Mastering YouTube takes phenomenal effort, but don’t write it off just yet.  It’s a solid platform  to boost your business or personal brand. In this post, and after having built my own channel to where it is today (452K subscribers), I’ll be showing you the exact steps you can take right now to create your own channel, and to set yourself up for growth later on. 
Let’s dive in.
(For a real look at the numbers, I’ve broken down the financials in a separate piece about how much money do YouTubers make here.)
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Before You Start:
Think of a Google account as the golden key to the treasure trove of Google services. Without it, you’re just window-shopping. If you’re not already part of the Google universe (really? What year is it?), or if you want a shiny new account just for your YouTube escapades, it’s time to sign up.
 
The How-To:
Head over to the Google Account Creation Page.
Fill in the basics: name, username, and password. Remember, this username will be your email address, so choose wisely. No “funkybunny123,” unless that’s your brand vibe.
Complete the sign-up process. Google will ask for a phone number and secondary email for security – treat these like the secret ingredients in your grandma’s famous recipe: necessary and not to be shared.
 
Post Sign-Up:
Once you’ve got your Google life sorted, mosey on over to YouTube. Click on the sign-in button (top right, can’t miss it). Enter your shiny new Google credentials, and voilà, you’re in YouTube land.
Before You Start:
If you’ve ever signed into Gmail, you’ve essentially rehearsed for this moment. Signing into YouTube is no Cirque du Soleil act; it’s more like tying your shoelaces.
 
The How-To:
On the YouTube homepage, spot the ‘Sign In’ button lounging at the top right corner. Give it a click.
Enter your Google account details. If your account is fresh, it’ll smell like a new car and be ready for a ride.
 
Post Sign-In:
Congratulations, you’ve infiltrated YouTube with your Google identity. Feel the power, but don’t let it go to your head. You’re now in the realm where cat videos are a legitimate form of currency.
Before You Start:
Creating your YouTube channel is like planting your flag on the digital moon. It’s your little slice of the internet, a space where your voice can be heard, your brand can shine, and your cat videos can finally get the appreciation they deserve. But before you become the virtual mayor of your YouTube town, there are a few ceremonial ribbons to cut.
 
The How-To:
After signing in, click on your profile icon at the top right. This little circle is your gateway to greatness.
Select ‘Your Channel‘ from the dropdown menu. It’s like choosing the red pill – there’s no going back.
Choose ‘Use a business or other name‘ if you’re a brand or just want to separate your cat video habits from your professional persona.
Fill in your Channel Name. This is your marquee, your neon sign, your bat signal. Make it count.
 
Post Channel Creation:
Your channel is now live. It’s a newborn in the vast YouTube nursery. Time to swaddle it with great content, an engaging personality, and a marketing strategy that doesn’t rely on spamming your high school email list. 
Before You Start:
Your channel’s layout is the digital foyer of your brand’s home. It’s the first impression, the opening act, the handshake before the meeting. A blank or poorly organized channel is like an unaddressed envelope – it lacks identity and direction. Customization isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about functionality, making your channel an intuitive, engaging space for your audience.
 
The How-To:
Navigate to Your Command Center: Begin by visiting your channel dashboard. Here, you’re more than a creator; you’re the architect of your audience’s experience.
Initiate Customization Protocol: Click on ‘Customize Channel.’ This section is the canvas for your digital masterpiece, where every tweak and adjustment crafts the viewer’s journey.
Visual Identity is Key: Your profile picture and channel art are the billboards of your brand. Choose visuals that resonate with your content’s essence and capture your brand’s spirit. They’re not just images; they’re your digital handshake.
Craft Your Story: The ‘About’ section is your narrative podium. It’s where you weave the story of your brand, your mission, and your content into a compelling tapestry. Be authentic, be clear, and remember, this is your narrative, your chance to connect on a deeper level with your audience. 
 
Post Customization:
Your channel is now a living, breathing digital entity. But it doesn’t end with aesthetics. Engage newcomers with an alluring channel trailer spotlight, showcasing the essence of your brand in a brief, captivating video. Use featured sections to strategically group content, guiding your audience through your videos like a curator in a gallery. This not only makes your channel a seamless experience but also encourages deeper exploration, increasing watch time and viewer retention.
Before You Start:
YouTube, like any society, has rules. Ignorance is not bliss; it’s a one-way ticket to Banville.
 
