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Hey there! Seems a few people seem to ask about what they should do as a new channel, how to make a channel look good and the first steps to promotion of your videos. So, here's a small guide I created to give newer 'tubers a heads up and a fair chance with their channel.
Creating a Brand
Your design and appearance is always going to be a huge part of maintaining a channel. Without catchy and creative art, your channel won't be recognizable and will reduce the chance of someone sticking around. There are many talented designers on YTtalk, many are free but some are definitely worth a little bit of coin. This will give your channel a massive head start when it comes to starting off on YouTube, and will increase the chance of gaining new and active.
Your First Video
Generally, this is called a "Channel Introduction Video". This is when you want to explain your channels direction, introduce yourself as an individual and maybe even provide some insight into what a viewer can expect from you in the future. This is going to make or break a subscription, if they like what they see, chances are they're going to stick around and watch your next video and so forth. A first impression means everything, so make sure it's a good one.
Video Setup and SEO
Using correct grammar, punctuation and the clever use of capitalization can really help your video stand out from the crowd. If your video is part of a series, you can set up a layout for your videos titles and descriptions.
You can also setup a custom description setup in the "Defaults" section of your YouTube settings, which gives each new upload the same base for each description and keeps your video series looking well organized and professional. This also helps keep everything organized, and gives your viewers easy access to links, information and other material
There is also a free tool provided by Google called the "Keyword Planner". This allows you to input your videos content (E.g. Minecraft Lets Play) and it will give you a list of keywords related to that topic, their monthly search average and the competition for this keyword. It's an awesome way of increasing your videos SEO and gives you a much higher chance of your videos being noticed.
Tools of the Trade
A lot of new 'tubers stress over not having the best equipment for their videos. Sure, you're going to need a "decent" setup originally, which can be rather easy and cheap if you know what to look. Invest in a $20 microphone, and that can be the difference between a good video and a bad video. Audio quality is key, if you have HD video, no one is going to stick around and listen to a commentary that was recorded in a wind tunnel. If your channel grows, and the demand is a lot higher, then it's understandable that you're going to want to get a good microphone. That's the downside of growing a channel, at one point or another you're going to need to upgrade a large portion of your equipment, ranging from microphones to webcams. It's all going to add up, but it's going to benefit you and your channel too. So make do with you got for now, when the time comes, you'll be ready to upgrade, young one.
Interacting with your Audience
Chances are people aren't going to follow you JUST on YouTube, they're going to want to see a little bit more of you. This is when platforms like Twitter and Facebook come in handy, it's rather easy to setup both. A twitter account can be setup in around 30 seconds, and a Facebook Page can be done in a few minutes.
These are the key to an active audience, keeping your fans in the know with your latest information and updates is a must if you're going to want to have an audience you can interact with. Ask them questions, get their opinions, make sure there voices are heard. No one wants to go for the guy/girl who doesn't care about their viewers, without them you'd be nowhere, so make sure they know that they are appreciated.
Maintaining Social MediaThis step sounds a lot harder then it really is, for just a few minutes a day you can keep your social media accounts active. If you don't have a video to share, ask your viewers a question or even answer theirs! As mentioned earlier, you can post links to your newest videos on these accounts, just incase they haven't checked their feeds yet. Post on twitter, let them know how your day has been or ask them their thoughts on the latest upload etc. Anything is better then nothing, don't be afraid to reach out.
Energy and Personality.
These are 2 of the biggest aspects of a channels success, and is the best way to gain an active and loyal audience. It's a lot less painful to watch a 10 minute gameplay if the person isn't boring and bleak. Don't be boring and act all monotone and unexcited. BE LOUD AND PROUD, Put some energy into your voice, if you don't have any, find some! Being yourself is a big part of YouTube, people remember a channel for the person, not just the content. Don't be scared to start a debate or conversation, talk about the latest events in the gaming scene or even talk about your opinions on a game etc. Make sure you can grab someones attention and keep it for a good 5 minutes, strangle the hell out of it if you have to!
Don't focus on becoming the biggest and best
In the beginning, don't be to concerned about becoming famous or popular. If you don't enjoy making videos, then you're not going to enjoy making them more with a million subscribers. You gotta have a true passion for creating your videos, otherwise it's going to become a chore and you're more then likely going to quit. Have fun with it and use it as an outlet for your energy! It's an amazing way to reach out and express yourself, so make sure you use it to the best of your ability.
Starting to grow your channel
Here is an extremely helpful guide on growing your channel, published on this forum by @MetaGameRus - It contains really detailed information on growing your channel, check it out by clicking here.
Fin.
If you've made it this far, you were obviously pretty interested in making your channel the best it can be. If that's the case, let me know how this guide has helped you. If you think there's something more I should add, comment and I'll add it to the pot.
Thanks for reading guys,
Happy Creating!
-Faptain.
Creating a Brand
Your design and appearance is always going to be a huge part of maintaining a channel. Without catchy and creative art, your channel won't be recognizable and will reduce the chance of someone sticking around. There are many talented designers on YTtalk, many are free but some are definitely worth a little bit of coin. This will give your channel a massive head start when it comes to starting off on YouTube, and will increase the chance of gaining new and active.
Your First Video
Generally, this is called a "Channel Introduction Video". This is when you want to explain your channels direction, introduce yourself as an individual and maybe even provide some insight into what a viewer can expect from you in the future. This is going to make or break a subscription, if they like what they see, chances are they're going to stick around and watch your next video and so forth. A first impression means everything, so make sure it's a good one.
