How to Start a YouTube Channel

WHY START A YOUTUBE CHANNEL?

Asking yourself why you want to set up a YouTube channel is the first step to your success. Why do you need a goal before jumping into an ocean of content creators that all want to get noticed?

The answer is simple. Your YouTube journey won’t take you anywhere if you don’t have a reason why you’re uploading videos or sharing your content with everyone on the internet.

As a beginner, your goal could be as simple as wanting to make people happy. For others, they might want to inspire their viewers with their stories or educate them on topics that matter to them.

For business people, they aim to connect more with their customers or expand their network. No matter how extraordinary or straightforward your goal is, you must have a reason why you want to create a channel. After figuring it out, it’s time to know how you can make your ideas come to life.

Here are ten easy steps in creating a YouTube channel that will not only showcase your interests but also give value to your audience.

Content

1. Create a YouTube Channel
2. Understand YouTube’s Basic Copyright Rules and Community Guidelines
3. Learn How YouTube Algorithm Works
4. Choose a Niche that you’re Good at or Interested in
5. Invest in Good Quality Equipment
6. Plan your Content and Write a Script
7. Use a Video Editing App/Software or Hire a Video Editor
8. Create a Catchy Title and Thumbnail
9. Optimize your Channel Through Keywords
10. Build a Connection With your Audience and Promote your Channel

1. CREATE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL

The first step is to create a YouTube channel. To do this, you’ll need a Gmail account that will be linked to your channel. Just like other social media platforms, YouTube will need an email address associated with your channel.

If you already have an existing Gmail account, you’ll be good to go. If you don’t have an account yet, click on this and fill out the signup form.

Meanwhile, follow these steps in creating a YouTube channel if you already have a Gmail account:

1. Sign in to YouTube using your Google account information. Click on Create a Channel.

2. You may customize the username for your channel or use the same name associated with your email address.

3. Enter the necessary details in the About section. Choose a profile photo for your channel; it could be your photo or an image of what your channel is about.

4. Provide a catchy banner that will showcase what your channel is about or what the viewer will expect from your channel.

2. UNDERSTAND YOUTUBE’S BASIC COPYRIGHT RULES AND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

Before uploading your first video on YouTube, make sure that you have read or understood YouTube’s copyright rules and community guidelines. On YouTube, it is illegal to use somebody else’s music without their permission.

You should be aware that if you use a copyrighted song in your content without the artist or producer’s consent, you can receive a copyright strike from YouTube. Copyright strikes are like warnings that YouTube can give you thrice for stealing somebody else’s music or creative work.

However, under YouTube’s Fair Use policy, there are instances where you are allowed to use a portion of the song or music as long as you give proper credit to the artist in your video description. These instances include commentaries, parodies, and news reports.

Failure to obey the copyright rules can lead to termination or demonetization of your YouTube channel.

On the other hand, the Community Guidelines will tell you what to post or not. It will guide you with the appropriate topics to vlog about and with the proper conduct in commenting on other people’s videos.

3. LEARN HOW YOUTUBE ALGORITHM WORKS

The YouTube algorithm is the system that helps you find videos that you’re looking for and other videos that you might be interested in. The YouTube algorithm is responsible for the suggestions that you see when you search for a keyword.

The algorithm also recommends those videos that pop up on your screen after watching a specific video. For example, if you searched “How to Bake a Cake” on YouTube, chances are, the YouTube algorithm will suggest videos like How to Bake Cookies, How to Bake Chocolate Cake, and so on.

Every time you search for something on YouTube, its algorithm will remember your keywords. The next time you search again, suggested videos related to your previous searches will show up on your homepage.

As an aspiring YouTuber, you should be aware of how the YouTube algorithm works because it will help you gain viewers and subscribers in the future. Knowing what billions of people search on YouTube every day will give you tons of ideas about the topics and keywords to use on your videos.

4. CHOOSE A NICHE THAT YOU’RE GOOD AT OR INTERESTED IN

In choosing a topic for your YouTube channel, you need to consider what your interests and expertise are.

Going back to your goal in creating a channel, if you want to entertain viewers, you can make art or music for them. People who want to share their talents create a YouTube channel to perform song covers, paint scenery, or do voiceover challenges to show the world what they’ve got.

If you want to demonstrate your skills, you can create a channel about how-to tutorials. It could be about cooking a particular food, fixing equipment, knitting a sweater, or putting make-up on. YouTube has become our go-to friend when we want immediate solutions to our problems. No matter what you want, if you are passionate about something that can help other people, go for it!

It’s also best to create contents that are related to your expertise. If you’re an entrepreneur, you can vlog about money-making tips. If you’re a doctor or any health professional, you can vlog about unusual diseases that people don’t often hear about. Besides entertainment and information, viewers also look for accuracy and credibility.

Your audience will sense if you’re not being truthful about what you do or preach on YouTube. As much as possible, do not vlog about something that you don’t fully understand or know about.

5. INVEST IN GOOD QUALITY EQUIPMENT

If you want to produce high-quality videos, you need to invest in excellent tools and equipment, too. As a beginner, this can not be easy because not everyone has a budget already.

Your point-and-shoot or smartphone camera could be your stepping stone. You can start filming yourself or your subject for your first uploads. If you don’t have a condenser or shotgun microphone yet, you can record in a quiet room and speak louder for better audio. In the absence of a ring light, you can try filming near a window where the sun gives off natural light.

However, if you want to go a long way, you need to purchase a great camera (particularly DSLRs), tripod, microphone, lenses, and ring light that will maximize your vlogging experience. For a complete list of everything that you need for filming, visit the YouTube Creators channel’s Total Beginner’s Guide to Video Equipment.

