9 Steps to Becoming a Successful YouTuber

In a few years, YouTube has gone from being a platform where videos are created for the fun purpose to the world's second-largest search engine. During the span, the company managed to harness its initial popularity to create an increasingly lucrative marketing hub as more viewers and advertisers migrated from television to the digital platform. YouTube has become a platform where anyone from anywhere can create content for the world to see. It has become a powerful platform where people can market themselves at a low cost to no cost.

There are over 300 hours of video uploaded on YouTube for every minute. It has over 1.9 billion monthly active subscribers. Thirty million of these are logged on to the platform every day and watch about 5 billion videos each day. It shows how influential the platform is to both business and entertainment. This has made the YouTube platform an opportunity to Vlogger out there. Many people decided to create video content on YouTube as a living.

Being a YouTuber seems like a fun and lucrative career. You just make videos on topics that you like and monetize it. It sounds simple; however, to be an established YouTuber is not an easy task. Behind every famous Vlogger is a long journey of struggle and hard work.

I am interested in turning FinzWatch into a video platform where contributors in the team can create video content in the financial niche such as personal finance, stock analysis, real estate, online e-commerce, and other contents that are related to making money. However, I am still far from reaching the goal since I am still new to this idea.

I am in the process of learning how to create and edit videos so that one day I can create YouTube video content by myself. Because needing the information and guide to become a YouTuber, I researched becoming a successful YouTuber. This will aid me in making the right step and decision so that I myself can follow the guidance to FinzWatch's journey to becoming a YouTube channel that will be known to the world. I decided to write this article on how anyone can be a successful YouTuber and show the step by step process to reaching that goal.  This article is excellent for anyone out there who is interested in becoming a YouTuber but has not basic knowledge to become one.

Step 1: Define Success & Remember It.

The biggest mistake that most content creators make when they start their YouTube channel is not having goals. Many of them have no idea what they want to achieve or how to measure their successes. Not having a goal and a clear path result in inconsistency, lack of direction, and giving up easily. It's best if you create a realistic goal for your YouTube channel. You can write it on a piece of paper so that you'll always remember it.

Define the definition of success on your YouTube channel. Does success mean having a certain amount of subscribers or views in your video content? It also can be the amount of money you wish to earn from your channel. Once you have a goal in mind of what success means to you, then you can break the goal down into small daily steps that you will have to do to get to your ultimate goal.

One of my idolize YouTubers is Graham Stephan. He did not become the successful YouTuber you see today. He started making YouTube video content just on his mobile phone. He worked tirelessly during the beginning when he was still new. Not many people knew about him yet, but he was consistent in reaching his goal that made him who he is today. Even when he was making nickel and dimes for the video content he produced, he stuck to his plan and did not feel discouraged. Be ready to realize you are making close to nothing when you start your journey as a YouTuber. Don't expect to earn tons of money like the successful YouTuber you vision on the internet.

Most of the successful YouTubers went through hardship to get to where they are today. They are consistent in producing quality video content and slowly gain followers to their channels. They have a broken down goal of what they want to achieve. For example, they can define their success with the number of subscribers they receive on their YouTube channel. Moreover, they eventually set a higher goal once they reached their short term goal. Having a realistic goal and plan is the reason how successful YouTuber become who they are today. It is not a one day strike rich kind of game, but instead a process where it can take months or even years to accomplish.

I have not created any video content on the FinzWatch YouTube channel yet. However, I do have a plan in mind. Before I start, I am planning to have realistic goals. It is best to stick to a conservative expectation of what I can accomplish. This way, I will not get demotivated if I did not succeed. My main goal is to create one quality video content every week, and hopefully, I will have a good amount in one year. I am going to focus on producing content that can create value for my audience and always be consistent with my plan.

Step 2: Pick a Niche for Your YouTube Channel.

After having a goal and plan in mind, then you have to decide on a niche for your YouTube channel. There is a lot of good content, and a ton of terrible content out there. As you create your YouTube channel, keep in mind that developing your content is fun, but it's also a job. Have a clear idea of which industries you'll be focusing on in your videos. It's easy for your mind to be all over the place when you're trying to cover too many topics and niches. 

You will need to decide what type of content you will be offering up on your channel. So choose a couple of related niches based on your interest and/or expertise. Outline the goal you want to achieve through your channel, so you have some direction for your videos. For example, a fitness YouTuber could create content about a workout and healthy eating. It's important to stay relevant to your YouTube channel niche; you do not want to talk about pets if your YouTube channel is about cooking.

