YouTube has now secured the shiny position of being the second most viewed platform after Google (although owned by Google), and rightfully so. The video-sharing platform headquartered in California attracts as many as 2 billion users monthly with a sweet 5% upsurge every month. Earlier, younger people used it for educational purposes, but now it’s a hotbed for almost all kinds of content, be it informative, educational, creative, or recreational.
What makes YouTube a household name is its accessibility for all demographics. Now the video platform has become a holy grail for those who aspire to build their careers with just a camera and impeccable skills to share with the world and, of course, marketers around the world who are leveraging it for some outlandish marketing campaigns.
If you’re someone who dreams of building a YouTube channel and making that first milestone vlog, then you have landed at just the right space. Keep reading to find out how you can use YouTube videos to build a career and make your dreams a reality as YouTuber Hussein (YouTube name Kazzy) did!
Kazzy is nearing the 1M mark soon. His journey from being oblivious to the channel to now being a YouTube content creator, manager, YouTube influencer, and brand consultant is inspiring. Kazzy is the founder of creative marketing company Dreamwell, where he now consults with brands and large YouTubers to provide more knowledge and value into the content world. Kazzy is a living example of how you can make the most out of a platform that can be used to your advantage in not just traditional ways. Here is some advice from the star YouTuber on how you can get started and reach the millions!
Conceptualize and plan your content ahead
If you’re planning on creating a YouTube channel, you probably already know what you want your niche to be. It could be anything such as beauty blogs, technical reviews, funny content, vlogs, just to name a few. If you don’t know what you like, that’s fine! “Find trends that the big YouTubers are doing, and copy them. Add your own element and creativity to it, and your video has the potential of being suggested on the big YouTube videos!”. The key to inviting followers to subscribe and become your fans is to post interactive, engaging, and informative content. “Know your audience and keep looking for inspirations,” says Kazzy.
Invest in equipment
Just a mobile phone with decent quality could serve as a great head start, but if you’re looking for long-term content creation, then Kazzy advises investing in the right equipment. Not just the video quality, the sound, lights, backdrop, and other factors must also be kept into consideration. However, you should not wait until you have all of the equipment. The best time to start is right now.
“If you’re new to editing, don’t get overwhelmed with highly technical editing apps, just make simple renders using basic video editing apps, and you should be fine for the initial stage,” adds Hussein.
Optimize it well
The secret sauce to making it to the trending section is how well you optimize your videos. “Most people underestimate the need for a good description, right thumbnail, hooking caption, keywords, and things like that,” shares Kazzy. Before hitting the upload button, make sure that you have filled in all the information with web-friendly words to attract good organic traffic.
Where do you find these? On other people’s videos. Look for similar videos to the one you’re posting, and copy some of their tags in your tagline section. Look for keywords in their descriptions. Look at how they title their videos. A big trick is to use the similar videos’ titles in your own tags so that you can trick the algorithm into placing your video in that video’s (the one whose title you copied into your tags) suggested box on the right side! This is probably one of the most effective ways to boost your video and hope it makes it onto the suggested view panel.
Build your network and connect with audience
The YouTube community is growing tremendously and to be a part of it is essential to building a heavy subscriber base and being recognized. Connect with other creators, collaborate, and keep engaging with your audience for a positive response. “When starting out, make sure to respond to every single comment!”, says Kazzy. It also makes you more accessible to the audience and helps them relate to your content better, as well as makes them feel special for being able to connect with the content creator himself.
Kazzy recommends being consistent with your content and not being irregular with uploading new videos. Give your followers some details about your new video schedule so that they know when to check back. Ending your videos with a crisp call to action is a must to gain more views and subscribers. At the end of the day, your content quality has to be unparalleled and original, and a fan base of millions awaits you!
