action in your videos. This may include asking your viewers to subscribe, like, and share your videos.
Schedule your videos so that you post them at the right time when people are online. Use channel analytics to determine if there are specific days or hours of the week when your videos get better viewership.
Wrapping Up
If you are wondering how to start a youtube channel step by step, this guide is for you. Remember that you should not expect any overnight success. You will need to put in the hard work to grow your channel. But the good news is that with consistency and determination, it’s possible to start a youtube channel to make money.