I have picked and decided to a niche for the FinzWatch YouTube channel. Similar to the blog you are reading right now, FinzWatch YouTube channel will be a channel that focuses on the audience that is interested in personal finance, passive income, stock investment/analysis, property investment, online e-commerce, online courses, side hustles and any other content that are related to making money. I have a high interest in this niche because I like discussing this topic in my everyday life. I believe creating a YouTube channel in this niche can create value for the audience and improve myself into becoming a better entrepreneur and investor.  

Step 3: Map it Out.

After deciding what niche your YouTube channel will be, it's time to create a plan as to how you will execute its creation and everything in this venture. Treat this as if it is a business; sort out your plan to how you want to run this business. This is also an excellent time to figure out who else will be involved with your channel. Sometimes you need a partner in the business venture. So you'll want to pick someone that can help you in this venture. Build a realistic timeline for your posting schedule, gather topics on the content you want to create, and consistently follow this timeline along your journey. It is also beneficial if you watch other YouTubers who are in your niche. This way, you have a rough idea of how they produce their videos and see what you can do to improve or replicate.

I have picked the people I'm going to work with. For instance, regarding video editing, I will need the help of the Prop2Go video editor team to help me create as well as to learn to create and edit videos. I have partnered up with contributors and members who want to work together in building the FinzWatch YouTube channel. I believe the people I decided to work with can help create value for the FinzWatch community. They have experience and knowledge in the topics FinzWatch is going to cover and the same vision of how FinzWatch will be.

I planned to use some of the articles I wrote on the FinzWatch website for the topics that will be in the video content. By writing the article first, I can have a better picture of what I will discuss in the YouTube video. I am still planning how I am going to produce the video. For instance, I am coming up with ideas on how I will write the video script. By having a video script ready, I will not have trouble coming up with things to say during the video recording.

Step 4: Develop a Content Schedule. (Be Consistent!)

Having a consistent schedule will help you maintain consistency. It assures your subscribers that they can count on you for new videos on the scheduled dates. Moreover, a consistent schedule helps you have a proper timeline so that you can organize your work and stay on track.

So before you even start a YouTube channel, you should decide on a publishing schedule that's manageable for you. Daily content uploads may be great to attract a new audience, but it can be overwhelming for one person.

It is best to start with a weekly schedule. Set a goal of creating one YouTube video content a week. And when you are accustomed to this schedule, you can later increase the output. For instance, instead of producing one video, you can produce two videos in a week. However, it is best to start with one and make sure you are comfortable with it. The more you are consistent in posting videos on your YouTube channel, the closer you are to get known in the YouTube world.

For the FinzWatch YouTube channel, I am planning to create one video content every two weeks. I believe in starting with a realistic goal since I'm still learning to create and edit videos. I want to create video content that is high in quality, which later can attract the audience to watch. I do not want to create video content produced in a hurry, so giving two weeks to produce one video content will give me some time to produce the video. However, before I start making video content on YouTube, I plan to have my work set up in my bedroom before I start this venture.

Step 5: Assess Your Equipment.

The equipment you use determines the quality content you produce. So it's crucial to have a clear idea of what equipment you will need to create the kind of content you plan on creating. While you do not need to invest in expensive equipment when starting, you need to have a few essentials.

You will need a computer with decent and specs that will meet your needs. You do need to invest in decent video editing software. However, please check online for other alternatives. There are some free solutions to creating a video. So, please do not invest too much money if you are just starting. I believe that it is essential that you do not have an expensive upfront investment for your YouTube channel venture. Remember, it will take you sometime before you can actually make money from YouTube. So you don't want to spend too much in the beginning.  

For my venture with the FinzWatch YouTube channel, I have installed Adobe Premiere and Camtasia in my work computer for the software I am going to use to create and edit videos. I was fortunate that my brother gave me the software that resulted in saving money. Furthermore, I have planned out how I want to set up my work set up in my bedroom going to be. I decided that I'm going to hook up my work laptop to a 34" monitor that I'm planning to get. I also have decided on the web camera I am going to use to record the video. I am purchasing a web camera that can produce a high-quality video using my computer. I believe the work set up in my bedroom will be a great work station for creating video content on the FinzWatch YouTube channel.

Step 6: Create and Optimize Your Channel.

Once you have most of the basics in place, you can finally create your channel. If you already have one, you can still follow some of the steps I am going to discuss here.

Choose a channel name that's unique but catchy. You can use your own name if you are planning to self-promote yourself as a brand. In your "About" section, make sure you thoroughly describe what your channel is all about. But prioritize readability by breaking up blocks of texts into shorter paragraphs.

For example, take a look at the FinzWatch YouTube channel description. It's descriptive yet straight to the point. I have also broken up the text into short paragraphs, so people have an easier time reading.

You could include some keywords within the description in a natural way. This will make it easier for people to find you when they search for said keywords.

