You might think it’s too late to start on YouTube in 2022. It’s not! The possibilities are limitless. If you’ve been saying you’re going to create your channel, here is your confirmation. Starting a YouTube channel may seem daunting but here are 5 tips for anyone willing to take the leap.
1. Don’t overthink your content.
As a multifaceted person, I personally dislike the topic of niching down when starting any platform. When you’re first starting out on a new platform, you have no idea what you will enjoy creating or what your audience will enjoy watching. There will be some trial and error before you get super clear on the type of content that performs the best. While all your content doesn’t need to be the same, I do believe that it should have a clear message or tie back to a theme. My message when creating content is inspiring people to be their truest selves by living their truest lives. I can do that through vlogs, through wellness content and through telling my personal story while tying value back to my audience.
2. Get the right equipment.
The right equipment makes or breaks your content creation process. I recommend two different tripods: one for close up shots and a tripod for regular filming. Each tripod has the ability to capture multiple angles which I think is important (we’ll discuss this more further down). When you have tools that work for you and not against you, you will feel less frustrated when making content. Here is the equipment I recommend for content creators:
3. Find a simple editing software that works for you.
Editing is an extremely huge part of having a Youtube Channel so finding a video editor app that works for you and takes the least amount of time possible is very important. When we’re starting any new task/commitment, you want to make it as easy as possible for yourself or you’ll back out of it. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits goes by this rule: 1) make it obvious, 2) make it attractive, 3) make it easy, and 4) make it satisfying.
Contrary to popular belief, you do not need Final Cut Pro to start a Youtube channel. The video editor that you choose will be dependent on the equipment (laptop, ipad, etc.) that you have and how you prefer to edit. When I first started editing, I was using iMovie because it seemed like the most sensible. However, iMovie is the most basic of the basic video editing softwares so it didn’t have a lot of variety.
If you’ve never edited a video in your life, iMovie will be great for you to get adjusted to the absolute basics of editing like cutting clips, rearranging clips, and adding overlays. If you only have an iPhone, you can still edit on apps but it’s a high possibility the app will crash often due to the amount of footage you upload. I would recommend editing on an iPad or laptop for the easier process and full experience.
Recommended Editing Apps for Beginners:
- VideoLeap by Lightricks for iPhone & iPads (7 day free trial) – $35.99 a year
- Access to all features within Videoleap: layer based editing, special effections, creative cinematic transitions, over 100 sound effects, etc.
- Projects are auto saved so you don’t have to worry about losing your work.
- InShot Pro for Androids and iOS – $34.99 (one time purchase)
- Access to all paid transitions, effects, stickers, sounds effects, etc. No ads or In Shot logo.
- Can save videos in 4k
- Has an “apply to all” option. If you have 20 clips on a project, you can mute all 20 clips at the same time instead of doing it individually which saves a lot of time
- Canva Pro – $12.99/mo. for up to 5 users
- Have complete access to all the canva features
- Great for thumbnails (which are extremely important), intros, overlays and special video edits
Other recommended editing apps:
- Final Cut Pro for Mac (90 day free trial) – $299 (one time purchase)
- Adobe Premiere Pro (7 day free trial) – $20.99/mo. & $19.99/mo. for students & teachers
Remember, when starting out – it’s not about having the “best” of the best. It’s about what’s going to get the task done. You can upgrade your video editor once you get the absolute basics on editing down and find your own editing style. It’s not necessary to start though.
4. Find editing inspiration from other YouTube channels you enjoy.
Your editing is what makes your videos special, recognizable and memorable. Anyone can publish a video on the same topic but nobody has your personality, voice, aura or your editing style so lean into it! I recommend watching a few videos from YouTubers you enjoy and write a list of things you enjoy about how their videos are edited.
Here are a few things to pay attention to when watching other YouTube Channels:
- Intros
- B-Roll
- Fonts
- Memes
- Transitions
- The time of talking vs. the time spent doing tasks
- Background music/type of music
Once you have your list, turn your observations into your own. The goal here isn’t to copy, more so to spark ideas!
5. Have fun with it!
Starting a Youtube channel can feel very daunting at first because there is a lot that you don’t know how to do. I recommend making videos about things you’re genuinely passionate about so it feels less like a job. Even in the midst of being annoyed while editing, you’re simultaneously going to be excited because you’ve created about something you’re passionate about. I like to mix up my topics between vlogs, tips & storytelling. This helps keep my page light and fun but also allows me to talk about real life things that matter to me and will attract my target audience.
Finding your flow can take some time but you will eventually find it if you stay consistent. I view my channel as the long game and have accepted that nothing happens overnight. The more work I put in, the more it will pay off. Youtube is an evergreen platform and as time goes on, the views continue to go up. If you’re having trouble with your mindset around creating, here’s my video where I teach you have to get over your fears when creating content.
Now go create your YouTube Channel bestie! And subscribe to my channel for more tips + motivation!
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