YouTube might seem intimidating, but it’s really not that hard to get started! Here are 9 simple steps to help you create your own YouTube channel, whether you want to share your favorite moments with friends and family or become an online sensation. Remember: You don’t need any special equipment or expensive software to start; all you need is an idea and some time! So put on your camera and start filming now!
1) Use your smartphone
You don’t need an expensive camera or fancy editing software—your smartphone can capture video and photos. All you really need is an idea, a theme, and topics to explore on your channel. A great place to start is with Google; search for how to start a youtube channel or something similar and study those results carefully.
2) Choose your background
Make sure you have a professional-looking background that doesn’t distract from your content. You can achieve some nice effects in post-production, such as adding branded imagery or text over it. For example, I often use plain solid colors for my backgrounds when doing webinars and workshops, but I’ll create another one with my logo on it before filming a tutorial video. This way I have lots of options in editing software when making videos to share on social media.
3) Set uplighting
Lighting is one of those things that can easily be overlooked by beginners, but it shouldn’t be. Good lighting makes your video look better and is less annoying for viewers. More importantly, good lighting will keep you out of dark shadows.
4) Get audio recording software
You can get an audio interface and professional microphone for under $300, which will get you off to a great start. You can also start out with just your phone’s built-in mic; it’s not ideal, but you can use free software like Voice Memos or Audacity (or the slightly pricier Adobe Audition) on your computer. Make sure you have an external hard drive for all of those .wav files—and pray that you don’t lose any of them!
5) Write down your topic and upload the schedule
Getting specific about your topic and upload schedule will help you determine what you should be doing in terms of research, brainstorming, and drafting. For example, if your topic is How to Draw Birds, then every week, you need to come up with 3 things that people can learn how to draw by watching your videos. From here, you should break down how many videos it would take for each lesson (how many steps for drawing an owl vs.
6) Subscribe to other popular channels in your niche
If you want people to subscribe to your channel, it only makes sense that you’d subscribe to others in your niche. Even if you don’t plan on watching everything they upload, click subscribe and get on their notifications list. As they share new videos, pop-up notifications will alert you and remind you how many potential subscribers like them are looking forward to seeing more of what they have to offer.
7) Join the community on Discord or another social network
Starting a YouTube channel can be lonely—many creators (including myself) start out as loners. By joining or creating an online community, you’ll have people you can reach out to for advice, tips, and feedback. If you’re looking for like-minded folks who will provide some moral support while you get started, I recommend checking out Discord; it’s an incredibly active community of content creators who are often willing to help each other out.
8) Post consistently content
The number one thing you can do to help your channel grow and maintain an audience is produced consistent content. If you want your channel to be successful, then show up for it every single day. People who want to connect with you will come back frequently if they know that there will always be something new, something worth watching, from you each time they check out your channel.
9) Show personality
When you watch some of your favorite videos on YouTube, odds are you like them because of how likable their creator is. The channel’s personality resonates with you, and that’s what keeps you coming back for more. With your own channel, it’s important to make sure your personality shines through in each video. This will be key when building an audience.
Conclusion
Starting your own channel can be both challenging and rewarding. It’s like climbing Mt. Everest...you have to be in it for the long haul and know that there will be hiccups along the way. It may seem daunting at first, but with time, dedication, and patience you will get there...and once you do, it’ll all have been worth it!
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