The How-To:
Read the YouTube Community Guidelines. Treat it like the terms and conditions of your soul. Know it, live it, abide by it.
Understand the Copyright and Monetization policies. YouTube isn’t the Wild West; it’s more like a gated community with a strict HOA.
 
Post Enlightenment:
You’re now wise in the ways of YouTube. Use this knowledge to navigate through troubled waters without getting torpedoed by the YouTube police.
Before You Start:
Before diving in, understand that each element – your profile picture, banner, and video watermark – is a pivotal touchpoint that interacts with your audience, and branding is the soul of your channel’s visual identity.
 
The How-To:
Select a Profile Picture That Speaks Volumes: Your profile picture is your ambassador in the digital realm. Opt for a clear and distinct image (98×98 pixels minimum) that effectively represents your personal brand or the ethos of your organization. It’s not just a picture; it’s the face of your brand, greeting every viewer who crosses paths with your content.
 
Design a Banner That Tells Your Story: Your channel banner (2048 x 1152 pixels minimum) is the billboard of your YouTube presence. It’s the backdrop against which your brand’s narrative unfolds. This visual masterpiece should encapsulate the essence of your channel, inviting viewers into your world. Ensure it’s not just eye-catching but also a visual storyteller of your brand’s journey and aspirations.
 
Incorporate a Consistent Video Watermark: A video watermark (150 x 150 pixels) is more than just a subtle graphic; it’s a stamp of authenticity and a beacon of brand recognition. This constant visual companion in your videos subtly reinforces your brand while gently nudging viewers towards subscription. It’s your silent ally, working tirelessly to build familiarity and foster a sense of belonging among your audience.
 
Post Branding Establishment:
With each of these elements meticulously crafted and consistently applied, your channel transforms into a stronghold of your brand’s visual identity. This cohesive branding doesn’t just fortify your presence on YouTube; it also builds a recognizable presence that viewers learn to know, trust, and love.
Before You Start:
Think of the basic info tab as your channel’s digital DNA. It’s where the foundational elements of your channel’s identity come together to form a cohesive, recognizable presence. 
 
The How-To:
Channel Name and Handle – Your Digital Signature: Begin by ensuring your channel name and handle are not just names but beacons of recognition. They are the first identifiers that viewers associate with your content. Make them memorable, relevant, and true to your brand’s essence.
 
Craft a Compelling Description – Your Story in a Nutshell: Your channel description is more than a summary; it’s your narrative pitch to the audience. Enrich it with SEO-friendly keywords to enhance your channel’s discoverability. However, ensure it resonates with your content’s spirit, offering viewers a tantalizing glimpse of what to expect, enticing them to dive deeper into your videos.
 
Customize Your Channel URL – Your Address in the Digital Universe: A custom channel URL is not just a convenience; it’s your brand’s address on the digital map. It makes your channel easily shareable and infinitely more memorable. Choose a URL that reflects your brand and is easy to recall.
 
Provide Contact Info – Open Channels for Collaboration: Include contact information for business inquiries. This transparency not only professionalizes your channel but also opens doors for collaborations, sponsorships, and business opportunities. It’s an invitation to the world, signaling that your brand is open for engagement.
 
Link to Your Digital Ecosystem – Extend the Invitation: Lastly, integrate your social media profiles and website links. These create a network of touchpoints, fostering a community around your brand and amplifying your digital presence.
 
Post Basic Info Addition:
With these elements finely tuned and prominently displayed, your channel stands not just as a collection of videos but as a holistic, professional brand. This attention to detail in your basic info lays the groundwork for your channel’s discoverability, credibility, and viewer engagement.
Before You Start:
Uploading your first video is your debut in the digital arena, your first brushstroke on the canvas of YouTube. This moment is more than just an upload; it’s the beginning of your journey, a journey where your content meets the world. 
 
The How-To:
Initiate the Upload – Start Your Journey: Navigate to YouTube and click on the CREATE button, adorned with a camera icon – your beacon to broadcast your creativity. It’s your gateway to the world.
 
Follow the Upload Wizard – Your Guiding Star: As you select and upload your file, let the platform guide you through the process. This journey, although trodden by many, is unique to your content and vision. 
 