Paying attention to the quality of your videos does not only make you confident but also attracts more audiences. Viewers love to watch tutorial and explainer videos that are pleasing to the eyes. They also love listening to stories with clear and soothing audio quality. High-quality videos can incredibly catch and retain your audience’s attention.

6. PLAN YOUR CONTENT AND WRITE A SCRIPT

Whether you intend to be an established YouTuber or want to do it for fun, planning your content and making a script will save you so much time. Most YouTubers upload one or two videos every week so they can ensure the quality of their videos.

Considering this, you need to plan next week’s content today. Vanessa Lau, a famous YouTuber that helps content creators and coaches, said that it is ideal to plan your content for a whole month. Planning earlier will help you organize your topics, prepare necessary equipment, or plot your schedule if you have other commitments outside of vlogging.

Meanwhile, writing a script will help you organize your thoughts and outline the flow of your videos. It will prevent you from stammering on camera or forgetting your following lines. Having a script, or at least an outline, will refrain you from cutting and filming some parts of the video just because you failed to record them correctly or you missed something.

7. USE A VIDEO EDITING APP/SOFTWARE OR HIRE A VIDEO EDITOR

You don’t need to be an expert video editor to create a YouTube channel. You can start from scratch and learn the basics of video editing along the way.

There are hundreds of tutorials about basic video editing that you can find on YouTube. You can also take a short course about video editing, or you can hire someone to edit your video for you. Besides the free tutorials, you can also use free video editing apps and software that are made for beginners.

If you started filming with your smartphone, you could try apps like Kinemaster, CapCut, or PowerDirector. These apps are free on Google Playstore, and they are also easy to use and navigate. If you’re on Windows, you can try Windows Movie Maker or Apple iMovie on Mac.

Most professional YouTubers use Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro in editing. Please don’t fret about it because you still have a long way to go. Do not be overwhelmed by the success of others, and start with what you have right now. If you want a more detailed guide on how to edit your videos on YouTube, you can go to YouTube Creators’ Total Beginner’s Guide to Video Editing.

8. CREATE A CATCHY TITLE AND THUMBNAIL

You need people to click on your video. An excellent script and well-edited content won’t make sense if people don’t watch your video. Never underestimate the power of a catchy title and thumbnail.

Your title must contain keywords and tell the viewers right away what your video is about. Avoid misleading titles or click baits. These will only annoy or disappoint your audience if they don’t get what they’re expecting. You can try plot twists and surprises in your video but don’t mislead the viewers into something that they won’t see in your video but was mentioned in the title.

For the thumbnail, YouTube experts recommend using large texts with your title or keywords in them. Some YouTubers who do talking-head videos prefer putting their face on the thumbnail. They said that showing the creator’s face and displaying different emotions suggest a more human connection with the viewers.

Displaying your face, however, may depend on your niche. If you’re doing explainer or countdown videos, it may not be necessary. You can use a familiar or dominant image from your video and put it on the thumbnail instead.

It’s totally fine if you’re not an expert graphic designer, you can use Canva in making your thumbnails. Canva is one of the best graphic design tools today, and it’s free on the Play Store. There are hundreds of free designs and templates that you can choose from. You can also use Place It, Adobe Spark, or Adobe Photoshop.

9. OPTIMIZE YOUR CHANNEL THROUGH KEYWORDS

One effective way to grow your channel on YouTube is to optimize it through the use of keywords. Search Engine Optimization or SEO does not only apply to blog articles on Google but also to YouTube videos.

For example, YouTubers who run cash cow channels use SEO to rank higher on YouTube. These vloggers play with the YouTube algorithm and analytics. They search for the most viewed and trending topics on the platform then find out how their competitors are performing on those topics or niches. They will study the strategies that work on their competitors and try to emulate or improve them.

One element of SEO is keyword research. Identifying the keywords of your topic and using them throughout the video will help the algorithm to rank it higher on suggested videos once people search the topic. You can also use your keywords, their synonyms, and other similar topics on tags and video descriptions.

10. BUILD A CONNECTION WITH YOUR AUDIENCE AND PROMOTE YOUR CHANNEL

Engaging your viewers can be as easy as providing Call-to-Action or CTA in every single video that you upload. As soon as possible, give your audience a reason to Like your video and Subscribe to your channel. Don’t always ask or beg them to hit the Subscribe button or ring the notification bell. Instead, please give them a sensible reason why they should come back and watch your videos again.

In addition, build a connection with your audience by replying to their comments or queries in the comment section. People feel important when they get noticed by their favorite content creators.

Another way to grow your channel is to promote your channel on other social media platforms. Many YouTubers and influencers don’t get recognized on YouTube alone. Facebook and Tiktok are great platforms to promote your channel. Some creators put their YouTube Channel link on their Tiktok bio and ask their followers to check out their channel. Others share their videos on Facebook feeds and stories, then put the link on top of the shared post. You can also put your channel links on Instagram, Twitter, and even on your website.

You may also consider joining a community of YouTubers so you can get more ideas on how to grow your channel. This way, you will also improve the mistakes that you might have made as a beginner. Maximize the use of your Social Media accounts, and you might be surprised how many followers you’d turn into subscribers!

START RIGHT NOW!

Starting a YouTube channel can be a challenging and overwhelming job at first. However, many small YouTubers began with humble beginnings, and now, their lives have also improved through the YouTube Partnership Program that opens the opportunity for the monetization process.

If you’re passionate and motivated to change your life and make an impact on the lives of other people, you would sway off your second thoughts and start right now.