YouTube has more than 2 billion monthly users who watch more than 30 billion hours of video per month. Meanwhile, the site has over 37 million channels that upload at least 21 million hours of video per month.
Why are we giving you these rather boring statistics? Because they suggest that you should start that YouTube channel you've been thinking about after all. There are plenty of potential viewers out there, so why not give it a go?
In this article, we list a handful of the very basics you need to nail down when starting a YouTube channel. None of these things will guarantee an audience, but they will give you a solid foundation to build on.
1. Set Up Your YouTube Channel
First things first, you need to actually set your YouTube channel up.
To set up a YouTube account head over to YouTube.com. If using a computer, click Sign In in the top-right corner of the page. If using a mobile device, click on the Profile icon in the top-right corner.
Either action will bring you to the Gmail sign in page, at which point you should click on Create Account and follow the instructions.
Once you are signed in to YouTube, you can create a channel by performing any action that requires you to have a YouTube channel in order to successfully initiate and conclude that action.
For example, you can pick a random video and comment on it or attempt to upload a video. When you do so, YouTube will provide you with a button to Create Your Channel. Click on it and follow the instructions.
2. Pick a Niche That Interests You
Everyone in real estate understands that the most important thing is location, location, location. This also applies to your YouTube Channel. Once you have successfully set up your channel, you need to decide what it's going to be about.
Pick a subject that you understand and one that occupies a specific niche that people care about. If you can find a niche that has a high search volume then you are on the right track.
This is a risky strategy though. A subject or niche that has a high search volume will have lots of competition, with people already putting out videos on that subject. However, creating valuable content that answers the questions people need answering and solves the problems people need solving in simple and accessible ways will give you a chance to break through.
Tip: The first five seconds of your video can make or break it, as viewers make instant judgments as to whether they're going to keep watching. So, be sure to grab viewers' attentions immediately or you could lose them.
3. Try to Make Your Videos Stand Out
It is one thing to create great content, but how do you represent it in such a way that search engines can easily find it and put it where the eyeballs are? As far as the YouTube search algorithm is concerned, the title you give to your video is critical to getting an audience.
So write a great title that's representative of the content, but designed to get the clicks you need to attract an audience.
Titles that evoke strong emotions and include keywords that resonate with many people will go a long way in getting the attention you need for your video. Be sure to keep the title short and strong.
For example, a title like "Joe Biden Destroys Donald Trump in the Presidential Debate" is sure to draw in a lot of eyeballs and whip up a lot of strong feelings on both sides. Thus driving up engagement with your video. Especially if the debate just happened.
If this is too negative or cynical for you, that's OK. Love is stronger than hate, after all. So a title like "Deaf baby gets ear implant and hears her mother's voice for the first time" will also achieve the same effect. The bottom line is to provoke emotions, generate interest, and draw viewers in.
4. Obey the Zeitgeist
Try to stay in sync with world events and put out content related to what's happening. If millions of people are interested in something, your potential audience for that video is also in the millions.
However, you'll have to be quick at producing video content based on current events, or those events will no longer be current by the time your video goes live.
5. Ensure Your Videos Have a High Production Quality
Although YouTube is accessible to amateur producers, it is highly advisable to spend a few extra dollars to give your videos that professional look and feel. There's a lot of content out there competing for the same audience, and a lot of it is sleekly produced. So you'll need to employ high production values if you hope to compete.
If your video has a great title, fills a great niche, and obeys the zeitgeist, there's no doubt you will bring the audience in. However, for them to stick around and watch your video to the end, you need high picture and audio quality, and you need a well edited video too.
Thankfully, you don't have to break the bank in order to stand out. These days most high-end phones are able to shoot acceptable video footage. There are also plenty of free (or cheap) video editing apps that enable you to edit your videos and add effects without needing mad skills.
6. Add Background Music to Soundtrack Your Videos
"Without music, life would be a mistake". When Friedrich Nietzsche wrote that line, he might as well have been talking about YouTube videos. There is almost nothing as boring as a YouTube video without some background music.
To keep your viewers interested in your video, add music that establishes an emotional connection. Be certain to select music that matches the pace of your video to generate the desired vibe. Ensure the volume of the music is not so high that it drowns out your presentation, or so low that it is inaudible and irritates the viewer. Insert the music at the appropriate moments.
Can you imagine your favorite horror movie without that scary soundtrack to make your heart jump at just the right moment? Try watching it on mute. It's just not the same, is it?
Luckily, there are plenty of great sites where you can find royalty-free music.
A Solid Foundation for Success
At the end of the day, there are many elements worth considering when starting your own YouTube channel. However, these are the very basics you'll need as the foundation for any successful YouTube channel.
