How to create a YouTube channel

I. Introduction

With the world turning digital, YouTube has become one of the top platforms for sharing videos and engaging audiences. 

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, blogger, or someone looking to express themselves through video content, starting a YouTube channel can be an exciting adventure. However, the process of setting up a YouTube channel can be daunting for beginners. 

This guide will put you through the various steps involved in creating a YouTube channel, from setting up your account to optimizing your content for maximum engagement. 

• Best video editing apps (opens in new tab): Use your phone to clip and trim content for your channel 

What is a YouTube channel?

A YouTube channel is simply a registered account with YouTube. It gives you access to upload videos, comments, and suggestions, engage other users across several countries, and make playlists.

Without a YouTube channel, you remain insignificant on YouTube. Signing in gives you a public presence and avails you more access to the App's benefits. 

Interestingly, you can own more than a channel. Just the way you can sign in on other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, it is completely free to use. 

Before you start your channel, you'll want to make sure you have the right tools. Beyond your camera setup, the best screen recording software and best video editors are a must. For more advice, see our guide What do YouTubers use to edit videos? (opens in new tab)

If you're new to video content creation, the best video editing software for beginners are a great place to start alongside our guide How to learn video editing. 

Importance of creating a YouTube channel

Establishing your brand: Creating a YouTube channel can help you establish your personal or brand's online presence. It's effectively a content marketing tool, allowing you to reach a larger audience and build a following. You can use your channel to share your story, showcase your products or services, and connect with your fans and customers.

Increased visibility: YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, after Google. Having a presence on the platform can greatly increase the visibility of your brand or personal brand, making it easier for potential customers to find you.

Building trust: Sharing high-quality and informative content on your YouTube channel can help you build trust with your audience. People are more likely to trust and engage with a brand or person that provides valuable content and information.

Boosting your SEO: By creating engaging and relevant videos and optimizing your channel, you can boost your website's SEO and drive more traffic to your site. This can lead to increased visibility and more conversions for your business.

Creating a community: YouTube allows you to engage with your audience and create a community around your brand or personal brand. You can respond to comments, ask for feedback, and create a sense of community among your fans and followers.

Sharing your expertise: If you have expertise in a certain area, creating a YouTube channel can be a great way to share your knowledge and reach a wider audience. You can create educational videos, tutorials, and other content that showcases your expertise and helps others learn.

Generating passive income: YouTube allows you to monetize your channel through advertising, sponsorships, and other means. This can be a great way to generate passive income and support your brand or personal brand.

Improving customer engagement: By creating engaging and relevant videos and responding to comments, you can improve your customer engagement and build stronger relationships with your fans and customers.

Offering behind-the-scenes access: YouTube is a great platform to give your fans and customers a behind-the-scenes look at your brand or personal life. You can create videos that showcase your team, office, or daily life, giving your audience a more personal connection with your brand.

Staying ahead of the competition: By creating and sharing content on YouTube, you can stay ahead of your competition and stay on the cutting edge of your industry. You can showcase your products, services, and expertise, and establish yourself as an industry leader.

Reaching a global audience: YouTube has a global audience, allowing you to reach people from all over the world. 

This can be especially useful if you have a product or service that is relevant to a global audience. Also, YouTube provides analytics and insights that allow you to track your channel's success and see what's working and what's not. You can use this information to improve your content, reach more people, and grow your channel.

• Best free video editing software (opens in new tab): Professional video editors for any budget

II. Identifying your niche

When starting a YouTube channel, the first step in niche discovery is identifying your niche. To do this, you need to ask yourself some fundamental questions, such as:

- What am I interested in?

- What do I know a lot about?

- What do people come to me for advice on?

- What are my passions?

Once you have answered these questions, you can start narrowing down your niche. The more specific your niche, the easier it will be to target your audience.

You don't have to be an expert in your chosen niche, but you do need to be passionate and knowledgeable about the topic. Look at your hobbies, skills, and interests to find a niche that fits you. Additionally, think about what type of content you want to create, whether it be educational, entertaining, or informative. Narrowing down your focus to a specific niche will help you stand out and attract an audience that resonates with your content.

Choosing a topic

Once you've identified your niche, it's time to choose a topic. Brainstorm content ideas that align with your niche and think about what type of videos will engage your audience. Research popular topics within your niche and create a list of potential video ideas. 

