How to Become a YouTuber: A Beginner's Guide
Are you interested in learning how to become a YouTuber? With over 2 billion monthly active users, YouTube is a platform that offers vast opportunities for content creators to showcase their skills, creativity, and build a loyal following. However, starting on YouTube can be a daunting process. Check out our comprehensive guide below on how to become a YouTuber and succeed in the highly competitive world of online content creation.
Steps to Becoming a YouTuber
1. Determine Your Niche
Before creating a YouTube channel, it’s crucial to identify your niche. A niche is a specific topic or theme that you focus on in your content. Think about what topics you love to talk about, what hobbies you enjoy, and what you are knowledgeable about. This will help you identify the areas you are most comfortable with and enjoy creating content about. You should also research your potential audience to understand what kind of content they would like to see. Some of the most popular niches on YouTube include gaming, beauty, lifestyle, tech, and education.
2. Create a YouTube Channel
Once you have determined your niche, it’s time to create a YouTube channel. You can create a channel for free, and it only takes a few minutes to set up. When creating your channel, choose a name that reflects your niche and brand. Make sure to also add a profile picture and banner that represents your channel’s identity. Think about creating a channel trailer to showcase your content and introduce yourself to potential viewers. Use this as an opportunity to provide an identity for your brand and let potential viewers know what they’ll be subscribing to.
3. Produce High-Quality Content
Producing high-quality content is the key to building a loyal audience on YouTube. Viewers have endless options when it comes to online video content, and they’ll quickly move on if they don’t find your content engaging, informative, or entertaining. To create engaging content, identify your target audience and develop a content strategy that aligns with your niche. It’s equally as important to stay up to date with trends and best practices in your niche, so you can offer fresh and relevant content to your audience while making sure you don’t fall behind the competition. Some tips for creating engaging content include storytelling, using humor, being authentic, and creating visually appealing videos.
4. Optimize Your Videos for Search
We can’t stress enough how important this step is! To reach a wider audience, it’s important to optimize your videos for search. This involves using keywords and tags in your video titles and descriptions, creating eye-catching thumbnails, and using annotations to promote your other videos. When applicable, you should also add relevant hashtags to your videos to increase their visibility. YouTube will allow up to 15 hashtags in a video description, but if you use more than that, it’ll ignore all of your hashtags. As a general rule of thumb you should use around 3-5 hashtags total, with 1-2 of them being used in your video’s title. Only the first 3 hashtags in your description will get shown above your video title anyways, so limiting your hashtag usage to only the most relevant terms will keep your description looking clean while helping your video gain reach.
One great tool that can help you with optimizing your videos for search is TubeBuddy! It’s a web browser extension that provides a wide range of tools and features to help YouTubers optimize their videos, streamline their workflow, and grow their YouTube channels. Some of it’s key functionalities include analytics, competitor analysis, video SEO, and it even has a suite of productivity tools to help you with social media promotion. Check out TubeBuddy at the link below!
What Equipment Do You Need to Be a YouTuber?
One of the ways you can ensure your content is high-quality is by getting the right equipment. Having the best, most expensive equipment doesn’t make or break a YouTube channel, but you can better set yourself up for success when you have the right tools for the job! The kind of equipment that you will need can depend on the type of content you want to create, but most YouTubers use the following:
Computer or Laptop
To become a YouTuber you’ll need a computer or laptop with enough processing power to handle editing software and video rendering. The specific requirements may vary depending on the type of content you create and your budget, but here are some general considerations for the kinds of computers or laptops a YouTuber might need:
High-performance Processor: A powerful processor is essential for smooth video editing and rendering. Look for processors like Intel Core i7 or i9, or AMD Ryzen 7 or 9, which offer excellent performance for video editing tasks.
Sufficient RAM: Video editing can be resource-intensive, so having ample RAM is important. Aim for at least 16GB or more for smooth multitasking and seamless video editing experience.
Large Storage Space: Video files can quickly fill up your storage, so having ample storage space is crucial. Look for laptops or computers with at least 512GB or 1TB of storage, or consider external storage options like external hard drives or cloud storage.
Dedicated Graphics Card: A dedicated graphics card can significantly accelerate video rendering and editing tasks. Look for graphics cards from NVIDIA or AMD with at least 4GB of VRAM for smooth video editing performance.
High-resolution Display: A high-resolution display is essential for precise video editing. Look for laptops or computers with at least a Full HD (1920×1080) resolution or higher, and consider displays with accurate color reproduction for professional video editing.
Connectivity Options: As a YouTuber, you may need to connect external devices such as cameras, microphones, or external monitors. Look for laptops or computers with sufficient USB ports, an SD card reader, and other relevant connectivity options.
Portability: If you plan to shoot videos on-the-go or travel frequently, portability becomes important. Consider a lightweight and compact laptop or a powerful desktop replacement laptop that offers a good balance between performance and portability.
Battery Life: For YouTubers who work on location or while traveling, good battery life is crucial. Look for laptops with long battery life to ensure uninterrupted video editing and uploading sessions.
Reliable Cooling: Video editing can put a significant load on the processor, so having a laptop or computer with effective cooling solutions like multiple fans or a liquid cooling system can help prevent overheating and maintain optimal performance.
Camera
A camera is one of the most important pieces of equipment for a YouTuber. You can use your smartphone’s camera or a dedicated camera, such as a DSLR or mirrorless camera, to record high-quality videos. A webcam might even do the trick in the beginning and be a cheaper way for you to test the waters before fully committing to an expensive camera.
