Your first video is probably going to suck because you don’t have any experience. In the video below, I’m going to show you how to make your first video on YouTube so it doesn’t suck.
You’ll learn how to plan your video, what equipment you need, how to script your video, how to film your video, how to edit your video, how to optimize your video and how to promote your video.
By the end of this tutorial, you’ll know how to make your first video that doesn’t suck.
If you want a grow your YouTube Channel so you can attract more views and subscribers, pick up a copy of my 100+ page YouTube Marketing Guide TubeBootCamp.com
Camera
When I first started creating videos, I just used my iPhone. I also used a Logitech webcam which I picked up for 50 bucks. You can also use the webcam on your computer. It wasn’t until several years later that I upgraded to the Canon M50 which is a little beauty.
Do the best you can with what you’ve got.
External Microphone
I highly recommend getting an external mic because the sound built into the camera or built into the phone is not really good. A great mic that I use for the phone is the Rode smartLav+ microphone. It’s a lapel mic that clips onto your shit. You can plug it directly into your phone and start using it.
For my Canon M50 camera, I use the Movo VXR10 which sits right on top of the camera out of the way of everything.
Lighting
If you can’t afford any lighting, you can film outside. Don’t try to film in direct sunlight because you’ll get washed out colors. The best time to film outside is in the morning or late in the day when the sun is not directly above you.
Alternatively, you can film in the shade.
If you’re filming indoors and don’t have any lights, you can use the soft daylight that comes from a window. If you want to control the lighting in your office or in your studio, I highly recommend getting the Neewer Ring light. You can also use a couple of softboxes on the left and the right at 45-degree angles. In my case, I have the ring-light in front, a softbox to the left and a softbox to the right.
Great lighting makes a big difference in your video.
Backdrop
When a shot my first few videos, I just did them outside where there was natural lighting and beautiful scenery. Nowadays, I use a brick wall as a backdrop. It’s not actually a real brick wall, but a wall hanging that I purchased Dresslily. Click here to purchase a backdrop for around $20.00. A couple of softboxes will cost about a hundred dollars. A ring light is about $150.00.
Tripod
If you’re filming a video standing up, you can just get a tripod like this for 20 bucks. If you don’t have a tripod for your camera, you can just sit on some books. If you use your phone, you want to have some clamp that clamps onto your phone and screws onto your tripod. You can also use a desk tripod, which is what I’m using now like a GorillaPod. The beauty of the GorillaPod is they can wrap the legs around a pole or around a tree, when shooting outside.
Click here to Get the JOBY GorillaPod 3K Kit
Plan your content
Think about planning out content for a series of videos based upon a particular theme. For example, if your main topic is how to grow tomatoes, you can create videos on how to grow tomatoes in a pot, how to grow tomatoes at home from seeds, how to grow tomatoes in containers, how to grow tomatoes indoors in the winter. One of the easiest ways to come up with topics that people are searching for in the search engines is to enter your main keyword phrase in the YouTube search box.
For example, if I enter how to grow tomatoes, I get how to grow tomatoes from seed, how to grow tomatoes indoors, how to grow tomatoes in a pot, et cetera. You can create a series of videos instead of a solo video. Once you have decided on your topic, you want to script your video by jotting down several bullet points so you can stay on track throughout your video instead of waffling on.
Video Structure
Structure your video by hooking people at the beginning with a question or stating upfront what the video is about. Reinforce your introduction by going deeper into your content for your main presentation. End your video with a strong call to action by inviting people to watch the next video in the series. Try to eliminate any fluff that occurred on the video such as rambling on about a particular topic.
Ideally, we want to keep most of your viewers engaged throughout your video because the high audience retention and a longer watch time contributes to YouTube promoting your video in the search engines.
Filming
When you film your video, make sure you’re staring directly at the lens at eye-level. Avoid looking at the flip-out screen if you’ve got a camera because you won’t be looking directly at the person that you’re trying to address. Keep your lens at eye level and frame yourself with a little bit of space above your head. You can also use the rule of thirds by being to the left of the frame or to the right of the frame.
