How to Start a Youtube Channel: An Essential Guide for Beginners
By Maddie
YouTube has been a place where people can share their creative ideas, showcase their music, or educate others for almost a decade now. Whether you want to be an entertainer, educator, musician, journalist, filmmaker, or anything in-between, starting your own YouTube channel can be an amazing way to share your passion and creativity with the world. However, diving into the world of YouTube can be intimidating, especially if you are new to it. Don’t worry, I got you! Below are some non-traditional tips to starting a YouTube channel - coming from someone who has started a YouTube channel that is actively growing.
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Just START & Figure The Rest Out As You Go!
The first step to starting a YouTube channel is just that: starting the YouTube channel! Sometimes, the hardest part is actually just starting. Go on YouTube.com, create the channel, and you can figure the rest out later. If you already know what type of videos you want to make, that is great! But the good news is you don’t have to know what your “brand” is or who you want to be just yet. Your goal is to just take that first leap and create the channel. Remember, keeping a list of your video ideas can help manage creative overwhelm, turning a flood of creativity into an organized stream of potential content.
Watch Other YouTubers
Chances are, if you want to be a YouTuber, you watch YouTube. Make a list of 3-7 YouTubers you watch and aspire to create similar content to. Then, figure out just what it is you like about watching them - is it their editing? Their thumbnails? The concept? The storytelling? Do any of these people inspire you? Watching content for research is a bit different than watching for fun. You’ll want to take mental or physical notes on what stands out to you about their videos. To clarify, the goal is not to copy their videos exactly. It is to study how someone who is already successful does it so you can gain some insight and ideas. For example, if you really like a video concept, you can take that concept and put your own spin on it. Just be sure you keep your video unique to you. Engaging with your audience, as these YouTubers likely do, adds another layer of connection that can be vital for growth.
Don’t Overthink It
A lot of times, what holds someone back from starting their channel is overthinking. “What will others think about me?” or “What if people judge me?” are common thoughts I used to ask myself before I started my channel. Eventually, you will have to realize that it truly doesn’t matter what people think. Instead of asking the questions above, ask yourself “Would I rather be in the same place I’m in now a year from today and no one judges me OR would I rather take a leap to follow my dreams and have a few people judge me on the way?” Because let’s face it, there will be people who support you, but there will also be people who are going to judge, hate, and try to discourage you - there is no escaping that. So, are you going to let that stop you? Hopefully, that answer is hell no!
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Use What You Have Now & Upgrade As You Go
It is common to think you will need high-tech and expensive equipment to start a YouTube channel. If it’s within your budget to invest in a nice camera, editing software, lighting equipment, microphones, etc., then by all means, go for it! But if not, no need to worry. Especially when just starting out, it is important to just get familiar with what you have, even if it’s just a cell phone camera and iMovie. The more you practice and create, the better and faster you will get. As you start to grow and progress, you will want to start upgrading your equipment and setup - but it doesn’t need to be the main priority right away. A gradual upgrade, informed by your growing understanding of your audience’s preferences and the technical demands of your content, ensures your investments are both strategic and impactful.
A Niche is NOT a Box
When searching for tips to start a YouTube channel, you will most likely see the advice to “find your niche” - which is basically making one category of content and sticking with that one category to build an audience. If you have a specific type of content you want to make, then I think that’s perfect advice for you. However, I do not like the idea of putting myself in a box. What happens if you lose interest in making your niche content and you want to make different videos? It would be difficult to keep your original audience engaged. Personally, I don’t think having a niche is the only way to grow on YouTube. You can get away with having a versatile channel by making yourself the “niche” so to speak. If you’re passionate about a variety of content - make it! But remember, your audience does not know you yet, so they won’t stick around for just any video. You’ll have to make it entertaining. Ways to do that are through storytelling, editing, or having an engaging concept. Another great way to draw in an audience is by having an eye-catching thumbnail. This becomes easier to figure out as you continue to create and get feedback from your audience. Remember, the niche-finding process is a way to provide structure to your creative journey, enabling you to connect deeply with a focused audience and offer a distinct value proposition, while still allowing for the natural progression and expansion of your channel.
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Stay Persistent & Consistent
Being a YouTuber might seem fun and effortless, but there will be days you do not feel like filming, you don’t have any ideas, or you just feel like giving up. It is inevitable as a creative person. It is important to prepare for days like this so you don’t fall off track and you can remain persistent and consistent. On days where I feel extremely motivated and full of ideas, I write down any video idea that I think of and save it for a day when I don’t feel as creative. The best thing you can do for your YouTube channel is to upload as frequently as you can and don’t give up. Keep in mind that leveraging analytics is not about detaching from your creative vision but about refining it, ensuring your passion meets your audience where they are.
Detach Yourself From The Numbers
Most of us start a YouTube channel because we want to blow up and be successful. It can be soul-crushing to see that one of your videos you put hours into didn’t get as many views as you thought it would. Do not start your channel expecting to blow up overnight and don’t get discouraged when you don’t. It is hard NOT to get upset when you see low views, but remember that this is temporary and that persistence and consistency is key. The best part of starting out is you can experiment with your content and see what works and what doesn’t without a huge audience watching you yet.
Remember Your “Why”
On the days you do feel discouraged, remind yourself why you started in the first place. If you are just doing it for the views and subscribers, you’re probably more likely to give up. But if this is truly your passion and what drives you, you will not give up. Therefore, you will succeed eventually. Write down your why and read it multiple times a day on the days you need it most.
Starting a YouTube channel should be something you genuinely enjoy - don’t just do it for the likes and subscribers. Find out what type of content you are passionate about making and continue to practice making videos until it feels natural. It can be a rollercoaster of a journey, but with persistence and consistency, it will all be worth it. Good luck on your journey!
