It’s even harder if you do all the heavy lifting yourself and not use tools to make your life easier.
It time to build yourself a YouTube toolkit that can help you make amazing eye catching content with minimal effort.
Here are the 5 tools I used EVERY day in the last 12 months to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers.
1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search
I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.
Within 12 months I tripled the size of my channel and very quickly learnt the power of thumbnails, click through rate and proper search optimization. Best of all, they are FREE!
VidIQ goes beyond just hammering in keywords and tweaking titles in the vain hope of getting more views.
Did you know you can compare your thumbnails to rivals?
A great way to see what the top competitors in your space is doing and gives you a jumping off point for when you make you next video on that topic.
Machine Learning based Automatic Content Creation ideas!
Imagine waking up every day with a list of hot topics suggestions for you channel.
VidIQ has a new tool that will do the research for you, take a look at your niche, your rivals, your channel data and suggest topics that could be a good jumping off point for you in the future.
Never get stuck on what videos to make every again!
2. Adobe Creative Suite helps me craft amazing looking thumbnails and eye-catching videos
I have been making youtube videos on and off since 2013.
When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.
Big mistake!
I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.
That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.
Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.
3. Rev.com helps people read my videos
You can’t always listen to a video.
Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.
This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.
A GREAT way to find an audience and keep them hooked no matter where they are watching your content.
4. PlaceIT can help you STAND OUT on YouTube
I SUCK at making anything flashy or arty.
I have every intention in the world to make something that looks cool but im about as artistic as a dropped ice-cream cone on the web windy day.
That is why I could not live on YouTube without someone like PlaceIT. They offer custom YouTube Banners, Avatars, YouTube Video Intros and YouTube End Screen Templates that are easy to edit with simple click, upload wizard to help you make amazing professional graphics in minutes.
5. StoryBlocks helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways
I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.
And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.
I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.
I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the StoryBlocks website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.
The Underdog Collective was set up to help these people with easy to use, slick YouTube artwork that’s easily used with most desktop editing software.
High Quality, Low Cost Hosting – A great way to promote yourself, your videos and your brand is to have your own website.
I have been in the web development space for over 12 years and in that time the biggest lesson I have learnt from hundreds of clients is – a great website can be killed off by CRAPPY hosting, while an “okay” website with GREAT HOSTING can be a huge lead magnet for any project or product.
Content marketing, by its most simplistic explanation, boils down to two activities:
Content creation.
Content distribution.
For many content marketers, it’s easy to start at step 1 and stay there, just continuing to produce content. That’s fine and well, but if you aren’t sharing your content with your audience, I guarantee you’re not getting the results you want.
While step 1 should be a nice combination of creativity and analysis, step 2 is made almost entirely of data-backed strategy. Determining the most lucrative content marketing channels will help you reach your target audiences in meaningful and impactful ways.
So, what channels should you be focusing on this year? That depends on your industry, goals, audiences and more.
But the following 5 are all excellent channels to consider incorporating into your content distribution strategy:
YouTube
Video marketing has risen in popularity every year, and now it’s more important than ever for businesses. In 2020, it was one of the fastest growing types of visual content marketing used, and about one-quarter of marketers said it helped them reach their marketing goals in 2019.
Video became the champion of communication—business or personal—and entertainment during the pandemic as more consumers utilize these technologies and tune into this captivating content format. Of the 24% of marketers who said they used video for the first time in 2020, nearly half said doing so was a necessity because of the pandemic.
But this section is titled “YouTube” – not video. I have a reason for this, and it’s only partly because the next section is “live video.”
A search engine where people look for and find information.
Google’s daughter company that feeds directly into SERPs, giving you a second opportunity to be discovered organically.
In short, YouTube is a powerfully multifaceted distribution channel because the videos you upload to it are both shareable (it’s simple to embed them into your landing pages and blog posts and to link to them in social media posts and emails) and searchable, whether your audience is searching on YouTube itself or on Google.
As more people look to video to learn and communicate, brands that want to keep up will strive to provide more content in this format.
Those that want their videos to be easily found will most likely compile them on their YouTube channel.
Live video
Video is one thing; live video is something else entirely … OK, perhaps that’s an exaggeration, but live video really is important enough to deserve its own mention on this list.
Close to half of marketers (45%) use live video to connect with their audience in a highly personal, real-time format, according to Social Media Examiner.
A number of industry reports indicate that this medium is increasingly important for marketers, and not just because of the pandemic. Live video use was already on the rise, especially in B2B marketing:
29% of B2B marketers used livestream content in 2020, making it one of the fastest growing content types of Content Marketing Institute’s survey.
63% of B2B marketing representatives were willing to exchange their contact information for access to a webinar, according to Demand Gen Report’s 2019 Content Preferences Survey Report.
64% also noted they’d take 20-60 minutes to watch a webinar when researching a B2B purchase.
Facebook Live is likely to be the most popular channel, with 64% of marketers voting it as their most important in Social Media Examiner’s report, followed by Instagram Live with 19%.
But before you choose your streaming platform, consider where your audience finds video content. LinkedIn supports live video, and with only 5% of marketers saying this is their most important live video channel, you may stand out from the pre-recorded crowd.
Live video can be lucrative for B2C brands as well, and with consumers seeking out this format more often, you may find your audience quickly. A HubSpot survey found that 79% of respondents watch live video at least once weekly; YouTube Live is their favorite channel.
Email
Email is a low-cost, high-value content marketing channel, and should therefore be a key component of your digital marketing efforts. Plus, it’s a strong communication method in any circumstance: A Brafton survey found that following the pandemic, email was the No. 1 way brands communicated important updates to their customers.
For most marketers, email is already among their top channels; 87% of B2B marketers told CMI that email is the top way they distribute content, second only to social media. With a return on investment of 42:1 on average, it’s easy to see why.
However, you only stand a chance to see this level of ROI if you know how to leverage this channel strategically and in a way that makes sense for your brand, goals and audience. For many brands, this means creating a diverse email marketing strategy that includes aspects like:
Regular newsletters.
Sales emails.
Helpful notifications about company updates.
Cart abandonment emails.
And more.
Email is a key communication channel for just about … everyone. For that reason, brands that put the time and effort into getting their email strategy right have the opportunity to open up meaningful conversations.
Podcasts
Audio content is steadily becoming a cornerstone in content marketing as more consumers seek out information and entertainment in podcasts. And while some might assume that podcasts are primarily for individuals seeking entertainment, they’re actually a strong B2B marketing device.
Demand Gen Report found that half of B2B buyers would be willing to spend up to a half-hour listening to a podcast when researching a purchase decision. And among B2B marketers surveyed by CMI, just 26% said they were already including this audio-first format in their marketing mix.
Here’s what this tells us: Buyers will listen to a podcast. But not many B2B brands have entered that market yet. When you launch your podcast, you’ll be among the few.
Of course, like all of these channels, this isn’t just a B2B trend. Consumers are listening to more audio content, especially as more people spend time at home. Nielsen’s August 2020 Total Audiences Report found that 53% of respondents listen to spoken-word audio content either weekly or daily.
Podcasts can do a number of positive things for your marketing efforts, like increase brand recognition and trust, and drive traffic and backlinks to your site (from the platform you use, e.g. Apple Podcasts).
In the future, more people will tune into podcasts to learn something new or disconnect from their day to day for a few minutes. You have the opportunity to be the person who speaks directly to them when they do.
Your blog
Last but not least, I can’t leave this list without mentioning the most important content marketing channel of them all: Your blog.
I’m not calling this the most important channel because it’ll be the most lucrative of your efforts, or the one that captures the most attention. I’m also not mentioning it because I think you’ll forget about it. That’s just crazy, and besides, 93% of B2B marketers already use blog posts in their content marketing strategies.
Rather, your blog is an essential addition to this list because:
It’s the home base of all your content marketing efforts. Most of the content you create should, in some form, live on your blog.
It’s easy to forget how much value you can truly glean from your blog when you know how to creatively leverage it.
Any type of asset that you create for the above channels can be repurposed for your blog, giving the content new life and your website another opportunity to capture attention from organic search.
Every video you create should have a search-optimized page to live on, and your blog is the perfect place to expand on the video’s topic.
Your email strategy can easily be centered around your editorial calendar. When you publish a great new article, share it with your email subscribers.
And so on.
Choose your channels wisely!
A new year always presents new possibilities for marketers. This year, move your company’s marketing efforts in a positive direction to reach the right audiences and provide meaningful interactions for them.
Whether you choose to explore the opportunities that await your brand in video, email, audio, blog content or something else entirely, make sure you’re doing so with the needs of your target audience in mind. This is truly the best way to connect with them.
The growing trend of virtual YouTubers, or VTubers, is one that isn’t showing any signs of slowing down!
A natural result of this growth, there is much interest in virtual YouTubing as a potential inroad to becoming a YouTuber, not to mention an alternative path for experienced YouTubers.
If you want to know what virtual YouTubers are, you can check out this post, but one of the best ways to learn about a thing is to observe that thing.
To that end, we’ve put together a list some of the most notable virtual YouTubers on the platform today, complete with a bit of information about what kind of content they make and. For your convenience, we’ve split our picks into different sections so you can easily zero in on what you’re interested in.
So, without further preamble, let’s get into our virtual YouTuber list!
Anime Virtual YouTubers
Given that the virtual YouTuber phenomenon started in Japan with anime characters, and given that anime characters still make up the overwhelming majority of active virtual YouTubers, it feels only right to start here.
Kizuna AI
What better virtual YouTuber to kick things off with than the one that started it all. Kizuna is widely regarded as the first virtual YouTuber. She has two channels and covers a variety of topics in a vlog-like format, as well as Let’s Play-style videos, despite being known for having particularly poor gaming skills.
Kizuna is more or less the blueprint for a character virtual YouTuber, remaining in character all of the time and running the channel as though Kizuna herself is the YouTuber. Kizuna’s success has led to her getting millions of subscribers, many of which find her mannerisms and quirks adorable. She’s not necessarily a child-friendly account due to the fact that she will occasionally curse in her frustrations at failing in some video game or another, but that’s all part of the charm.
Mirai Akari
Within her first year of being on YouTube, Mirai had attracted over three hundred and fifty thousand subscribers to her account; a phenomenal effort any type of YouTuber. And, at the time of writing this post, she has more than doubled that figure. Like Kizuna, Mirai does a lot of streaming video games, though you will find that this is a common theme among virtual YouTubers, especially of the Japanese anime variety.
Her initial “backstory” was that she was an amnesiac-suffering time traveller, come back to 2018 to find human connection through her YouTube channel. Whether or not the interesting gimmick is a draw or not, her content seems to keep people coming back for more.
Nekomiya Hinata
Like Mirai and Kizuna, Nekomiya is another game streamer, though we can further refine her audience a little because she has a keen interest in first-person shooter games, so don’t expect much in the way of Animal Crossing here. She’s not a fan of horror games, but that makes it all the entertaining when she plays them.
