These days, any business needs to be present on the Internet. A YouTube channel provides businesses with a strategic boost in sales, traffic, authority, and brand recognition, all contributing to overall business growth and success. Read this article to find out how to start your YouTube channel from scratch and get all these benefits.
Competitor and Niche Research for Finding Video Ideas
Before diving headfirst into the world of YouTube, it’s important to conduct comprehensive competitor and niche research. Investigating your industry’s landscape will help you understand what content resonates with your potential audience and, equally, what doesn’t.
You can analyze competitors manually, but it is better to use special services such as vidIQ, TubeBuddy, or the YouTube research tab. These tools allow you to get more detailed information about YouTube channels, which in turn allows you to analyze and compare them correctly.
Look at what kind of videos your competitors are producing and observe their video style, length, frequency, and engagement. After analyzing your competitors, you will understand what type of content is inherent in your niche. It may be:
- a short video;
- a talking head video;
- user-generated video;
- vlog-style video;
- online podcast;
- offline podcast;
- customer testimonials;
- interview.
Before moving on to the next stage, it’s important to understand the differences in the production process of different types of content.
For example, to shoot an offline video podcast, you need to buy all the necessary equipment and set up your studio, while to create a user-generated video, you just have to find a good person who can record it.
Choosing and Buying Equipment
The choice of equipment is a very important stage because the quality of your video depends on the equipment you choose. However, you also need to be clear about your needs and not buy a $3000 camera if your content creation needs can be filled with $0 by your iPhone camera.
To avoid mistakes and save your budget, you can order a free strategic call from VORTEX.video, and we will explain to you what equipment is suitable for creating your content.
Video Equipment:
Depending on your budget and the type of video, your video equipment might range from a smartphone with a good camera to a professional DSLR or mirrorless camera, but remember that good lighting is just as important as a high-quality camera. A ring light or a basic LED light kit can do wonders for your video quality.
However, it’s difficult to explain in one article what equipment is needed to produce each type of video, so below are links to articles that will be useful when choosing video equipment for each type of video.
- How to choose a camera for a video podcast. [in progress]
- How to choose a camera for a talking head video. [in progress]
- How to choose a camera for a vlog-style video. [in progress]
Sound Equipment:
Keep in mind that in most cases, the built-in microphone on your recording device won’t be sufficient. Consider investing in a quality external microphone. Different types of video require different types of microphones, so you should choose a microphone based on the specifics of your content. However, some microphones will work in most cases.
The most versatile option is the Rode Wireless GO II Dual Channel Wireless Microphone System ($350), which is suitable for almost all types of video. It works up to 200 meters away, and your audio can be recorded on 2 separate audio tracks and saved directly to your SD card.
If you want to set up a top-level studio and have the resources to do so, we recommend the Shure SM7b dynamic microphone ($393). This device will cover absolutely all your studio needs, but it is important to know that you need an audio interface to connect microphones of this level.
We recommend the Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen ($200) as the most popular and reliable audio interface on the market. To use the audio interface, you will need special software. Usually, it is already built-in, but if you need it, you can buy a subscription to Adobe Audition, which will cost you $20 per month.
If you need to set up a studio but don’t have a big budget, there is a solution! You can choose HyperX QuadCastS ($140) or Blue Yeti USB Microphone ($159) and get high-quality studio sound recordings for an affordable price. For all microphones you will need a boom arm, they usually cost and can be bought separately or in a set.
Lighting equipment:
The next significant aspect of creating high-quality video content is investing in appropriate lighting equipment. The lighting quality can dramatically impact the overall visual appeal and professionalism of your videos.
You should choose lighting equipment based on the type of content and budget. For some simple types of content, circular light may be enough. But for most types of video, it is better to use LED lighting kits.
It is also important to be able to correctly place and use light. You can learn about it by watching the video below.
Setting Up the Recording Location
Choose a suitable location: Your room should be as quiet as possible, free from outside noise such as traffic, birds, and air conditioners. It should be spacious enough for your equipment and participants (if applicable), with some room to move around.
Position Your Equipment Correctly: Your microphone should be placed at a comfortable distance from where you’ll be speaking or performing. If you’re filming, make sure your camera is positioned at a good angle and height.
Background: Make sure the background is suitable for your recording. For video, the background should be clean, uncluttered, and not distract from the subject. Use studio lighting to make your video look more professional and expensive. To learn more about how to set up your studio, watch the video below.
Planning the Channel Budget
When launching a YouTube channel, you need to understand that this is a very time-consuming and costly process. It is very important to figure out the cost of this project in advance to avoid problems in the future. To begin with, let’s break down all expenses into two groups:
One-time:
Video and audio recording equipment: the quality of your video content directly depends on your camera.A channel design: Your channel must make a good impression on visitors.
