How to get started with a YouTube channel as a beginner

[CharlieH]

 

Setting up your channel is way easier than you might think, with a treasure trove of resources just waiting to help you sail smoothly through the setup process. But here’s where the real fun begins: creating content that strikes a chord. It’s all about jumping in with both feet, making those first videos, and learning as you leap. Remember, every YouTube superstar began with a single click, and their early work was anything but perfect.

If you’re pumped to start this thrilling ride, it’s time to shift from planning mode into full-on creation mode. This article is like your trusty map, packed with beginner tips and secrets to help you navigate the exciting seas of YouTube content creation. From nailing down the basics to becoming a wizard at engaging your audience, you’re on the brink of an epic journey that could totally transform your online presence. Let’s jump in and discover how to launch your YouTube channel into stardom, making sure this adventure in video content creation is as fun as it is fruitful.

Setting up your YouTube channel

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From identifying your passion to understanding the intricacies of channel growth, the initial steps are crucial. Creating a google account and optimising your channel profile are the first steps towards establishing your presence.

Creating a google account

To launch a YouTube channel, a Google account is indispensable. This account acts as the gateway to various Google services, including YouTube. Starting is straightforward: visit the Google account signup page, fill in your details, and follow the prompts. Remember, this account will be the anchor for not only your YouTube channel but also potential earnings through Google AdSense. Therefore, ensure the information is accurate and secure.

Optimising your channel profile

Upon successfully establishing your Google account, the subsequent step involves meticulously refining your YouTube channel to foster growth. The initial point of interaction for prospective subscribers is your channel profile, rendering its optimisation crucial.

Profile Picture: Opt for an 800 x 800 px image that succinctly represents the essence of your channel. Depending on the focus of your channel, this may be a logo or a professional headshot.

Channel Art: It is imperative that your channel banner not only captivates but also accurately reflects the nature of your content. Ensure compliance with YouTube’s specified dimensions to accommodate various devices.

Channel Description: Concisely articulate what viewers can anticipate from your content within a few well-crafted sentences. Embedding keywords pertinent to your niche will enhance SEO and attract the intended audience.

Contact Information: Should it be relevant, include a business email address to facilitate collaborations and inquiries.

Links: Integrating links to your social media profiles or website will augment your online presence. YouTube permits the inclusion of up to five links that conspicuously overlay on your channel art, thereby ensuring visibility to viewers.

Choosing your niche and understanding your audience

Identifying an appropriate niche and understanding the target audience are critical steps in establishing a successful YouTube channel, particularly for novices in 2024. These fundamental elements determine the content direction and significantly contribute to the channel’s growth. This discussion aims to provide strategies for selecting a niche that aligns with your interests and appeals to a specific audience, as well as methods for effectively analysing market demand and competition.

Grasping what potential viewers are seeking is crucial. Begin by employing tools such as Google Trends to assess the popularity of topics related to your interests. This investigation offers insights into possible audience size and trends over time, aiding in the selection of a niche exhibiting stable or increasing demand. Furthermore, utilising YouTube’s search autocomplete feature yields insight into precise queries used by your audience, offering a more detailed view of market demand. Opting for a topic that marries your passion with verified viewer interest guarantees both the longevity and pertinence of your channel.

Essential equipment and software for beginners

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Basic video recording gear

Initiating a YouTube channel as a novice does not require a substantial investment in professional-grade equipment. Utilising a high-quality smartphone camera is adequate for recording clear video content. Nevertheless, the acquisition of a quality external microphone can elevate audio clarity, thereby enhancing the overall professionalism and appeal of your videos. Lighting plays an essential role as well; employing a basic ring light or softbox can markedly ameliorate video quality, particularly in environments lacking sufficient illumination. Furthermore, investing in a robust tripod or gimbal stabiliser can mitigate shaky footage, contributing to the production of more refined and professional-looking videos.