In the nearly two years since she started her YouTube channel, Nekomiya has amassed an impressive following of over half a million subscribers. She has a distinctive look with her bright pink hair, extremely long pigtails, and cat ears. That is actual cat ears, not a quirky headband with pretend cat ears. This is one of the more significant draws of virtual YouTubing; you can be whatever you want.
Luna Kaguya
If you thought Mirai Akari getting three hundred and fifty thousand subscribers in under a year, wait until you see Luna’s record. This impressive VTuber managed to hit a million views per video in her first month. Needless to say, that’s quite an achievement.
Luna is the first virtual YouTuber on our list whose content does not focus on video game streams. Instead, Luna makes content of a more comedic nature that tend to come in bite size chunks—often under a few minutes in length. The humour involved is not always family-friendly, however, so don’t let that cutesy digital avatar fool you.
Tokino Sora
Moving firmly back into the realm of game streamers, Tokino is a streamer who has a thing for rhythm games, so it should come as no surprise that she dances a lot, as well. One advantage of this is that her content is much more accessible to non-Japanese audiences. After all, you don’t need to know the Japanese language to watch a Japanese person (or digital avatar) dance to music.
By some of the standards set on YouTube, Tokino is quite normal in appearance; no animal parts or outlandish hair. Instead, Tokino presents herself as a regular anime girl with brown hair. However, she does dress like an air stewardess. We haven’t watched enough of her content to know why.
Azuma Lim
Azuma can be a little love-or-hate for some people. She has a quite distinctive appearance with her purple hair and golden firey eye—not to mention the cat-ear hoodie she likes to wear—but it is her voice that can be make-or-break for many people. It is a little high-pitched, even by virtual anime YouTuber standards.
As far as content goes, Azuma is another video game streamer, though she does make other types of videos, such as topical commentary, and she is very engaged with her audience and will often respond to fans. She also makes music and even occasionally tries her hand at English.
Moemi & Yomeni
Next up, we have our first pairing on the list. Moemi & Yomeni are an anime duo that streams video games and makes some very… interesting content. Not, we should stress, family-friendly content. As far as games go, they have a general leaning towards open-world games like Minecraft, and battle royale games like Fortnite.
Expect to see plenty of cats, a whole lot of music, and generally all the things you would expect from animated Japanese entertainment. Moemi & Yomeni are also part of a larger virtual YouTuber family that includes some other popular virtual YouTubers, so you can expect to see a few guest appearances from time to time.
Fuji Aoi
While music is a common theme throughout virtual anime YouTube, Fuji Aoi brings us our first channel where music is the main theme. Expect plenty of cover songs from Aoi, which can make for great background music if you are into the style. There is plenty to choose from, so just pick a playlist and let it run while you get some work done.
Like many of our virtual anime YouTuber picks, Aoi saw some spectacular growth when she first exploded onto the scene, gaining over a hundred and seventy thousand subscribers in her first year. You might not have a clue what she’s saying (if you don’t speak Japanese) but you’ll be able to enjoy the music regardless.
Dennou Shojo Siro
In Dennou Shojo Siro we find another game streaming and dancing combo. In this case, the games tend to be a little eclectic, with everything from Minecraft to Battlefield 5 on the table. Perhaps one of her more unique characteristics is her appearance, which is ghostly pale with white hair. This combined with a somewhat unique laugh has landed her with the nickname of “White Dolphin”.
This channel took less than two years to reach half a million subscribers, so that should give you an idea of the type of quality you can expect, the rest is just a matter of whether you are interested in the content.
Noja Loli Ojisan
One of the first things you might notice about Noja Loli Ojisan is the distinctive features that make her somewhat unique among virtual anime YouTubers. For one thing, she is part fox. At least, she has fox ears and a foxtail. The second thing is her voice, which is that of her male creator.
Whatever you may think about this eclectic combination, it seems to have worked for her, since her channel is approaching two hundred thousand subscribers.
In terms of content, Noja interacts with fans in live streams, hosts roundtable chats with other virtual YouTubers, and even sells merchandise such as a doll of Noja.
Non-Anime Virtual YouTubers
The world of virtual YouTubing is so thoroughly dominated by anime characters that we can comfortable lump what remains after the anime into one section, which is not to say any of the following YouTubers have much in common. We are also not saying that these YouTubers aren’t Japanese—the VTuber phenomenon began in Japan, after all. That being said, there is a specific aesthetic and culture around anime, and these virtual YouTubers do not fit that aesthetic, even if they are Japanese channels.
Apoki
Apoki is a truly multi-platform star, with far more followers on TikTok than on YouTube. She takes the appearance of animated girl (more akin to a Disney or Pixar style than an anime one) and sports large rabbit ears poking through her red hair.
Her main focus is music, and she seems to have aspirations of becoming a legitimate recording artist. Her content often revolves around this, and is an interesting mix of the virtual and real worlds, with Apoki often being blended seamlessly into real-world settings.
Virtual Obaachan (aka Virtual Grandma)
As the (English) name suggests, Virtual Obaachan is a virtual YouTuber who takes the appearance of a cartoon granny, and in that guise, plays a range of video games. There is obviously a lot of mileage to be had from the novelty of a sweet old grandma playing videos games that are not always family-friendly, and the virtual nature of the YouTuber adds another layer of novelty. Further adding to this dichotomy is the fact that she will often talk about things being “immodest” and taboo, and then go ahead and say something taboo without hesitation.
This combination has worked for Virtual Obaachan, as she currently sits at a little over a quarter of a million subscribers.
AI Angel
AI Angel is probably the most popular virtual YouTuber outside of the anime crowd, with over seven hundred thousand subscribers at the time of writing this post. AI Angel claims to be an AI who takes on the form of a human woman so that she can interact with other humans through video chat applications, play video games, react to memes, and a host of other types of content.
What is interesting about AI Angel is that the creators are not going for a cutesy anime or cartoon look with their virtual YouTuber avatar. Instead, they are travelling down the road of realism, and continually update the visuals of AI Angel to improve the realism (as well as refresh her image). AI Angel’s appearance is already quite realistic, and it would not be difficult to believe that, in the near future, she could be so realistic that some viewers would have difficulty recognising that she was a virtual YouTuber.
Code Bullet
Code Bullet is a bit of an odd one out on this list, but we wanted to include him to show another type of virtual YouTuber. Unlike the above examples, Code Bullet is not presenting a character as such, but himself in the guise of an animated avatar.
The avatar in question is a hand-drawn human with an old-school computer monitor for a head who gesticulates to add emphasis to the words being spoken. Though we’re sure it is mainly the content he is making that has landed Code Bullet his nearly two and a half million subscribers, his digital avatar is an intrinsic part of that content. Given that he is by far one of the most popular examples of this kind of channel, it would not be outrageous to assume that the virtual YouTuber aspect of his videos has helped.
Final Thoughts
And that concludes our virtual YouTuber list. For now, at least, virtual YouTube is dominated by Japanese-language channels and anime avatars. More English-speaking channels are popping up, however. And as AI Angel has shown, it is certainly possible to be a successful virtual YouTuber without using anime or speaking Japanese.
We expect this niche to expand into the western world in a bigger way in the near future. How big it will get, we couldn’t say, but with a relatively untapped market of English speakers, growth would seem to be inevitable.
Virtual YouTubing has been growing in popularity recently, with many new YouTubers opting to don a digital avatar to make their content rather than record their flesh-and-blood self. Naturally, an increase in popularity in something like this leads to… well, more popularity.
Still, while the reason for exponential levels of interest in virtual YouTubing may be obvious, the way that virtual YouTubing is done might not be. If you are scratching your head about how VTubers make their content, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’re going to take a look at the way these videos are made, and then we’ll highlight some of the most popular apps and programs that are used to do it. So, follow us down the rabbit hole!
What are VTubers?
Let’s start with the basics for anyone who’s landed on this post without knowing what a VTuber is. This is a topic that deserves an entire post of its own, so, we won’t dwell too long here.
VTubers are digital avatars that are animated by someone, with the videos being presented as though the digital persona is the one making the content. VTubers make more or less the same kinds of videos as their meat-counterparts—vlogs, reaction videos, etc.—with the significant exception that they are not constrained by mere physical reality.
They can look, however they want, they can do things like fly around the screen or spawn items out of thin air, and be in whatever setting they wish without having to go travelling.
There are many reasons someone might choose to be a VTuber, such as wanting to keep their real identity private, being camera shy, or just wanting to express themselves as something completely different to their everyday self.
How Does VTubing Work?
A common misconception by people who first discover virtual YouTube is that the videos are made similarly to the way that, say, a Pixar movie is made—with someone painstakingly animating each frame of the digital avatar to match up with the audio track and any other events that are happening in the clip. This is not the case. At least, not for the vast majority of VTubers out there.
Instead, the software is employed to capture the YouTuber’s movements through a webcam—or, in some cases, a virtual reality headset and controllers—and translate those movements onto the digital avatar.
In this way, the YouTuber is able to film a video relatively naturally, with them doing their part in front of a camera in much the same way a regular video would be filmed, while the software takes care of all the hard work of making the digital avatar copy the YouTuber.
If you have ever used one of those filters on apps like Snapchat that put a silly hat on your digital head or apply digital makeup to your digital face, this is more or less the same kind of technology.
It is possible that there are YouTuber’s out there animating digital avatars by hand. As good as the motion-tracking software that VTubers use is, it is still not perfect, and an experienced animator would undoubtedly get better results doing the whole thing by hand. Unfortunately, even an experienced animator would require a big ol’ chunk of time to do this, which is not practical for YouTube videos, especially when most of them work to upload schedules that include multiple videos per week. The motion-capture programs may not be perfect, but they are usually good enough.
Now, about those programs…
What Program do Virtual YouTubers Use?
When it comes to software for making virtual YouTube videos, there is a surprisingly large selection to choose from. Granted, not everything on this list was necessarily intended for this purpose, but that hasn’t stopped people from using them.
Many of my clients recommend Animaker to make VTuber videos– its easy to install, easy to learn and doesn’t require too much technical knowhow to master.
Live2D
Live2D can be a little confusing at first as you might see it pop up in several places. Though there are dedicated applications—such as Live2D Cubism—it can help to think of Live2D as a plugin rather than a standalone application.
This is a way of animating digital avatars using layers of 2D artwork. For example, the eyes would be on a separate layer to the head, and by moving the eyes slightly, the technique gives the impression that the head has turned a little. In doing so, Live2D can create an impression of three-dimensional art without actually requiring a 3D model.
Live2D itself does not include a way to track real movements, such as through a webcam. For that, you will need additional software, or you could use an application that provides motion tracking functionality while incorporating Live2D, such as…
FaceRig
If Live2D is the technology that enables the virtual YouTuber scene, FaceRig is one of the applications that utilise that technology, though there is more to FaceRig than Live2D.
