by Google
Thanks to our many years of working with YouTube creators, we have seen many good, but also very many bad videos. We have noticed that some mistakes are repeated by both beginners and experienced creators, and we decided to write down 10 basic tips for you, what to do and what to avoid when creating videos on YouTube.
1. WHAT NOT TO DO – ARTIFICIALLY EXTENDING THE VIDEO
The rule of less is sometimes more also applies to videos. On YouTube, it is very important to engage and retain the viewer, which you can do thanks to an interesting and dynamic video. You can make a video about how you train and fight with Atilla Végh, but if the video is 2 hours long, it is very likely that very few people will even watch it. This way you will only waste the potential of a great video. We also encountered a case where creators tried to achieve a video length of 10:01 today, 8:01 today, so that more ads could be displayed in the video and thus earn more money. But if a video that is 11 minutes long is boring, viewers will leave after a few minutes.
Avoid extensive narration, leave out the “cotton wool”, trim the video by boring shots and create shorter dynamic videos instead. And definitely avoid inserting the so-called “black screen” at the end of the video, which can discourage your viewers.
2. WHAT NOT TO DO – COMBINING UNRELATED VIDEO CATEGORIES
If you have a YouTube channel and you want to post cooking, fashion hauls, gaming and the occasional makeup tutorial, let's be honest, if you don't have the personality of The Rock and the editing skills of Casey Neistat, then your channel probably won't work. You won't appeal to a gamer with the latest makeup from Moma. Just like you won't appeal to a young person who just moved out of their parents' house and wants to learn how to cook great Szeged with 25 minutes of gameplay from a new PS5 game. Experimenting and trying new concepts is right, but mixing several unrelated categories on one channel is not the best choice.
The most important thing is not to combine two categories that have a completely different audience. For example, FASHION and GAMING. Fashion is watched by a group of viewers who are absolutely not interested in watching gaming content and vice versa. Imagine if Moma suddenly started playing video games, the first episode might get very good reviews but in the long run this series would not work.
Therefore, if you want to connect or expand your content, start creating in a very similar category, where one follows the other. For example, for fashion it could be makeup or lifestyle and for gaming some technological content related to it is associated.
3. WHAT NOT TO DO – CLICKBAIT TITLES
Clickbait titles can initially bring in a lot of viewers, but it is not sustainable. If the title is misleading, viewers will figure it out after a while and start clicking through the video or turn it off completely. This will cause 2 fundamental things. YouTube’s algorithm will notice that people leave after a while after opening your video, and therefore your channel will be recommended less. But even more seriously, by creating clickbait you will lose the trust of your audience. If viewers regularly encounter clickbait, they lose interest in watching misleading videos and you lose not only views, but also a community. But if you decide to use clickbait titles, try to devote as much of the video to the topic as possible so that the viewer does not feel deceived. But remember – Content is king.
4. WHAT NOT TO DO – COPYING OTHER CREATORS
Being inspired does not mean copying. If you decide that you want to create videos like PewDiePie and take on all his concepts, facial expressions or editing style, it will not guarantee you success, you will only create another lesser-known PewDiePie, who is nothing new to the viewer. Therefore, if you are starting a new YouTube channel or a series of videos, remember one thing, always put a piece of yourself in the video. It is okay to be inspired by foreign countries, but don't forget to add something extra, something that describes you, which is why your viewers will like you.
5. WHAT NOT TO DO - DON'T POST VIDEOS JUST TO FILL A GAP
You know it, sometimes you just have a creative block and you don't know what to make. Need some advice? Take a break. It is better to skip a video or two than to post something just to be. Your audience won't be interested, your video will get few views, and it will only bother you. YouTube itself says that if you have a creative crisis as a creator, it's perfectly okay to take a break. Don't worry, your channel won't disappear. And to prevent similar crises in the future, try creating regular series on your channel, create a list of video ideas, and spend at least a little time each week researching trends.
6. WHAT TO DO - BE CONSISTENT
If content is king, then consistency is queen. This is true, especially if you're new to YouTube, but even if you've been creating for a while, consistency is important. Set up your video creation schedule so that it's sustainable for you, whether you can publish a video every month, week, or day. The most important thing is that you have to have fun, otherwise you will force yourself into videos and that will not benefit either you or your viewers.
7. WHAT TO DO – COMMUNITY COMES FIRST
The foundation of every successful YouTube channel is a strong community. That is why it is important to be in constant contact with your fans. Take a moment to reply to comments under the video, answer questions from viewers, add posts to the YouTube community, create YouTube Shorts or involve viewers in the creation of videos. Creating a trusting relationship with the community is important because your fans are your biggest supporters, thanks to whom your channel can grow and you can create more and more interesting projects.
8. WHAT TO DO – WORK WITH YOUTUBE ANALYTICS
YouTube analytics are a great tool to get to know your audience better and create the most interesting content for them. Thanks to analytics, you will find out who your audience is, when viewers watch your videos, which videos kept fans' attention the longest, or which videos brought you the most subscriptions. When you truly understand who your audience is and what they enjoy the most, we are sure that your channel will grow. In our network, we teach our partners how to work with YouTube analytics and how to use them to grow their channel. Therefore, if you need advice or are interested in becoming a member of our network, do not hesitate to contact us.
9. WHAT TO DO – NETWORK AND COLLABORATE WITH OTHER CREATORS
When creators come together, something great usually comes out. Whether it’s videos or live streams, let’s be honest, the result is worth it. Even though creators are very talented as separate units, collaboration brings something more that audiences simply adore. The friendly atmosphere, mutual banter and great energy when filming multiple creators at once, there’s simply nothing that can replace it, and viewers see and feel it.
Creator collaborations not only bring a new type of content to their fans, but they also support each other in their creations. Fans of one creator discover the other and vice versa. It’s a win-win situation that benefits both fans and creators. Network, create genuine friendships with other creators, support each other, and bring new collaborations.
10. WHAT TO DO – EXPERIMENT
It's great if you have a guaranteed series that works for several months, maybe even years, but for your personal growth, it's important not to be satisfied and experiment. Thanks to experiments, you may discover a new type of video that will be even more successful. We're not saying that you should throw your usual series in the trash, try to maintain them, spice them up, and try other types of videos alongside them. Thanks to experiments, you won't fall into a stereotype, the content will always be relevant, and your audience won't get bored.
Anyone can create videos on YouTube, but not everyone succeeds, and often it's because of mistakes that you can easily fix. We believe that our tips will help you create interesting videos and your YouTube channel will progress. We provide more similar and even more specific advice to our network members, where you can also belong. If you are interested in membership, do not hesitate to contact us.
