If you’re looking for your first 100 youtube subscribers, (as they say, the most difficult to get), this is a video you don’t want to miss.
My Youtube Channel is three months old at the moment I’m filming this video, and I want to share with you what I learned so far to grow my user base.
Let’s get into it.
1) Make requests
In order to make your viewers take an action that could be subscribing to your channel, liking the video, visiting a link or anything else, you need to ask for it.
Never assume your viewers will do any of this if you don’t ask.
There are two parts in my videos where requests get more results:
- in the middle
- at the end
The centre of your video is the moment when the viewers’ attention is at its peak. And if users reach the end of your video, that means they liked it. Hence they’ll be inclined to do what you propose.
2) A YouTube channel need investments
I know there are dozens of YouTubers repeating that you can start a channel without costs, just using your phone. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy.
Quality on YouTube remains an essential factor, and if you don’t have at least an adequate camera, lights and a good microphone, your popularity won’t scale that easy.
That doesn’t mean that you need state-of-the-art tools.
All I need for my videos is an average camera, a couple of studio lights I bought on Amazon, and a Yeti microphone.
The entire initial investment is of 500£.
I know it’s not cheap, but if you want to be an entrepreneur, you need to comprehend that every new project has a price.
To save you some time surfing on Amazon, I’ve created a pdf with the list of tools I’m using for my videos.
If you want your channel to be even more professional, then there are some optional assets you could use.
I’m talking about music, animations, lower-third…
In this case, the investment isn’t massive. I use a subscription to Envato Elements, and for 15$ a month, I have plenty of assets like video templates, animations, audios and many others…
If you want to give it a try, you can start a subscription with Envato Elements here.
3) Showing up consistently
I realised YouTube rewards me with more organic traffic if I show up regularly. For this reason, I’ve set my target to two videos per week.
When you raise the bar at that level, especially if you’re not a full-time YouTuber, you likely bump into two issues. Running out of content or running out of time.
Here’s my solution to dodge these pitfalls.
First of all, I produce my videos in batches. I schedule
In this way, I don’t have to set lights and camera every time I film a new video.
Then I use Live videos to answer questions and get deeper into the topic of the weekly video. My YouTube Lives are a lot more relaxed than my other videos, and allow me to show up consistently reducing the time for editing and creating design assets.
4) First 5 to 10 seconds are vital.
Every video on YouTube has the largest drop of attention during the first 10 seconds.
That means that in that short interval, you need to summarise the topic and create interest in it.
What I usually do in my videos’ opening, is to highlight a problem that I’ll address later in the video.
Watch the beginning of the video above, and you’ll have a good example of it.
5) Long videos work.
I think everyone who ever started a channel, had doubts about the length of their videos. The answer is that there is a perfect measure.
I thought no one would watch a 10-minute video, and instead, they are the most popular on my channel.
I’m not stating that you have to focus just on long shots. Matter of fact, many channels got viral using only short videos.
But if you will produce long shots, a key recommendation is to keep your energy up for the entire clip.
In my first attempts on YouTube, I focused on speaking fast, in order not to bore my viewers. I was wrong.
Every time I’m in front of the camera, I need to raise my energy 10x. The camera drains your energy, and for this reason, you need to fill the gap.
The way I talk in my videos would never be the way I speak with my friends. They would think I’m nuts.
It’s more or less like acting on a stage, emphasising words and gestures.
6) You need a lot of patience.
I heard many times the sentence “Youtube is a marathon and not a sprint”. Now I totally relate to it.
To reach my first 100 subscribers, I had to work massively.
I’d lie if I say that this wasn’t frustrating from time to time, but I’m learning to appreciate the little achievements along the road.
It’s inspiring to see how my clip and my ability in front of the camera improve video after video.
And you? Did you already start your YouTube Channel?
What mistakes did you do along the way?
Or which mistakes do you notice with new YouTubers, myself included?
Reply in the comments below!