Using your webcam, this application tracks your head and facial movements and translates them to an onscreen digital avatar, which can be chosen from a wide selection of 3D and 2D characters. You can put your digital character in front of a selection of backgrounds, or just leave them over something plain or even green for future greenscreen effects. You can also process your voice so that the recorded video comes out with a voice to match your digital avatar.
FaceRig is limited in the sense that you can only control facial expressions and some limited head and upper body movement. That being said, the results are stunning, with some incredibly realistic visuals being possible through the app. There is also a budding community around the software, with many new digital avatars being created and shared.
FaceRig is available for a relatively modest sum—around $15 or £13—though there is a pro version that you will need to upgrade to if you make more than $500 per month from the content you make with the app.
VTube Studio
Like FaceRig, VTube Studio is an application that provides head tracking functionality and makes use of Live2D technology. This application only provides the 2D style of digital avatar animation, but where it shines is its multi-platform nature.
VTube Studio is available on Android and iOS as well as Windows and macOS, adding an air of convenience to it. How practical it would be to make full-fat YouTube videos using the mobile app we couldn’t say, but many YouTubers make the occasional video or piece of content using their phone, and with VTube Studio, VTubers can do the same.
The app is free, though there is a watermark on any video produced by the free app. You would have to purchase the pro version to remove that watermark.
Wakaru
Wakaru is essentially the same as VTube Studio in terms of features, though it has a different pedigree. Wakaru emerged out of the Japanese culture that brought about virtual YouTubing in the first place, and as such, has a special place in many VTuber’s hearts.
You can animate your 2D digital avatar using a webcam and via several in-app controls that will allow you to make your avatar do things like blink. There is no mobile app, though you can use your phone as a camera with the use of third-party apps that essentially turn your phone into a webcam.
Wakaru is free, though it should be noted that many users feel like the software has been abandoned at this point. That is not to say it is not useful, but don’t expect any cool new features to be added to it.
VTuber Maker
The name, VTuber Maker, is a little misleading (and has led to a number of negative reviews as a result). It does not allow you to “make” VTubers—indeed, you have to pay to be able to import your own digital character—but it does allow you to animate digital avatars using your webcam, and it is free (importing avatars aside).
You can switch backgrounds, perform several predefined gestures, and the app even comes with a widget that creates a draggable version of your avatar that you can drop in the corner of the screen on top of whatever you are doing. Perfect for gaming streams.
VRoid Studio
Unlike the above VTuber Maker, VRoid Studiodoes enable you to make your VTuber avatars. It is heavily geared towards the Japanese anime styles of avatar that dominate the VTuber space, but it has an incredibly easy to use interface that makes creating a professional-looking avatar attainable for even the most un-artistic of us out there.
It should be emphasised that this app is just for making the avatar, not animating it, and certainly not animating it with motion-capture technology. Currently, it is in beta and free to download, though we are not sure if it will remain free when it comes out of beta.
VKatsu
VKatsu is a solid offering in the realm of animating digital avatars. It lets you create your avatar, choose from several predefined avatars, set the background, and more.
Now for the downsides. It is designed to work with VR headsets for motion-tracking, meaning you will need to own an expensive VR system to animate with your body. Also, it is Japanese-language only, which is fine if you’re Japanese, but most people who read this blog are not. And finally, it is in Early Access, which in and of itself is not a bad thing, but if you check the FAQ about the game, it states that they hope to come out of Early Access in… 2018.
Still, it is free and very capable. If you have a compatible VR headset and speak Japanese (or don’t mind fiddling around with the controls to work out what they mean), this could be a useful application for you.
VRChat
As the name suggests, VRChat is a virtual reality chat application, allowing users to assume the digital appearance of an avatar of their choosing and interact with other users in a virtual world.
The useful part here is that it features full lip-sync and eye-tracking functionality, as well as a range of motion-tracking. You can also use a range of gestures. VRChat isn’t designed for VTubers as such, but it can certainly be used that way.
Unity
Our last mention is a little unconventional. Unity is a popular free game engine that is used to make video games. Which is to say that it is geared towards video games—it is a very versatile platform that can be used for a wide range of things. The idea behind it is that you can develop your game or application taking advantage of Unity’s built-in capabilities, rather than having to re-invent the wheel, so to speak, be writing your own graphical rendering code. It is not something that the average computer user can just pick up and run with, but if you have any experience coding in C# or Javascript, or you have tried your hand at game development before, there are libraries available to handle things like lip-syncing and head tracking.
This is a niche option, but for those who can make use of it, you will have far more control over your digital avatar than any of the options above, since you will be able to add literally any feature you are capable of coding. It will also allow you to custom-tailor the features you have to suit your needs, rather than making do with the way someone else’s app works.
Unity’s free version is fully-featured, but the licensing states that you must purchase a license if you make over a certain amount of money per year from your projects made in Unity.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are several options when it comes to picking out software and apps to help you bring your VTube dream to life. You may notice that most of the options on this list are either free or have a free version, so don’t be afraid to try them all out and find the one that works best for you.
Remember to check any licensing information regarding the software you choose, as the “pro” model—where you can use the app for free as long as you are not making more than a predetermined amount of money from your use of the app—is becoming increasingly popular.
Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube
Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.
1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search
I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.
Within 12 months I tripled the size of my channel and very quickly learnt the power of thumbnails, click through rate and proper search optimization. Best of all, they are FREE!
2. Adobe Creative Suite helps me craft amazing looking thumbnails and eye-catching videos
I have been making youtube videos on and off since 2013.
When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.
Big mistake!
I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.
That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.
Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.
3. Rev.com helps people read my videos
You can’t always listen to a video.
Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.
This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.
5. Shutterstock helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways
I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.
And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.
I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.
I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the Shutterstock website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.
Thanks to the wealth of information we now know about our bodies—and probably in no small part because of the ubiquitous presence of attractive social media stars all over the Internet—the general public has never been more concerned with their health as they are today. You only need to look at the sheer number of fitness products, services, gyms, and, yes, YouTube channels.
There is clearly a healthy demand for fitness content, and where there is demand, there is an opportunity to make money. That being said, just because the demand is there doesn’t mean that making money serving that market is straightforward or intuitive.
But fear not, we have put together this bumper post on how to make money on YouTube with fitness content just for you.
We’re nice like that.
1. Standard YouTube Advice Applies
The first thing to note is that fitness videos on YouTube are no different from any other videos on YouTube, and all the same rules for success apply.
This post may be on how to make money on YouTube with fitness content, but you should absolutely check out other more general resources on succeeding on YouTube. There are plenty on this very site, not to mention the YouTube channel.
There is lots to cover in the realm of fitness videos specifically, so we’re not going to rehash anything we don’t need to here.
Just be aware that all those posts and videos about YouTube success that don’t mention fitness in the title are still well worth your time.
2. Practice What You Preach
When you are claiming to be an authority on something—which is precisely what you are doing when you give any kind of advice on YouTube—there is an element of trust involved. Specifically, the viewer’s trust that you know what you are talking about.
Unfortunately, no matter how many times our mother’s told us not to judge a book by its cover, we always do. In other words, even if you have a wall full of qualifications in a host of fitness-related fields, the viewers are going to be sceptical about coming to your for fitness content if you are overweight, or you are out of breath after relatively mild activity.
Whatever it is you are demonstrating (weight loss, bulking up, improved cardio, etc.), make sure you can back up your words with actions.
If you can’t, your viewers might see it as a sign that your methods don’t work, and go elsewhere.
There is an exception to this rule, however…
3. Take Your Viewers on a Journey
The exception to the above rule is if you are creating journey videos. These are videos where you are going on your own fitness journey and taking your viewers along for the ride.
In these cases, it would make no sense if you were already in great shape at the start of the series.
For example, a journey series on you getting your weight down to 160 lbs won’t hold much interest if you are starting off at 171 lbs. If you are starting at 230 lbs, on the other hand, people will be interested in your success.
Success is another important factor here. If you start this series and, ultimately, fail in your goal, it can leave a sour taste in the mouths of your viewers and may put them off of coming back for other content.
If you have unflappable confidence in your own ability to stick it out and reach your goals, by all means, jump in. If you want to play it a little more cautiously, however, consider creating the whole series first, then uploading the videos when you are done.
If for some unfortunate reason, you don’t succeed in your goal, you don’t have to release the series.
4. Align Yourself With Suitable Partners
The fitness boom we are experiencing is not limited to YouTube, and there is plenty of opportunity in taking advantage of that fact.
Whether it’s a trendy new protein shake, an innovative piece of exercise equipment, or the latest in high-tech fitness gadgetry, there is seemingly no end to fitness products and services.
When looking at potential partners, whether it’s for affiliate linking, a full-on brand deal, or anything in between, be sure to go with a company or product that suits your channel.
Try to avoid some of the more common partners, like Squarespace, and opt for a product or service that will appeal to your audience.
Similarly, if you are preaching the benefits of an organic diet, don’t promote processed protein powder!
5. Don’t Promote Dangerous Diets or Unsafe Techniques
As much as we like to think a disclaimer at the start of our videos carries a lot of legal weight, they’re not as reliable as many seem to believe.
We’re not saying you shouldn’t put disclaimers in your video, but they won’t necessarily protect you from legal action if you advocate an exercise or recipe that ends up seriously injuring someone or adversely affecting their health.
The unfortunate reality of the legal system is that it is possible for anyone to take anyone else to court, even when there are airtight legal documents in place.
Granted, having said documents makes it far less likely such a case would ever see a courtroom, and even less likely that the complainant would win any resulting case, but the risk is always there.
All of this is to say that you should be wary of what you advocate in your videos. If something is extremely risky or highly controversial, it may be worth just steering clear of it.
6. Find a Niche Within a Niche
If you’re reading this post, you clearly already have a main niche—fitness. However, as we mentioned at the top, fitness is a big niche, and there is a lot of competition there.
If you want to succeed at making money with fitness content on YouTube, you will benefit from drilling down even further to find a more specific area within the fitness niche to focus on.
You could focus on vegan nutrition for athletes or deadlifting technique.
You could even focus your content on how to get the best workouts without going to the gym, or retrospectives of famous athletes.
And, of course, there are more obvious options, such as reviewing fitness gear or posting short workout routines.
Don’t feel as though you have to appeal to everybody.
By zeroing in on a smaller subsection of the fitness niche, you shrink your potential audience, sure, but you also increase your chances of capturing that audience in the process.
7. Be Interesting and Unique
Such is the interest in fitness right now that even with a more focussed niche, you will still be facing plenty of competition for views.
To combat this, try to make your videos as unique as possible. If you have a lot of personality, you could achieve this by simply being yourself on camera, assuming that all that personality you have is likeable.
These factors do not have to be significant. Every touch of uniqueness you add to your content sets you apart from other channels, making you more memorable.
