In this step by step guide, I’m going to walk you through exactly how you can become a Youtuber.
We’ll look at areas such as Youtube’s history, how you can make money from Youtube and how it’s changed over the years.
Before we look at how to become a YouTuber, we need to establish first whether it’s worth it anymore.
Is It Still Worth It?
If you want to know how to become a Youtuber, you’ll need to know whether or not it’s still worth it for reasons I’ll explain.
But first, here are a few facts that you may be surprised by.
According to research by Merchdope, there are 1.3 billion users of Youtube.
Three hundred hours of videos are uploaded every day.
There are 30 million unique visitors per day watching 5 billion videos every day.
YouTube is currently the second most visited site in the world.
So to at least suggest it might not be worth it would be silly right?
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple, like everything else in this world, when the ‘next big thing’ arises everyone is always quick to jump on the bandwagon.
This is relevant because YouTube debuted in 2005, which’s 15 years ago.
What that means is people have had a substantial amount of time to think about starting a YouTube channel.
I’ve also encountered YouTubers and people, in general, being dishonest about the work required to be successful on the platform.
This could be to promote their courses, services or other hidden motives.
These factors have contributed to Youtube’s exponential growth over the past 14 years (at the time of writing).
This large influx of people who have decided to ‘give it a go and see what it’s all about’ have made a success on this platform competitive.
However, what people do not realise is like any income ideas worth building, it’s going to take time.
Youtube is not a get rich quick scheme, at least to the extent that others will have you believe.
The days of overnight viral videos and channels exploding are not as common as they used to be.
Not only that, but your research into how to become a Youtuber also shouldn’t stop after this post.
Those who are successful YouTubers constantly learn how to make their videos better.
The next stop on ‘how to become a YouTuber’ is what personal traits do you need to be apart of best.
Qualities You Need To Become A YouTuber
If you want to know exactly how to be a YouTuber, you need to have similar qualities to those who are already successful.
Everybody that has a great channel share traits such as:
- Drive- A will to succeed no matter the cost
- Individuality- Something that separates you from the rest
- Discipline- Success occurs through consistency over time.
- Likeable- It’s fairly obvious but sometimes overlooked.
So the key takeaways to be successful on this platform is consistency and persistence.
This is by far the most successful formula.
Here’s a quote that backs this up from Pewdiepie which goes as follows:
‘When I started my youtube channel back in 2010, I never imagined that one day it would be the most subscribed to channel on Youtube and that I would be part of such a great community’
Pewdiepie, for almost the entire duration of his channel (9 years at the time of writing), has uploaded 2 videos a day.
The statistics that I retrieved from Statsheep showed he has uploaded 3,967 videos so far.
What does he have to show for it?
No less than 101 million subscribers.
What Makes A Good Youtube Channel
“The thing that has made YouTube so successful is that you can relate to the people you’re watching to a much higher degree than to the people you see on TV.” -PewDiePie
The difference between a good and a bad channel is like night and day.
I’m sure in your head you will have a few ideas about what may impact a channel’s success.
To help increase your knowledge I’ve put together a list of things that all impact growth in there own unique ways.
So the factors you should consider are:
- Topic(s)- Some topics are obviously more popular than others, that’s just how it is.
- Consistency- To be able to attract new subscribers and retain current subscribers, you need to be consistent. Defining a timetable is a smart option. The sweet spot for uploads a week tends to be at the 3 video mark.
- Quality- Telling the difference between a well thought out, quality piece of content from a poor video is like the difference between night and day. If someone feels like they are wasting their time watching your video, they are going to watch something else.
- Quantity- Like I stated prior under consistency, quantity is also important. More videos equal more reach. Upload as many as you possibly can without sacrificing quality. If you can’t produce any more than 3, don’t worry your channel will still grow relatively quickly.
- Engagement- This may be overlooked but it really shouldn’t. Engaging with people in the comments is a great way to build relations with watching. The better the relations, the more inclined they will be to keep watching your videos.
- Keywords- Keywords are important because choosing the right ones could be the difference between 5 video views and 1000 at the lower end of things. Do your research on this.
- Titles- We have all heard the phrase ‘clickbait’, a provocative title designed to attract more views. Don’t do this as it had reverse effects after a while. Take the attractive aspect of a clickbait title but don’t blow it out of proportion.
