Do you believe the YouTube train has passed you by? As the platform has been around for 15 years, and it features millions of creators uploading videos on a daily basis, it’s easy to believe that it’s too late to jump into the action.
Well, stop thinking that way.
Yes, the challenge has been made more difficult by waiting so long. However, there’s still space for your YouTube idea to coexist alongside global brands and individual creators. Although unlike those who had free rein during the early days of YouTube, you’re going to have to get creative to run a successful channel.
It also requires plenty of hard work and an incessant dedication to transform the idea into one with legs. You might need to upload regularly for a year or two before you start to see any real results. Even then, success can never be guaranteed with the ever-changing world of YouTube.
If you’re prepared to put in the effort and roll the dice, here are a few key points to follow when starting a YouTube channel in 2020:
Decide on your niche
Forget about targeting any general topics. These have been done to death at this point, and you have a minimal chance of being able to usurp those YouTube videos that have already existed for years and amassed millions of views.
As a result, you should aim for a certain niche. There’s good news when it comes to this: you can still find yourself operating within a general topic. Yet instead of doing a video about, say, ‘The Top 10 Reasons to Visit New York’, you could do one such as, ‘The Top 10 Hidden Spots in Manhattan’.
The principles are the same with search engine optimization (SEO) and keywords. There’s no point targeting main keywords as these were devoured by the competition long ago. Instead, you should expand on these keywords to add a twist to proceedings. More people might be searching for ‘SEO’ than ‘SEO on a budget’ for example, but the latter still has a market – and, most importantly, is less competitive. The search for long-tail keywords has also become more prominent, making ‘SEO on a budget’ much more searched.
Most importantly, your YouTube videos should maintain a consistent theme. If you start posting about video games one week, cooking instructions the next, you will struggle to build a target audience.
Use professional equipment
Your videos need to look and sound the part. Long gone are the days where people could record their TV screen with a camera, put on an annoying background song, and talk inaudibly due to not having a dedicated microphone. People expect quality – even with small independent YouTubers.
Thankfully, the costs are not too severe. Most smartphones these days possess a camera that is more than good enough for recording HD or even 4K video. You will likely have to splash a bit of money on an external mic so people can hear you clearly. Depending on how you are recording – whether it’s sitting down in your room or while out and about – there’s also other video production-related equipment to consider, such as a camera stabilizer and lighting.
In addition, you will need a video editing software package. There are various free options in that regard which can do the job fine. However, if you want to go with professional-standard software, choices such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Sony Vegas Pro are available.
Produce videos with value
Some YouTubers can get away with posting inane vlog videos for a living, but you’re unlikely to be so lucky. You will have to put in serious work to build up a following, and that all starts with your video production levels.
While the video itself should be visually appealing, don’t let this overshadow the actual content. Your videos should be informative and engaging for a start. Humor is always a welcome addition, although don’t try and force it.
Build a website
A dedicated website is often overlooked by those with a YouTube channel. However, it is a great way of drawing traffic to your channel and other avenues. The website can act as a hub where you share additional information about videos, a page explaining your background, a store for merchandise, and so on.
The one problem with making a website is the time and effort it takes. This is particularly relevant if you’re spending all your free time on producing and editing videos. In this case, you could get in touch with a web design agency. You tell them what you want, sit back, and receive a sleek, modern website.
Promote, promote, promote
Along with a website and optimizing your videos, you should be using everything at your disposal to promote your YouTube content. Social media is a given, but don’t ignore sharing your videos on relevant websites and forums. It only takes one video to hit it big on Reddit for your channel to turn into a viral hit.
When doing this, hiring a marketing consultant from the start could be advantageous. With their expertise at play, they will be able to formulate an effective promotional strategy that maximizes results.
Stick with it
Even if you have been doing regular uploads of quality videos for six months, don’t be surprised if your YouTube subscriber count is still only sitting on double figures. This can be demoralizing. However, perseverance is one of the absolute keys to eventually cracking YouTube and turning it into a profitable, worthwhile venture.
If you begin to feel low and have ideas of throwing in the towel, simply take a step back for a couple of weeks. Even the biggest YouTube stars need to recharge their batteries every now and then – even if it looks the opposite on the surface, churning out video after video is a demanding task.
Once you have returned from your break, it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth continuing. To help with the decision, remember back to why you started the YouTube channel in the first place. With your original goals in mind, it will likely put you back on course towards trying to turn video production into a success.