Of course, some viewers may not like your unique touches and see them as a reason to go elsewhere, but that is part of being a YouTuber; you have to accept that not everyone will like you.
8. Sell Your Own Products
If your channel starts to really take off, you could look to leverage that success by selling additional products.
You could go the whole hog, and work with manufacturers to develop and market your own unique products or services, of course, but if that is a little too deep for you, there is another way.
Many companies provide turnkey solutions for merchandise in much the same way that YouTube’s own merchandise solution works. These services allow you to modify products with your own logos and designs, selling things like T-shirts and mugs.
Of course, mugs and T-shirts aren’t very fitness-specific, so you will probably want to look a little further afield than YouTube’s own merchandising solution. One option is Total Merchandise, who offer an enormous range of customisable products, including things like sports flasks and outdoor gear. It should be noted that you would have to buy a large quantity from a service like Total Merchandise, whereas YouTube’s solution would sell directly to your customers.
9. Consider Partnering With Other Fitness Channels
If you have taken the advice we gave above about drilling down into the fitness niche to find an area where you can flourish, then you might want to consider teaming up with other YouTubers in the fitness niche.
Of course, you want to partner with people who are not offering exactly the same kind of content as you. For example, if you had a channel specialising in cardio workouts, you might partner with a channel that focuses on weight lifting or a channel that covers nutrition.
You wouldn’t partner with another cardio channel, however, because you would then be competing with each other.
The goal of this kind of partnership is to help each other grow and succeed. Someone may come to your channel for cardio but then go looking elsewhere for weight lifting videos. In this kind of partnership, you would be able to direct those viewers to your partner channel, and vice versa.
This way, you and your partners get to provide your combined viewers with a total fitness package, while at the same time helping each other to grow.
10. Motivate
Most of us mere mortals have motivation problems when it comes to exercising, and it is those motivation-deprived people that will likely make up the bulk of your audience.
Showing your viewers amazing techniques for getting toned abs or shedding that excess weight won’t count for much if they can’t muster up the willpower and interest to use those techniques on a regular basis.
In short, don’t neglect the motivational aspect of your videos.
We’re not saying you should don bright lycra and turn the cheerfulness up to eleven while you bounce around to upbeat dance music… unless you want to, of course. But put some thought into ways to help your viewers muster up the energy to do your workouts, or follow your routines.
Remember, the more success stories your channel creates, the bigger your reputation will become, and the more successful you are likely to be.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, much of advice for how to make money on YouTube with fitness videos is the same as it is for any other video, and as such, hasn’t been included in this post.
Things like making eye-catching thumbnails and attention-grabbing titles, promoting your channel on social media, uploading regularly, all of these are crucial components to a typical successful channel, and it is worth taking some time to look over some of the other posts on this blog to learn more about that side of things.
For fitness specifically, the most significant piece of advice we can give you is to be good at what you do.
With other kinds of YouTube videos, the ultimate gatekeeper to success is the quality of the content. If the videos are poor, the channel won’t succeed. While this is just as true for fitness videos, there is the added dimension of the fitness content itself.
You could make the best videos in the world from a production and entertainment standpoint, but if they don’t help people lose weight or gain muscle or do whatever it is they are supposed to be getting help with, then the channel will ultimately fail.
And don’t be afraid to check out the competition. If you find a channel in your niche—or very close to your niche—that is incredibly successful, watch their videos, analyse their content, and see what they are doing that is leading to that success.
Please don’t steal from them, of course, but look for elements that you can incorporate into your videos.
Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube
Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.
1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search
I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.
When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.
Big mistake!
I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.
That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.
Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.
3. Rev.com helps people read my videos
You can’t always listen to a video.
Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.
This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.
A GREAT way to find an audience and keep them hooked no matter where they are watching your content.
4. PlaceIT can help you STAND OUT on YouTube
I SUCK at making anything flashy or arty.
I have every intention in the world to make something that looks cool but im about as artistic as a dropped ice-cream cone on the web windy day.
That is why I could not live on YouTube without someone like PlaceIT. They offer custom YouTube Banners, Avatars, YouTube Video Intros and YouTube End Screen Templates that are easy to edit with simple click, upload wizard to help you make amazing professional graphics in minutes.
5. StoryBlocks helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways
I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.
And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.
I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.
I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the StoryBlocks website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.
There are 720,000 hours of video added to YouTube every day. So the chance of your latest offering being watched by a large audience is pretty slim.
Building a following on YouTube can be a challenging task; so you have to use every tool at your disposal to promote your video.
When considering how to promote your video, it’s essential to understand that YouTube is a search engine. The second biggest search engine after Google, in fact. So the meta-data you add to your video when you upload it (title, description, and tags), can play a part in attracting some initial views.
This post looks at one part of the meta-data – Youtube tags. What they are, how to add them, and gives you five ways to find the best tags for ranking your YouTube videos.
Here we go.
What Are YouTube Tags?
In their help section for content creators, YouTube says the following about tags;
“tags play a minimal role in your video’s discovery.”
Hmm, it sounds like you don’t need to use them then?
Well, if you are a top YouTuber and receive thousands of views in the first few hours after uploading a video, then maybe tags aren’t as important for you. However, if you have a smaller channel, you need to seek every edge, no matter how slight, to drive initial traffic.
The right 4 or 5-word tag added when you upload new content, can kickstart your views.
Once you gain that initial traffic, metrics like watchtime and engagement take over, and YouTube can choose to suggest your video in viewer’s feeds.
Tags Help YouTube Categorise Your Video.
Tags also play a role in helping YouTube decide the precise topic of your video. The English language is a wonderful thing, but it can sometimes be confusing – some words have more than one meaning. So tags can be used to tell YouTube the topic and purpose of your video.
Here’s an example. The video below is about ‘irons’. An iron can be a household item or a golf club. But, the title of the video doesn’t convey to YouTube which kind the video is about.
But, YouTube can use the tags and other video meta-data to help categorise the content. The tags for this video leave no room for doubt that it’s about a household iron.
How Do You Add YouTube Tags?
You add YouTube tags in the video details section of your YouTube Studio. Navigate to your list of videos and click the ‘Details’ icon.
Underneath the ‘Audience’ section, there is a text entry box to enter your tags. Tags can be more than a single word; type in the tags hitting return after each one. Alternatively, you can paste in a list you prepared elsewhere.
How Many Tags Should You Use on YouTube?
This one is a little tricky. On the one hand, YouTube permits entry of up to 500 characters in the video tag section. On the other hand, YouTube warns against adding excessive tags in their help section:
A study conducted by briggsby.com concluded that ideally, you should use less than 300 characters. Which, assuming you are using 3-4 word keyphrases, puts the ideal number of tags at 30-40.
One of the key takeaways of the study recommended that as long as you stay relevant to the video topic, use as many characters as you can manage.
What Should You Use for Your YouTube Tags?
The tags you choose for your video should ideally be 3-word or more keyphrases that describe the overall topic of your video AND the content more precisely.
For example, if you uploaded a video reviewing steam irons, then some of the tags might be;
Best steam iron
Top steam irons
Best steam iron for clothes
Rowenta steam iron
Tefal steam iron for clothes
As you can see, these tags anticipate the kinds of phrases someone might use when looking for reviews of steam irons. It’s also a good idea to use some related brand names in your list of tags if appropriate.
Using some 5-word or more key phrases in your tags is recommended too. Unless your YouTube channel is a powerhouse with thousands of subscribers, you are unlikely to rank in the search results for shorter 2 or 3-word key phrases.
You can, however, appear in the top results for longer keyword search phrases, though these will have lower search volumes and drive smaller traffic.
5 Ways To Put Together a List of YouTube Tags.
So how do you put your list of tags together?
It’s best if you produce a long list of many possible tag key phrases first, then whittle it down to the best 30 or so. Start a new document or spreadsheet and as you collect potential tags, add them to the list.
You may be able to use some of the tags in another video you are planning; keeping tag ideas together in a file is not a bad practice.
As promised, here are five ways to find the best YouTube tags for ranking.
1.Brainstorm
One way to come up with a list of tags for your YouTube video is to brainstorm a list of keywords that someone might use to search for your video.
Imagine you know little to nothing about the details included in your video. What might a person in that situation type into a search engine to find the information?
It may sound like a silly idea, but you can come up with some out of the ordinary key-phrases using this method. Pretending you know nothing about your video topic can draw out some keywords that your competitors may not be using.
It’s worth a moment of your time before you use the same tag suggestion tools that everyone else uses.
2.YouTube Autocomplete
Autocomplete is a feature that predicts search terms when a user begins typing in the search bar.
It is there to save the user time. Google says that autocomplete reduces typing by 25% and collectively saves over 200 years of typing-time every day!
Because autocomplete predicts what users are going to type it also supplies a useful list of multi-word key phrases.
Here is an example using the steam iron keyword. Adding in extra words, or even a single letter, will reveal lots of keywords you can use in your tags.
3.Rapidtags.io YouTube Tag Generator
Rapid Tags is a YouTube tag generator that suggests a list of tags based on a seed keyword. You can copy all the suggestions with one click and add them to your list of possibles.
Rapid Tag does say in their about section that some tags may not be totally suitable for you purposes and you should remove any that don’t describe your video well.
4.vidIQ
vidIQ is a tool designed to help creators build an audience on YouTube. The software has multiple tools for YouTube channels; one being their Google Chrome plugin. The plugin displays additional information about a video directly within the desktop version of YouTube.
Part of the information displayed is the tags used by a video. So, you can view some videos similar to yours and harvest the tags from those videos to add to your list.
5.Ytubetool.com
Ytubetool is a free tool you can use to harvest tags from a video if you don’t want to use vidIQ, or can’t install a Google Chrome plugin.
Simply add the URL of any YouTube video, and the tool will display a list of tags used by the video. With one-click to copy; it’s more potential tags ideas to add to your master file.
Conclusion.
Using tags in your YouTube meta-data is not the most significant factor in ranking a video on YouTube. However, tags can play a small part in attracting initial traffic to your video.
YouTube themselves admit that tags only play a small part in your video discovery. So perhaps tags are best thought of as the finishing touches to your YouTube SEO. Necessary, but don’t obsess over it.
Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube
Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.
1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search
I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.
When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.
Big mistake!
I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.
That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.
Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.
3. Rev.com helps people read my videos
You can’t always listen to a video.
Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.
This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.
A GREAT way to find an audience and keep them hooked no matter where they are watching your content.
4. PlaceIT can help you STAND OUT on YouTube
I SUCK at making anything flashy or arty.
I have every intention in the world to make something that looks cool but im about as artistic as a dropped ice-cream cone on the web windy day.
That is why I could not live on YouTube without someone like PlaceIT. They offer custom YouTube Banners, Avatars, YouTube Video Intros and YouTube End Screen Templates that are easy to edit with simple click, upload wizard to help you make amazing professional graphics in minutes.
