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Have you ever wanted to make a YouTube channel but thought it was too complicated? ME TOO! But I decided to head to YouTube and search how to start my own channel and it turns out it’s so much easier than I ever expected it to be. You can literally learn almost anything by simply searching it on YouTube. So many kind souls have created how-to videos for us to all learn from.
Your story is unique & so so different…& not worthy of comparison
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I am still learning and getting better every single day, but I wanted to share how quickly and easily it is to start your own YouTube channel TODAY!
2022 is the year we’re all reaching for the stars, dreaming new dreams, and CRUSHING fun goals.
So, first things first, you’ll need to figure out what kind of content you want to create. Much like blogging, it is a good idea to have some sort of niche selected. I am also not an expert, but there are plenty of social media gurus who have content created on how to choose a niche and info for those of you who don’t even want to niche and just want to talk about anything and everything. Do you, boo-boo. There’s so much info on the internet! Simply do a quick search and learn something new today!
The niche I chose for myself is books but also mental health and general lifestyle.
Okay, so you know what you want to talk about, now it’s time to film.
I film EVERY SINGLE VIDEO on my iPhone, so if you have a smartphone, you are set to start creating videos. I am not sure how androids work, okay? So if that’s what you’re working with, you’ll need to search on YouTube for someone else to help you. But if you’re using an iPhone, I record my video on my phone, edit it on iMovie, create a YouTube thumbnail on Canva, and then upload my video to YouTube via the YouTube app! It is truly that easy.
Smartphones are literally just handheld computers and are capable of doing so many things. I do also have an IPad Pro and it’s pretty amazing. I have it on my to-do list to edit a YouTube video on my phone, I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.
IMovie is what I use to edit the footage that I film on my phone and it is so user-friendly and easy to use. It includes transitions, background music options, the ability to add text to the screen, etc.
Canva is a free app, with a paid version, where you can use premade templates to make your YouTube thumbnail designs. These are your cover images that will show up on people’s feeds. See examples above.
Okay, so let me just break this down again. Remember, I am not a professional and still very much learning how to do this myself.
Step 1: Film your video on your phone
Get ready to film! I literally sit on my floor and talk to the camera. I am very at ease talking to myself and my phone because I’ve been talking on my Instagram stories for a couple of years now. If you feel a little weird with this step, that is totally normal! Just record yourself anyway, watch it back yourself, and adjust accordingly. No one is perfect from the start and everyone has learning curves when starting new adventures. Don’t let this step keep you from starting your channel!
I do have a ring light to hold my phone and give good lighting, but this isn’t a necessary thing to get started with. You can prop your phone on whatever it takes to get the angle you want and try to sit in a well-lit room.
Also, when filming try to remember that viewers aren’t watching your videos because they expect you to be perfect. We find our people by showing up as our true authentic selves, so don’t stress too much if you segway into a story time, stumble for a second, or just have real-life blunders in your video.
Step 2: Upload your video to your editing program
I’ll be talking about IMovie because, as an Apple user, that’s what I am using to edit my videos but find what works for you.
IMovie is free and has a mobile app, as well as an app for the IPad which is what I use to edit my videos.
I watched some YouTube videos on how to edit using this software, so I don’t really feel like I have the authority to teach anyone anything about IMovie, but I will say if you’re not sure how to use the program there is a ton of content on YouTube to help you out.
I personally find it’s very user-friendly and it has been a breeze to edit the “movies” on there.
Step 3: Create a thumbnail image using Canva
Again, this is simply the software I use but feel free to go out and find whatever works for you.
Canva is also extremely user-friendly and comes with a TON of premade templates for almost every and any project imaginable.
You can take some photos and arrange them in a template, change the text, and wa-la, you have your thumbnail. It is even already sized appropriately for you to upload right to your YouTube video in the uploading process.
The video above is one that I forgot to take any still shots for the thumbnail, so I simply screenshot some photos from the footage itself.
Don’t overthink this! You can do whatever you want, make whatever you want, it’s all up to you.
Step 4: Upload your video to YouTube
Now that your video is edited and your thumbnail is created, it’s time to upload your video to YouTube!
I use the YouTube app on my IPad, upload the video, add the thumbnail image, add a description, and that’s that.
So there you have it, friend!
That is how I, as a complete and total newbie, create my YouTube videos!
Are you thinking about starting a BookTube channel?? If you’re already on BookTube, drop your links in the comments! I’d love to check out your videos!
Also, if your process is different than mine or if you have any tips to add, I’d love to hear them as well!