Microphone
Good audio quality is just as important as good video quality, if not more so. A dedicated microphone will help you capture clear and crisp sound for your videos. Check out our separate guide on YouTube microphones to see what mic might be right for you!
Editing Software
Once you’ve filmed your video, you’ll need to edit it to make it look polished and professional. There are many free and paid editing software options available, such as iMovie, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Final Cut Pro.
Lighting Proper
lighting is crucial for creating high-quality videos. You can use natural light or invest in artificial lighting, such as softbox lights, to illuminate your video set.
Tripod or Gimbal
A tripod or gimbal will help keep your camera steady and stable while you’re filming. This is especially important if you’re filming yourself, as it will prevent shaky footage.
Tips for Becoming a Successful YouTuber
Consistency
One of the most important factors in building a successful YouTube channel is consistency. This involves uploading content regularly and developing a posting schedule that aligns with your audience’s expectations. Consistency will demonstrate a commitment to your viewers and show them that you take your content seriously. However, you should strike a balance between consistency and quality. While it’s essential to stick to a schedule, it’s equally important to ensure that your content is of high quality and aligns with your brand.
Engage With Your Audience
Engaging with your audience is crucial in building a loyal fan base. Responding to comments and messages, asking for feedback, and involving your viewers in your content can help to create a sense of community and foster a positive relationship. Engaging with your audience can provide valuable insights into what content resonates with them and what topics they are interested in. This feedback can help you refine your content strategy and tailor your content to better serve your audience’s needs.
Continuously Improve Your Content
To remain relevant and competitive on YouTube, you need to continuously improve your content. Regularly reviewing your content, analyzing your metrics, and seeking feedback from your audience can help you identify areas for improvement and refine your content strategy. Experimenting with new formats, topics, and styles can also keep your channel fresh and engaging for your audience. While you work towards implementing feedback, keep in mind you should also remain true to your brand’s identity. Continuously improving your content helps to build credibility, increase engagement, and establish a reputation as a reliable and high-quality content creator.
How Do YouTubers Get Paid?
Advertising Revenue
The primary way YouTubers make money is through advertising revenue. This involves joining the YouTube Partner Program and monetizing your videos through ads.The amount of money you can earn depends on various factors, including the number of views, engagement rate, and audience demographics. There are currently two ways you can join the YouTube Partner Program:
- Get 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months
- Get 1,000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days.
One method appears to be geared more towards long-form content creators, while the other is directed towards YouTube Shorts creators, but either way you’ll at least need to earn 1,000 subscribers to prove your worth!
Brand Deals and Sponsorships
One of the most lucrative ways YouTubers can make money is through brand deals and sponsorships. This involves collaborating with brands to promote their products or services on your channel by creating sponsored content, including product endorsements or reviews, or simply featuring brands in your videos. The amount of money that YouTubers can earn through brand deals can vary widely, depending on factors such as the size of their audience, the reach of their content, and the nature of the brand’s product or service. To find brand deals and sponsorships, you can reach out to brands directly or use influencer marketing platforms.
Merchandise Sales
Another way to monetize your channel is by creating and selling merchandise. Merchandise sales provide an opportunity to build a deeper connection with your audience by offering them a tangible way to show their support for your channel. T-shirts, hats, and other branded merchandise can also serve as a form of marketing, increasing your visibility and helping to build your brand. Just make sure that whatever merchandise you create both aligns with your brand identity and provides value to your audience. You can also integrate your merchandise into your videos to promote them to your audience.
Is Becoming a YouTuber Worth It?
Becoming a YouTuber can be a rewarding experience, both creatively and financially. Some of the potential benefits include the ability to showcase your skills and creativity, build a loyal audience, and potentially earn a substantial income. YouTube can also provide opportunities for networking, collaborations, and even career opportunities outside of the platform. However, being a YouTuber also comes with its challenges. It can be a highly competitive and saturated market, requiring a significant investment of time and effort to stand out. One should consider how managing the technical aspects of creating and promoting content can be daunting, and negative comments and feedback can take a toll on mental health. Nonetheless, with dedication, persistence, and a strong work ethic, it’s possible to overcome these challenges and build a successful career as a YouTuber.
FAQ
Being a YouTuber is not easy! It’s just like any other job, and there a quite a few things you need to learn in order to be good at it like video editing, photo editing, and on-camera presence. It can be very difficult to gain traction in the beginning, but if you stay motivated and keep a positive attitude you’ll be on your way to a successful YouTube channel!
Some cons of being a YouTuber are:
- Negative Comments – Not every comment on your videos will be positive. You need to have thick skin to handle negative comments and use them as fuel to improve yourself.
- Lack of Privacy – Becoming a YouTuber means putting your life online for all to see. Make sure you’re ready to sacrifice your privacy if you want to be a successful, or even full-time YouTuber.
- Long Hours – Though there are exceptions, more often than not being a YouTuber takes a lot of time, energy, and dedication. Between recording footage, editing videos, making thumbnails, and sharing social posts you might find yourself easily overwhelmed if you’re not ready to take on a large workload.
- Loss of Passion – Getting paid to record yourself doing what you love sounds like an amazing idea! Right? I mean, why wouldn’t it? Unfortunately this doesn’t always end up the case. YouTube is a stressful environment that demands effort for success, and when a hobby becomes hard work sometimes your passion for it can disappear.
Absolutely anyone can be a YouTuber! Some Youtubers treat their channels as a hobby or a side hustle, whereas others have made it their full-time job! The most important thing is that you stay consistent so your viewers can get used to your schedule and your editing style.