5. StoryBlocks helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways
I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.
And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.
I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.
I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the StoryBlocks website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.
You can paint pictures using only your fingers, but it’s doubtful you’d be any good at it unless you are Iris Scott.
All accomplished artists use tools to help them express their creativity; one tool helps them draw perspective; another helps mix colour.
As a YouTube creator, if you’re only shooting a video quickly, then uploading it after basic editing, in your own way, you are painting with your fingers.
The top YouTubers use a range of tools to help create and promote their work. Some help to make the videos more entertaining, while others allow their videos to rank well.
This article looks at ten products you could add to your YouTube video creation toolbox. Five help the visual/production process, and the other five help you with SEO/ranking.
Let’s jump right in.
Visual / Production Tools For YouTube
These five tools help you to transform your videos from dull talk-to-the-camera sermons into more expert productions.
There are tools for graphics and editing, libraries of sound and b-roll footage, and tools for captioning your content.
Adobe Creative Cloud – YouTube Video Production Tool
Occasionally you want a tool to edit photos, sometimes you need a tool to polish audio, and you always have to edit your content.
Adobe Creative Cloud is a suite of tools that help you to produce professional-quality content. For one monthly price, you get access to over 20 applications that are used by many of the top creators in the business.
You could hunt around for individual alternatives from other providers. Some you’ll be able to find free of charge, others you’ll be able to hack together using free trials, but you should want to use the best. And the best thing about Adobe Creative Cloud is that all the tools in the suite work happily together. So you’ll never have to hunt down file convertors, and you’ll be able to use tools that you hadn’t consider trying before.
For YouTubers, the centrepiece of Adobe Creative Cloud is Premier Pro, the industry-leading video editing software. You’ll need a decent computer to run it on as it’s quite resource intensive.
While there is no free trial for the Creative Cloud collection of tools, you can trial some of the individual ones for 30 days. Adobe Creative Cloud works on both Windows and Mac.
Website: adobe.com
Price: $49.94 per month for access to all tools.
Storyblocks – Youtube B-Roll and Audio Library
Give your videos extra flair with B-roll footage and sound effects. These types of assets are available free of charge on some stock-footage websites, but the choice of clips is small, and many are overused.
Storyblocks is a paid stock-footage website with 1.5 million videos, images, and sounds you can edit into your content.
All media is copyright-free and easy to find using categories and tags.
Want to cut to a person crying to emphasise a point? Storyblocks has a choice of over 1000 videos.
Video is available in a variety of resolutions including 4K, and most clips are under 35 seconds long. The audio clips include sound effects, short tracks, and shorter loops which you can, well, loop to get the length you desire. If you need the sound of a hammer bashing on stone or an ambient backing track, you’ll find it on Storyblocks.
You can buy a lower-priced subscription to access only video or sounds, but these are quite restrictive.
Much better to buy a pass for unlimited access which is $65 per month. Plans are flexible, and you can sign up for only a month if you like.
You can also link your YouTube account to Storyblocks and let their automated software handle copyright infringement claims too.
Placeit – YouTube Intro/Outro Tool, Channel Banners, Logos and End Screen Templates
Becoming successful on YouTube is very difficult to do without branding yourself. The immense volume of videos means you must build a recognisable image so that users can spot you in the search results and suggestions.
Of course, your branding needs to look good too. Crummy photoshop skills can make your videos stand out – but for all the wrong reasons. So use a service like Placeit to help you design and build a professional brand image.
Placeit has dedicated tool to help you design and produce YouTube intros and outros and has hundreds of templates to pick from. You can also design custom logos and animate them too.
It’s likely as a Youtuber that you will want to cross-promote content on social media as well. Placeit has tools for creating Instagram stories and videos, and templates for Facebook covers.
Placeit is cloud-based, so you use all the tools via your browser. One price of $14.95 per month allows you to access all the functionality, and you can make a small saving paying upfront for an annual subscription.
Not all the people watching your content will view it in the same environment. Some will view your content in comfort sat on the sofa, where they can hear your voice clearly. Others will be on the move, on a bus or in a cafe, where listening can be difficult.
For some viewers, the location doesn’t matter at all: you exclude the hard of hearing when you don’t make your content accessible to all.
Rev doesn’t charge a fixed fee for its service; you instead pay based on the length of your video. Prices start at $1.25 per minute, so you always know exactly how much it will cost you upfront.
If you want to use music by real artists in your videos, but worry about copyright issues, then you should try out the music licensing service from Lickd.
Designed expressly for YouTube content creators, Lickd has thousands of real songs to choose from by genuine artists.
You have to license each track individually, and Lickd set the cost dependent on your YouTube audience size. If you have under 50 thousand views on average for your videos, then prices start at $8 per track.
You’re not allowed to remix or change the music in any way, though you can edit for length. And while there aren’t too many well-established artists on the site yet, it’s early days. The more creators that use the service, the more artists Lickd are likely to attract.
You might create the best content around, but if you don’t choose the right keywords, or make the most of your metadata, then your channel may as well be invisible.
The following five tools help give you the best chance of your content being seen.
Google Trends
Google Trends gauges the popularity of any topic over time. It’s a way to discover which subjects are hot or not.
Google Trends can also help you plan the release of content for annual events. For example, if you want to know the best time to upload Halloween-themed content, the chart below shows you that interest starts to climb in mid-September. Maybe a bit earlier than you might have thought?
You can also use Google Trends to compare subjects, which can help you to narrow your focus when brainstorming ideas.
Google Trends is free to use and has lists of daily trends and real-time search trends, so you can see what’s creating a buzz online today. You also can view trend data by country, so you can find out what’s popular in your corner of the globe.
VidIQ is a tool that aims to help you grow your channel in two broad ways.
First, vidIQ helps to maximise organic reach by helping you select the best tags, and choose the right keywords for your title and description. VidIQ works as a chrome plugin that displays extra data directly on the YouTube website.
Once your videos have gone live, vidIQ keeps you on track by letting you know which of your videos performs well. The software also audits your content and can highlight issues, like which videos aren’t part of a playlist, for example.
There is a free option for the software, though this is restricted in functionality. To make the best use of the tool, you need to buy a subscription. The ‘Boost’ level is the best option as it allows you access to vidIQ’s keyword engine and permits you to track 20 competitors.
VidIQ is popular with many large and successful channels.
Website: vidiq.com
Price: From free, though you need a subscription to get the most from the tool. Starting at $7.50 per month.
TubeBuddy
TubeBuddy is a competitor of VidIQ and offers similar features, and uses a chrome extension to display keyword and video information on the page of YouTube’s website.
TubeBuddy also offers ideas for tags and other metadata when you upload a video. It advises on best practices to have your video rank as high as possible. It reminds you to add cards, end screens, and other essential parts that add up to make a successful YouTube video.
There is a limited free option to give you an idea of what the software can do, but to get lasting benefits, you need to take out a monthly subscription. Pricing starts at $9 per month for the ‘Pro’ level, though you can save 50% if you have less than 1000 subscribers.
Of course, you will only need to use either TubeBuddy or vidIQ to manage your channel, while they are both excellent, vidIQ has the slight edge.
Website: tubebuddy.com
Price: From $9 ($4.50 if you have less than 1000 subscribers.)
YouTube Autosuggest
Sometimes thinking up new content ideas is hard. But it can be time wasted, too, if you don’t perform keyword research first to see if your ideas are even popular.
Fortunately, there is a free way to check if people have an interest in your idea, and that is on YouTube itself.
You may have noticed when you begin typing in the YouTube search bar a dropdown box appears with a list of options. These show a list of search terms that users are already using on YouTube to find content.
Use the auto-suggest feature to find and validate your content ideas.
When you are compiling ideas from YouTube Autosuggest, also make use of the underscore character ‘_’. It acts as a wildcard when placed between two words. Here is an example.
YouTube is giving you content ideas free of charge! Take this method a step further and combine the autosuggest search terms with the free version of vidIQ. You can see which of the ideas are popular and which you have a chance to rank with.
Morning Fame is a website rather than the chrome plugin functionality of vidIQ and TubeBuddy. Morning Fame provides analytics for uploaded videos and a keyword tool to plan future content.
The analytics section gives a good historical overview of your channel’s performance. And offers suggestions on which of your videos perform best for your audience, and recommends which type of videos you should try to replicate.
Morning Fame also benchmarks your channel against to similar ones.
The keyword research tool suggests content ideas, and rates your chance of ranking for them considering your channel size.
Once you pick a target keyword, Morning Fame rates your channel’s chance of ranking for the keyword.
Morning Fame offers two levels of subscription. While both have full access to analytics reporting, if you want more than occasional access to the keyword research tool, you’ll need to choose the Plus plan at $12.90 per month.
Website: morningfa.me
Price: From $4.90 per month.
Conclusion
You’re unlikely to establish a channel on YouTube without using tools. Some tools help to make your videos compelling, and others help find best keywords to rank. There are 500 hours worth of videos uploaded to YouTube every minute, and you need to work hard to make yours stand out.
You need to add intros/outros to brand your videos, use B-roll and sound clips to enhance your content, and then make sure to edit your content well so that it engages viewers.
Finally, if you don’t take advantage of tools to help you plan and promote content, you will fall behind your competitors who will surely be using them.
If you need more help with equipment, software, artwork and other YouTube things then I have a list of EVERYTHING I use on my resources page.
Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube
Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.
1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search
I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.
When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.
Big mistake!
I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.
That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.
Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.
3. Rev.com helps people read my videos
You can’t always listen to a video.
Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.
This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.
A GREAT way to find an audience and keep them hooked no matter where they are watching your content.
4. PlaceIT can help you STAND OUT on YouTube
I SUCK at making anything flashy or arty.
I have every intention in the world to make something that looks cool but im about as artistic as a dropped ice-cream cone on the web windy day.
That is why I could not live on YouTube without someone like PlaceIT. They offer custom YouTube Banners, Avatars, YouTube Video Intros and YouTube End Screen Templates that are easy to edit with simple click, upload wizard to help you make amazing professional graphics in minutes.
5. StoryBlocks helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways
I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.
And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.
I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.
I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the StoryBlocks website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.
There was a time when simply using a computer required a degree of expertise that would have marked you as an expert by today’s standards.
When the web came along, things weren’t much different—with dial-up modems and BBS’s, it was a very different world.
That’s no longer the case. Computers and related devices have continued to move evermore in the direction of user-friendliness, with innovators like Steve Jobs explicitly stating the goal of making Apple devices household appliance-like in their simplicity.
And with this simplicity comes a broader, more diverse audience of users. In particular, older users that would previously have found modern technology a little overwhelming are beginning to use the web in droves.
Here are our top ten YouTube channels for older adults.
1. Tricia Cusden – Look Fabulous For Older Women
Makeup tutorials are undeniably big business on YouTube, and why not? Being comfortable in yourself is an admirable goal, but we can’t deny that most of us want to look our best, whatever that may entail.
