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Posted on Apr 1, 2014

7 Steps to Launching a YouTube Channel That’ll Be an Instant Success (or at least you hope)

Here are the 7 steps I took leading up to the launch of my YouTube channel, VidCause.

by VidCause

Community Contributor

Advice: Find the types of videos that you enjoy watching and the ones that inspire you. Are there characteristics from these videos that you can incorporate into your channel?

If possible, reach out to these content creators for advice or tips on getting started.

My examples: (a very small list)

Advice: It is important to define why you are launching your channel and what you are hoping to accomplish… even if it's just a cure for boredom.

My example:

I'm excited to announce the launch of my YouTube channel VidCause (Videos for a Cause). On this channel I highlight a variety of nonprofit organizations that are making a difference around the world. I will be donating 50% of the advertising revenue from each video directly to these charities.

My goal for VidCause is simple: #SpreadTheCause. I want to spread the word and make others aware of the incredible work that so many charities are doing today.

Advice: There are incredible resources available to anyone looking to launch a successful YouTube channel. By putting in the time to understand how YouTube operates and learn from the examples of others, you will position yourself further ahead of the game.

My examples:

- YouTube Creator Playbook – I definitely recommend checking out this site

- YouTube Blog

- YouTube Social Media links

- Buzz Feed | Search "YouTube"

Advice: After you've defined where you want your channel to go and you've researched the steps you need to take to be successful, it's time to starting putting that knowledge into action. One of the practices that really helped me was to put together a storyboard / outline of where I want the video to go. This certainly won't work for everyone but drafted a script / talking points that I wanted to make sure I included also.

My examples:

Online Template

Print Template

Advice: In many of the articles I've read I keep hearing the same message, "You don't need an expensive camera to make videos just use whatever camera you've got." I agree that it isn't a necessity to have a top of the line camera but I believe it is important to make the highest quality material you can with the resources you have.

When editing you footage, don't feel restricted by your current limitations. If there is a feature you'd like to add to your video but don't know how it works, YouTube it!

My examples:

- Canon DSLR, EOS Rebel T5i

- EF-S 18-135mm IS STM Lens

- Shenggu Shotgun Mic

- Final Cut Pro X

Advice: With 100 hours of video being uploaded to YouTube every minute, it's hard to make your channel stand out.

Reach out to media outlets that are already publicizing your genre. Every site has a contact page where you can submit your video as a suggestion. If others won't spread the work about your channel share it within your own networks. There's also the option to write articles yourself, like this one or this one, about the channel launch.

My examples:

Media Outlets:

- Buzz Feed

- Medium

- Reddit

- Upworthy

Personal Social Media Outlets:

YouTube Channel

Twitter #SpreadTheCause

Tumblr

Facebook

Advice: Be flexible and willing to change as more information becomes available. You might know the audience you want to engage but are struggling to find the best way to reach them. This is where Google Analytics comes into play, sign-up and spend some time learning the types of reports that it can produce. If you notice that you aren't getting the same types of viewers that you were originally targeting you can change distribution outlets or adapt content for your current audience.

There are lots of other great sites available that will enable you to understand your audience better.

My examples:

Google Analytics

Cyfe Dashboard

Statigram