I started publishing to YouTube back in 2006, and… despite me not being a great youtuber, please allow me to help some of y’all on your journey. If you’re not someone who wants to be a YouTube creator, perhaps you know of someone who could use these tips? In no particular order:
Don’t go at it alone. Seriously. If you think you’re going to be able to figure everything out right away, think again. I’ve been using TubeBuddy and it has supercharged all of my efforts (easy to recommend to experts and novices).
Be consistent. Only you know what your schedule is going to be - so, set one and stick with it. Give people a great degree of confidence that you’re going to publish at certain times. The same holds true for any live stream you might do (on YouTube or Twitch or beyond).
Pick a niche. Nobody else cares what that niche is - but you have to care. And you can’t deviate from it (learn from my mistake). While I’ve created thousands of videos, I should’ve stuck with tech videos in my primary channel - despite the vlogs being incredibly more popular with the community.
Work a bit on thumbnails. You don’t have to be a graphic designer, either (I’m not). A thumbnail may make or break a video’s engagement. Don’t spend days on a video and minutes on a thumbnail. Keep working until you find your own style - stand out from the others in your niche.
Test. Some things will stick, some approaches will need adjustment - but the only way of finding out is actually trying. Don’t just guess. If you’re using a tool like TubeBuddy, you can even do A/B testing with thumbnails (which could dramatically improve the chances of your videos getting better engagement).
Double-down on what works, sideline what doesn’t. Even if you find there’s a radical mismatch between what you enjoy and what others enjoy, you’re hurting yourself in the short and long run by not diving deeper on that which people care about.
Remember the difference between audience and community. Your audience are those who don’t know you - they find you via search. Your community are those who show up all the time, every time, and never push back when it comes time to support you.
Be you. If you look and sound like someone else, that’s a problem. If you create videos like someone else, that’s a problem. If people can’t tell the difference between what you do and what someone else does, that’s a problem. You may not know where your voice is at the start… but you’ll find it. Use it.
Stick with it. Overnight successes are the exception, not the rule. Don’t lose control of the process even when your destination seems to be completely out-of-sight. Ask yourself, if nothing else: WHY are you doing this? If you’re not doing something because you love it, then focus on its outcome (as an enabler).
Start. Seriously, just start. That’s the thing that’s keeping you from finding your destiny - if it was ever something you wanted to do “someday.” Don’t be afraid to jump in because there’s never been a better time to be a creator. Again, I’d still recommend using a power tool if you want a leg up… but, get that leg moving in the first place.
Any questions?