Before creating content, ask yourself if the topic is relevant, interesting, and unique. You want to create content that stands out from the competition and adds value to your audience. 

Identifying your target audience

Next, identify your target audience. Understanding your audience's age, gender, location, interests, and behaviors will help you create content that resonates with them. Use tools like YouTube Analytics to analyze your audience and gain insights into their preferences. 

Additionally, look at your competitors' channels and their audience demographics to find gaps in the market. Creating content that fills a gap in the market will help you stand out and attract a loyal following.

Researching your niche

After identifying your niche and target audience, it's time to research your niche. Familiarize yourself with the latest trends, news, and developments within your niche. Join online communities and engage with other content creators within your niche. Additionally, consume content from your competitors to see what works and what doesn't. Conducting ongoing research will help you stay up-to-date and relevant in your niche.

Identifying the competition

As a YouTuber, it's important to know who your competition is, what they're doing, and how they're performing on the platform. Here are some tips and tricks for identifying your competition on YouTube and staying ahead of the game.

Use keyword research to identify your competitors

Keyword research is an essential part of any YouTube strategy. It helps you understand what your audience is searching for and how you can optimize your channel to attract them. It also allows you to identify your competitors. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or TubeBuddy to find keywords related to your niche. Then, search them on Youtube to see who is ranking on the first page. These channels are your competitors. Analyze their content, engagement rate, view count, and audience demographics to see how they're performing on the platform.

Use YouTube analytics to monitor your top competitors

YouTube Analytics is a powerful tool that allows you to track your channel's performance and monitor your competitors. Go to the "Traffic Sources" section of your Analytics to see where your traffic is coming from. If you're getting a significant amount of traffic from other channels, take a closer look at them. Click "View More" to see the top channels sending you traffic. These channels are your top competitors. Analyze their content, engagement rate, view count, and audience demographics to see how they're performing on the platform.

Use social media to discover your competitors

Social media tools are a great way to discover new YouTube channels and influencers in your niche. Search for relevant hashtags or keywords on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn to find people talking about your industry. Follow them, engage with their content, and check out their YouTube channels. Analyze their content, engagement rate, view count, and audience demographics to see how they're performing on the platform.

Use TubeBuddy to compare your channel to your competitors

TubeBuddy is a powerful YouTube tool that allows you to analyze your channel's performance and compare it to your competitors. Install TubeBuddy on your browser, go to your YouTube studio, and click on the "TubeBuddy" button. Then, click on "Competitor Scorecard" to analyze your competitors' channels. TubeBuddy will show you their engagement rate, view count, subscriber count, and audience demographics. Compare it to your channel to see where you stand and find opportunities to improve.

Use your competition as inspiration

Your competition isn't always your enemy. They can be your source of inspiration. Analyze their content to see what's working and what's not. Be creative and think outside the box. How can you do better than your competitors? How can you offer more value to your audience? Use your competition as a benchmark to improve your channel.

III. Creating a YouTube Account

Creating a Gmail account is the first step towards establishing an online presence and accessing various Google services. Not only does a Gmail account give you access to email, but it also allows you to create and manage a YouTube channel, 

Setting up a Gmail account

Step 1. Open a web browser and go to the Gmail website (www.gmail.com).

Step 2. Click on the "Create account" button.

Step 3. Fill in the required information, including your first and last name, desired email address, password, and phone number.

Step 4. Click on the "Next" button.

Step 5. Fill in the rest of the required information, such as your birthdate and gender.

Step 6. Read and accept the terms of service and privacy policy.

Step  7. Verify your phone number by entering the verification code sent to your phone.

Step 8. Set up a security question in case you forget your password.

Step 9. Finally, click on the "Next" button to complete the setup process.

Creating a YouTube channel

These steps will show you through the process of creating your channel to publishing your first video. By following this guide, you’ll have a professional YouTube channel that showcases your brand in the best possible way.

Step 1. To get started, visit YouTube.com or download the app and click "Sign In" in the upper right-hand corner. From there, you'll be taken to your already-created Google sign-in page. You'll be prompted to sign in.

Step 2. Once you're signed into your Google account, it's time to create your Youtube channel. Click your user icon in the upper right-hand corner. You'll see a drop-down menu, scroll down and click "Settings." 

From there, you'll be taken to your account overview. Then Click "Create a new channel" under "Your channel." 

