What should my channel be about?
What gear should I use?
How can I grow faster? What should I focus on?
Watch the video below to the end for 10 tips I wish I knew before starting YouTube channel, so you can build an audience, make an impact, and generate revenue from YouTube channel.
Click here to Get My New Video Course
“SECRETS TO AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT“Â You’ll discover how to hook your viewers’ attention, get them to spend more time on each video, and motivate them to watch more videos from your channel, so YouTube will recommend your content to other channels.
- Choose a niche you’re passionate about.
If you don’t enjoy creating new content week after week, month after month, year after year, you’ll soon lose the motivation and give up trying to grow a YouTube channel. There’s going to be times where you feel like giving up because your new video didn’t get many views or subscribers. YouTube is a long-term commitment, so make sure you choose a niche you still feel passionate about many years later.
When I started my YouTube channel in 2006, I focused on web design tutorials because I was a professional web designer. Later, I changed my niche to video marketing because I felt more passionate about creating videos than I did creating websites. As a result, I changed my channel name from my Isitebuild to Drostvideo, and my channel grew faster because now I was more focused on a niche I was passionate about. - Narrow your niche.
If your niche is too broad, it’ll be difficult to satisfy everyone and your channel won’t grow as fast. When you narrow your niche, it’ll be easy to create the right content and attract the right audience. For example, when I changed my niche from web design to growing your audience on YouTube, it was much easier to create content on a regular basis. - Know your audience.
YouTube says that the algorithm follows the audience. The more you know about your audience, the easier it will be to create the right content for them. One of the mistakes I made in the early growth on my YouTube channel was making videos on content that I was interested in but my audience didn’t have an interest in it. Now, YouTube gives you the tools and analytics to know your audience on a more intimate level.
For example, you can use community posts to poll your audience. You can use the research tab in YouTube Analytics to find the content gaps on YouTube channel. It’ll also show you the search phrases people are entering into the search engines to find your content on YouTube.
The audience tab in YouTube Analytics will show you the videos that are currently growing your audience, other channels your audience watches, when your viewers are on YouTube, other videos your audience watched. If you get stuck for content ideas, read the comments under your videos as well as under your competitors’ videos. - Learn how the YouTube algorithm works.
Most of the initial growth on my YouTube channel came from YouTube search because I was focused on how-to content. Over time, the YouTube algorithm changed its focus to include click-through rate and watch time. Click-through rate refers to how many people see your title and thumbnail, then click on your video. Watch time refers to how many people remain engaged throughout your video.
YouTube says that if you increase the click-through rate and watch time, there’s a higher probability that your videos will be recommended by YouTube. This means they’ll be recommended on the home screen at YouTube.com or in the YouTube app, as well as in suggested videos which appear on the right side of people’s watch pages. When YouTube recommends your videos, your channel will grow faster than if you just focused on search. - Learn how to create compelling titles and thumbnails.
Your thumbnails and titles are what viewers see first in the search engines, on the YouTube home screen, and in suggested videos.
Instead of creating tiles and thumbnails as an afterthought when you’ve finished creating your video, focus on creating titles and thumbnails before you create your content.
Watch this video to learn how to write titles that everyone loves.
Before you create your thumbnail, enter the title of your video in YouTube search and look at the top 5 thumbnails of your competitors. Design a thumbnail that’s different to your competitors because the thumbnails will be competing for your viewers clicks in the search engines and in suggested videos. You can use different colors, images, fonts, and design. - Create a consistent upload schedule.
The key to successful growth on YouTube is to upload new videos week after week, month after month, year after year. This will help grow your online community because they’ll know when to expect new content on your channel. When viewers consistently see your new content and search engines in the subscription feed or on the YouTube home screen, the more likely subscribe to your channel.
Attracting new subscribers on a regular basis drives a high view velocity when you first upload a video. This is because your subscribers are the first ones to receive notifications about new uploads. When you’re first starting a YouTube channel, try to upload as often as possible so you can grow your channel fast.
