What I've Learned (So Far) About Starting a Youtube Channel
Not Everyone is Going to Like You
Want to know the fastest way to trigger my anxiety? Tell me that someone doesn't like me. My heart begins to race, knots form in my stomach, and all I can think about is how fast I can run away. A single dislike on my Youtube videos can make me crumble with self-doubt to the point that I consider deleting all of my social media accounts and never leaving my house again. But do you know what I eventually tell myself? "It's time to move on." The more I put myself out on the internet, the more I've come to the conclusion that someone, somewhere will not like me or my writing and that's fine. The important thing is that you take pride in your work.
Be Humble
Being humble is something I personally believe needs to be injected more into everyones day to day life. The people watching your videos deserve your respect and appreciation. Don't let viewership go to your head. Instead, be grateful for everyone you've met. Always say thank you! And try to respond to every comment if you can. It's an opportunity for you to connect with the people taking the time out of their day to watch you!
Learn to Laugh At Yourself
This is probably the key to being online. Have fun! It's easy to get twisted up in feeling subconscious and stupid. I can't tell you how many times I've considered deleting an entire video because I thought it be embarrassing. You know what? Those are some of my most popular videos. Being genuine and unafraid will be your guiding star. Experiment! Create! Do something wacky! Don't hold back because you might look like a fool. A large piece to creating art is making yourself vulnerable. Break outside of your comfort zone and see where it takes you. You're never going to be perfect and there is nothing wrong with that.
Start Simple & Learn How to Use what you have Well
Do you know what I haven't done? I haven't invested money in tons of state of the art equipment. My channel is far too small to be doing that. Do you know what I use to record? My iPhone. YES! I use my phone. My parents lent me a tripod and we found a way to hook up a phone mount to it. It's a bit janky, but it gets the job done! My parents also gifted me a cute little clip on microphone that I need to test out. What I'm getting at is that start with the tools you have in front of you. I edit my videos on iMovie, a program that came with my computer. Is it the fanciest? No! Am I learning everything I can about it? Yes! Watch how-to videos. Read articles! Soak in everything you can about editing. I use the free version of PicMonkey to make cute thumbnails (They have a template for Youtube thumbnails so you'll have the right size!) and it works perfectly!
Finally, take your time. Write thoughtful scripts. Do your research on your topics. Learn and grow. Don't be in a rush to make everything fancy. I'm only just getting the hang of all of this.
I hope these tips can help you step into the world of Youtube. Let me know if you start a channel! I'd love to be your first subscriber!
Until Next Time!
Xoxo
