It’s no secret that YouTube is the most sought-after platform for video content creators.
However, while starting, you might be thinking that the platform is full of creative, professional-looking videos – How can you stand out among them?
With the right steps, you can create engaging, high-quality videos that draw in viewers.
In this article, we’ll provide you with tips and advice to help you unlock your creativity and create videos for YouTube.
You’ll learn about the importance of brainstorming, storytelling, and editing.
We’ll also help you get comfortable with the equipment needed to make videos. From a good camera to video editing software we have got it all covered.
Once you reach the end of this article, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to make YouTube videos like a pro.
With the right tools and techniques, you’ll be able to create high-quality videos that captivate your viewers and bring your ideas to life. So, let’s start unlocking your creativity and making videos for YouTube.
Step-By-Step Plan For Making YouTube Video
Let’s start from scratch. Let’s give you a step-by-step plan for creating videos for YouTube.
1. Strategy And Planning
You can’t start creating videos randomly. Before you actually shoot your video, there are certain factors that you need to consider.
(i) Competitor Analysis
Let’s assume that you have no idea about what to produce and how to produce a video for YouTube.
Now consider looking at your competitors and get the hang of their videos.
This Will Help You Get An Idea About The Following:
- The topics that your competitors are covering.
- Do they get good results?
- Are they leveraging their YouTube videos for marketing?
- What’s the duration of their top-performing videos? Is it a 5-minute video or a long video?
- Identify their content gaps and think of how you can produce better content.
- Go to their comment section and check for the videos where most people have engaged.
By following the above steps, you’ll get an idea about the common traits of popular videos. And eventually, it will help you create content.
(ii) Deciding Niche And Topic
If you’re a business owner, think of a topic that resonates with your audience. As a business owner, your topic should reflect your audience. Businesses should always produce content that people love, not what they love.
In contrast, if you’re a newbie thinking about opening a YouTube channel, you need to consider the following:
- Area of your interest (You don’t get bored in producing content that you like. In turn, it adds consistency).
- The niche that you’re passionate about.
- Take a look at the prospect of the niche.
- Can you monetize the channel easily?
The above factors play a crucial role in deciding the topic. Act smartly and decide your topic.
(iii) Know Your Audience
Let’s start by getting to know our target audience better by looking at our existing data to gain insights.
Who are the people that mostly engage with your topic?
You can use this data to build customer personas with demographic and psychographic attributes and preferences that will help guide our campaigns and strategies.
Ask Yourself These Questions:
- What are the pain points of your audience? What are they expecting from you?
- What type of content do they engage the most?
- What is the average age of your target audience?
- Do they mostly male? Or female?
- What is the language they love the most?
Knowing these will give you an upper hand while producing the content for your
(iv) Keyword Research
By taking the time to research keywords related to your content, you can identify the best terms to include in your title and meta description to help optimize your video’s visibility on YouTube.
This Can Significantly Boost Your Video’s Performance Through Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
- Have a look at what your competitors are doing.
- Analyze the type of keywords they are leveraging.
- Check whether the keywords are getting the desired traction.
- Have they missed any potential keywords?
The points mentioned above are part of an opportunistic plan to create better content that could rank higher in user searches.
Let’s assume you want to start a blog channel on YouTube. Here you can search on YouTube – ‘how to start a blog,’ ‘how to make money through a blog,’ etc.
Searching these terms will give you an idea about the topics you need to produce. Upon searching these terms, you’ll land on multiple competitors’ videos. Analyze the titles and descriptions of their video. This will give you an idea about the keywords your competitors are using.
(v) Script And Storyboard
Are you done with your homework? Now that you have the plan handy, it’s time to add shape to the video.
Let’s begin with the script. How many characters are in your video?
If it is a multi-character video, your script must include dialogue for all characters.
The script must be engaging for a single-character video (someone sharing tips).
Always try to keep your sentences simple and easy to read because people get bored while listening to complex sentences.