Tricia uses YouTube to help people her age (70, if you’re wondering) look and feel the way they want to with makeup videos designed for older people. She combines this with her makeup business, which specialises in products for older women. In fact, her channel started as simple product videos at her manufacturer’s suggestion, and she herself was surprised to find the videos becoming very popular.
At a time when people are living longer than at any other stage in human history, it makes sense that the older generations might be reluctant to simply kill time in an older people’s home. Tricia proves it is possible to look great at any age and is happy to share her methods with you.
2. Tim Rowett – Grand Illusions
If you are interested in unusual toys and optical illusions (honestly, who isn’t?), then Tim Rowett’s channel is for you. Named one of the best YouTubers over 50 in 2015, Rowett collects random and strange toys that equal parts curious and mesmerising to watch.
Some of his more popular videos include apple balloons—literally balloons that look like apples—and Euler’s disc—a disc that takes a ridiculously long time to stop spinning. He has also reviewed yodelling gherkins, unusual origami, “yo balls”, and much more.
Tim’s videos are often very short, barely rarely breaking five minutes long, and often being under three minutes, making them very easily digestible. The only downside to this is you will be able to get through his entire catalogue of videos in a much shorter time. At the time of writing, Tim’s channel has nearly 1.5m subscribers, so if the description doesn’t sway you, perhaps the insane popularity of his content will at least give you a reason to try it out.
Tim has a very charming British accent that would have been entirely at home on a BBC program in days gone by, with a fabulous screen presence and a quirky sense of humour all combining to make for a very entertaining watch.
3. ElderGym Fitness for Seniors
Though the body of an average senior citizen may not be up to the rigours of regular 10k runs and high-intensity weight lifting, it’s no reason to stop exercising altogether.
ElderGym, as you have no doubt guessed already, is a channel dedicated to fitness for older people. These exercises are tailored to get the most out of your workout without overstressing your body. Expect videos on things like back strengthening, cardio fitness for seniors, and much more.
Most of the videos are presented by Certified Geriatric Specialist and Senior Fitness Coach, Dough Schrift; however, there are occasionally videos presented by others on the channel. Doug’s stated goal is to help seniors become strong and stable, regardless of whether they have exercised in the past.
While we wouldn’t necessarily recommend signing up for any marathons, it’s important to keep your body in as good a shape as you can, and ElderGym is a great way to do just that.
4. Kevin and Lill
For some good old senior comedy, you’ll struggle to find a better channel than Kevin and Lill. Technically it is Kevin’s channel; however, Lill is the star of the show. Her hilarious personality has even seen her appearing on mainstream television shows hosted by the likes of Jimmy Kimmel, and Steve Harvey.
Lill says her YouTube exploits keep her young, according to one interview with Mashable, and she enjoys the fact that none of her friends seems to care about her Internet fame.
Lill started finding YouTube popularity in videos where Kevin would take her driving and just chat with her, but now you can expect to see plenty of hilarity such as Lill answering Google’s most searched questions, attempting ASMR for the first time, and learning about Internet trends.
This channel is great for older people because they can often relate to Lill’s reactions to the quirks of Internet culture. The fact that her reactions are extremely funny is just the icing on the cake.
5. The Angry Grandpa
This is a channel I’m sure a lot of older people can relate to, even if they manage to hide their frustrations a little better than Angry Grandpa here. Run by Charles Green Jr., the channel consists of regular videos depicting a grandpa who is—you guessed it—angry. Angry at what, you might ask. Everything.
Be fair warned; however, there is plenty of foul language and bad attitude, but it is all in good fun.
At the time of writing, Angry Grandpa has over 4.5m subscribers and a fanbase that extends far beyond his own age bracket. Expect to see a lot of videos with titles that start “Angry Grandpa Hates…”, and many a humorous reaction to things like VR, and… well, Doug.
6. National Geographic
You’re never too old to be interested in things, and who among us hasn’t been transfixed by something on National Geographic at least one time in our lives. For videos on science, exploration, and adventure, there are few channels that can match National Geographic.
The Nat Geo channel uploads new videos every day, with each day having a different theme. These themes include History and Culture, Nature, Environment, Exploration, Science, Fun Facts, and Travel and Adventure. Whatever your interests, there will invariably be something here to keep you entertained.
Not to mention, as Nat Geo is a network channel with a TV budget, the production quality on these videos is notably higher than your average YouTube video.
7. Postmodern Jukebox
Whether or not we’d like to admit it, we generally tend to prefer the things we’re used to over the new and different. This is particularly true when presented with a new version of something you first became acquainted with when you were younger.
That’s why any reboot of a TV show will often find itself met with a rash of “it’s not as good as the original” comments, regardless of whether or not it is, in fact, as good as the original.
That being said, there’s nothing wrong with preferring the music you grew up with, but for the older generations among us, it does somewhat limit your choices when it comes to finding new music to listen to.
Enter Postmodern Jukebox. This is a music channel that creates covers of modern hits in a range of vintage styles. Expect to see such unexpected genre pairings as Paramore’s pop-punk hit Misery Business in the stylings of 1940s jazz or Kings of Leon’s Sex on Fire in the stylings of 1960s soul.
The music is accompanied by videos of the performance in which the musicians are appropriately dressed for the period and genre they are performing. And, if you head into their playlist section, you can find a range of useful groupings that sort the songs by genre, decade, and artists, making it easy to find what you want.
8. Cyber-Seniors Corner
It could be argued that, while much of the channel is by seniors, it is not necessarily for seniors. Ultimately we decided to include it because the content is excellent for any age, and it may even inspire some seniors to pick up a camera and make content of their own.
In a nutshell, Cyber-Seniors Corner is a channel where seniors share their wisdom through the medium of YouTube. Initially beginning with one Cyber-Senior’s video on how to make a grilled-cheese sandwich with nothing more than an iron, the channel has grown to include advice, tips, and lifehacks from many different seniors.
And, if you do get the urge to share some wisdom of your own, the channel accepts submissions.
9. Pasta Grannies
Now, we’re not saying everyone is interested in making pasta. However, if you are interested in making pasta, what better way to indulge that interest than by watching Italian grandmas making homemade pasta? And, hey, if you’re not interested in making pasta, it’s still very entertaining content.
Founded by Vicky Bennison, Pasta Grannies has amassed over half a million subscribers who turn in regularly to see different grannies sharing their techniques for cooking pasta. Bennison travels all around Italy in her search for talented pasta grannies, so you get a healthy dose of Italian culture along with your pasta-making fix.
While Vicky herself is still spritely in her 60s, some of the grannies she visits are nearing their century, so there is plenty of wisdom to be had on this channel.
And pasta. Lots of pasta.
10. 2nd Act TV
With the motto “it’s never too late to be the person you always wanted to be!”, the purpose of this channel is right there on the door. Directly specifically at people aged fifty and up, 2nd Act TV produces videos on helping older people to take charge of their physical, emotional, and sexual health.
The message is clear; life doesn’t stop when you hit the downward slope, and there’s no reason to stop enjoying life to the fullest just because you’ve crossed the midpoint.
Hosted by Paige Valdiserri and Silke Schwarzkopf, their videos have a range of guests on with various areas of expertise and talk about things like emotional health and happiness, relationships, dealing with the anger of growing up, and a whole host of other useful conversations for people on the far side of fifty.
Honourable Mentions
This is by no means a definitive list. As much as YouTube content for older people is a small niche, there is still a great deal of it available. These posts need to stop somewhere, however, so we limited our picks to a top ten, but here are some channels that just missed the cut;
Bosse Nakane – Soothing music by a talented singer/guitarist
BBC News – Because older people like to know what’s going on as well!
Conclusions
YouTube is a vast repository of entertainment, education, and help for a wide range of people, and people in the later stages of life are not exempt from this. If you are one such person, you should be making use of this vital resource.
If, on the other hand, you are young, but you have older people in your life, and they are not using YouTube, gently encourage them to do so, perhaps starting with some of the channels on this list. Try to gauge what would be of most interest to the person you are introducing to YouTube, and start with that.
Of course, if they try it and don’t like it, don’t attempt to force it on them. But we can’t imagine they won’t want to take advantage of all the content made especially for them, once they know its there.
Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube
Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.
1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search
I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.
Within 12 months I tripled the size of my channel and very quickly learnt the power of thumbnails, click through rate and proper search optimization. Best of all, they are FREE!
2. Adobe Creative Suite helps me craft amazing looking thumbnails and eye-catching videos
I have been making youtube videos on and off since 2013.
When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.
Big mistake!
I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.
That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.
Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.
3. Rev.com helps people read my videos
You can’t always listen to a video.
Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.
This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.
5. Shutterstock helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways
I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.
And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.
I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.
I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the Shutterstock website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.
It can be easy to forget that YouTube hasn’t been around for that long. Founded in 2005, YouTube is a little over fifteen years old at the time of writing this post.
That means that even people born at the same time as YouTube are still children, and, if we’re being honest, it would be another few years before the service was anything like what know and love today. Factor in that parents are generally dissuaded from letting their children watch television for the first two years, and you can start to see why children’s content is such big business on YouTube.
Today’s children—those of around thirteen years old and under—are the first to grow up with YouTube.
No waiting until Saturday mornings for cartoons, or begging parents to pay extra for Nickelodeon or the Disney Channel—children today are the first to have access to a practically endless supply of entertainment in the form of YouTube. And studies show that most of them make full use of it.
So, there is plenty of incentive to start a YouTube channel for children. The audience is there, without a doubt, and making fans of children can be relatively easily translated into an older fanbase later down the line. After all, that’s how people like Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande were able to transition from acting in a children’s TV show to being a global pop star.
Of course, having good reasons for starting a YouTube channel is only part of the battle. You still need to have ideas for what you will put on that channel. And, if you’re reading this, we can safely assume you’re looking for a little inspiration in that area. So here are our top ten kid YouTube channel ideas.
General Advice
It can be useful to think outside of the box from time to time. To that end, you shouldn’t consider the following suggestions as a definitive collection.
There will always be room to innovate, and ideas that haven’t been thought of, or have been thought of but never successfully executed, will always be out there for you to discover. That being said, there are some fairly fundamental aspects of making YouTube videos for children that apply regardless of your idea.
Be Parent-Friendly
Remember, the parents and guardians are the gatekeepers when it comes to what their children are allowed to see. Parents are very unlikely to sit down and watch your content before deciding to allow their children to do the same. More often, a parent’s first impression of a YouTube channel their child is watching will be in passing—walking by when their child has the channel on, for example.
Parents can be very reactionary at times, and if they catch even a glimpse of inappropriate content, they could shut your channel down in that home. In many cases, this might be an unfair reaction, but you have to understand that it is ultimately their decision, so it’s best to steer clear of things like innuendo, and grown-up jokes.
