Chapter 1 – Getting Started
Deciding to create a YouTube channel for your business is an excellent idea because it can provide you with a broader audience to build brand awareness.
With YouTube, it doesn't matter if you're an experienced business person or a new entrepreneur; you all have the same chance of success. A YouTube business channel provides an equal opportunity for everyone who has something to share with others and who are looking to make money online.
However, there are some things that you must consider before you can set up your account and start creating your first video.
You'll need to ask yourself some questions that will help you to examine your overall goals so that you can tailor your approach. You need to start off on the right track if you want your YouTube channel to be a success.
As you consider these questions, take the time to write down the answers you come up with. This can help you see things from a different perspective and can be especially helpful if you find yourself facing challenges down the road. Writing down your thoughts will also show you how far you’ve come when your YouTube channel is up and running.
Knowing the Reason Why You’re Starting Your YouTube Channel
No other factor in this process requires as much thought as this one. You have to understand why you feel like you need to establish a presence on YouTube. It is essential that you know what precisely your business is looking to accomplish and whether other video platforms can be used to achieve success. These are things that you have to consider before you dive feet first into creating videos to publish on YouTube.
Maybe you are passionate about fitness and want to make some money teaching people how to get in shape. You might already have a personal website and want to generate more traffic.
Maybe you're an expert at something and want to produce educational content in exchange for a fee. You could use your YouTube channel to advertise new and existing products to a broader and more diverse audience. These are just a few reasons why you might want to start a YouTube channel for your business.
On the flip side, you may be thinking that you just want to make a lot of money, so you never have to work again. If this is what you're thinking, then you will probably want to take some time to think things through. While a lot of people have become rich and famous off of a single video they uploaded to YouTube, it was nothing more than luck. They probably never thought they could achieve success with a single, random video. There is a lot of time and energy that goes into starting and maintaining a YouTube business channel. The secret to achieving success is doing things right and doing it often.
Determining Your Target Audience
Now that you know why you want to create a YouTube business channel, it's time to consider the audience that you want to target.
This is the step in the process that you need to develop an audience persona profile. It can help considerably if you can get more information about your target audience, including their age, gender, social status, geographical location, and preferences. If you want to make money, you can't merely go gung-ho and try to make videos tailored to everyone. You will never be able to please everyone, so it is essential that you know the type of people who will appreciate your content and who will choose to become loyal fans. If you cater to their specific content needs, they will be more willing to pay you for your efforts.
YouTube is a massive platform, so you'll want to expect some stiff competition in the niche that you choose. You need to take the time to check on whether or not there are other YouTube channels that also serve your potential audience. You can type the keyword for your niche into the search box and look at the other channels that are offering similar content.
You want to ask yourself how you will set your YouTube channel apart from the competition and what you will do differently. After doing some research, you'll be better equipped to distinguish yourself by offering what your competitors aren't. In other words, you want to give your audience a reason to subscribe to your channel instead of the competition. Keep in mind that just because a specific niche has a lot of competition, doesn't mean that you can't dive into it. Figure out how you can stand out from the crowd, and you'll find success.
If you want to establish a strong presence on YouTube and find success, then you have to make sure you are uploading videos regularly. Your channel has to have up-to-date content so that you are always on the mind of your subscribers.
Think about how often you want to upload a new video and take into account factors like the length of time it takes you to create a video. In an ideal situation, you will have enough time to make a good quality video and upload it according to your schedule.
However, you don't want to have too long of an interval between your uploads because online audiences can be extremely fickle and can forget about you quickly. The best option is to find a balance that will suit both your hectic schedule and your audience.
Equipment and Software You’ll Need
You may think that you will have to go out and buy a bunch of expensive camera equipment, like a camera and lens or lighting, but you probably have all the stuff you need already.
These days most smartphones come with a high definition camera, and most laptop computers come with inexpensive webcams that can be used for creating high-quality videos. When it comes to lighting, all you need is to place a few lamps strategically around the room to provide you with light that looks professional.
Doing a simple search for “photography lighting” on Amazon or eBay will bring you hundreds of options for lighting.
These days you don't have to spend an arm and a leg on producing high-quality videos for your YouTube channel.
One thing that you do need to consider is the editing software that you are going to use. There are plenty of options on the market that will fit your requirements, and that won't break your budget.
Do some research to determine which editing software that will be easy for you to use and that will fit in your budget.
Here are a few options:
Choosing your equipment and editing software are important decisions that you should make before you get started.
Allocating the Time to Create Your Videos
It takes a lot to make a YouTube channel successful. It isn’t just about making a single video and moving on. You also have to spend the time to promote the channel through social media,
grow your subscriber list, and engage with your audience. You need to take the time to sit down and figure out how much time you can actually allocate for building your channel and then break it down according to the necessary activities. It is essential to give each activity its due time since they are all linked. If you focus too much time on making your videos and not enough time promoting them and engaging with your audience, it will eventually cost you.
Getting started on YouTube takes a solid understanding of what it takes and a detailed plan for initiating and maintaining the channel. Taking the time beforehand will ensure you are given the best opportunity to succeed.