Maybe you’ve thought about it more than once and haven’t been encouraged. Or it may not even have occurred to you to try. But there are almost two billion YouTube users out there, consuming more than 150 million hours of video each day. And they are waiting for you. You may be the guy who knows the most about Spain on the preparation and preservation of Almagro’s aubergines. Or you’re just pretty good at tie knots and want to share your knack with the world. What are you waiting for then?
To help you take the step and start your own YouTube channel or make the one you already have better and thus become a new Rubius, we have recruited two experts who will guide you in the first steps of this adventure who, who knows, maybe it will make you rich and famous.
Susana Yábar, journalist, influencer and Spanish television presenter, who has participated in television programs such as Survivors or Spaniards around the World and Stanley Sarpong, award-winning Dutch producer, content creator, former Google worker and co-founder of the successful YouTube channel Susana Yábar, the second largest Hispanic channel worldwide in the category of fitness and lifestyle for women. Including its three channels, its total audience is more than 2.2 million subscribers. So these guys know what they’re talking about.
Come on, let’s start, what do we need to start to start our channel?
Susana Yábar: We start and continue making our videos with just a mobile and we have nothing extraordinary that a person who wants to start a YouTube channel needs.
Stanley Sarpong: With all the technology at our fingertips it is easier than ever to start and as you learn and improve you add lights, tripods, micro, stabilizer, drones …
How are the first steps?
- SY: From the beginning we were clear that you had to think very well about the 5 Ws before starting.
- SS: The most important thing is the ‘why?’ If it is to complement a business, if it is for fun … But above all to understand the value of what you want to create, know what your vision is. It is important to throw yourself into something you really believe in. People on YouTube are increasingly clear what is authentic and what is false, but if you believe in yourself everything is easier.
- SY: Then the ‘what’ would come, what content will I upload to my channel? The ‘when’, what day of the week am I going to upload it? It is very important not to fail even once when uploading your video.
- SS: And as for the ‘how’, in our case we decided that we wanted a channel that would adapt to our lifestyle.
- SY: And the ‘where’, because we choose exotic beaches and luxury hotels.
Very well chosen that where. Okay, let’s make money, how do we do it?
- SS: The bottom line is that at first you share the 50/50 ad money with YouTube.
- SY: But they don’t start paying you until you generate your first € 75.
- SS: Sure, you must have enough subscribers and views to get there. And then there are more ways to earn money: affiliates, which is for example putting a link to Amazon under your video; sponsors; and then it is also your own marketing platform.
- SY: You start on YouTube, you have your brand, your audience, and then without leaving it, you take it to your platform. We now launch our application, we have infoproducts or online courses, we are going to publish a book, we give conferences …
How important are social networks in this strategy?
- SS: They are important to get a 360. People want to know what you are doing between uploading one video and the next.
- SY: We focused a lot on YouTube at the beginning but now we know that we must have a lot of presence especially on Facebook and Instagram. The audience is different in both and you must know what works in each.
- SS: If you want to collaborate with brands, they demand that presence on the networks.
- And how much can you earn?
- SS: The same thing happens with artists: there are many, but only a few are making a lot of money. You have to be aware of that. But also knowing that you have the opportunity to be one of them.
What are the most common mistakes that are made at first?
- SY: Above all, believing that what you have already works for you and not creating videos that come out of the monotony. It is not about seeing what others are doing but rather being aware of what is on the rise. The audience is not stupid. You must have a base content, but every two or three months you have to surprise with something new and at least once a year you must have a video that goes viral and attracts new subscribers.
- SS: Perhaps another mistake would be not collaborating with other youtubers, which is very good for growing, but it is not always easy.
- SY: You also have to be careful with the brands you associate with, because you can lose credibility. And you also shouldn’t expect to have the perfect content sometimes, you can risk it. We are not Steven Spielberg, this is YouTube!
How are bad comments handled?
- SY: A good tip in this case is that in the first four hours after uploading the video, try to answer all the comments. Have two or have a hundred. YouTube that rewards you and improves your ranking.
- SS: Especially when you start it is very important, even if it is a lot of work. It is important to create a community.
- SY: Even a negative comment can be used to turn it around and gain a new follower. Always from peace and without entering wars.
- And in addition to yours, can you recommend a couple of channels for our readers?
- SY: Michelle Phan’s has been a great inspiration for us although she doesn’t upload much content anymore because she is now a successful businesswoman, who makes more than a hundred million a year.
- SS: And StukTV is great. It is the largest fitness channel in the Netherlands and they have created a series in which people have 4 hours to escape from a prison, with celebrities and everything recorded with drones and the best technology. You have to see it!