Did you know that YouTube is the second most visited site in the world? Apart from being a popular source of free entertainment, the site is a haven for creators and other people who are interested in sharing knowledge. Starting out as a content creator on YouTube isn’t hard. In fact, learning how to create a YouTube channel should only take a few minutes.
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Is it free to create a YouTube channel? Yes. One of the main reasons why the site has been able to reach billions of people is its progressive policy regarding creators. Apart from allowing people to reach audiences through videos, YouTube has the best monetisation systems in the streaming world.
How to create a YouTube channel – a step-by-step guide
While the requirements for creating a channel have largely remained unchanged over the years, the process has undergone some adjustments. For example, you must be in the Google ecosystem to be part of YouTube. Follow these steps on how to start a YouTube channel for beginners:
Step 1: Create a Google account
Google is YouTube’s parent company. Therefore, you must create a Google account before you open your YouTube channel. However, if you have a Gmail account, you can skip to Step 2.
To create a Google account:
- Go to the Google Accounts page
- Click the “Create Account” option
- Fill your details and select a password
The account you have created allows you to access all Google services such as YouTube and Gmail. At this point, you can use your YouTube account and upload videos. However, for visibility and monetisation, follow the subsequent steps.
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Step 2: Customise your channel
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Customisation helps your channel to stand out. If you used your real names to create a Google account, you need to create a separate channel to give your new brand autonomy. Depending on your needs, you can either use your name as a brand or pick your preferred brand name for your channel.
To customise your channel:
- On your browser, click YouTube
- Log in using your Google Account’s details
- Go to the Channels page
- Create a new brand’s channel
When creating a new channel, the name you choose should reflect what you are offering. However, you can still use your real names if you do not have a brand name.
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Step 3: Polish-up your profile
Your channel’s icon, profile pic and banner players a huge role in viewership. Therefore, you must tweak these details and make your channel stand out from the rest. You can hire the services of a graphic designer to create a good logo and banner or you can do it yourself.
To polish-up your channel’s profile:
- Go to YouTube
- Tap your profile’s icon
- Select “Your Channel” option
- Click “Customise Channel”
- Edit your channel’s icon by uploading a different picture
- Change the “Channel Art” by uploading your preferred image
You can only edit Step 3 on your computer. Also, only use high-quality pictures to avoid a pixelated profile and unattractive channel’s art.
Step 4: Create a channel’s trailer
The trailer allows you to create a good impression of the channel. While you can use the trailer’s slot to highlight a new video, using it to introduce yourself to potential subscribers helps in growing your channel.
If you are uncertain about your creative direction as a YouTuber, using this slot to highlight your most recent project is advisable. Also, the channel’s trailer is not permanent. You can easily re-do it in future if you wish.
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Step 5: Organise your channel
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Once you have uploaded some videos, you should create the channel’s structure. While YouTube allows newer videos to show first, the structure may make it hard to navigate the channel, especially to potential subscribers.
Therefore, you should create a navigation structure by classifying videos in playlists. If you are a tech reviewer, you should have different playlists for different gadgets. YouTube allows you to create as many playlists as possible.
To create YouTube playlists on your channel:
- On your channel’s page
- Click the “Customise Channel” option.
- Click “Add a section.”
- Using the drop-down menu, select “Single Playlist” to add videos.
- After adding videos, confirm by clicking ‘Done.’
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YouTube channel ideas
While YouTube was intended to be a dating site initially, it has grown to become a diverse platform. Thanks to its diversity, there is a potential viewership market for any content. However, not all niches are profitable if you want to monetise your channel.
The most popular niche ideas you should try as a new YouTuber include:
1. Lifehacks
People are always interested in learning new ways of solving problems. If you have tricks on solving complex life challenges, this is a perfect niche for you. However, you must use the right keywords and make your videos short.
2. Tech reviews
Before investing in any tech, most people are interested in getting a professional opinion. Apart from reaching millions of people, the monetisation options on this niche are diverse. For example, you can work with tech companies to get more money apart from earning from AdSense.
3. Beauty and make-up tricks
This niche is a multi-billion dollar industry. A channel on beauty and make-up has a ready audience. However, you must find your niche and more importantly, localise your content for more viewership.
4. Health and fitness
In addition to millions of blogs, many people trust health and fitness professionals on YouTube. Also, videos on health and fitness appear on Google searches. This not only makes the health niche big on YouTube, but also helps in driving more traffic to health and fitness channels.
5. Food and restaurant reviews
There are many food lovers on YouTube. Videos on food and restaurant reviews across the world will gain a lot of viewership regardless of where you are located. The golden rule, when doing food and restaurant reviews, is to master keywords and have better videos.
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6. Cooking
Do you love cooking and exploring different recipes? If yes, you should try this niche. Food channels are popular, especially to people over 30 years old. To have a successful channel on this niche, you must always have a detailed video description indicating different ingredients.
Different ways to monetise your YouTube channel
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Apart from reaching to more people and growing a brand, you can start a YouTube channel and get paid. However, you need to grow your audience before you can start monetising. The three main ways to make money from a YouTube channel. You can use any or both, depending on your audience and preferences.
1. YouTube AdSense
While YouTube Originals is becoming popular, advertising is the biggest revenue for the site. The company pays content creators more than half of the money collected through AdSense. Therefore to earn from the platform, you must link your AdSense account to your channel.
Second, you must have over 1000 subscribers on your channel to earn from this source of revenue. Also, the minimum watch time is 4000 watch hours, regardless of how many videos are on your channel.
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2. Sponsored content
Companies and brand may contact you for product placement. For example, if you are a beauty channel, a company making beauty products may use your channel to reach to clients. YouTube allows creators to work with brands as long as the product and services on the videos are legal.
3. Patreon
If you have a successful YouTube channel and you want a consistent monthly income, sign up on Patreon. Also, encourage your viewers to subscribe to your Patreon page for the exclusive content. Unlike YouTube, where the income is based on watch hours, the platform is based on members’ contributions.
The steps above explain how to create a YouTube channel and earn from your videos. The golden rule on this platform is to grow the audience and expand on revenue streams. Also, being consistent helps your channel to grow and more importantly master the mysterious YouTube algorithm.
Tuko.co.ke has created a list of the highest-paid YouTubers. The list is meant to not only showcase how people are making money from the platform but to also inspire those who want to start making videos for a living.
In the list, YouTube stars such as Ryan’s World and Dude Perfect make over $20 million monthly, while others such as Logan Paul and Anstatasia Radzinskaya make $19 and $20 million respectively. While it isn’t easy to reach that level, you too can make a decent income on the platform.
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