It's crucial to maintain a consistent and welcoming aesthetic for your channel to leave a good impression on the audience. Your channel artwork plays a vital role in establishing yourself as a credible YouTuber. 

For instance, if you take a look at the FinzWatch YouTube channel, I have placed a stock chart banner to show people that my channel is related to stock investing. Moreover, I have placed a profile picture of FinzWatch's logo to symbolize my channel name. 

Your channel art does not necessarily have to be fancy; it should be recognizable. Keep it simple yet unique, while using a consistent color scheme and typography. Make sure to consistently use the same part on your channel's social media profiles so people can instantly recognize you.

Step 7: Upload and Learn from Your First Video.

Once you have done all the things I mentioned above, then you can start creating and uploading your first video. Choose content from your content ideas list and create a video that will instantly capture the audience's attention.

It's also important to know that your first video won't be perfect, no matter how much time you put into it. That is the challenge that every YouTuber experience when they start out. The best way to overcome this challenge is to learn from it. 

Be sure to observe how people are responding to your first video. What do they like and what they dislike. See any valuable feedback on how to improve your next videos. You can also use YouTube Analytics to understand how your video managed to retain the audience. These observations will help you create even better videos that will appeal to your target audience.

Step 8: Optimize Your SEO.

Properly setting up SEO on your YouTube videos is crucial. Since you took the time to produce your videos, don't ignore it to build your channel. YouTube is a very sophisticated search engine, and people use it a lot to discover new content. If you want people to see your videos, then you need to optimize your videos. This is especially important now, with new creators joining the platform frequently.

All search engines work by matching the users' search terms with the most relevant results, and YouTube is no different. This means that by choosing the right keywords, you'll increase your chance to be found and discovered.

Make sure you optimize the title of your video. Your title needs to be compelling. It needs to send a message to YouTuber users that say 'Click Me!'. A great way to do this is to promise something. Are you going to teach your audience something? Or are you going to entertain them? Let them know what they are about to watch.

After you are done optimizing your title, you also need to optimize your description. Your title is mainly to catch the eye of potential viewers; you can be a little more in-depth with your description. YouTube displays the first 125 characters of your description, but it is good to write around double that aim for 250 words. YouTube also recommends that you put the most important keywords toward the beginning of your description.

After placing your keyword(s) in your title and description, you also want to put them in the 'tags' section. Tags are for YouTube's reference only, so your viewers won't see what you include. It's great to add as many variations of your keywords and search terms as you can think of.

Another method of increasing your SEO is to create engagement effects. Whenever someone likes, comments, or subscribe, it sends a strong signal to YouTube that this viewer enjoyed the content enough to engage with it. There is a clear correlation between video comments and YouTube ranking.

There are many ways you can optimize your SEO for your YouTube video. Hacks and tips on how you can score higher in search engines can be found online. If you like to learn more about how you can rank higher in YouTube search, I will write an article just on that topic.

9. Utilize Your Social Media.

To be a successful YouTuber, you will need to utilize your social media to market your channel. Spread the word about your video in as many different places as you can think of. The more social signals your video has, the better. Share it on all of your social platforms, and encourage people you know to share it with.

I believe social media is a powerful tool for a YouTuber. FinzWatch has subscribed to all social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and many more. I am planning to use social media to market any new video I post on the FinzWatch YouTube channel. Utilizing social media will help my YouTube channel be recognized in the online world. 

Final Thoughts.

These are the initial steps to becoming a YouTuber. Remember the journey to be a successful one requires time and dedication. Most of the successful YouTuber you see on the internet today went through the same struggle any beginners need to overcome. There is no shortcut to success. Everything great requires time and hard work to accomplish. Nevertheless, most importantly, do not feel demotivated if you encounter problems in your YouTube venture. Learn from the mistakes and experience so that you can create better video content on your YouTube channel.

I hope this article can help readers interested in the YouTube world to start and follow the example above so that you can get a picture of how to succeed in the YouTube world. Consistency and dedication are required in order to have your YouTube channel viral on the internet. Make sure that you are on schedule in posting new video content for viewers to see. Eventually, the more hours you put into the channel, people will recognize you more. By being consistent with producing excellent quality videos, you will eventually have a pool of videos in your channel that will attract viewers to keep coming back.

By writing and doing research for this article, I now comprehend how to create a successful YouTube channel. I know that in order for the FinzWatch YouTube channel to succeed, I need to spend time and dedication to creating high-quality video content that offers value to my audience. I need to be disciplined in producing videos weekly so that I can have a portfolio of videos in the future. If you are also new to YouTube, please feel free to comment below about what you think about these steps and share ideas about your plans for your YouTube channel. I hope this article benefit reader out there who has the same goal as me.