Have you noticed how many people are wildly popular on YouTube without being celebrities or public figures? Most of them are vloggers and entrepreneurs who have learned how to master the art of short and engaging videos and have built a large followers’ base, who are bringing them income either through affiliate marketing or YouTube ads.
What does it take to build an internet home business on YouTube? Technologically speaking, not very much. These days, you do not even have to own a specialized video camera to record high quality videos. Most smartphones on the market have powerful cameras, some of them even able to film in 4K resolution. Opening and running a YouTube account is free. The key is finding the formula for success in creating, sharing and promoting videos which are interesting and engaging.
However, let us get down to the nitty-gritty and discover how most home-based entrepreneurs built their YouTube persona and business.
1. Find Your Niche
The first things people will notice in a YouTube video is if the author is passionate and knowledgeable about the topic. While in written articles it is possible to fix your lack of knowledge by research, when you are in front of the camera you need to be confident and engaging. You cannot be reading a script prepared beforehand and taped to the phone or camera. You have to look straight in your viewers’ eyes and speak out clearly, always with the spark of confidence in your voice.
This means that you have to make videos on topics which are both interesting to you and within your area of expertise. Whether it is about obedience training for dogs, home improvement hacks or social media marketing, the niche you pick must be both of interest for people and hold no secrets to you.
2. Create Your YouTube Channel
When you go to www.youtube.com to create an account, you will receive all the associated Google services: Google+ page, Gmail account and Google Drive. This is extremely helpful, because you can manage your business Google account separate from the personal one – a very good idea if you do not want to miss any important emails or notifications related to your videos or from a potential client.
Remember that the Google username you pick will become the name of your YouTube channel, so make sure that it is a relevant one for the brand you want to build. Once your channel is created, it is time to customize it with a profile photo and channel art (similar to the Facebook cover photo).
3. Leverage the Power of Video Editing Apps and YouTube Creator Studio
Since mobile cameras have become more and more powerful, various developers have created apps to help amateur video makers prepare their work by cutting and pasting various segments, adding captions or annotations, applying various filters, etc. You need to learn how to edit your videos to make them interesting to your viewers, easy to watch and understand, without too many special effects which make them look like the work of a 4-year-old.
You also need to get familiar with the Creator Studio provided by YouTube, which will further help you prepare your video before being publicly shared.
4. Master the Anatomy of an Easy-to-Find YouTube Video
The key to success as a YouTube vlogger or marketer is to make your videos easy to find. SEO strategies are applicable to YouTube videos in the same way as they are to blog posts. Also, do not forget that YouTube has become a powerful search engine in its own right, since people started to look for the information they need in video format directly on YouTube, not on Google.
This being said, these are the main elements of a SEO-friendly YouTube video:
⦁ File name: when you save your video after you finish editing it either on your smartphone or on your computer, do not forget to pick a relevant file name which contains your targeted keywords;
⦁ Title: this is the title under which the video is published on YouTube. Make it short, catchy, and comprehensive. “How to” is a very popular search term, so consider using it for your videos if applicable;
⦁ Description: longer descriptions are very good, because they are indexed by Google and help increase the visibility of your videos. Give a clear description of the contents of your video, using relevant keywords;
⦁ Annotations: these are text boxes which are displayed on-screen during video playback. They can contain a call to action, such as the URL of your website or a landing page where you want to send your viewers;
⦁ Tags: these are keywords, separated by semicolons, which define the main topic and category to which your video belongs. Again, use relevant keywords which you want to rank for.
5. Find the Perfect Format and Length of Your Video
Some people are successful as vloggers – simply talking to the cameras and sharing their thoughts and ideas. Others share inspirational images which they captured during the day and add meaningful comments on them. Some entrepreneurs have become skilled YouTube educators, through their tutorials and DIY videos.
Once you find the format fitting your niche, try to keep your videos to an ideal length (which you will discover by analyzing the analytics for your videos and noticing how long most of your viewers spend watching your materials).
After mastering all the above, you are ready to become a YouTube star!