You might have heard about Video Blogging or Vlogging – a notable trend among the youth nowadays where they record, edit and publish videos on their dedicated YouTube channel. It is especially a great tool for marketers and budding artists in different fields to portray their skills in front of the right audience, build reputation and a relevant network. It is a fun and interactive hobby that with the right approach can make you a popular online personality. A major benefit is that you can also earn an impressive income simply by publishing engaging and good quality videos regularly.
However, to monetize your YouTube channel, you’ll have to be just more than another contributor to the bulk of videos published every day. The competition out there is stiff, and you need to do something unique to attract the right audience to keep them engaged. The first and foremost step is creating an account and setting up the channel through a proper procedure. Here is a detailed guide on how to best start a YouTube channel for your brand or business.
Getting the Basics Right
First things first, for creating a new YouTube channel, you need to research and plan out what niche you should focus on. If it’s a channel to promote an existing brand, try researching the competitors to see what type of content they are posting to get a clue about your audience’s likes and dislikes. If it’s a completely new brand, you will have to dig much deeper and make an analysis of the general likes and dislikes of your targeting audience. Find out which YouTube videos tend to get more views, the average duration of videos in your chosen category or theme, relevant keywords and hashtags, competitors top-rated content, etc. You should also do a thorough video keyword research to optimize your content better. For creating a good YouTube video, it is vital to have the right equipment which includes a proper video camera setup, editing and creation software, or if you are a vlogger, then a good device with high-quality video recording features.
Setting up an Account
Setting up a channel on YouTube consists of many more aspects than just filling up the basic details. After creating a channel through your Gmail account, you must start filling in all the details right away. These include adding in your profile and channel description, an eye-catchy cover photo (banner image) and a clear Profile Photo. You can also add a distinguished video watermark, that is automatically added to each video that you upload.
The 5 easy steps to create a YouTube Channel:
- Sign into YouTube and click on the user icon at the top right corner.
- Click in the gear icon to get to your YouTube accounts settings
- Click on ‘Create a New Channel’
- Enter your business or brand name, which is ideally what your channel will be known as
- Click on the Create Button
In the mobile app, you’ll find the option to create/modify your channel directly after clicking on the user icon, there’s no need to go into account settings.
The Channel Trailer
Most people who wish to start a channel are ready with some pre-recorded and edited videos. But if you are one of those who work out things on the spot, you can start with creating a channel trailer. These are short and sweet, basically acting as a video introduction to what all your channel is about. The ‘trailer’, if made correctly, can also act as a major deciding factor on who all chose to give your videos a shot. Although, it’s better to include the basic details on who you are, what is your business all about and what type of content they can expect to see in the future.
Uploading Your First Video
Since now you have some practice, it’s time for a showdown! Create a new video and upload it on the channel with an attractive yet meaningful description, using your pre-researched keywords and the right hashtags. Don’t forget to select an attractive, custom thumbnail to get more views. The upload option is available right at the top of your screen when you open the channel page. Remember to request viewers to click on the subscribe button so that they may be alerted about your latest video content as soon as it is posted.
Stay Consistent and Engage with Your Community
The key to setting up a successful YouTube channel is staying consistent with your video uploads and actively engaging with the audience. It would be best to respond to any comments/suggestions within 24 hours to show them that you really care. It would also not do to post a couple of videos and disappear for a while. If you somehow cannot create a new video, let your audience know, especially when you have been following a schedule to upload new content. Last, and definitely not the least, remember that even the best can do much better, and so you must continually work towards improving your content. Make use of YouTube analytics to find out what keywords people are searching, and understand your target and actual demographics. It is a great tool for a budding YouTube Channel.
Winding Up
Creating a YouTube channel is quite easy, it’s the publishing new content part that really matters. Now that you know how to start your very own YT channel, it’s time to begin working on its optimization and increasing the viewership and engagement for every video that you publish. For any channel to be successful, there must be a relevant number of viewers who can engage with you and promote your work to others. LeoBoost can help you increase your channel’s viewership by directing you to the right audience that completely matches your target niche.
Now that you know what all is required to create a YouTube channel, and keep it running successfully, why not get to work immediately. Start with basic research, and follow the flow shared above to create a successful YouTube channel.