How to Effectively Build a YouTube Channel
Many famous YouTubers, such as Red Lipstick Monster or Agnieszka Grzelak, started their career in the early years of YouTube platform development.
In both cases, the channel was founded in 2012. The first topics they discussed on the channel concerned make-up. The lack of funds to buy professional equipment wasn’t a problem for YouTube beginners. Gathering the essential information, preparing materials, creating a script, thinking through how and what to say, finding a good background are the basic steps that need to be taken before recording. Red Lipstick Monster and Agnieszka Grzelak spent much more time preparing a video, which actually lasts only 15min on the platform. The success they achieved was very much connected with their commitment, willingness to share knowledge, regularity of adding new videos, interesting topics/statements, or even an idea for their YouTube image. Today, we can admire them for their 1.5 million subscribers and follow their example to stay motivated and try our hand in social media.
Check out our tips on how to succeed on YouTube:
1. Start with an idea / think it through
A great idea for a YouTube channel came to your mind? Before you start putting it into practice, be sure to think it through. You can use our check-list:
- What message do I want to convey to my viewers?
- What kind of information is it going to be?
- Who will my viewers be?
- How will I present my content?
- What kind of topics will I cover on the channel?
- Did I check my competition?
- How will my channel be different from others?
- What tools will I be using?
- How will I plan my work in order to regularly create new videos?
2. Choose the right equipment
Nowadays, when starting our channel, we have definitely better and easier task in terms of creating a good video than the first YouTubers. The development of technology and the lower prices for equipment have changed significantly. Today, anyone with a phone and a good idea can become a YouTuber. When starting your channel, it is not worth buying the best quality equipment right away. At first, it is better to really think the idea of your channel through. By developing your skills in front of the camera and learning to work on video, you can gather your first subscribers. As the number of your viewers grows, you need to remember to develop as well. At the beginning, it is worth getting a better phone or photographic equipment with a recording function. Buying studio lamps will also be a good move. Sound is very crucial in videos, so consider buying a sound recorder.
3. Work on your video
Get familiar with YouTube settings to upload the best quality video. The most popular option is when the platform optimizes your recording, however by working on it yourself you can get a better result. It may be useful to have some knowledge of video and audio settings, file size, duration, deinterlace removal, audio, format, codec, resolution, aspect ratio, frames per second and bitrate. Seems a lot? Not at all. The YouTube platform itself tells you how a well-made video should look like. The most important information is that the video should not exceed 15 minutes. With the current version of the browser, you can transfer videos larger than 20GB and the best format for them is MP4 (standard quality, HD) as well as 2 resolution 640x480 (4: 3) or 1280x720 (16: 9).
4. Define the style of your channel
Choosing a topic, presentation, regularity, reliability and experience are the elements that affect your viewers. While analyzing your competition, make a list of steps that you think are good and introduce them. At the same time try to cover your weaknesses with some of your own ideas so that viewers will enjoy watching your channel. Fluent, confident way of speaking, well-chosen words, friendly tone of voice are a few things that can enable viewers to remember you and make them want to come back to your channel. It is also important to attract attention in the first few seconds. At the beginning of the recording, many Youtubers greet the viewers and briefly mention what will happen in a particular episode. Agnieszka Grzelak changed this concept on her channel by showing a few seconds of the most interesting pieces of video. Only after arousing the viewers curiosity, there comes the moment of greeting and a short positive talk.
By showing your enthusiasm, having planned the next steps, you will create a clear and pleasant image. When discussing a particular topic, it is good to show interest in what you are doing, because the time you spend on preparation will be more effective and your knowledge and passion will most likely attract a loyal group of subscribers.
5. Analyze and monetize your actions
At the very beginning, define the time when you will analyze the data of your viewers and their reactions to videos. Having such valuable data in your dashboard, try to match your schedule with the highest number of views. Use the suggestions proposed by YouTube to match your target audience. In the first year of creating a channel, don't expect an enormous subscriber base. As every YouTuber knows, it takes time and consistency in your work to be noticed. To make your channel expand, you can also use promotion in social media.
Just like can see the results of your competitors' actions, the potential advertisers may notice you by observing your results. YouTube is a transparent platform and in order to earn some money, you need to stay active. It is good to make a profit from what you are good at, but also what you enjoy. That is why on YouTube there are two ways to monetize your actions.
The first option is the ads appearing during playing your video, which, after a certain number of views, gets a conversion rate for remuneration for Youtuber. This option is especially beneficial for large channels. The second possibility- a more often used form of earning money - is sponsored content. Advertisers, having easy access to data on your subscriptions, comments, views or reactions, choose the best influencers from among a large thematic group of YouTubers and provide a product that will appear on a particular channel in the next video.
As you may have noticed, Red Lipstick Monster aims at showing the cosmetic chosen by the company and thoroughly comments on its components, fragrance and the way it is absorbed by the skin. The whole presentation ends with evaluating the product and a possible recommendation when the Red Lipstick Monster likes a given product. Why do we stress this? When creating your own channel, it's crucial to always be credible as the viewers treat YouTubers like experts.
So are you ready to take up the challenge? We are waiting for your own video.
The Native Hash editorial team is made up of experienced specialists and enthusiasts of influencer marketing.