Do you know that you should be using YouTube better and have no idea where to start? Or maybe you have a channel, but nobody really watches?
YouTuber Roger Wakefield provides some tips and tricks to create a channel that will support your business and grow a community of subscribers.
Where to start when creating a YouTube channel
Anybody can start a YouTube channel. In fact, if you have a Gmail account you already can start uploading videos to YouTube now.
What equipment should you use?
No matter where you start, there is always room to grow. You don’t need fancy camera equipment and lighting right away. Roger suggests starting with what you have and growing as you can. Keeping an open mind and always learning to improve is essential to your success.
Most smartphones have a great camera, and you can use a window with natural lighting, at first. You can check out our handy Amazon list of live streaming equipment, but remember you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get decent video quality.
The use of a cellphone, a ring light, and a microphone is close to what professionals use. Audio should be your first investment. You can get a great microphone that plugs into your cell phone without having to make a big investment.
Realize that you are making content to bring value to who is watching it. Create content that people are looking for.
How to Look Great on Camera
Make sure you look directly at the camera when you are talking so that viewers feel you are talking directly to them. This invites viewers in and creates personal relationships. Saying “you” and looking the viewers in the eye creates the feeling of trust.
Pro Tip: Find the camera lens on your phone and mark just above it with a small piece of tape so that you know exactly where to look (don’t cover the lens).
Standing up during videos is another way to show engagement. It keeps your energy up which is necessary to maintain the interest of viewers and helps them feel you are focused on them. This might feel awkward at first, but you should find it becomes more comfortable over time.
How to Edit Your Videos
Editing your videos is necessary but may seem the most difficult obstacle for some when starting their channel. There are several ways to approach this challenge.
You can outsource the work via video editors (e.g. locally at a university), or through a service like Upwork.
If you would like to do it yourself, you can take a course to develop your editing skills. There are a wealth of videos and books out there, as well. Roger Wakefiled suggests Sean Cannell’s book: “YouTube Secrets” as a great start to learning the world of a YouTube channel. It teaches the basics about how to invest in yourself and how to grow and improve.
Below is a link to the book, “YouTube Secrets”:
Growing a community
Growing a community is crucial when starting a channel. Here are some ways that Roger suggests when trying to grow a community.
- Get your name out there. Utilize other platforms to spread the word about your channel.
- To begin to grow a following count, you need to be consistent in your posting. You will start to watch your numbers go up as people continue to watch your videos. Creating consistent content that people can search for under a certain topic will help grow your channel.
- Promote your videos. Whether you share your content on social media apps or find other ways to further your videos, promoting your videos can help increase the number of visitors to your channel.
Building relationships and value to your audience will bring users back to your channel to continue to watch your videos. Finding people with like-minded interests that could potentially share your videos can also increase your viewers. Invest in yourself and invest in your business.
The importance of thumbnails
Thumbnails are pictures that create a preview of the video. They are very important because it is the first thing viewers see when coming across your videos. They are there to catch your attention.
The two most important things for your YouTube channel are your thumbnail and your video title. Your thumbnail needs to tell viewers what the video is about. Adding words and colors are some ways to catch people’s attention. Create a thumbnail that is interesting enough that people want to click on it. Think about what the viewer will be seeing when they come across your video. The title should say exactly what the video is about so people know what they are watching.
More about Roger Wakefield
Roger Wakefield, LEEDAP, has built a popular YouTube channel, all about plumbing, with 234k subscribers and over 2 million video views. In addition to running his successful plumbing business in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, he works with residential service companies to generate more revenue through social media and connect with their future and current customers. He turns technicians and owners into “Trusted Advisors” that are generating massive revenue for their companies.