Most of us grew up in the beginning of the age of the internet and with that came YouTube. Growing up glued to our computer screens, the norm for most kids started with watching the likes of Miranda Sings, Shane Dawson and even Fred. Then it started turning into a career for vloggers who dedicated themselves to showing their lives to us and what they did on a day-to-day basis. Now those people enjoy life like never before and those of us who didn’t dare try before, want a piece of that pie. Now comes the time when you can give that fantasy an actual chance and see where it can take you.
Read this article to change your life by starting your YouTube journey.
How To Start…
When it comes to starting your channel, you just need to start. It may sound easier said than done but you need to establish yourself and your channel. You should begin by creating your YouTube profile. When people go watch your videos, one of the lasting impressions people will take away from you as a Youtuber will involve the way you describe yourself and what type of videos you create. So make sure to stay as authentic as possible when creating your channel. For example, a YouTube banner, bio and a profile picture will give your subscribers a better picture of you, your channel and content.
“Just start! Make videos you love, there really is no pressure at all. Make it an outlet, something you look forward to. Have fun with it. I find myself wanting to film just because I enjoy it so much,” Utah Valley University sophomore Malia Janell said.
A YouTuber herself, Malia Janell started YouTubing about three years ago. She creates vlogs about things going on in her life that she feels can help others or just bring some joy to them. Someone out there will love what you bring to the table as an entertainer. People will subscribe to your channel faster than you think when you stay true to yourself. It just takes a little bit of confidence and self-assurance that you can do it. Judgments from people will happen no matter what, so you might as well do what makes you happy and see what comes from it.
What about Equipment?
Most people that want to start a YouTube career simply don’t because they believe they need a GoPro or a tripod and a good camera. I’m here to tell you that a simple iPhone or Android will suffice. You don’t need all the gadgets that the professionals use because they didn’t start with that. Use what you need to produce the video you want. Any type of phone can do that for you.
“Start with what you have. Everything you have is all you need. Equipment doesn’t sell your content as much as you do. When you’re ready, Sony and Canon cameras are amazing for recording, but any iPhone can do the trick too,” California State University (LA) sophomore Sylvia Natty said.
Another Youtuber, Sylvia Natty started her journey on the platform while living in Kenya. She does all types of videos from makeup to days in her life. Now she lives in LA and she showcases the differences between her life there and in Kenya. Just like her, we all need to start somewhere and most of us start from scratch. This honestly makes you more relatable because your viewers will see that you just want to showcase your passion. When the time comes, get the cameras that you want to spruce up your video quality a bit. In the end, your personality through your videos brings and keeps viewership, not the quality of the video.
Editing
Whatever videos you plan on making for your channel will most likely involve editing them before you post. Editing seems daunting at first when you don’t really know what to do or understand how everything works. However, you shouldn’t let that stop you from producing videos. You can find plenty of resources out in the world for you and you should take it as a learning curve. Learning something like this, even just the basics, will only make you better as a creator.
“I used iMovie at first and then I went on to DaVinci Resolve. But I learned all of it on YouTube,” Pace University Alum Lyena Sky said.
Lyena Sky started her YouTube career about a year ago. She mainly uploads videos about makeup, shopping hauls and her life as a model. But sometimes she throws in a few daily vlogs and workout videos as well. Amid learning everything else about YouTube life, editing began as a learning curve for her too. As she mentioned earlier though, she learned everything she needed to know through YouTube. If you really want, you can learn just about anything you need on YouTube as much as you would anywhere else. YouTube can help show you everything you probably need to master when it comes to editing. If you prefer to go outside of the box, no problem, I’m sure someone on your school’s campus could answer your questions. Otherwise you can just download an editing software of your choosing and learn as you go.
Views, Subscriptions and Being Liked
In YouTube life, for you to get more views, you need more than a few people to watch your videos. Not to say you need thousands of people to watch what you put out in the beginning, however, without those views it makes it that much harder for you in the long run if you want this as a full-time career. Keep in mind that those views and subscriptions help get you recognized and then paid and you need to aim for that. You shouldn’t worry about money at first because money won’t always come your way. When you go about this journey it should start with you and your desires and what you want people to see. When you put yourself out there and show your vulnerability for the world to see, you essentially allow their judgments and comments into your life, but you should ignore those. In the end, by them watching and hating, they still give you those views and that only helps you.
“I try to remind myself not to get too caught up with numbers. I stick to the main reason why I started my channel – to create videos I’m truly passionate about. [I like to] document memories for me to look back on (vlogs) that hopefully also bring value to others,” University of Bath Alum Kylie Siow said.
Kylie Siow does a mixture of lifestyle, vlogs and a few room makeovers thrown in there. She knows when it comes to the views and what people say, you should always keep in mind that as much hate as you might get, you will get even more love back tenfold. I’m sure that your close circle of friends and family will support your channel and career. Make sure you show it to them first because they will boost your viewership among others. This creates buzz for you because these people, who already love and support you, only want the best for you. When it comes to comments, just because you allow them into your life does not mean you need to listen.
“I try not to let them affect me because I know that there is a deeper reason why that person wrote that negative comment in the first place. However, if the person’s comment is negative but constructive, I will answer it to address the issue,” Sky said.
Don’t worry too much about what people say because their intentions usually don’t come from the best place. So worry about making sure what you create resembles the person that you want to see when you watch your videos back. Our worst critics live right inside our brains, you already criticize yourself enough. Don’t let random people on the internet criticize you even further. The content you put out should only please one person. If you approve of what you put on the internet knowing how people will perceive you, the views and subscriptions will fall into place.
Work, Work, Work
Every job comes with pros and cons. The pros of a YouTuber outweigh the cons. The perks include all-expenses paid travel, brand deals from your favorite places and getting to meet other influencers and even celebrities. On top of all that, not only do you get paid while doing it, but you get to enjoy the fun atmosphere and the people around you while making friends and connections for future opportunities. However, all this only comes after the hard work.
“It takes a LOT of time running a YouTube channel. Aside from filming, editing takes up most of the time. If you want to grow your channel you need to be prepared to put in the hours to create quality work,” Siow said.
This job will make you learn very quickly that no one will hold you accountable for anything except you, especially when first starting. You need the self-discipline to gain the success you want, otherwise, people might not see your content because they can’t find it or you don’t upload enough of it. That means your numbers will go down. Malia Janelle suggests that you should start within your inner circle, especially on your social media. Those who already follow you will most likely watch the videos you put out as I mentioned before. Make sure you hold yourself accountable to get the job done so you can reap the benefits of it.