Video Setup and SEO
Using correct grammar, punctuation and the clever use of capitalization can really help your video stand out from the crowd. If your video is part of a series, you can set up a layout for your videos titles and descriptions.
Eg. Minecraft Series
Lets Play Minecraft: We've Struck Gold! - Episode 43
Lets Play Minecraft: We've Struck Gold! - Episode 43
You can also setup a custom description setup in the "Defaults" section of your YouTube settings, which gives each new upload the same base for each description and keeps your video series looking well organized and professional. This also helps keep everything organized, and gives your viewers easy access to links, information and other material
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Example - My Description Setup
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Example - My Description Setup
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
There is also a free tool provided by Google called the "Keyword Planner". This allows you to input your videos content (E.g. Minecraft Lets Play) and it will give you a list of keywords related to that topic, their monthly search average and the competition for this keyword. It's an awesome way of increasing your videos SEO and gives you a much higher chance of your videos being noticed.
Tools of the Trade
A lot of new 'tubers stress over not having the best equipment for their videos. Sure, you're going to need a "decent" setup originally, which can be rather easy and cheap if you know what to look. Invest in a $20 microphone, and that can be the difference between a good video and a bad video. Audio quality is key, if you have HD video, no one is going to stick around and listen to a commentary that was recorded in a wind tunnel. If your channel grows, and the demand is a lot higher, then it's understandable that you're going to want to get a good microphone. That's the downside of growing a channel, at one point or another you're going to need to upgrade a large portion of your equipment, ranging from microphones to webcams. It's all going to add up, but it's going to benefit you and your channel too. So make do with you got for now, when the time comes, you'll be ready to upgrade, young one.
Here's a a couple of recommendations (prices are just estimates from previous searches, feel free to correct)
Microphones -
Samson Meteor USB Mic ($40 USD)
Samson GO mic ($40 USD)
Webcams -
Microsoft Lifecam HD-3000 ($60 USD)
Microphones -
Samson Meteor USB Mic ($40 USD)
Samson GO mic ($40 USD)
Webcams -
Microsoft Lifecam HD-3000 ($60 USD)
Interacting with your Audience
Chances are people aren't going to follow you JUST on YouTube, they're going to want to see a little bit more of you. This is when platforms like Twitter and Facebook come in handy, it's rather easy to setup both. A twitter account can be setup in around 30 seconds, and a Facebook Page can be done in a few minutes.
These are the key to an active audience, keeping your fans in the know with your latest information and updates is a must if you're going to want to have an audience you can interact with. Ask them questions, get their opinions, make sure there voices are heard. No one wants to go for the guy/girl who doesn't care about their viewers, without them you'd be nowhere, so make sure they know that they are appreciated.
Maintaining Social MediaThis step sounds a lot harder then it really is, for just a few minutes a day you can keep your social media accounts active. If you don't have a video to share, ask your viewers a question or even answer theirs! As mentioned earlier, you can post links to your newest videos on these accounts, just incase they haven't checked their feeds yet. Post on twitter, let them know how your day has been or ask them their thoughts on the latest upload etc. Anything is better then nothing, don't be afraid to reach out.
Energy and Personality.
These are 2 of the biggest aspects of a channels success, and is the best way to gain an active and loyal audience. It's a lot less painful to watch a 10 minute gameplay if the person isn't boring and bleak. Don't be boring and act all monotone and unexcited. BE LOUD AND PROUD, Put some energy into your voice, if you don't have any, find some! Being yourself is a big part of YouTube, people remember a channel for the person, not just the content. Don't be scared to start a debate or conversation, talk about the latest events in the gaming scene or even talk about your opinions on a game etc. Make sure you can grab someones attention and keep it for a good 5 minutes, strangle the hell out of it if you have to!
Don't focus on becoming the biggest and best
In the beginning, don't be to concerned about becoming famous or popular. If you don't enjoy making videos, then you're not going to enjoy making them more with a million subscribers. You gotta have a true passion for creating your videos, otherwise it's going to become a chore and you're more then likely going to quit. Have fun with it and use it as an outlet for your energy! It's an amazing way to reach out and express yourself, so make sure you use it to the best of your ability.
Starting to grow your channel
Here is an extremely helpful guide on growing your channel, published on this forum by @MetaGameRus - It contains really detailed information on growing your channel, check it out by clicking here.
Fin.
If you've made it this far, you were obviously pretty interested in making your channel the best it can be. If that's the case, let me know how this guide has helped you. If you think there's something more I should add, comment and I'll add it to the pot.
Thanks for reading guys,
Happy Creating!
-Faptain.
___________________________
Want to keep learning the ropes of YouTube? Read the next instalments of the YouTube Guide.
Account Security - YouTube Guide for Beginners
http://yttalk.com/threads/account-security-youtube-guide-for-beginners.107975/
Subscriber Interaction - YouTube Guide for Beginners
http://yttalk.com/threads/subscriber-interaction-youtube-guide-for-beginners.108181/
Channel Branding - YouTube Guide for Beginners
http://yttalk.com/threads/channel-branding-youtube-guide-for-beginners.109894/
Want to keep learning the ropes of YouTube? Read the next instalments of the YouTube Guide.
Account Security - YouTube Guide for Beginners
http://yttalk.com/threads/account-security-youtube-guide-for-beginners.107975/
Subscriber Interaction - YouTube Guide for Beginners
http://yttalk.com/threads/subscriber-interaction-youtube-guide-for-beginners.108181/
Channel Branding - YouTube Guide for Beginners
http://yttalk.com/threads/channel-branding-youtube-guide-for-beginners.109894/
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