Step 3. The next step is to create your new channel name. Remember, it can be whatever you want. It doesn't have to be the same name that you used to create your Google account — but I suggest that it reflects the brand your YouTube Channel will represent. After you enter the channel name, you will be asked to verify the account through text message or voice call. If that happens, go ahead and enter the code you receive from the option you choose.

Once you've verified your account, you'll be taken to the dashboard for your channel. Now, it's time to start customizing it.

Customizing your channel

By taking a little time to personalize and optimize your channel, you can make it more attractive, engaging, and informative to your viewers, and ultimately drive more traffic, engagement, and conversions. Here are ways to get started.

Branding – Whether you're a large corporation or a small start-up, having a consistent and recognizable brand identity is crucial for building trust and recognition with your audience. So, make sure to upload a high-quality profile picture/logo and banner image that includes your branding elements, such as your logo, color scheme, tagline, or product images. This will not only make your channel more visually appealing but also reinforce your brand message and help viewers identify your content easily.

About section – Your YouTube channel's About section is like a mini-bio for your brand. It's where you can provide a summary of your business, your offerings, your mission, and your contact information. It's also a great place to include links to your website or social media profiles, so viewers can learn more about you and your brand. Make sure your About section is concise, engaging, and informative, and uses specific keywords that describe your business and target audience.

Playlists – One of the best ways to organize your content and make it easier for viewers to find what they're looking for is by creating playlists. Playlists are like folders that group similar videos based on a theme, topic, or series. They also make your channel look more professional and structured, and increase your viewers' watch time and engagement. So, create playlists that align with your brand and content strategy, and consider adding custom thumbnails and descriptions to each video to make them more appealing.

Channel trailer – A channel trailer is a short (30-60 seconds) video that introduces your brand and channel to new viewers. Think of it as a movie trailer for your business. It's a great opportunity to showcase your brand personality, values, and unique selling points, as well as give viewers a taste of what kind of content they can expect from you. Make sure to include a clear call to action (CTA) that encourages viewers to subscribe, follow, or visit your website.

Watermark – Another way to reinforce your brand identity and increase your visibility on YouTube is by adding a watermark to your videos. A watermark is a small logo or symbol that appears in the corner of your videos, and it's a great way to brand your videos and promote your channel across different platforms. You can easily add a watermark to your videos using YouTube's built-in feature, or by using a video editor like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro.

End screens – End screens are like digital billboards that appear at the end of your videos, and they're a great way to promote your other videos, playlists, or channels to your viewers. You can customize your end screens by adding custom images, text, and links that encourage viewers to watch more of your videos, subscribe to your channel, or visit your website. Just make sure to keep your end screens relevant to each video's topic and message.

Cards – Cards are clickable elements that appear during your videos, and they're another way to promote your content, products, or services to your viewers. You can add different types of cards, such as channel cards, video or playlist cards, poll cards, or link cards, and customize their appearance, text, and destination URL. Cards are a great way to drive traffic to your website, social media profiles, or other videos, and can help you achieve specific marketing goals, such as lead generation or product sales.

Captions – Captions are text transcripts of your videos, and they can benefit your channel in several ways. First, they make your videos more accessible to viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, or who prefer to watch videos without sound. Second, they can improve your video's SEO and visibility on YouTube and Google, as search engines can crawl and index the keywords and phrases in your captions. Third, they can enhance the user experience by providing additional context or information about your videos. You can add captions to your videos using YouTube's built-in feature or by uploading a transcript in different languages.

Thumbnails – Thumbnails are like mini-posters for your videos, and they're the first thing viewers see when deciding whether to click on your video or not. A well-designed and catchy thumbnail can make all the difference between getting more views and being ignored. So, choose a thumbnail that accurately represents your video's content and attracts viewers' attention, by using bright colors, bold fonts, or intriguing images. You can create custom thumbnails using Canva or other design tools, or you can use YouTube's auto-generated thumbnails.

Analytics – Last but not least, one of the most important ways to measure your channel's success and improve your content strategy is by tracking your analytics. YouTube offers a wide range of metrics and insights that can give you valuable information about your viewers, their behavior, and your content's performance. Use analytics to monitor your channel's growth, identify your most popular videos and topics, and optimize your future videos based on what's working best. You can also use third-party tools like TubeBuddy or VidIQ to get even more advanced analytics and optimization features.

We'll update this guide each month over the next six months to provide a fully comprehensive guide to starting your own YouTube channel, so do check back regularly for more help and tips as we publish them.

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