How to become successful on YouTube

YouTube is one of the most popular social media platforms, with a reported user base of over one billion users in 2018. As well as being a great way to share funny videos and see what your friends are up to, it’s also the perfect place to launch a new career in the world of video. If you have a passion for video and want to become an influencer on YouTube, here’s some useful advice on how you can achieve that goal.
If you love sharing videos and think you could build a sizeable audience by regularly uploading fresh content, becoming an influencer on YouTube might be for you. Here’s how you can get started...

Decide on a niche

One of the first steps towards becoming an influencer on YouTube is to decide on a niche. Choosing a topic that you’re genuinely interested in and that resonates with your audience will make it easier for you to create engaging and shareable content. Before you get started, it’s a good idea to do some research into the most popular topics and themes on YouTube. This will help you to identify some potential areas of focus.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that, while you can start off creating content in any niche, you may want to focus on a specific topic as your channel grows in popularity and your fan base diversifies. You may also want to diversify and cover a few different topics to prevent your channel from becoming stale and keep your audience engaged.

Know your audience

As you’re creating your first few videos, it’s a good idea to put some thought into the type of audience you’re trying to attract. This will help you to create more focused and engaging content and will also help you to decide what type of video format you’re going to work with.

It’s also important to keep track of your target audience as your channel grows in popularity. This will enable you to adapt your content to suit new and potentially more diverse audiences.

There are a number of ways in which you can research your potential fan base, including by reading comments on videos similar to the ones you want to create, keeping an eye on relevant hashtags, and joining relevant online communities to get a feel for what your audience is like.

Create great content

The quality of the content you create is crucial if you want to build a loyal and sizable audience on YouTube. You should aim to produce videos that are original, well-researched, and that offer your viewers real value. You should also make an effort to regularly update your channel with fresh content.

While there’s no exact formula for the ideal frequency, posting regularly will give your channel a sense of momentum and will help viewers to build a connection with you.

It’s important to regularly monitor the quality of your content and make any necessary adjustments to ensure that it stays high-standard. YouTube also has a few guidelines and best practices you should keep in mind when creating videos. For example, you need to make sure that your content is family-friendly and doesn’t violate any of the platform’s terms of service.

Establish your brand

As your channel grows in popularity, you’ll want to start thinking about establishing your brand. Building a recognizable brand will enable you to grow your subscriber base and diversify your income by forging partnerships and creating affiliate products. It will also help you to build a loyal fan base that’s likely to share your content and follow you across other social media platforms.

There are a number of ways in which you can go about establishing your brand. You can create a consistent visual identity by designing a logo and using it on your videos and social media pages, create a catchphrase or catchphrase, and/or create a unique tone of voice that’s easily recognizable.

Grow your channel and prove your worth

As you build your channel and start to build your fanbase, you’ll likely be approached by brands and businesses looking to work with you. You should aim to regularly interact with your audience, respond to comments on your videos, and build a positive reputation on YouTube by promoting positive content.

If you want to earn a substantial amount from your channel, you’ll likely have to reach a certain level of popularity first. To do this, you’ll need to actively promote your channel and get as many people as possible to subscribe to it. You can do this by regularly engaging with your audience and promoting your channel on related social media platforms.

You may also want to join one or more social media groups related to your niche and make a name for yourself by regularly engaging with other members. Joining these groups is also a good way to identify potential business partners and collaborations.

Develop a monetization strategy

As you start to build your channel and grow your fanbase, you’ll likely want to think about monetizing your content. There are a number of different ways in which you can monetize your channel and earn a sustainable income as an influencer. You can earn money from advertising, product placement, affiliate marketing, and/or crowdfunding.

Advertising is the most traditional way to monetize your channel. You can partner with relevant brands and receive payment in return for including their products or services in your videos. Product placement is another common way for YouTubers to generate revenue, with many successfully integrating products such as books or apps into their videos.

Affiliate marketing is another way for YouTubers to monetize their channels, with many signing up to affiliate programs and earning a commission when they refer their audiences to certain products.

Finally, you may also want to consider crowdfunding to generate an income from your channel. You can use crowdfunding platforms such as Patreon and/or Kickstarter to fund the creation of your videos, products, and/or projects.

If you’re passionate about video and have the time and energy to commit to regularly posting new content, becoming an influencer on YouTube can be a great way to make a name for yourself and earn a reasonable income. When you’re first starting out, it’s important to make a name for yourself and build up a sizeable audience. This can be challenging, but once you’ve developed a loyal fan base, it can be incredibly rewarding and you’ll have the freedom to create whatever type of content you want.