How To Become A Youtuber
The brainchild of Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, Youtube was invented in 2005 and is now the second most visited website in the whole world. It has given a platform and a voice to people who wish to share their creative talents and interests or even just their daily routines with people from all four corners of the world. Quite simply, it has been revolutionary. Every day hundreds of thousands of people take the daunting first step into becoming a “Youtuber” but only a fraction of those people ever hit the big time. If you are thinking about joining the ranks of the Youtube greats or simply wish to put all those fashion hauls you’ve been doing to good use, then you’re in the right place for I have made a step-by-step guide on how to become a Youtuber. Without further ado, let’s get into the video, I mean blog!
How To Become A Youtuber: Keys To Success
Before we get stuck into the guide, let’s have a look at some of the most successful current Youtube channels and try and figure out what they all have in common. Is it charisma? Mad editing skills? An enviable wardrobe? Let’s find out.
PewDiePie
Current subscriber count (March 2021): 109,594,292
Type of Content: Gaming and comedy
If you want to know how to become a youtuber you must first know the most successful ones. Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, known online as PewDiePie, is a Swedish YouTuber known primarily for his Let's Play videos and comedic formatted shows. He is the second most subscribed to channel on the platform and each of his videos gains around 5-10 million views! While there are many gaming Youtubers now, when he started in 2010, this had seldom been done. He found a gap in the market and went for it! Fast forward to July 2012 and he had amassed himself 1 million subscribers. His most popular videos are from his ‘Let’s Play’ series which documents the playthrough of a video game.
Eve Cornwell
Current subscriber count: 370k
Type of content: Law, comedy, pop culture
How to become a youtuber that everyone knows fast? Eve may be fairly new to the Youtube game but her wicked sense of humour, unapologetic nature and impressive work ethic make her an excellent Youtuber to aspire to. Just like PewDiePie, she’s found her niche and has gone for it. What’s most admirable is that she has done so in a way that is refreshing and relatable as opposed to contrived or disingenuous. Seriously, I watch her videos and she manages to make something as arguably boring as law seem like the most interesting thing in the world! Her passion for what she’s creating seems to spill from her beautifully edited videos and this is abundantly obvious in her ever-growing success.
Zoella
Current subscriber count: 11,100,000
Type of content: Beauty, fashion and lifestyle
How to become a youtuber and actually make money? Unless you’ve been living under a rock these past 10 years then I’m sure you’ve heard of Zoella. She’s so famous, she’s practically a household name these days! Real name Zoe Sugg, Zoella has had unbelievable success since she started her channel and this can be accredited to many things. She’s clearly got an eye for fashion, beauty and interior design which means her videos are not only interesting to watch but they are aesthetically pleasing too. She uploads regular content to her main channel and her blogging channel meaning fans never have to wait long to get their next Zoella fix.
What do they have in common?
They commit to the channel and have a genuine passion for creating: It isn’t just something they do when they feel like it (although this is perfectly fine as well), it is something they spend countless hours on. Nothing worthwhile ever comes easy, especially not in this day and age so if you’re going to start a Youtube channel, make sure you commit wholeheartedly to it.
They have a niche: Doing something that everyone else does means you have to do it that much better which can force you to put a lot of unnecessary pressure on yourself. It’s all about thinking outside the box and putting your own spin on things.
They upload regular content: Just like all social media platforms, a regular and routinely upload schedule is the key to gaining trust and subscribers. It’s important to keep a theme running between all your videos so subscribers know what they’re getting themselves into, but don’t forget to keep your content varied. There are only so many ASOS hauls you can do before people get bored.
They have fun! One of the major things you should remember if want to know how to become a Youtuber is that you’ve got to have fun! Find something you enjoy so that it doesn’t feel like a chore. If you’re not having fun, you could come across as disinterested or fake in your videos. While Youtube isn’t all about gaining an army of subscribers, it is nice to see people taking an interest in your content and can be an extremely rewarding experience if you’re enjoying making it at the same time.
How To Become A Youtuber: A Comprehensive Guide
Find your niche
As I mentioned above, the key to any successful Youtube channel is deciding upon a niche. If you’re thinking about starting a channel then chances are you have already found yours but if you need some inspiration, do the following. Choose a couple of related niches based on your interests and/or your expertise. For instance, a fitness YouTuber could create content about workouts and healthy eating. Not only does this ensure you’ll stay interested but it also means you’ll stay organised and attract a relevant audience.
Outline what you wish to achieve
Sit down and think about what you want to achieve through your channel so you have some direction for your videos. It will also help you have a strong and consistent start instead of trying to cover everything and anything. Do you want to be informative? Do you want to be entertaining?
Develop an upload schedule
Not only does this give your subscribers the assurance that they can count on you for new videos on the scheduled dates, it also gives you a proper timeline so you can organise your efforts and stay on track. I’d recommend starting with a weekly schedule and then if your channel takes off, you can schedule multiple uploads.
Sort out your equipment
Nobody wants to watch a video filmed on an old iPhone 6. I’m not saying splurge a tonne of money on a fancy camera, ring lights, and editing software, but definitely invest in something to ensure your content is of a decent enough quality to attract potential subscribers.
Create your channel
Now that you’ve got the basics covered, it’s time to start creating. Think of a Youtube name that is both unique and catchy. Alternatively, just use your own name if you’d like! In your “About” section, make sure you describe in detail what your channel is all about. I’d recommend using bullet points or shorter paragraphs to increase readability! Make sure to also include keywords like ‘beauty’ or ‘gaming’ so it’s easier for people to find you. Lastly, make your page as aesthetically pleasing as possible. Let your creative wings fly and choose warm, inviting colours to entice people to subscribe.
Upload your first video and learn from it
Chances are your first video isn’t going to launch your Youtube career but that doesn't mean it should be any less amazing! Choose a topic that is going to instantly make people want to subscribe and make sure it’s quintessentially you! Take note of how people are responding to it. What did they like? What perhaps didn’t work so well? Like anything in life, practice makes perfect so don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t do as well as you’d envisioned.
Have fun and keep creating!
Any Youtuber’s success story starts with them at zero subscribers. Keep creating regular content that is fun and engaging to watch and to make. Maybe even think about promoting your Youtube on your other social media channels. Word of mouth is the quickest way to become popular so if you’re struggling to gain many views, take to Instagram or Facebook!