If you aced all of these criteria, there is no reason why you wouldn’t get a 1000 subscribers in less than a month. It all comes down to how much you want it.
What Equipment You’ll Need To Become A YouTuber
We touched upon earlier the importance of quality videos, meaning you’re going to need a nice little set up from the beginning.
Please note that not all these things are essential, but they will help you to grow quicker and appeal to others.
Here is a list I have put together of equipment that would be useful for your channel:
- A microphone– Depending on what videos you’re planning on making has an impact on the type of mic you want. Going out and making videos in public would require a much smaller, portable mic like a Gyvazla. If your videos are made from your own home I recommend grabbing a Yeti Snowball Blue because it produces great sound quality.
- Camera or webcam– Now I know what your thinking, why can’t I just use my phone? You most certainly can. However, if you want real quality video, a camera is essential as it gives you a much sharper/crisper look. If you have some money to spend I recommend going for a Canon EOS M50 or if you’re on a budget, you should get a webcam, something like a Logitech C270.
- Editing software– It’s one thing to make the video, but then you have to edit it all. There is various editing software you can use such as VEGAS pro edit (one-off payment) or Adobe premier (monthly payment). Both will fulfil all of your editing needs.
- Lighting– If you’re going to be making videos at home, particularly podcast style or just talking in front of the camera, lighting may be something to consider. This is due to darkness compromising the visibility of your videos. I would recommend getting the ESSDI softbox studio light(s) as I have had some experience with them in the past and have found they do a good job. Please note that this is not essential!
How To Market Yourself As A YouTuber
If you want to know how to become a YouTuber, you’ll need to know your market/target audience.
I touched upon the importance of choosing a topic for two reasons.
The first reason, and the most obvious, is that the bigger that audience the more likely you to attract viewers.
But the second, which isn’t so obvious and doesn’t necessarily correlate the first, is that not all advertising is equal.
What I mean by this is a channel in the toy industry will receive more money from ads, than say a channel in the education niche.
This is due to the company being more likely to convert on an ad. So bare this in mind when you determine your niche (if you haven’t already).
Youtube Advertising Change
If you want to know how to become a YouTuber, you’re going to need to know about its advertising requirements/policy.
A few years back the policies around advertising changed, this was due to advertising companies complaining that their ads were being shown on low-quality content.
To be able to monetize your channel, you need these two things:
- 4,000 hours watch time over 12 months
- 1000 subscribers
From the research I have done, it seems on average it will take you around 6 months to reach 1000 subscribers.
The next section gives an overview of monetisation after you have satisfied the requirements.
Becoming A Youtube Partner
Now you know how to become a YouTuber and the criteria you have to meet, it’s time to learn how you can start making money.
Marketers are recognizing the growing importance of videos.
As a result, there is greater ad spend on videos ads rather than the old display ads.
After you have grown an audience and nurture your channel, you can apply to become a YouTube partner.
This is the first step to take if you want Youtube to start paying you for displaying their ads in your videos.
After that, you will create a Google AdSense account once your channel has 1000 subscribers and 4000 watch hours in the year before the application.
Consequently, you will start getting paid when people interact with Google ads that are displayed on your videos.
Let’s have a look at some other ways you can make money on YouTube now.
Sponsored Videos
When you build an audience in a particular niche market, marketers and advertisers who want to reach an audience in that niche will become interested in your channel.
If you upload videos on cooking and recipes, marketers who want to promote a certain food product may become interested in your channel.
Sponsored videos mean you upload a video to your audience that promotes the production of this marketer or business owner in exchange for an agreed-upon payment.
In some cases, it can just be mentioning that brand name or just recommending their product.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is when you get paid whenever someone purchases a product through a link that is unique to you.
When uploading videos on your channel, you can recommend or mention a product relevant to your audience, then add the link to purchase the product in the video description.
When someone purchases the product from your link, you will earn a commission from the seller.
Digital Products
The trust and confidence that you gain from achieving an expert status with your audience can become profitable.
You can do this by producing digital products like e-books, video courses, tutorials, paid membership on a website and selling it to your audience.
Moreso, you can even sell your non-digital products to your audience based on the connection you have established with them.
Conclusion On How To Become A YouTuber
If you possess the right qualities, merge them with consistent high-quality videos, there is no reason why you should not be wildly successful on Youtube over time.
I hope you enjoyed this piece on how to become a YouTuber.