My Top YouTube Tips To Keep In Mind Before Starting a Channel

YouTube and Other Platforms Are What’s Happening in the World Now

So, you want to be a YouTuber.

I see a lot of people online asking and answering the question “How do I start a YouTube channel?” or “How do I grow my YouTube channel?”

When I was growing up, I wanted to be a blogger or a website designer. I loved computers and I had a knack for writing. That’s probably because I came up as computers were coming up.

Over the years I’ve designed dozens of my own sites, helped businesses with theirs, and even had my own YouTube gaming channel for a while in my early 20s.

Now kids are coming up as platforms are coming up, and a lot of them have the dream of being an influencer. The bad news is that not everyone can make it as an influencer. The good news is that it’s easier than ever to start a YouTube channel or another online profile.

So if you’re trying to be an influencer on YouTube, a “YouTuber”, here are some tips for your channel.

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YouTube Tip #1: Be Yourself and Create Valuable YouTube Video Content

This seems like two tips, but they really are just one in the same. As long as you are being your authentic self, you’ll be creating valuable content. If you have a passion for something, then that passion comes through and you’ll be doing nothing but improving with each new video you post to your YouTube Channel.

I like playing video games and I like having content on the internet. You know what I don’t care too much for? Talking to myself or editing videos. Especially when I have to edit those videos after talking for an hour or two of playing games. It’s a lot to sift through, it’s a lot of dialogue to keep running.

Just because I like playing video games and sharing content doesn’t mean I needed to have a YouTube gaming channel. I didn’t have the passion for it and that’s why I quit. I had somewhere in the ballpark of 40 videos posted, subscribers in the teens, and I had made $3.84.

I quit because I wasn’t making any money on YouTube, and that’s why I started posting videos in the first place. It was the wrong dream to chase. What I should have been doing was writing video game reviews, which I do now. As a matter of fact, I could have recorded video game reviews and it would have been much better for me. Not so much talking or editing required.

As an example of someone being their authentic self and creating valuable content, I’ll throw in the very recently booming channel “Lets Go Fishing with Andy”. Not grammatically correct, but amazing content. I forget where it was, but I saw a post about someone going through channels that didn’t have a lot of views, and that’s when they found Andy.

Once they posted about it, his YouTube channel exploded with followers. This man has been fishing and posting for a long time for the pure love of it. He wasn’t in it for the money, and now he can make a lot of it if he wants to. That’s how it should be.

I was elated that I had even a handful of subscribers, and I was so proud to have my videos available to the world, but I couldn’t take the grind because I didn’t have the passion for the process. I was in it for the money. So I suppose that’s what leads me to my second tip.

YouTube Tip #2: Don’t Create a YouTube Channel for the Money

Obviously everyone would like to turn their passion into a source of income, and YouTube is an amazing platform for doing so. Just make sure that you’re making the type of videos that you would make if you only had an audience.

Take money out of the equation and then you’ll come up with the kind of ideas that actually serve people. Forget algorithms and trends and fake personas that grab all the attention. Share the information that you feel the world needs to know, no matter what, every single time. If it doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not right.

Just like my previous example of Andy, the subscribers will come. There were already some people subscribed to that YouTube Channel before it blew way up just within the last few months. That will happen as long as you keep creating valuable content when you can and don’t give up.

Chase your audience. Don’t chase money.

YouTube Tip #3: Invest in Yourself and Your YouTube Channel

When you’re posting video content to YouTube, remember that almost anyone can do it, but not everyone can do it well. Here are some things you’re gonna need:

• Quiet Place to Record
• Quality Microphone
• Video Editing Software

These are the must-haves when starting a YouTube channel. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve skipped out on a video because as soon as I started it I could tell there was little to no effort put forth. Some people just set up their phone and talk. It’s nonsense, and as soon as you sound like you’re talking from far away, I’m out, son. Get the microphone.

It would also seem that some people believe that — if they put up a video that has a beginning, middle, and end — their job is done as soon as recording is over. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go to YouTube now and search for “any car part + repair + any make and model” and you will find a plethora of shakey, endless videos where it takes forever to get to the point.

John the car repair guy, who doesn’t work as a mechanic, but owns this car, would like to show you how to replace this headlight. But first he wants to tell you all about the troubles he’s had with this car and what his day was like. Then his dog comes by and he pets it and introduces it. Then he fumbles his way under the hood and shoves his phone down in there and starts his sentence with “I don’t know if ya’ll can see it, but…”

Please…edit your videos. If your audience isn’t there because they are a fan of your day’s events, get to the point.

YouTube Tip #4: Use YouTube Shorts

It’s a relatively new addition to YouTube, probably because of the rise of TikTok, but everyone should take full advantage of it in growing their channel.

I’d prefer to see a day where YouTube is full of high-quality Shorts that contain actual information, rather than sitting in the break room at work and hearing the same damn music clip over and over again from some dude’s phone, and just knowing there’s some dumb dance happening.

Aside from my own selfish interests in wanting it to take over, I believe that YouTube Shorts can help you succeed. It’s pretty obvious that shorter content is where the market is headed. It’s why TikTok got so popular in the first place. It certainly has its downsides, but people soak it up.

If I had to employ a tactic for a YouTube channel that made longer video content, I’d use YouTube Shorts as a way to post short excerpts or a quick breakdown of the content while linking back to the main video. I’m sure that’s what most people do if they’re not posting Shorts exclusively.

Channels that use YouTube Shorts are getting subscribers faster than those that don’t.

YouTube Tip #5: Don’t Make YouTube Your Only Platform

It’s never safe to put all your eggs in one basket. Everyone has heard that, yet a lot of people do it anyway.

Make sure that your channel’s subscribers know where they can find you if your account gets flagged, demonetized, or taken down. These things happen. Sometimes it’s a mistake, sometimes the wrong thing is said, sometimes the world’s circumstances make your content suddenly offensive.

I can’t imagine building an entire YouTube following and earning my income from it, only to have it stripped away overnight. You should always have something to fall back on.

You could start a website, use other social media platforms, or have an email list your subscribers can join for updates. This way you always have a way to get in touch if something happens or you need to move platforms.

If I was a YouTuber, I would start a newsletter for my subscribers. That way you’ve got direct access that no one can take away from you. If you have to start a new channel for any reason or post content somewhere else, your followers can follow (as the name implies).

Now Venture Forth and Be a YouTuber

You have all the expert advice you need. You’ll never need any other advice on your YouTube channel or video content, so don’t even bother looking. Just go start your channel or continue to grow the one you have. You’re set.

I’m kidding, of course. My final, bonus YouTube tip — always continue to learn and grow. This isn’t just advice for your YouTube channel, it’s life advice. It’s also the toughest tip to follow.

Be yourself and never stop learning, and you’ll live a life worthy of subscribing to.

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