For example, I’ve published 3videos a week for several years, two were regular videos, and then I went live every Friday. Nowadays, you can upload a regular video, a short video, and go live once a week. - Batch your video content.
It’s easy to get stressed or burnt out if you try to keep your regular upload schedule without batch processing your videos. Typically, I write several scripts for future videos, then batch film them all in one setting. I’ll spend the rest of the week editing, optimizing, and scheduling them for a later time. This helps me to avoid the stress of just staring at a blank screen not knowing what kind of content to create. It also gives me the flexibility to travel or go on vacation whenever I choose. - Monetize as soon as possible.
Currently, YouTube says that if you want to monetize your YouTube channel, you need 4,000 public watch hours, and 1,000 subscribers in the past 12 months. Don’t let that threshold stop you from making money from YouTube channel because you can still make money by promoting affiliate products, your own products, doing brand deals, and coaching.
Click here for 10 ways to monetize YouTube channel without 1000 subscribers.
I recommend monetizing YouTube channel as soon as possible because now, YouTube places ads on non-monetized channels. The faster you meet the threshold, the more revenue you’ll generate from YouTube channel, and you’ll be able to upgrade the gear you use to create your videos.
For example, when I started my YouTube channel, I just used the camera on my iPhone 4s and a cheap external microphone. Later on, I upgraded my camera to the Canon M50 and the MOVO VXR10 mic which sits on top of my camera.
Nowadays, you can shoot 4k video just using your iPhone. My recommendation is to do the best with the gear that you already have, then upgrade as you generate more revenue from your channel. - Avoid comparison.
When starting a YouTube channel, it’s easy to compare the growth of your channel with someone who has been growing for several years. Also, don’t compare the quality of videos to someone who’s been growing their channel for 10 years.
For example, if I compare the quality of the videos that I uploaded 16 years ago to the ones I’m making now, I really cringe. This is because I had no experience creating videos when I first began my YouTube channel, and I was using a low-quality camera and mic. After I got more comfortable being on camera and uploaded tens of videos, as well as upgrading my gear, the quality of my videos improved.
Keep in mind that when you’re first starting up, the quality of your videos is going to be very different to the quality of your videos several years later because you’ve had a ton more experience. Fortunately, the more you practice, the better you’ll get at making great videos. Instead of comparing yourself to other channels, try to approach your niche and topics from a different angle. When you create something unique, you’ll stand out from the crowd.
For example, when YouTube first came out with YouTube Shorts, I created a video on how to upload Shorts from your PC. As a result, the video has gotten over half a million views, gained almost 3,000 subscribers, and generated $2,500. It still attracts over 3,500 views every 48 hours, which results in the growth of my channel. - Double down on winning videos.
If you want to grow your channel faster, make similar videos to your top ranking videos. If you go into YouTube analytics, you’ll be able to see the top 10 videos that are currently attracting the most traffic to your channel. Study the topic, title, thumbnail, and watch time of those videos, then make a similar video.
For example, recently I created this video titled I Hit 100,000 Subscribers After 16 Years: Lessons and Mistakes. It received a view velocity of 1 of 10, which means it received the most traffic for a newly uploaded video.
I made a similar video titled This Is How Much YouTube Paid Me for 100,000 Subscribers. It also got a view velocity of 1 of 10, beating up my previous video.
If one of your newly uploaded videos gets a high view velocity of 1 of 10, then make a new video with a similar topic. There’s a high probability it will do very well. If you create a video series based upon a common theme and place them in a playlist, it will encourage viewers to binge watch your videos. This will extend the viewing session of people watching your videos on YouTube and increase the probability of your videos being recommended and suggested.
It only takes a few winning videos to uplift all the other videos on your channel resulting in faster growth.
If you want to get my checklist for starting and growing a YouTube channel, watch this video titled Don’t Start A YouTube Channel Before Watching This.
Click here to Get My New Video Course
“SECRETS TO AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT“Â You’ll discover how to hook your viewers’ attention, get them to spend more time on each video, and motivate them to watch more videos from your channel, so YouTube will recommend your content to other channels.
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