Editing tools for polishing your videos

Once the content capture process is complete, the subsequent phase involves refining your videos with appropriate editing tools. There exists a plethora of both free and premium software designed to accommodate novices, featuring user-friendly interfaces along with comprehensive functionalities. Applications such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro deliver advanced features but are associated with a more significant learning curve and elevated cost implications. Conversely, alternatives like iMovie for Mac users or DaVinci Resolve, which is complimentary, present accessible platforms for beginners to execute cuts, and trims, and incorporate effects without excessive complexity. Enhance your videos by integrating copyright-free music or AI-generated compositions to circumvent copyright infringements and ensure that the expansion of your channel proceeds without legal obstructions.

Filming your first video

Cultivating confidence while on camera is imperative for effectively engaging with your audience. It is advisable to practice your script aloud prior to recording. Familiarity with your material minimises hesitations and enhances your delivery. Maintaining eye contact with the camera lens, akin to direct interaction with your viewers, cultivates a more intimate connection.

It is recommended to keep initial videos succinct; this strategy minimises potential errors and ensures content remains concise, accommodating the typically limited attention spans prevalent among YouTube audiences. Bear in mind, that authenticity appeals to viewers. Do not hesitate to exhibit your personality; it serves as a differentiator for your channel within a saturated market.

Investing in an external microphone is advised; audio clarity is equally important, as video quality and subpar sound can dissuade viewers from engaging with your content. Utilising a tripod or stable surface to secure the camera prevents unstable footage. Experimentation with various angles and lighting configurations is encouraged to identify optimal setups for your videos.

The fundamentals of YouTube SEO

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YouTube Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is essential for the growth of your channel in 2024, requiring a meticulous approach to content optimisation to ensure optimal visibility and user engagement on the platform.

The development of engaging video titles is critical. Each title must be concise, and clear, and incorporate relevant keywords while avoiding the appearance of spam. It should attract viewers’ interest and provide a compelling reason for them to click.

Your video description offers an opportunity to expand on the contents of your video while naturally integrating key keywords. Provide a succinct summary of what viewers can expect in the first few sentences, as YouTube displays up to 150 characters in search results.

Tags are crucial for YouTube SEO, as they aid the platform in understanding the content and context of your videos. Use both broad and specific tags to cover various potential search queries related to your video content but maintain relevance; inappropriate tags can negatively impact performance.

Thumbnails serve as the first impression of your video. A custom-made thumbnail that is visually appealing can significantly improve click-through rates. Create thumbnails that are not only attractive but also relevant to your video’s content. Incorporating text overlays on thumbnails may highlight important information or topics covered in your video, making it more enticing for potential viewers.

Analysing your performance with YouTube analytics

Initially, it is imperative to analyse viewership and engagement metrics thoroughly. While views provide a preliminary quantification, combining these with engagement indicators such as watch time, likes, and comments offers a more comprehensive understanding of your content’s efficacy. YouTube favours channels that sustain viewer engagement for extended periods, thereby emphasising the importance of these metrics for growth in 2024. Scrutinising trends within these metrics can reveal which types of content resonate most profoundly with your audience. A higher level of engagement on certain videos suggests a strategic direction towards producing analogous content. Utilising the audience retention graph to pinpoint where viewer interest declines can offer critical insights for refining your content strategy to bolster retention.

It is crucial to comprehend both who constitutes your audience and how they encounter your videos. Should a specific source emerge as the primary conduit for traffic, it merits focused promotional endeavours in that avenue. Similarly, demographic data can inform adjustments in tone and style to align more closely with audience predilections.

Basics of monetization on YouTube

If you’re looking to start making some money on YouTube, you’ve got to get the hang of how things work around here. First off, you need a bit of a crowd cheering for you—that means having at least 1,000 subscribers and racking up 4,000 watch hours in the last year. And playing by YouTube’s rules is a must-do. Once you’ve checked these boxes. You can throw your hat in the ring for the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which is your golden ticket to earning through ads, channel memberships, and even getting those Super Chats rolling in during your live streams. Just remember: YouTube likes to switch things up now and then, so keep an eye out for any new rules to stay on top of your game and keep growing your channel into 2024.

