How to Start a YouTube Channel


how to start a youtube channel

Starting a Youtube channel is an exciting way to earn money while creating valuable content for followers. Running a successful YouTube channel entails several different things, including using high-quality equipment, engaging with followers, and building your online presence. We’ll go through how to start a YouTube channel and make money from it for this article.

Why You Should Start a YouTube Channel

There are many reasons why you should start a YouTube channel, and it can add a lot of value for you. Let’s look at some of the top reasons why you should consider starting a YouTube channel.

  1. Earn money: A YouTube channel can be a good source of income, and you can start earning money through making videos.
  2. Build your brand: If you’re just starting to build a digital social media presence, a YouTube channel is a great way to reach your target market and create a web presence for your brand.
  3. Content distribution method: Videos are one of the most effective ways to deliver and distribute content and make more of an impact with users.
  4. More personal: If you’re looking to connect with followers on a deeper level and establish a personal connection, a brand account for your YouTube helps with that.

How Much Money do You Need to Start a YouTube Channel?

How much money you invest in starting a YouTube channel depends on what kind of equipment you get. Video equipment can cost anywhere from $1,o00, and up based on what you purchase. So before you create a YouTube channel, researching equipment such as cameras, mics, ring lights, and more can help you budget for your new channel.

How to Start a YouTube Channel and Make Money for Beginners: 17 Simple Steps

If you’re ready to join the ranks of successful YouTubers with your own channel, this is a great time. We’ll highlight some key tips to keep in mind for your YouTube videos and help position your YourTube channel for maximum success.

1. Sign Up for a YouTube Account

Before you start creating videos, you’ll first need to sign up for a YouTube account. You will need a Google account to do so, and it’s a quick and easy process to create your channel.

2. Create a New YouTube Channel

Once you’ve created your YouTube account, you’ll create a new YouTube channel by clicking on your profile picture on the top of the screen. You’ll see two options, one for a personal channel and a business channel. The key difference between the two is that a personal account is meant for one individual, while a business channel allows multiple devices to log in and manage the YouTube brand account.

3. Choose a Niche and Know Your Target Audience

Now that your channel is ready, it’s time to start thinking about content. Think about what kind of videos you want to create and who would benefit the most from watching your YouTube video. Establishing a niche is crucial for attracting followers and ensuring that your audience will engage with your content. There are many YouTube channel business ideas, and choosing the right niche will help start on the right foot.

4. Brand Your Channel

YouTube has a lot of options once you click ‘Customize channel,’ so it’s definitely worth taking advantage of it all. Think of a channel name and add channel art, including materials such as adding a channel banner image, cover photo, channel icon, profile picture, and a video watermark on your YouTube content.

5. Fill in the About Section

The About section is essentially a channel description and how viewers find your channel when using search engines. Based on your niche and content, you can write a succinct description that tells viewers who you are and what your YouTube videos will focus on.

Some important points to include:

  1. Your name
  2. Background
  3. Expertise
  4. Location
  5. Brief video content description
  6. Add links to other social networks you are on

6. Purchase the Necessary Equipment

Video production equipment will play a significant role in the success of your YouTube channel since they help increase the quality of videos.

Consider purchasing equipment such as:

  1. A high-quality camera
  2. Good microphone
  3. Ring light and additional lighting
  4. Video editing software
  5. Tripod
  6. Additional lens
  7. Laptop or computer
  8. Additional memory cards and storage

7. Download Editing Software

Editing software is a necessary tool for any YouTube video, which is why it’s important to invest in it before you begin to upload videos. Editing software helps make your videos smoother, cleaner and removes fillers, gaps, or errors that might occur during shooting. You can also use video editing software to add visual elements and background music as needed.

Popular video editing software include:

8. Create a Channel Trailer

A channel trailer is a short snippet video that tells viewers more about your content. For example, you can include clips from your first videos or record a small clip where you welcome users to your YouTube channel and tell them more about yourself. If you’re not sure how to create a channel trailer, you can look at other YouTube channels and other YouTubers for inspiration.

9. Start Creating YouTube Videos and Post Your First Video

Once you have everything set up, it’s time to record your first video! Make sure to structure it out beforehand on what you want to cover, how long you want to talk about the topic, and where you’ll be filming. Once you’ve finished recording, you’re ready to upload your first video!

10. Optimize Your Channel for Search and SEO

After uploading your videos, it’s essential to make your content easier to find. YouTube search results are often difficult to decode, but the goal is to optimize parts of your video to make it search engine friendly and capture prime real estate in search results.

Title: Make sure your video title is clear and descriptive around the content the video contains

Tags: Tag your video with relevant tags to make the content discoverable when users search for specific things

Relevant Keywords: Identify and include target keywords related to your content in your title and video descriptions

11. Create a Content Plan

Having a regular upload schedule will help increase your subscriber count, and a content plan helps accomplish that. Map out your posting schedule for at least 1-2 months in advance, including when what topics you want to cover, when you’ll record, and when videos need to be edited and uploaded.

12. Post Regular Video Content

To ensure users engage with your content, post a new video regularly. Users want to see fresh and relevant content, and it’s what encourages them to subscribe and engage with you when you create a YouTube channel.

13. Study Your Analytics

YouTube gives you valuable data on how your video is performing and who your demographics are. Studying this data and creating content accordingly is another way to increase your subscriber count. It can also give you insight into the best times to post for your audience to increase engagement and will help you build your YouTube channel further.

14. Set Your Channel Up for Monetization

One of the most common questions is how much do YouTubers make? And the answer varies greatly based on subject, the number of viewers and subscribers to name a few. There are a few different ways to earn revenue with a YouTube channel. The first method is to work with brands to create sponsored content and affiliate programs. Every time users use your link to purchase, you will get a commission. The other way to earn revenue is through YouTube monetization. Essentially, you can make money every time users view YouTube ads while watching your video. You can go into YouTube settings to program YouTube ads to appear before or during your video, and you earn a percentage when someone watches the ads.

However, YouTube monetization comes with some requirements. You must live in a region where the YouTube partner program is available, and your channel must be in good standing. Your videos must also have a certain amount of public watch hours (about 4,000) in the last year, and you must have at least 1,000 subscribers.

15. Engage with Your Audience

Building your YouTube community helps you get the most success from your channel. Engaging with your audience creates a connection with them, which increases views, likes, comments, and subscriptions. You can engage with your audience by responding to their video comments, asking them questions during the video they can answer in comments, and creating a space for users to interact with one another.

16. Get Social

Success on YouTube is very much dependent on your presence on other social media platforms. You can promote your videos and channel using social media accounts like Facebook and Instagram and use social media management tools to automate posts. You can also write a blog post about your video and upload it to your site as another way for users to find it. Collaborating with YouTube influencers is also another way to optimize your social networks.

17. Build Your Audience and Have a Successful YouTube Channel

Building your audience and creating a successful YouTube channel is all about regularly uploading, engaging with your YouTube community, and creating relevant content your subscribers enjoy. You can also look at other creators and similar videos to get inspiration and understand how to improve your channel to make it as successful as possible.

Image: Depositphotos



Myra Nizami Myra Nizami is a staff writer for Small Business Trends and has been with the team for 3 years. She is also a freelance writer and researcher with a Bachelor's degree from Cornell University and a Master's from Kings College London.