In some ways, making a Youtube channel is easy. The steps required to set up your channel are simple. But building an audience on Youtube can be much more difficult. Today, let’s discuss how to make a Youtube channel, and then dive into things like branding and getting views on the videos you work so hard on!
Step one: make a Youtube channel
The first step is the easiest part. In order to actually create a Youtube channel, all you have to do is create an account and create a channel. You can sign into Youtube using your Google account information, or you can start from scratch and sign up using an email address. Once you’re in, click on your profile picture, and select “create a channel.” Youtube will then walk you through the steps required to create a Youtube channel.
Step two: choose your niche.
The truth is, if you’re googling how to make a Youtube channel, you probably already have your niche in mind, but it’s still important to talk about. My niche is filmmaking. On our Youtube channel, we post everything from critiques of films to trailers for our upcoming projects. Even if you just want to create a general comedy or entertainment channel, have an idea of what category your content fits into. Do some research, seeing what is already available on Youtube and what holes you feel like your channel will fill.
When you’re thinking about your niche, think about what you want to gain from making a Youtube channel. Do you want to monetize your content and make money? Do you want to provide needed information to people for free? Do you just want to goof around with your friends? If it’s the latter, your niche doesn’t need to be as narrow; you can do pretty much whatever you want! If it’s about getting information out to people who need it, your niche should be focused on the topics that will be useful to your future audience. If you’re looking for this to be your side hustle, you should be thinking not only about providing high quality content to your viewers, but also about choosing topics that align with SEO keywords that people are actually searching for. If this is you, take some time to do keyword research and figure out what types of videos are already popular in your niche.
Step three: set up your channel
You’ve already made a Youtube channel, and you’ve selected your niche. Your next step is to set it up so that it looks good. This part can be fun! Look at other channels in your niche and see what they’ve done. Then, go to Canva and create a profile picture and a banner. Make sure that you’re designing something that looks attractive and professional, but is also suitable for the topics you’re going to be talking about or the target audience you’re trying to connect with. I’ve already written about branding for artists; keeping branding in the top of your mind while you’re setting out to make a Youtube channel is very important.
Once you’ve created and uploaded the necessary images, it’s time to write your bio. You should write something that describes you and your channel, but you should also write something that will go in the description of each video. This serves two purposes: it helps people know who you are and what your channel is about, but it also helps people find you using SEO keywords. If you didn’t do keyword research when you were selecting your niche, now is a great time to do this. Your description can also contain any links people need to find you elsewhere online, from your Instagram to your website to your Patreon.
Step four: post your first video
At last, the big moment is here! You’re ready to post your first video. Uploading a video to Youtube is maybe the simplest part of this whole process. Take your time to make sure you understand the process and that you have the right file before you hit upload. Click on “my channel,” then “manage videos,” then “create,” then “upload video.” It may take some time for your video to upload, depending on how long it is.
You’ll need to choose a thumbnail for your video. A lot of algorithm experts recommend creating a thumbnail where someone is making a big expression, like a big smile or holding their mouth open with shock. Do some research on what’s currently recommended, and then see if you can replicate that.
Make sure you’ve written a description you feel good about. Your description should be easy to understand, descriptive, and optimized for SEO. This will help people find it not only on Youtube but also on search engines like Google. I always recommend that you keep descriptions sounding casual and conversational, while also working in your target keywords 2-3 times. Don’t go overboard and try to work it in 10 times to a five sentence description; this is called “keyword stuffing” and can actually HURT your chances of getting seen.
There you have it! This is how to make a Youtube channel. A Youtube channel is a lot of work, and it can be hard to understand the algorithm or why certain things take off while others don’t. Our first teaser for Biters & Bleeders amassed 135k views seemingly overnight and we still don’t understand why the full trailer for the same film only got 4.2k views. But just remember, each step you take gets you closer to your goals!
Good luck making your Youtube channel! We can’t wait to see what you create!
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