Considering the above-shared details, You can also check out what a marketing agency can do for business Startups. With the digital world buzzing, snagging some top-notch marketing smarts isn’t just smart; it’s absolutely essential. Imagine an elite squad, armed with creativity, cutting-edge insights, and killer data-driven strategies, all geared up to navigate the digital jungle for you.

 

[Confuscious]

A bit off-topic, but I was wondering if the rules to monetize a channel is as easy as YouTube with Facebook/Instagram?
I check my Facebook account a few times per day and the amount of Thai/Philipina girls/woman posting short "Reels" in which they flash their underwear have become enormous.
And most of them have over 1K followers and idem "Views/Comments".
Some of these woman are already aged 60+ and still flashing their underwear.
I have seen a picture of a woman showing a few thousand baht bills with the words "Thank you Instagram".

On the Youtube topic, I have seen friends who spend a lot of money and go trough hiring a proffesional film maker to create a YouTube channel which would make them rich, but failed in their attempts to become the next Youtube billonaire.
 

[john donson]

anybody who is  a poster here and made it to millionaire on YT?

[Chris747]

Not a millionaire but a nice to have bonus income trough a Youtube Channel. Wifey has a cooking show channel. I also handle some channels as an admin. In my opinion the Youtube peak time, where you could really make tons of money are long gone. Short formats like Reels, TikToks and YT Shorts are taking over. You can't really make money from those.

 

If you can't generate at least 50k views channel-wide per day for an audience coming mostly from Europe or the US it's not worth the effort. 

 

I have seen plenty of channels fail if the only motivation of creating content is money. You have to generate value for your audience and until you have a loyal amount of viewers it takes years.

 

IG Reels are merely here to create followers and subscribers to other services (probably only fans)

 

 

Edited August 7 by Chris747

[Confuscious]

6 hours ago, Confuscious said:

A bit off-topic, but I was wondering if the rules to monetize a channel is as easy as YouTube with Facebook/Instagram?
I check my Facebook account a few times per day and the amount of Thai/Philipina girls/woman posting short "Reels" in which they flash their underwear have become enormous.
And most of them have over 1K followers and idem "Views/Comments".
Some of these woman are already aged 60+ and still flashing their underwear.
I have seen a picture of a woman showing a few thousand baht bills with the words "Thank you Instagram".

On the Youtube topic, I have seen friends who spend a lot of money and go trough hiring a proffesional film maker to create a YouTube channel which would make them rich, but failed in their attempts to become the next Youtube billonaire.
 

https://www.facebook.com/reel/985900403326167

[TimBKK]

Joke of a post, frankly.  AI generated drivel.

[Foexie]

open youtube and start posting things nobody should need to read but who will do that 

 

[KhunHeineken]

The best way to get a start on your youtube channel is to hang onto the edge of a cliff, just by your fingernails, filming it all, and hope you don't fall down and kill yourself. 

 

You really have to put yourself on the line for the Google company.  Then, and only then, they MAY give you $0.0000000000000000001USD per view. 

 

Good Luck starting your channel, and remember, one hour of paid work in your home country, is probably worth about 3 million views, minus the 4 hours of work video editing.  

 

 

Edited August 16 by KhunHeineken

[Labycryz]

When I first started my YouTube channel, I felt a bit lost too, but I quickly realized it’s all about keeping things simple. I didn’t dive into fancy equipment right away—I just made sure my channel looked decent, set up a Google account, and added a banner and profile that actually showed what my channel was about.
What’s been helpful for me is treating each video like a learning experience and focusing on creating something useful or interesting for viewers. I’ve also noticed that organizing content pays off, just like with internal links on my website. I use crawlspider.com there to connect pages easily, and it’s been a huge time-saver. The same goes for YouTube—keeping things organized from the start makes everything easier as your channel grows.

Edited October 15 by Labycryz

[KhunHeineken]

1 hour ago, Labycryz said:

The same goes for YouTube—keeping things organized from the start makes everything easier as your channel grows.

What percentage of channels "grow" to the percentage of channels that wither away and die, taking a lot of the channel owner's money and time with it????