The world of YouTube is a weird and wonderful place. Filled with talent, pranks and tutorials, there’s something for everyone. In fact, the roaring success of YouTube has opened pathways for the lucky ones to make a lucrative career entertaining and educating the world.

So if you have a video editing workstation or laptop and love wild adventures, brand partnerships, pranks and subscribers, stay tuned as this blog shows you how to become a successful Youtuber. 

1. Choose an audience  

It’s important to know who you are targeting and what type of content you want to make. Popular categories include everyday life vlogs, fashion and makeup tutorials as well as product unboxing and reviews. It is advisable to ensure your content is something that you are passionate about or have the expertise for as you will have to make constant new material to keep engaging your subscribers. Some YouTubers have started with a niche and then broadened their niches as they gain subscribers to appeal to everyone and create more content opportunities. 

With 437,000 Subscribers, Ashley Brooke started making videos with all things fashion and makeup, she has in recent years started posting about fitness, house hunting and life updates with her boyfriend. 

Finding a niche will also attract brands and partnerships of people who want to advertise on your channel. This is how most YouTubers make their money.

2. Develop a content schedule

Developing a content schedule gives you a chance to brainstorm ideas and prepare for future videos. You don’t want to run out of ideas after a few months so you should be looking for new inspirations. Look at other YouTubers in your niche for inspiration and adapt them to your style. 

A common practice for YouTubers is to publish a video at the same time every week. This gives your subscribers something to look forward to and a deadline to make sure you have your content filmed and edited. Some YouTubers like Tati used this to create a banner so they can advertise to their subscribers. 

Once you become more established and comfortable with the process, you can start upping your output. Some YouTubers post the main video on a weekday and then run a giveaway campaign or tutorial on the weekend as an extra. You don’t want to become overwhelmed so it is important to stay organised and realistic in what content you can create in the period of time. 

A top tip for thinking of new ideas could be to ask your subscribers in the comments what they want to see. This will help your content stay relevant with your audience and increase your content opportunities. 

3. Optimise your Youtube Account

It’s commonly forgotten that YouTube is in fact a search engine, just like Google or Bing. In order to do this, you need to use keywords in your video titles and descriptions related to your page and content. You can start by typing keywords into the Youtube search bar and see what words show. 

Another great way is by finding what keywords other creators in your niche are targeting. This is a key indicator of what you should be using in your titles, descriptions and categories. 

It is also important to make your profile fit your aesthetic. Some YouTubers have a selfie as their profile picture or a personalised logo. It is also important to design good quality thumbnails and cover photos. It is important to ensure these are high quality to promote your channel and to attract new subscribers. 

If you aren’t too artistically inclined, you can work with freelance graphic designers to design your logo and cover photo or a photographer to take some good profile pictures. 

4. Get the right equipment 

To create good quality content, you will need to invest in a good quality camera or video recorder for clear and crisp footage and audio. Your next important step is to ensure you have a fast computer or laptop with lots of storage to upload your videos to YouTube and to store future content. 

Finally, you need to invest in good video editing software. Most YouTubers use iMovie or Adobe Premiere Pro but you can use inexpensive ones such as Window Movie Maker or Filmora. 

There are loads of free tutorials on how to edit your content to make a great video. 

How do I make money as a YouTuber 

Once you’ve got the knack of making great videos and gaming some subscribers you can actually start to monetise your videos. Once you have 1,000 subscribers, you can join the YouTube Partners Programme in which you make money on the number of views you get. The money is made through advertisements and there are two ways to earn money: 

  1.  CPM (cost per thousand views): The viewer must watch the video for longer than 30 seconds. You earn approximately $18 per 1000 views. 
  2. CPC (cost per click): Money is earned by viewers clicking on the video. 

You can deposit your money into your bank account once you have earned $100. Another way you can make money is through attracting brand sponsorships where they may pay you to recommend or review their product. These can be a lucrative way to earn money. 

With time and dedication, you can make a secure living from being a YouTuber. At current, the highest-earning YouTuber is Ryan Kaji who is estimated to be worth $29.5 million.

Summary 

Becoming a YouTuber can be a fun hobby or even a full-time career. It is important to spend time investing in your content, keywords and profile to make sure you are attracting the right audience who will love your content. Having the right equipment is important for making good quality content and editing your videos. Happy YouTubing!

Author: Emily Johnson has a passion for music and film. She can be found at Tillison Consulting as a Digital Campaign Manager working with clients from different sectors and campaigns to help with all their Digital Marketing needs.