If you yearn for a creative outlet, starting a YouTube channel can be a great idea. The YouTube market is full of talented, personable people creating quality videos, however, so getting noticed on a brand new channel can be tough. If you want to succeed in your niche, here are seven big mistakes to avoid.
- Having Poor-Video Quality
The first things viewers will notice about your videos are the sound and video quality. If your voice sounds choppy, your video content is blurry or shaky, or the sound is too loud or too quiet, viewers will close your video almost immediately.
Investing in well-reviewed recording equipment is the best way to ensure that your audio and video are high quality. It’s also important to watch your own videos on both desktop and mobile platforms after uploading, to ensure they’ll look and sound good on any device.
- Having No Content Schedule
Most big YouTubers post videos according to a strict schedule. Even if your channel is small, you should set a schedule, such as posting at least one video per week. Channels that post on a regular basis are more likely to get views.
If you can, try completing at least two or three videos ahead of schedule. That way, even if you have a busy week and can’t work on anything new, you’ll have videos banked that are complete and ready to upload.
- Changing Focus
As a new YouTuber, there will likely be some experimentation in your early videos as you discover your personal style. You should, however, try to at least keep your videos geared toward the same audience and the same theme.
Viewers want to know what to expect from your channel. Drastically, and frequently, changing the tone and focus of your videos can cause you to lose subscribers.
- Mimicking Other YouTubers
When you’re just starting out, you should study similar channels to see what works in your genre, but be wary of mimicking a fellow YouTuber’s content or style too closely, as this could spark accusations of theft.Creating unique and engaging content is hard work. Blatantly mimicking popular videos is not only lazy, but it’s also insulting to the original creator.
- Padding Your Videos
Adding a personalized intro to your videos is usually a good idea, as it can make your videos look more professional. But if your intro is overly long, you could lose your viewer’s attention before the content even begins.
Also, if you spend too much of your video going off-topic, your viewers may lose interest. Never add extra off-topic content to your videos if it’s just for the sake of making your video longer.
- Using Too Much ‘Clickbait’
Keeping up with the latest trends is a good way to get noticed. Popular topics will get searched more often, so with research and planning, you can ensure your video content and keywords line up with hot search topics.
Don’t go overboard, however; if your thumbnails and titles are not representative of the actual video content, your audience is apt to feel cheated and lied to. “Clickbait” types of attention-catchers should be used sparingly, and only when they are relevant.
- Not Marketing Yourself
Putting out frequent, high-quality video content is not the only key to succeeding with YouTube. Without proper marketing, no one will see your videos and you won’t gain a following.
Ensuring you have a social media presence on multiple platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, is a good way to direct new followers to your YouTube page. However, be careful not to market yourself using spam comments, which will just make you look desperate.
If you’re having trouble gaining a following on your YouTube page, you may unwittingly be doing something wrong. These seven mistakes commonly made by new YouTubers can be harmful to your channel growth, but are easily fixable once identified. By avoiding these mistakes, your channel will be much more likely to gain views and subscribers.