Don’t Abuse Your Power
Children are impressionable; it’s how they learn about the world around them. Putting on their parent’s shoes and pretending to go to work, dressing up as their favourite superhero.
They imitate the things they like, and if you become successful at this, you will be one of those things.
Do not abuse that power.
Think long and hard about what you do in your videos, and how your impressionable audience might react to it.
Set Realistic Expectations
Due to various legal implications, videos that are considered “for kids” are excluded from targetted advertising. While this doesn’t mean that you can’t monetise these videos, it does significantly reduce the amount of revenue potential they have.
Of course, there are many ways of monetising a YouTube channel outside of YouTube’s own system, just be careful—if you’re seen as attempting to exploit your young audience, you could lose your channel.
1. Crafts
Though children sometimes need a little nudge to get started, crafts are a timeless way to keep them entertained. Ask any English child of the 90s about the Blue Peter’s Tracey Island episode, and there’s a good chance they’ll know what you’re talking about.
Be sure to focus your ideas around things that your audience will use. Making a pencil holder out of empty toilet roll tubes is very practical, but not necessarily something a young child would be interested in. A lot of this will depend on the age of the children you are making content for. For example, younger children prefer things they can play with, like making an aeroplane out of an old box. In contrast, children on the older end of the spectrum are more likely to be interested in practical things, like the pencil holder mentioned above.
2. Activities
Activities are a great option because they can be something that the parents can join in with. If you can not only entertain their children for a time but also give them ideas so that they can entertain their children, you will be a firm favourite with the parents.
Making your activities fun should be fundamental. However, if you can make them educational or developmental—or both—then you will be on good footing to succeed and grow as a kid Youtube channel. Things that involve fine motor skills, such as using drawing tools, are particularly useful for a child’s development. Also consider mental exercises, such as playing detective games.
3. Young Health
Child fitness is an ever-present concern in the developed world, where obesity is regularly cited in statistics regarding health conditions.
If you are into your fitness and have a flair with children, a fitness channel aimed at youngsters could be an excellent way to go.
This is another idea that will likely garner support from parents, who will probably be happy to see their children getting active. Of course, the trick to this kind of video is to make it fun for the children. If you just have them doing a series of different exercises, they’ll soon get bored. Make games of your activities, and try to come up with exciting variations on established exercise routines.
4. Lifehacks
It may sound like something that would only be useful for adults, but children love a good lifehack, too. That being said, what a child considers a lifehack is very different from an adult.
Thinking up lifehacks that the parents will like as well is a surefire way to get support from the grown-ups. For example, coming up with smart ways to keep a room tidy so that the children don’t get in trouble will also go down very well with the parents.
Other examples of child-orientated lifehacks might involve school-related things, such as personalising school bags or making secret compartments inside of pencil cases.
5. Gaming
Gaming is a tried-and-tested kid YouTube idea, with some YouTubers amassing tens of millions of subscribers in this niche.
It should go without saying that you will need to keep things like profanity off of your channel, and games with a more adult theme are out of the question.
Beyond that, try to make the content enjoyable beyond the gameplay itself. YouTube gaming is a very competitive space, and it is unlikely that you will be alone in whatever game you decide to play. For that reason, the more you can do to stand out from the crowd, the more likely children will want to watch your videos rather than one of the other YouTubers.
One of the most successful examples of this kind of video is DanTDM, who initially became popular making Minecraft videos in which he would act out a story in the game. Other examples include YouTubers playing video games with their own children. Be sure to do your research and see what games children are interested in.
6. Unboxing Videos
Unboxing videos are popular with many demographics, and children are no exception. Of course, the contents of the box needs to be tailored to your young audience.
Children probably won’t be that interested in an unboxing video of a subscription food box. Toys are the obvious route to take, and you can add an extra level of engagement for your viewers by giving away the things you unbox. After all, if you are going to post regular videos and unbox something in each one, you’re going to end up with a lot of stuff!
A variation on unboxing videos involves making the items to be unboxed part of a game and having your own kids play that game. HobbyKidsTV is a particularly popular example of this.
One example might be putting the toys to be unboxed inside of a giant paper mache model of a villain, and having children dressed as superheroes beat the villain up to get to the toys.
7. Reaction Videos
Reaction videos are seemingly popular across many different audiences, including children. The key to reaction videos is you. There are plenty of reaction YouTubers out there, but the differentiating factor between each of them is their own personality. If two YouTubers react to the same movie trailer, the trailer won’t change, only their reactions will.
What this means is that, if you decide to go down this path, you need to put your whole personality into your videos. This is not a genre for reserved, camera-shy YouTubers. As always, be sure to keep your content child-friendly. Even one errant curse word making it onto your channel could ruin your credibility as a kid YouTube channel.
Also, remember your audience when reacting. Children most likely won’t care about the latest Christopher Nolan film, but the next Sonic the Hedgehog movie is a different matter. You might react to the latest Fortnite announcement or a big scene from a Marvel movie. Just be careful not to fall afoul of any copyright infringement.
8. Character Analysis
If there’s one thing children are good at, it is obsessing over things. A child might only be into Spiderman for a few months, perhaps a year, but during that time they are all in!
You can produce content that gives them a much desired in-depth look at their favourite characters. Sticking with our friendly neighbourhood Spiderman example, you could do a detailed history of the web-slinger, stretching all the way back to his comic book roots in the early 1960s.
This area of YouTube is particularly fertile as there is a lot of ground to cover. Once you’ve covered Spiderman, for example, you could cover Venom, or Green Goblin, or any of the many other prominent characters in the franchise. You could move on to other Marvel characters, or branch out to DC. You could leave comic books entirely and tackle videogame characters.
As long as you can make it entertaining and you focus on popular characters, you’ll have an interested audience.
9. Narrative Videos
If there is one area you can get away with low production quality, it is YouTube for children. Children have a beautiful lack of cynicism about things like production value, combined with a vivid imagination that is ready to fill in the blanks.
This means you can tell any stories you might want to tell without worrying about whether your video looks professional enough. A particularly popular variation of this is superhero crossovers, where characters from different franchises meet. Many of these videos are acted out by children, with the adults handling the writing and filming.
10. Educational
Of course, we couldn’t make this list without including educational content. If you can entertain children while educating them, you will have a very bright future as a YouTuber.
Consider making games out of your lessons, and set your viewers fun activities based around the lessons you are giving. Have a clear idea of who your videos are for—maths questions for a six-year-old are very different to maths questions for a twelve-year-old.
This type of video can be especially rewarding, as making learning fun for children will increase the chances that they will pick things up when they go to school. It can also be a good idea to throw in an occasional fun video that might not necessarily have much educational content, just to break things up.
But as a general rule, try to make each video as entertaining as possible. Remember, they don’t have a choice about going to school, but they don’t have to watch your videos.
Conclusions
And that’s our ten kid YouTube channel ideas. Is there something you feel should be on here? Why not leave a comment and let us know?
Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube
Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.
1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search
I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.
Within 12 months I tripled the size of my channel and very quickly learnt the power of thumbnails, click through rate and proper search optimization. Best of all, they are FREE!
2. Adobe Creative Suite helps me craft amazing looking thumbnails and eye-catching videos
I have been making youtube videos on and off since 2013.
When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.
Big mistake!
I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.
That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.
Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.
3. Rev.com helps people read my videos
You can’t always listen to a video.
Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.
This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.
5. Shutterstock helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways
I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.
And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.
I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.
I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the Shutterstock website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.
If you’re like many people then you don’t like having your picture taken. Never mind recording yourself speaking on video!
Yet you still want to launch a YouTube channel and earn cash while not showing your face. Don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to make videos for YouTube, even if the thought of speaking on camera makes you blush.
Many of the ideas only need you to record your voice over stock images or b-roll video. Others let you tap into a skill you already have.
Start Now – Get Good Later.
Don’t worry about being too polished when you start. Many of the following examples show how successful channels started out.
As you’ll see many of their first few videos have poor production quality. The critical thing to remember is that they stuck with it. You have to grind and persist in the early days while your channel grows.
You can always improve your production quality as you go along.
So let’s get started with 12 ideas for YouTube channels you can launch without showing your face.
Remember if you need help with graphics, banners, subtitles or many other of my secret weapons to grow faster on YouTube then check out my resources page – dozens of tools I couldn’t live without.
With over 100 million subscribers,PewDiePie has one of the biggest channels on YouTube. Run by Swedish gamer Felix Kjellberg, he uploads a blend of comedy, gossip, and gaming content.
When Kjellberg launched the channel in 2010 though, he started with short, simple clips of him playing games like Minecraft.
Are you a gaming great? If you can do with your thumbs what others can’t, then you too could launch a channel demonstrating your skills. Not that good at gaming? Flip it around and show gaming fails instead.
Make your clips compelling by adding a funny commentary, or show how to defeat a tricky boss. Remember, it’s all about adding value to the viewer.
Here is the first video PewDiePie uploaded.
Top List Videos
People love to rank things: the best striker, the funniest animals, or richest actors. Lots of YouTube channels list all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff from 10 to 1, 5 to 1, or whatever number to 1!
From the weirdest things caught on camera to the biggest waves ever to hit ships, there are plenty of possibilities.
It doesn’t have to be weird (though that does attract curiosity). You could rank the top 10 luxury watches or 5 best shades of green nail polish.
One channel with over 4.5 million subscribers, who only record commentary over images and b-roll footage stitched together isTop 5 Best.
Below is a selection of the videos they started with. Today they get over 24 million views per month.
People are always on the lookout for tasty new recipes and cooking guides. And as the focus is on the food, you can film from overhead only showing your hands.
It doesn’t have to be gourmet cuisine; you could create a channel based on quick meals to build muscle or easy breakfasts to make before work.
Below is the first video created by a popular channel showing how to make Nepali food.Yummy Food World has over 600k subscribers, and it looks like they shot their first videos on a smartphone.
They don’t even have voice commentary, just some basic captions. Below is the video they got going with.
Life Hacks
Do you think you could make a good living filming your hands doing some simple life hacks? That’s precisely what the owner of the channel5 Minute Crafts has done.
Attracting over 67 million subscribers, they show how to use everyday items in canny ways. While their early videos don’t show any faces, they have more recently used models to demonstrate the hacks.
Take a look at one of the early videos from them, showing you smart ways to peel fruit. The production level is quite good for a first video, but nothing you couldn’t manage yourself with a little practice.
Restoration
Are you handy in the workshop? Another popular niche on YouTube is restoration videos. These types of videos film the process of repairing old, tired and worn out items. Some people find them therapeutic, almost a mindfulness practice and they have become are very popular.
Along with some filming equipment, you will need the tools and workspace to restore the items. One of the popular channels in this niche isBlack Beard Projects. He restores knives and vintage tools to their former glory and has over 1.6 million subscribers.
Here is one of his first videos, with 133k views, it’s low production, and shows him removing rust off an old anvil.
