BECOME A YOUTUBER — BUILD YOUR OWN YOUTUBE® CHANNEL
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2017959449
ISBN 978-1-119-40420-0 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-40428-6 (ePub); 978-1-119-40427-9 (ePDF)
So, you want to Become a YouTuber, but you’re not sure where to begin. Or maybe you already have your own channel and are looking to step up your game and get more subscribers. Good news — building your own channel on YouTube may be easier than you think! It will take a lot of consistent work and dedication, but if the actual content that you’re producing is something that is fun and you take pride in, your channel will grow naturally over time. The best part is that you are the owner, you are the content creator, and therefore you get to decide what is on your channel!
From video games and movie reviews to vlogging and funny reaction videos, there is an entire world out there on YouTube for you to not only explore, but join in on. This book focuses not so much on telling you what kind of content to create for your channel — that is totally up to you — but on how to build up your channel, create awesome videos, form a community, engage with your subscribers, earn money from advertisements, and grow to create your very own home on YouTube.
YouTube was created in February 2005 and since then has grown to become one of the most frequented websites in the world. It has billions of active monthly users and is growing. Thanks to the popularity of YouTube, many tutorial and how-to videos are floating around the Internet. This book provides a complete introduction for you to get started on YouTube. I go in depth on how to make sure that your channel is properly set up, offer tips on creating good, consistent content, and, most importantly, explain how to engage your community to promote channel growth.
As time goes on, YouTube will change. Its basic purpose will always remain the same, but you may notice differences to the user interface. It’s not uncommon for changes to the appearance and design to occur, so don’t get overwhelmed if you log in one day, and things look different. This book has lots of screenshots and steps directing you how to complete certain tasks. There is a good chance that months and years from now, YouTube will look a little bit different, and that’s fine. It’s a living entity and constantly changing to improve itself. Try to focus on the end goal and what you’re trying to accomplish. Sometimes the road to get somewhere changes, but reaching the end point is what matters.
Like content in all of the For Dummies series, this book will present its information in a fun, clear, and concise manner that I hope you enjoy.
You may be new to YouTube, or you may be an avid YouTuber who uses it on a daily basis. Many people get into YouTubing with the prospect of becoming rich and famous. To set the record straight right away, it’s very difficult to do that. It is entirely possible, but will take lots of consistent hard work and dedication to your channel. Don’t foolishly assume that it’s easy to become wealthy through YouTubing.
Sure, there is a chance that your video can go viral, and you can have overnight success. But in our society, today’s viral video will be forgotten about by the end of the week. Nowadays, it is as if many, many videos go viral on a daily basis, but then fizzle out just as quickly.
The YouTube audience nowadays is extremely demanding. You need to release content on a regular basis, or you will be forgotten. That being said, YouTube audiences want to be entertained. They want to laugh. They want to learn something. Your goal is to attract their attention and get them hooked so that they will want to subscribe to your channel and come back for more.
In addition to that, I want you to keep an open mind when going through this book. You may think you already know everything about YouTube, and you could very well know a lot. But, you may be surprised to explore sections of this book discussing parts of YouTube that you were previously unaware of.
Throughout the margin of this book are little pictures known as icons. These icons have different meanings:
The Tip icon points out a tidbit of useful information.
This icon highlights something worth pointing out for you to keep in the back of your mind or even take note of.
Become a YouTuber is divided into nine chapters, with each chapter focusing on different steps to help you create an exciting, entertaining, and successful YouTube channel. You do not need to read each of the chapters in order and can browse between them at your leisure. I want you to absorb the information in a way that is best for you! There is no correct way to learn, so take as much time as you need when you go through each chapter.
Whether you’re new to YouTube, a casual user, or even an avid lover of binge-watching videos, this book aims to cater to a wide range of audiences. The beauty of not having to read the chapters in this book in order makes it easier for readers with varying skill levels to find content valuable to their needs.
If you’re new to YouTube, you may want to consider starting with Chapter 1, which focuses mostly on the idea behind what makes a good channel, to set you up for success. The following chapters go through various tasks and goals from creating your channel’s artwork all the way to studying analytics on how to improve. Feel free to skip around between the chapters to suit your needs.
So you want to become a YouTuber and build your own channel. Awesome! In this chapter, you discover the secrets to success, including connecting with your viewers and consistency.
When I take a step back and think about YouTube, I can divide it into three parts: Channel. Content. Community.