Permanent:
Posting: No matter how good and attractive your video is, if it’s not properly posted and optimized, it will hardly succeed. Choose only professional services. If the production of your content requires it, hire a videographer, it will save you a lot of time and effort in future post-production costs: video editing should be delegated exclusively to professionals because a good video editor can turn a bad video into a good one, as well as a good video into a perfect one.Video thumbnails: The success of your video largely depends on the thumbnails as they are often responsible for the number of clicks on your video.
But the best way to properly budget your YouTube channel and not lose your money is to consult with professionals in this area. If you need help with creating a YouTube channel, you can reserve a free strategy call from VORTEX.video, where our expert will help you make a plan for creating the YouTube channel of your dreams.
Learning How to Record Video or Hiring a Videographer
Whether you choose to record the videos yourself or hire a professional will depend on your budget, the complexity of your videos, and the time you have available. If you opt to do it yourself, there are plenty of online tutorials and courses that can help you learn the basics of video recording.
If you need help with video recording, but your budget doesn’t allow you to hire a professional, you can hire a student and get a good result for less money.
Find Your Video Editor or Hire a Team
When everything is ready for recording, you’ll need to decide if you want to edit the videos yourself or hire a professional editor. At this point, it is worth noting that you are creating a BUSINESS YouTube channel. So, you should organize all the processes related to it as business processes.
Don’t edit your videos on your own. In doing so, you will waste a lot of time and end up with low-quality videos. It’s better to delegate video editing to professionals because a skilled video editor can turn even a medium-quality video into a good product that will be competitive in your niche.
You can read an article about how to choose the best video editing option for your needs at the link below [ How to hire the best video editor for your project and what to look for ]
Setting Up Your YouTube Channel
Once you’re ready to go live, here’s how to set up your YouTube channel:
If you don’t already have one, you’ll need to create a Google account, as it’s necessary for setting up a YouTube channel.
To create a Google account you should to the Google account creation page.
Enter your information in the provided fields, including name, desired email address, password, and phone number for verification. Click “Next” to complete the process. After this, you are ready to create a new YouTube channel. Navigate to YouTube, sign in using your Google account, and create a new channel.
SEO Optimization is also important. Ensure your channel is easily discoverable by using relevant keywords in your channel description and video tags. This will help improve your visibility on YouTube’s search engine.
Here is a brief guide on how to set up SEO for your YouTube channel:
Channel Keywords:
Add relevant keywords that represent your business and the content you produce on your channel. Go to ‘Settings’ -> ‘Channel’ -> ‘Advanced’ and fill in the ‘Keywords’ box.
Channel Description:
Write a comprehensive and keyword-rich description for your channel. This can be done under the ‘About’ section of your channel.
Closed Captions (CC):
Enable automatic generation of closed captions in the settings. It can improve accessibility and boost your SEO, as it provides more text for YouTube to index.
Playlists:
Create playlists using keyword-rich titles and descriptions. This can help group your videos and increase your content’s discoverability.
Customize the Channel:
Personalize your channel with a brand logo, cover image, and a compelling ‘About’ section. This helps in creating a professional impression and a consistent brand identity. Remember that channels with high-quality designs always attract more viewers.
Remember that SEO takes time. Be patient and consistently apply these strategies to see improvement.
Posting the First Video
Once your channel is set up, you’re ready to post your first video. Remember to create an eye-catching thumbnail and optimize your video’s SEO by using relevant keywords in the video title, description, and tags. Uploading closed captions for your videos can also boost your SEO, as it provides more text for YouTube to index
To make sure your video is properly optimized, you can double-check it according to this checklist:
title;shared on Facebook;description;pinned comment;end screens;high-Res Thumbnail;tags;public;cards;hearted comment.
If all the points are met, your video is optimized correctly and has a good chance to find its target audience. Below you can see an example of good video optimization.
You can see the information in the image above only if you have the vidIQ browser extension installed. VidIQ is a comprehensive YouTube channel management and video optimization toolkit. It’s essential for understanding viewer behavior, boosting visibility, and increasing engagement on your YouTube videos.
They also have a free Online Academy for beginner YouTubers, so you can join them if you want.
Improving the Cost-Effectiveness of Your Channel
After releasing a few videos, evaluate the overall cost of producing a single video. If the costs are too high, consider ways to optimize the process.
You might be surprised how tweaking small things, like improving your video editor’s workflow, can make a significant difference in production costs. So constantly improve and optimize your approach to content creation.
Summary
Choosing the right camera for recording a solo video podcast comes down to your specific needs and budget constraints. The process of running a YouTube channel requires consistency, discipline, creativity, and constant optimization.
Continually seeking new ideas, exploring different types of content, and fine-tuning your production process are the keys to success in this ever-evolving platform.
The journey may seem daunting, but with the right approach, your business can reap immense benefits from having a well-managed YouTube presence.
Summary
The process of running a YouTube channel requires consistency, discipline, creativity, and constant optimization.
Continually seeking new ideas, exploring different types of content, and fine-tuning your production process are the keys to success in this ever-evolving platform.
The journey may seem daunting, but with the right approach, your business can reap immense benefits from having a well-managed YouTube presence.
