5 Things I learned from 2 years on YouTube

I started posting regularly on YouTube two years ago.

Here are five mistakes I made already – so you don’t have to.

Lesson 1: You don’t need a shit-hot camera

6 months ago I bought a Canon M50 Mk2 and capture device, but in hindsight it was probably a mistake because I don’t use it to its potential.

A basic £40 webcam with 1080p resolution is fine for the purposes of basic talking-head videos. I use a greenscreen, so even the nice blurry backgrounds offered by a mirrorless camera with adjustable aperture are irrelevant. I could have spent the money on other things, or just waited to purchase at a later date.

Lesson 2: Writing is actually really important

Video titles, video scripts, community posts and comment replies all require written material, so the better you are at writing, the better these will be.

Since the start of my channel I always suspected that I could make better content if I learned some copywriting techniques, and devoted the time to using them. There are loads of great resources out there and many are completely free.

Lesson 3: YT Metrics are like sugar

Watching the likes or subscriptions come in after each video can give you a buzz for a while, but they don’t keep you going for long, and when they tail-off you might feel low.

Comments are the most valuable interactions from your audience. Every comment took more effort to produce than any single click on a like button or a subscribe bell. Each written comment is an opportunity to talk to and learn from a real person directly.

Lesson 4: You’ve got to be a jack of all trades

If you are working solo on making content for YouTube, there are a LOT of different hats to wear:

It may feel overwhelming at first because unless you’ve got previous experience in some of these roles, there can be a lot to learn. Making your first few videos is likely to take a long time, so pace yourself and try to create your own templates for things like thumbnails, transitions and titles. This will speed things up a lot. Be open to building new skills.

Lesson 5: Do whatever you want

If you are starting a channel because it seems like an exciting way to share your music, or to express yourself, then stick to your guns and make whatever content you feel like. Alternatively, if your goal is to grow your channel and get monetized fast, there are many guides out there.

Whichever you choose – be very clear about the distinction.

I’ve always wanted to keep my creative freedom in terms of pace, and direction on the channel. At the same time I also want it to be successful and early on I didn’t want to accept that these two factors are often in conflict. I began to feel disheartened when I realized the channel wasn’t growing at a pace I’d hoped for.

If I make a live techno jam in one video, a talking head about creative methods next, then a tutorial on ambient music, the chances of these topics all appealing to a viewer are reduced compared to posting the same type of content for every video. Generally speaking, people like consistent themes and some regularity to uploads. The flip-side of this is that those viewers who DO enjoy this variety are unlikely to find that exact mix on another channel, and may become superfans!

Now I’m much more content with making the videos I want to make, and really appreciating the subscribers and viewers who leave such interesting and supportive comments.

If you’re new to making YouTube content, try to think of it as a marathon, not a sprint. You are in charge of the event, so take it at your own pace. Your audience will run to catch up, or slow down to jog alongside you. Don’t stop though, otherwise you’ll never get that medal!