In this blog post I share tips and advice for starting a successful YouTube channel.
This post is particularly useful for those of you who are thinking of starting a YouTube channel, or have started a YouTube channel and don’t have many subscribers and views, and need help increasing both subscribers and video views.

I have compiled a list of 11 tips for a successful YouTube channel, which are detailed below:

1) Choose a simple, easy to remember name for your YouTube channel.

Ideally, your channel name should not be too long and should not have a mixture of too many letters and numbers as it may confuse viewers. A viewer may stumble upon your video, watch and like it and if they do not subscribe to your channel, they may have difficulty recalling your channel name. If you have a simple, memorable channel name, the viewer will have something to pop into the search bar to easily find your channel.

2) Make sure your profile picture and channel art look nice and appealing.

When you comment across the YouTube platform, your channel profile picture is displayed next to your comment. If it is eye catching or looks particularly nice, other users will be more likely to click on it. Your profile picture and channel art need to reflect what your YouTube channel is about. Try to keep your profile picture as simple and professional looking as possible, unless your channel is completely the opposite of simple! Make sure any photos used are not blurry or low quality.

3) Choose a focus for your channel and decide on the target audience for your channel.

It is extremely important to choose a focus or direction for your YouTube channel early on in your YouTube journey. Not only will this let your viewers know what kind of videos to expect from you, but it will also give you a clear idea of the direction of your YouTube channel. If you are unsure of the kind of videos you would like to make initially, try out a variety of videos, and if one type of video is particularly enjoyable or successful for you, keep that as your main focus for your channel.

4) Don’t be afraid to mix it up!

Not to contradict my previous tip, but it is a good idea to mix up the video content on your YouTube channel from time to time. This will give your viewers an insight into a side of you that they may not have come across before, and it keeps your content fresh and exciting.

5) Do a popular tag or challenge video.

There are many ‘tag’ video ideas or challenge video ideas that can help you get noticed on YouTube. These types of videos are popular and people enjoy watching them. For example, the husband/wife tag or the ethnicity tag. Some of the most popular videos on my channel are ‘tag’ videos.

6) Make high quality videos with good, clear audio.

There is no excuse for a poor, low quality video nowadays, as the majority of us own at least a smartphone which can record videos in HD. It is also important to have good, clear audio so that the viewer can hear the video well and enjoy your video to the fullest. Ensure that the background of your video is clean and as organised as possible.

7) Don’t spend lots of money on expensive equipment.

There is no point breaking the bank when you are first starting your YouTube channel, as you don’t know how successful your YouTube channel will be, and whether a ‘YouTube career’ is something you would definitely like to pursue. You do not need the best cameras or the latest technology to create and produce good videos. Initially, the quality of content is much more important than the quality of your videos, although your videos do need to be watchable and engaging.

8) Keep your videos short and snappy.

Make sure your videos are to the point, and in line with the title and thumbnail. You need to deliver a video that the viewer is expecting to watch, not a long, rambly video which doesn’t deliver as promised.

9) Upload videos regularly.

If you want your YouTube channel to grow faster, post videos as regularly as you can. The more videos you post, the quicker your channel will grow. It is important that you maintain the level of quality that your viewers expect, but the more of that content you can deliver, the quicker your channel will grow (usually).

10) Be yourself and be unique.

There is nothing viewers love more than an authentic, genuine YouTuber. Viewers are far more intuitive than we give them credit for, and they can easily spot when someone is being fake or putting on an act for the camera. Don’t directly copy someone else’s style, yes it is okay to borrow from others and put your unique spin on a video idea, but if you try to copy another creator’s style, viewers will quickly realise and call you out for it.

11) Collab with other creators and share your videos.

This is a quick and fun way to gain new subscribers to your channel, although it is something I have rarely done. The idea is to collaborate with a similar channel to yours, and promote each other’s channel to your subscribers, in the hope that they will subscribe to the other person. If you are a fairly small channel and do not have many opportunities to collaborate with other creators yet, you could easily share your videos across social media sites like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, which is free and if done strategically, can help you grow your channel fast.

I hope you find these tips for starting a successful YouTube channel useful, and I wish you all the best in your future as a YouTube content creator.