How to Become a YouTuber: Your Keys to Success
YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. YouTube attracts more than 1 billion unique users every month and reaches over a third of all 18-34 year olds on the planet. It has been declared that “many people want to learn how to become a YouTuber, but they don’t know where to start” by Forbes Magazine.
This article will provide you with everything you need to know about becoming successful at being a YouTuber.
What is YouTube?
YouTube is a video sharing website created in 2005 by three employees from PayPal: Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim. YouTube offers all types of videos for viewers to watch without charge including movies, TV shows, music clips, and short original videos. Users can upload their own content to the website for public viewing after uploading it with an account they create at no charge.
YouTube has over 150 million unique users every month who watch more than one billion hours of video each day. YouTube is the second most popular website on earth!
The site is free because YouTube makes money off ads that are included before and during videos.
What is a YouTuber?
A YouTuber is someone who creates content to post on YouTube and can be seen as a type of “social media influencer.” They have the ability to affect not just their followers, but also those who may follow others that share in their posts. It’s important to remember that you don’t need an enormous following or massive budget for your content to be effective, but the amount of views and followers you receive will have an impact on your success.
How do you set up a YouTube channel?
Here are the steps to setting up a YouTube channel:
- Create a Google account.
- Set up an email for your channel and confirm it.
- Add a custom domain if desired (optional).
- Upload photos to use as profile pictures (make sure they are at least 1400×1400 pixels in size).
- Select the name you would like displayed on YouTube, enter your bio information, and fill out your channel settings to create the look you want for your YouTube page, such as background images or color schemes.
- Create a YouTube account for the specific channel you are going to use.
- Add links to other social media sites if desired.
- Add a call-to-action for viewers and subscribers in the “About” section (optional).
- Upload an introductory video of yourself, your company or product, or anything else you want to share with people on YouTube that is at least 30 seconds long.
- You can also upload videos to your YouTube channel by going to the “Upload” tab, selecting video files from your computer and adding them into a new or existing playlist.
- Add tags that identify what type of content you will be uploading (optional).
- Publish or share the link with viewers on social media sites so they can subscribe to it when ready.
What is the best audio and video equipment for starting a YouTube channel?
You will need a high-quality camera and microphone, lighting equipment such as softboxes or an umbrella light, stands for the lights (or boom mic), a tripod to mount your camera on and items like reflectors. You can also edit videos in Adobe Premiere Pro CC using some of these same tools.
If you are creating a video on your computer, then you will need to hook up the microphone and camera. If they are USB devices, after plugging them in, Windows should automatically detect them and install necessary drivers so that recording can begin. For Macs, make sure OS X is updated before using any of these devices for new videos.
Why is quality audio and video equipment important?
It is important to have quality equipment when starting a YouTube channel because it will allow you to produce better videos. Your audience can tell the difference and appreciate what they are watching more if they know that your video was taken with an expensive camera or microphone instead of just using a webcam, smartphone, or tablet. The audio coming out of them should not be tinny or unclear, and the video should not have a lot of disruptive noise in it.
How to identify a YouTube niche
When starting a new YouTube channel, you need to determine what niche your content will be about. You should think about the things that interest you or make up a large portion of your day-to-day life before deciding on this topic. This is because it needs to be something that interests you and feels like “you”.
How to find ideas for your content
Once you have decided on the niche for your YouTube channel, it’s time to find ideas for content. You can start by brainstorming with a friend or family member about what you could post. Another option is to try looking at other channels in your industry that are successful and see if there are any topics they don’t cover.
A third option is to put the focus on you, your life or interests. You could live-stream yourself eating a certain food and then post the video, for example.
Tips for creating successful content for your YouTube channel
The best tips for creating successful content are to create a plan, set your own schedule and be consistent. Once you have the basics down, it's time to get creative with what you film. Keep in mind that having good audio is just as important as capturing interesting images on video when it comes to quality YouTube videos. And don't forget to be patient, at least for the first year or so.
A plan will help you stay focused and on track when it comes to making your YouTube channel a success. You should know what type of videos you want to create before you start shooting content in order to save time later on down the line. Setting yourself deadlines is also important because you’ll be able to gauge just how much time you need to spend shooting content.
The two most important elements of video creation are your audio and visuals but don’t forget the story! The more interesting the better so put yourself in situations that will make for a great narrative. And remember, take as many shots as possible because not every scene will make it into the final cut.
This is why you should use a digital video camera to shoot your content because they’re more versatile than traditional film cameras and better at reproducing colors accurately. You’ll also want to invest in good audio equipment like microphones, headphones and boom poles for interviews or vlogging sessions as well as lights if you’ll be shooting in low light.
How do you market a YouTube channel?
Learn how to start building your audience by using social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You don’t need an enormous following on these platforms for them to be effective. Share content that will stimulate conversation around the topic of your video or series while simultaneously creating awareness of what it is that viewers can find on your channel.
You can also market your YouTube channel by uploading content regularly and consistently, respond to comments as they’re posted, create a bio that includes links to all of the other social media accounts you have so viewers know where else to follow you (like Twitter), and insert annotations into each video for descriptions about topics covered in the video.
How do you monetize a YouTube channel?
To monetize a YouTube channel, you’ll need to apply for the YouTube Partner Program. Once your application is approved, you can upload videos that are eligible for ads and profit from those ad revenues. Some of these include:
- When uploading content on a consistent basis (uploading at least one video per week), which encourages viewers to subscribe to your channel.
- Creating videos that are longer than 15 minutes, which allows for more ads to be played before and during the video.
- Uploading content that is informative or educational in nature so you can earn ad revenue from companies who target viewers of this type of content.
- Encouraging your subscribers to click on YouTube advertisements displayed on your videos which will generate revenue.
- Creating content that is relevant to popular search terms, enabling you to earn ad revenues from companies who target viewers of this type of content.
- Uploading videos with a negative or controversial slant in order to gain more attention and get more views on your channel.”
Michael Blakey is a master YouTuber
Producer Michael, also known as Michael Blakey, is a master at monetizing his YouTube channel. His videos are all about how he has made over $500,000 in revenue and have reached 100 million views due to his skills.
Learn more about Blakey and his net worth here.
I buy and review courses so you don’t have to. Sometimes, I even find courses that are legitimate and worthwhile; and that’s how I accidentally came across one that led me to building a 6-figure business in a little under 5 years. Now, I still review courses because it’s my favorite hobby. 🙂 Learn more about me here.