With the recent social media boom, the attention span of listeners has been curtailed drastically. With this growing trend, you must write crisp sentences and follow a conversational tone throughout the script.
Now it’s time to go one step further and prepare a storyboard. A storyboard is a graphical representation of the entire video – shot by shot. Your aim is to create the storyboard as simply as possible to make it easier for the video editor.
Preparing a script and storyboard is a prerequisite before shooting your video. Always keep this in mind.
2. Equipment
A YouTube video is not worth your effort until it has the visual touch and appeal. For the said reason, it is pivotal that you use quality equipment.
Use What You Have
There is no doubt that sophisticated equipment can produce high-quality video.
(i) Individuals
It is not possible for a beginner to purchase high-end equipment. This is why we recommend starting small. Capitalize on equipment that you already have and minimize the risk.
Frankly speaking, no one can guarantee that your YouTube channel will boom. The smart thing is to use what you already have.
There are many famous YouTubers who started with their mobile and currently earning in millions.
You can even start with your mobile.
(ii) Business Owners
Large businesses, enterprises, or brands leverage YouTube for branding. And usually, they do not have budget constraints. So for businesses, it is better to use a professional gadget to give it a personalized look and feel.
To Summarize, 3 Things You Need To Consider Here:
- Your budget.
- Your timeline.
- The number of videos you want to produce.
Suppose you have a tech channel; you’ll produce videos once or twice a week. Whereas if you are a vlogger, you need to produce videos daily.
(iii) Lighting
Prior to the shooting, it is essential to conduct a few lighting tests. Quality lighting equipment is an investment that can be made if your budget permits; however, a trip to the local hardware store can yield a DIY lighting kit in a pinch.
Additionally, you can modify existing lighting sources to get the desired outcome. Performing a lighting test before filming will help avoid any unexpected results, such as distracting shadows on windows or other unwanted elements.
If you are shooting outdoors, the best time is during the golden hour or the two hours just before the sun sets, as this natural light creates a beautiful setting for your video.
(iv) Audio Quality
If you’re filming a video, be sure to run an audio test on the camera and in the environment you’re going to use.
Having clear, high-quality audio is critical for making your video look professional and polished, and it doesn’t have to be too difficult to get there.
Test the sound first, and you’ll be able to tell if you need to move your actors closer to the camera or if there’s too much background noise.
Getting an external microphone might be a good idea if the audio test doesn’t sound as good as you’d like it to. Poor-quality audio is the surest way to make your video look amateurish.
(v) Camera Or Webcam?
The camera cost ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
But remember, you can also get a fantastic camera in your pocket – the latest smartphones can record video in full HD or even 4K!
Plus, external webcams are more affordable and can considerably improve the quality of your video.
(vi) Editing Software
When it comes to editing software, the internet is loaded with a plethora of recommendations. Some may suggest you choose free software, while others might be in favor of premium ones.
What should you follow?
Look, there are many different options available, from simple editors to full-fledged professional programs, and it can be hard to make a decision.
Foremost, identify your skill level and the requirements of your video project.
Are you just getting started making YouTube videos, or do you already have experience with video editing? For example, if you’re just starting out, you may want to go with a free, user-friendly program like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker.
Next, consider the features you need for your video. Some programs may have multiple editing tools to help you create a professional-looking result. Others may have special effects and transitions to make your videos stand out. Consider additional features such as voice-over recording, sound editing capabilities, and the ability to share directly to websites like YouTube. When looking at program descriptions and reviews, take note of the features that meet your requirements.
3. Recording The Video
Recording your video involves the following steps:
(i) Lighting
Just be mindful of how much light you’re letting in!
Before shooting, it is important to do a few lighting tests to differentiate between high- and low-quality videos.
Try to reposition existing lighting sources to achieve the desired effect. Such a test will help you steer clear of possible blunders, like a distracting shadow in the frame if shooting in a room with windows. If you plan on filming outdoors, try doing it during the golden hour – the hour or two leading up to the sunset – as the natural light will be ideal for capturing good footage.