Delivery
If you’re using a script, memorize a few lines first and speak into the camera, pause, look down, memorize the next few lines, and then speaking to the camera again. You can always edit out the pauses in your video editing software.
Keep in mind that when you’re delivering on camera, some of the volume and the energy will be decreased. To counteract that, raise your energy and raise your volume a little, but keep it natural.
Imagine you’re talking to your best friend while you’re delivering your content on camera. If you do this, you’ll come across more natural than if you think you’re just looking at the camera. Try to mix up your delivery by intonating your voice throughout your presentation. Make sure you relax so you’d come across real natural like you’re talking to a friend.
Editing
Now that you’ve finished filming me your video, you’re ready to edit your video. You can use free software like iMovie for the Mac, DaVinci Resolve, Shotcut, Kapwing. You can also use an app like KineMaster.
I use ScreenFlow because I edit on a Mac. It’s easy to use and easy to learn. When you’re editing your video, start from the end and work backwards. If you’ve done several takes, the last take will be at the end and then you can eliminate the other takes before. This will really speed up the video editing process.
Make sure you reset the attention of the viewers by mixing in some B roll and transitions. This works especially well if you’re just doing a talking-head video. Every few seconds change the scenery, change positions, add a transition or add some graphics.
Publish
After you’ve finished editing your video, you’re ready to publish your video on YouTube. Make sure you create a title that includes your keywords and is also optimized for your viewers. For example, your main keyword phrase could be how to grow tomatoes, which people are entering into the search engines. At the end of that phrase, you could say how to grow tomatoes without any experience. The phrase without any experience is an emotional phrase that captures your audience’s attention.
Thumbnail
Design a great thumbnail that stands out from your competitors so when people search in the search engines, they’ll see a thumbnail and click on it to watch a video. A high click-through rate will help your video to appearance in suggested videos which appear on the right side of the watch page. They also appear below the video in the YouTube app.
Promote
After you’ve finished publishing your video on YouTube, you want to promote your video on social media sites. Use the share button under the video to promote it to Twitter, tumbler, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Facebook, and even Instagram.
Alternatively, you can repurpose your content to promote it in many different ways. Watch this video on how you can repurpose your video content.
Here are a few important things to keep in mind….
1. Don’t have high expectations.
Your first few videos are probably not going to be perfect, so give yourself time to improve. You want to commit yourself to do a hundred videos without the high expectations of getting a lot of views and a lot of subscribers. Instead of focusing on the metrics focused on just getting better in each new video that you publish.
2. Don’t compare yourself with others.
If you compare yourself with someone that’s been filming videos for years, you only get discouraged. Instead, just try to compete with yourself instead of trying to compare yourself with others.
3. Get feedback.
It’s easy to fall in love with your own videos, thinking that you did a great job, but if you get feedback from others, you’d get a more objective view. I invite you to join my Facebook group so I can get feedback from other members. You can also ask questions and interact with likeminded people. I’ll place a link to my Facebook group in the description below this video.
4. Be consistent.
Try to publish a new video on the same day at the same time every week. Your viewers will then know when to expect new content from your channel. Most of all have fun. There’s going to be times when you might get discouraged. Where you could get so little views and so little subscribers. If you have fun creating your content, you won’t be discouraged so easily.
Let me ask you a question….
What part of publishing your first video on YouTube was the most difficult?
Post your answers in the comments below. I’d love to read them and I’m sure others would too.
Here are the results of a poll when I asked the same question to my YouTube subscribers. 54% selected content idea and scripting.
If you want to get some lessons on how to get your first 100 subscribers, watch my next video. You’ll learn the exact steps you need to take to attract your first 100 subscribers on YouTube.
If you want a grow your YouTube Channel so you can attract more views and subscribers, pick up a copy of my 100+ page YouTube Marketing Guide TubeBootCamp.com
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