Tips for running a YouTube channel

This past weekend, on Oct. 17, I attended Fresno’s ZAPPCON, a movie and comic convention. The people behind Dumb Drum were there as well, to promote their event Swedefest. They also held a panel where they discussed different tips on sharing your videos on YouTube, something I’ve been thinking about for awhile. So if you’re interested in posting your videos on YouTube (or Vimeo), here’s some tips they relayed and some from myself. Seriously though a lot of these are inspired by Dumb Drum, so go check them out.

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Make stuff

Create something to post! Make sure it’s something you love and want to do. If making a vlog interests you, go that route. If you’d rather make short films, give that side a shot. Just make sure you actually like doing it and aren’t doing it just to get views (I’ll cover that more later). Being genuine is important and makes content a lot more enjoyable to watch. Bringing a twist or a bit of originality to the table or your own “flavor” of something is a big plus too. Try not to explicitly copy something.

Don’t make “bad” stuff

I put bad in quotations because it’s hard to explain. By “bad” I don’t mean you have to create something with Hollywood level production value. I mean you should use everything you have available to you? Do you only have iMovie? (I do). There’s plenty of tutorials on how to get the most out of it. Only have an iPhone? Have you seen iPhone cameras? Those things are awesome. Do what you can to the best of your ability. Don’t cut corners and keep improving, but don’t sweat details if it doesn’t look exactly how you pictured it. This kinda relates back to my previous post.

Share it!

Cool, so you’ve made your video and posted it on YouTube! Now tweet it! Post it on Facebook, give a link to it on Instagram. The more traffic you can get to your video, the more likely people will stick around and subscribe. Doing it once and then awhile later or the next day is good too, incase someone misses the post. You can also see if other’s will post it, which leads to…

Be polite

If you send it to other’s blogs or sites asking for it to be posted, or want a specific person to see it, be respectful. How you treat someone goes a long way. If you made the best video ever but were rude in asking people to watch it, some people wouldn’t watch it just because the behavior turns them away.

Seriously, make stuff

If you watch YouTube, you know a lot of channels upload frequently. Most have schedules, and their upload frequency depends on the types of videos they make. But posting consistently gives people something to look forward to, or videos to binge watch when discovering the channel. If you post consistently, not only will people stick around, but you’ll start to get better with every video you make.

Why are you in it?

Finally, why are you posting it? Is it for the views? I know I just detailed ways to get views and an audience, but if you’re posting just because you want that attention or popularity, you’re in it for the wrong reasons. Wanting to become a YouTuber isn’t a bad thing, and attention isn’t bad either. But if you only got 1,000 views, 100 views, 10 views, would you still do it? It’s discouraging knowing you aren’t reaching many, but if you really enjoy the film making aspect of it, you’d keep going. And who knows? Maybe one day your channel will start to grow more!

I don’t have much experience in YouTube beyond these things. I’ve only posted three videos and haven’t followed all these tips myself, but watching other channels and hearing what they have to say made these tips stand out. So if you’re looking to start a YouTube channel, these guidelines will help you start get your footing. And honestly, these tips are good for any online business: consistency, passion, creativity, and respect.