(ii) Correct Position Of Your Camera
Position your webcam or camera so that your viewers have a clear view of you at eye level. This will give you a better perspective, whether you choose to follow the Rule of Thirds or center yourself in the frame.
(iii) Avoid Background Noise
Removing background noise is possible, but it is not a smart thing to follow!
The Best Approach Is Recording The Video In A Noise-Free Location. Here Is What You Can Do:
- Position your mic property to avoid any sort of noise. Increase Microphone to Noise Distance
- Make sure you have a separate room for shooting the video.
4. Editing The Video
Editing your YouTube video is just like a chef garnishing his food before serving people. It’s not as simple as it may sound – it requires a lot of time and undivided focus.
Here’s how you can start editing your video:
(i) Intro
The introductory part of a video aims to hook the reader and make it attention-grabbing. The more you evoke curiosity through your intro, the higher the chances of improving the audience retention rate.
(ii) Trim
Trimming the video is all about removing the unnecessary parts from it. Cuts might occur in the beginning, middle, or end.
(iii) Transitions
It is something that helps keep your audience engaged throughout the entire video. Moreover, it adds a professional look and feels.
(iv) Title
You know that there are millions of videos on YouTube. But how can you stand out among them?
Adding a title aids you in making your content scalable so that users can quickly figure out what the video is all about.
(v) Add Audio
Adding audio adds rhythm to your audio. Make sure that you’re using copyright-free music. Most people use their audio from YouTube studios.
(vi) Outro Of The Video
For a moment, let’s assume that your intro was compelling and the video was successful in keeping the audience hooked.
You Can Add A Call To Action In Your Outro, Such As:
- Visit the website.
- Subscribe to the channel.
- Watch additional videos.
- Contact us.
Your outro must include the next steps clearly. Also, ensure that the elements should come in the proper order ensuring optimum customer experience.
5. Launching The Video
Now, you are on the verge of knowing what your audience is thinking about the video. Launching the video requires a few steps:
(i) Uploading
Most of the video recording software is integrated with YouTube and allows you to upload directly.
However, you can also upload it from YouTube Studio.
(ii) Optimizing
Pause for a second and recall. At the beginning of this article, we talked about keywords. Now it will come into effect.
- Keywords: Include keywords in your title, descriptions, and tags to make it optimized for SEO.
- Title: Take time to craft a unique title that hooks the audience. Let’s compare two titles-
- Title-1: ‘Digital marketing in 2023’
- Title-2: ‘5 Most Popular Digital Marketing Strategies in 2023’
What’s the difference between the two titles? Which one will perform better? What do you think?
Without any doubt, the second one has more clarity as compared to the first one.
What’s your takeaway from these examples? Your title must be crisp, to the point yet descriptive at the same time.
(iii) Thumbnail
A visually appealing thumbnail gives you a competitive advantage. Make sure to use vibrant and eye-catching colors in your thumbnail; this will help it stand out from other videos on the search results page.
Put the title of your video on the thumbnail as well, as viewers might not read the title when scrolling through search results.
Lastly, make sure your thumbnail is according to YouTube’s standards, so it isn’t too small, too big, or blurry. Checkout the Youtube thumbnail sizes and guidelines to get started.
Final Call
You can always count on YouTube to stay ahead of the curve; it keeps adapting, whether it’s emulating features from other platforms, devising new ways to make money, or making the platform more user-friendly.
This means we can expect more streaming, eCommerce, and immersive experiences in the near future!
It’s no secret that YouTube has been making a strong push into the streaming arena, offering a slew of incentives and the promise of a more open platform to lure in top streamers from Twitch.
However, the platform’s many benefits go way beyond the bonuses: with YouTube, streamers have easy access to saving their streams as videos to be watched at any time, and they can create traditional videos, shorts and more – all on one platform, without risking fragmenting their audiences across different sites. Not only that, but YouTube’s streaming service is consistently evolving for a better viewing and streaming experience for everyone.
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