Ever since I started watching YouTube as a kid, I have looked with admiration at my favorite YouTubers and dreamed of making a living out of it. I’ve always wondered if one day I would be able to grow a fanbase and create content that matters to an audience. Even if it’s only entertainment, having an audience sounds super exciting.
Starting a YouTube channel is not easy. Very few content creators can scale beyond a few thousand followers. A wide reach (having multiple viewers) is key to any channel’s success. After all, creators don’t create for themselves, but for others to watch their content. Even though it can be demoralizing, consistently publishing new videos and improving one’s skills is key to getting the expected results when not many are watching.
Most creators ignore the importance of planning and research. This step is fundamental in creating quality content. Without good planning, even if spending millions of dollars in production and editing, content can turn out mediocre and get no views. Also, to a smaller degree, lack of creativity can affect a channel’s performance. Watching what has already been made by other people is boring if it doesn’t have a twist to it.
Recently, I’ve been reading about the best practices of video production, planning and editing. It is amazing how there are so many things to take into consideration in order to create a quality piece of content. To name a few: keeping scenes dynamic, script planning, color grading, light adjustment, and assertive communication.
Specifically, the psychological aspect of video editing is my favorite part. From a single footage, you can create different messages depending on the provoked emotion. The way your audience feels, how your content makes them react, it’s what separates winning content vs the rest.
The best time to get into content creation and YouTube (if this is your passion as well) is now. Here are a few things to share to take into consideration.
- Only purchase the equipment necessary to start the habit. As your skills progress, new and more professional equipment will be required, but at the beginning, entry level equipment will suffice.
- Aim to publish one video per week. This way you will push yourself to be efficient with time and you will have more opportunities to put into practice your skills and knowledge.
- Finally, the topic of your videos will become clearer the more content you create. You have to fully submerge into YouTube to learn what works and what doesn’t.
These are my thoughts on starting a YouTube channel. Currently, I’m working on a YouTube project on the weekends. When it gets more traction, I’m planning on making future blog posts with my most important discoveries and insights of content creation. Stay tuned for more.