Craft a Compelling Title – Your Headline to the World: Your title is more than a label; it’s the headline of your story, the hook that captures attention in the bustling sea of content. Make it not just informative but irresistible, compelling viewers to pause, click, and watch.
 
Pen an Informative Description – Your Synopsis for Success: The description box is your canvas for context. It’s where you summarize your narrative, weave in keywords for SEO, and invite viewers on a journey.
 
Design an Eye-Catching Thumbnail – Your Visual Whisper: Your thumbnail is your silent ambassador, whispering tales about your content in the visual language. Make it striking, make it relevant, and make it so visually captivating that viewers can’t help but be drawn to your narrative.
 
Post Upload:
With your video uploaded and each element meticulously crafted, your first creation takes its place on the digital stage. 
Before You Start:
Without SEO, your video, no matter how remarkable, risks being a hidden gem in an endless sea of content. Optimization is your beacon; it ensures that your video not only exists but is also found, seen, and appreciated. It’s about speaking the language of algorithms and audiences alike, making your video a loud, clear voice rather than a whisper in the tornado of online content.
 
The How-To:
Keyword Research: Start by delving into keyword research. Identify terms and phrases that resonate with your content and audience. These keywords are the queries and curiosities of your potential viewers. Use tools and insights to uncover the terms that bridge the gap between your content and your audience’s search habits.
 
Title and Description: Infuse your title and description with your researched keywords, but do so organically. Your title is the bold announcement of your content, while your description serves as the engaging summary. Both should be clear, compelling, and rich with relevant keywords, ensuring they serve as effective pathways for viewers and search algorithms alike.
 
Leverage Categories: Use categories to position your content within the broader landscape of similar topics. This classification helps YouTube understand your niche, your content’s context, and how it relates to viewer interests.
 
Utilize Tags: Though their impact may be less pronounced, tags serve as additional markers, clarifying your video’s subject matter. They’re the nuances in your content’s digital footprint, offering subtle but valuable hints about your video’s theme and context. Use tags judiciously to complement your title, description, and categories, ensuring they accurately reflect the essence of your content.
 
Prioritize Relevance and Clarity: In every element of SEO, from keywords to tags, prioritize relevance and clarity. The goal is to ensure that your optimization efforts paint an accurate, vivid picture of your content, making it resonate with both the algorithm’s logic and the viewer’s interest. It’s a balancing act between being algorithm-friendly and viewer-engaging.
 
Post Optimization:
Post-optimization, your video is no longer an invisible note in the digital symphony; it’s a highlighted solo performance, tuned to the frequencies of search engines and user interests. This meticulous tuning ensures that your content doesn’t just exist in the digital realm; it thrives, resonates, and engages. It’s not just about being seen; it’s about being discovered, appreciated, and remembered.
While the allure of becoming a high-earning YouTuber is enticing, it’s not the only path to success on the platform. As a multi-million dollar business owner, I’ve harnessed YouTube’s potential not by chasing subscriber counts in the millions or dedicating endless hours to partnerships but by integrating it smartly into my broader business strategy.
A Gateway to My Digital Products: My YouTube channel isn’t just a collection of videos; it’s a curated showcase leading viewers down a path to my online courses. Each video serves as a potential touchpoint, transforming viewers into subscribers, and subscribers into customers. It’s about creating a seamless journey from content to commerce, where every video adds value and nudges the viewer closer to my digital products.
In the digital age, content repurposing isn’t just smart; it’s essential. By sharing video versions of my podcast episodes on YouTube, I’m not just expanding my content’s reach; I’m creating a multi-dimensional brand experience. This strategy not only broadens my audience but also enhances engagement by catering to diverse content consumption preferences, whether audio or visual.
This guide isn’t just a collection of tips; it’s your blueprint, your behind-the-scenes guru for every step of your YouTube journey. From establishing a strong foundation with a Google account to fine-tuning the nuances of SEO, every piece of advice is crafted with your success in mind. Remember, while the mechanics of setting up a channel are universal, the magic lies in the authenticity and uniqueness of your content. Use this guide as your go-to resource, your trusted companion as you navigate the exciting world of YouTube. With all the insights and strategies you need at your fingertips, the only thing left to bring to the table is your unique vision and flair. So, what are you waiting for? Your audience is just a click away. Start today, create with passion, and watch your YouTube channel thrive.
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