Nail Art
Beauty has always been popular on YouTube – there are plenty of Youtubers making a good living doing makeup tips. If you are not ready to show your face, how about starting a channel demonstrating Nail Art?
Simply Nailogical is a channel that started with low budget how-to videos for nail art. A channel showing a mixture of pictures, static video, and simple captions, has grown to over 7.6 million subscribers.
When you show others how to do something, you also have other ways to earn money. Add in affiliate links in the video description for products you have used and make extra earnings.
Meditation
One niche that is very popular on YouTube is meditation videos. In today’s hectic world, many people seek out a moment of peace through mindfulness and meditation.
Meditation videos come in several different formats. Some have a voice guiding the mediation, and others have only calming music. Additionally, there are even some with only the sound of a bell marking the beginning and end of a timed meditation period!
So, you could create these videos with stock images and music, and could even outsource the writing and audio recording of guided mediation on Fiverr.
You can see from the first videos fromMeditative Mind that they started with just stock photos and sounds. They didn’t even loop the videos into the longer lengths which are popular today.
Time-Lapse
Turn a camera on, point it at a piece of fruit, and let it rot. Whoever came up with this concept must have got a few blank stares when pitching the idea to a friend.
But this is precisely whatTemponaut Timelapse did when they started their channel 11 years ago. To be fair to them, it’s not all rotting fruit; there are also time-lapses of clouds, flowers, and cityscapes.
But, the concept has proved to be popular, and the channel has grown to 1.2 million subscribers. You can evenshoot your first videos on a smartphone or GoPro. Here is one of their earliest videos of a rotting Strawberries.
Animation
When faced with something we don’t understand, we often look for an ‘explainer’ video to quickly tell us what it’s all about.
If you can explain complex ideas in an entertaining way, then you could launch an animated education channel on YouTube.
Now, you might be thinking you could never create an animated video. But, you can make professional animations using a tool likeAnimaker for $30 per month. You could even outsource the whole job on Fiverr for very little investment.
Below is an early video from the channel CGP Grey. It explains the dull topic of a voting system using jungle animals to make it enjoyable. You can see that it’s mostly pictures, editing, and a little animation.
Now that the channel is a success, they have invested some of their earnings into better quality animation.
Luxury
When it comes to numbers of followers on Instagram, the rich and famous beat everyone else hands-down.
Tap into this hot niche by launching a channel that caters to the demand for knowledge about the lifestyles of the mega-rich. Don’t worry, you won’t need to own a Rolex or a Porsche; you can use content already freely available on the web.
One channel you can draw inspiration from isAlux. Launched in 2014, they edited some photos together and recorded a commentary over it. But as you can see from their first videos pictured below, they weren’t even that long either.
Today their videos have better production value but are still mostly stock video footage, text animation, and a voiceover.
Alux now has almost 3 million subscribers.
Unboxing & Reviews
Most of us enjoy the online shopping process. Checking out different products and making a final choice. We often look at reviews to help us make up our mind.
You may think the internet is awash with reviews, who needs yet another review channel?
But many reviews are poorly filmed or miss out on the necessary product information. And the injection of some personality can make you stand head-and-shoulders above other reviewers.
You don’t even have to show your face – you can film a product from above using only your hands.
Do you have specialist knowledge of certain products? It could be something as simple as emery boards or fountain pens. If so, start by reviewing the products you own, borrow others, and if they are cheap, buy a few new ones too.
As you grow your channel, companies will start to contact you and ask you to review their products which they might even send to you for free.
If you don’t have specialist knowledge film unboxing videos instead. Some people like to see exactly what’s in the box of a product they want to buy before they purchase it.
Unbox Therapy has 16.7 million subscribers built around the idea of taking items out of retail boxes. He does show his face today, but when he started, he used an overhead camera in a fixed position filming his hands.
Here is one of his first videos.
‘How to’ Tutorials
People ask the internet ‘how do I…’ millions of times per day. It’s the first place people go when they need help with a problem.
Use your knowledge to set up a how-to channel yourself on something you are good at. You’ll find there are plenty of niches out there where you can educate others without needing to show yourself on video.
For example, do you know a piece of software as well as anybody? Screen-record yourself doing something on your computer; there is always someone on the lookout for a helpful video.
Do you hand-make your own jewelry? That is something that many people would like to learn to do and is perfect for an overhead shot of only your hands.
The channelBeadaholique has 500k subscribers and shows viewers how to hand-make jewelry. And they started nine years ago with simple short videos like the one shown below—just a static camera showing their hands making jewelry.
Where to find stock images and video.
So, as you can see there are lots of ways you can make money on YouTube without showing your face. If you aren’t filming your hands doing something and want to create videos by editing together stock images and b-roll footage.
ThenPexels,Pixabay, andUnsplash offer images and video you can use free of charge and without attribution.
But if you are looking for engaging video that you can add voice overs to or to illustrate your points in a video I use storyblocks – For an example of how this could work check out my video with 25 More Ideas for Channels without showing your face.
Maybe you are camera shy and need a little boost to get started. Have you been thinking about making a YouTube channel for years but worry about putting your face on camera? I talked to one of my clients about this exact issue in a consultation call – the video below might help you too.
Most of the channels covered in this post started as one person, with basic equipment, recording a simple video. So there is no reason you can’t do it too.
Success won’t happen overnight. To make a lot of money, you need to upload compelling, fresh content regularly. But, don’t let the dislike of showing your face on camera hold you back.
Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.
1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search
I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.
Within 12 months I tripled the size of my channel and very quickly learnt the power of thumbnails, click through rate and proper search optimization. Best of all, they are FREE!
2. Adobe Creative Suite helps me craft amazing looking thumbnails and eye-catching videos
I have been making youtube videos on and off since 2013.
When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.
Big mistake!
I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.
That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.
Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.
3. Rev.com helps people read my videos
You can’t always listen to a video.
Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.
This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.
5. Shutterstock helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways
I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.
And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.
I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.
I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the Shutterstock website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.
“They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but what about videos; I’d say they are worth a trillion words.”
You cannot deny it anymore; videos are now everywhere and video marketing is on the rise. It has grown even more prominently than just a few years ago and is convenient for brands to reach their customers.
You can argue that popular social media sites like Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram, Twitter, and others are good places to promote your content, but the truth is YouTube reigns supreme. People spend trillions of hours every day looking at videos.
One of the first things to do before you go about making your videos is to know what your audience, viewers, or customers want. You should be asking yourself questions.
Asking questions will help you to understand and make better videos for your audience, customers, consumers, or viewers.
Keywords & Research
Now that you’ve had a chance to know their requirements, you can start with subject / content research and gather keywords. When YouTube is concerned, keyword research is important. I cannot stress this enough.
Choosing the CORRECT keywords skyrockets your videos to the top. Choosing the WRONG keywords buries in heaps of search results.
Engaging Titles
This is another one of the important factors that make-or-break your YouTube video’s popularity. Literally, titles are what makes or breaks your video’s engagement and performance.
You have to craft engaging titles and grab your viewer’s attention without using “clickbait” headlines. People want entertaining content, and not one that says something but delivers something else.
Trailers, Trailers, Trailers
Before you run off and make your first YouTube video, create a video introducing yourself, your brand, and what your channel is about. This is a mini trailer to show to non-subscribers and persuade them to stick about and even subscribe to your content.
Need help with make a good trailer? I make a video all about that on my YouTube channel – check it here.
You know your audience, done your research, and have gotten that optimized video title, but now what? Now, you start to form the content of your videos.
If your video is not what people want, they’ll be lost in the infinite sea of other videos that nobody wants to see.
You have to create content that lures viewers, meaning videos on trending content. You can also repurpose an old article or blog post and create an engaging video your viewers will love.
Make Eye Catching Thumbnails
YouTube grabs a screenshot of your videos and uses these as thumbnails. Most times the image is blurry or you do not want this. Use specific fonts and styles so that it’s consistent with your brand’s look and feel. Use tools like Canva to create thumbnails.
Also, don’t make thumbnail to clickbait. You’ll lose subscribers in an instant. Thumbnails give a good first impression to your viewers of you and your channel, so make it eye-catching.
Put Yourself On Camera
Are you running your YouTube channel yourself or as a small business or start-up, then it’s better to put yourself in front of the camera. Putting a face to the brand lets your viewers easily associate with you.
This is particularly true for solo entrepreneurs; business, fitness, or life coaches; and bloggers. Also, use your photo instead of your logo on your YouTube channel if you are one of the above.
Win The Click
If your video is based on a project, show the final result at the start. A stunning result makes people more interested to see how you achieved it. This is a winner for makeover, beauty, home improvement, and DIY videos.
Telling stories is another fabulous way to tempt your viewers’ emotions. We all want to hear stories.
Viewers want to know what happens at the end of a story, so start with one.
Also, a personal story will endear you to your viewers.
Upload Videos Consistently
Just making videos with great content and then not doing it anymore is not enough. You have to be sustainable, meaning you have to do it regularly.
Doing it once is GOOD, doing it again is GREAT, but doing it again and again is FANTASTIC for you (brand or otherwise) and your viewers.
Stay Focused
AVOID nonsense and ramblings, don’t take long pauses, jump around topics, or be boring. This makes your viewers look at the recommended video section for interesting stuff. Make sure your videos are engaging visually or use stories.
Make sure the content you make is what your viewer wants. Ask your viewers for suggestions. You need to engage your subscribers and reply to their queries and comments on your videos.
Don’t forget to reply to negative comments also. It shows you are listening and active. You can use this to convert your audience into possible leads.
Brand Yourself and Your Channel
Don’t make your video look fake as this affects your viewers’ perception of your channel and you. Also, make sure your channel is visually appealing. You have to make it look authoritative. Branding a channel helps users to recognize it in a sea of content.
Be sure to match your channel to your website or blog’s look and feel; do not differentiate between them.
Cross Promote Your Videos
Cross promoting make you look more professional and uniform. You don’t know the subscribers you’ll get just by promoting on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, etc
Links in video description to nudge viewers to take a look (call-to-action)
End Screens and Info Cards
You might be thinking what is a Card? It is nothing but an interactive “panel” that slides in and out as your video is nearing the end. This is to nudge viewers with interesting content that they might like.
You’ll be able to add 5 panels, make the most of this. You can add text, images, or clickable links.
Subscribers, Subscriptions & Newsletters
Use your site’s email newsletter to grow your channel. Send embedded preview videos or links to new content and bring them back to your channel. You can always ask your audience to subscribe to your channel.
Do not ever pay for subscribers. This brings down the engagement and your authenticity is at risk in the long term.
End Screen Promotions
Use interactive graphics to link to another playlist, video, web page, or channel, or prompt them to subscribe to your channel.
You’ll be able to add them at then end 20 seconds of the videos. Plan this out, and make sure you know where they will appear.
Chase Trends
Check out your competitors and see which videos are ranking higher with better engagement. Keep checking out and refining the topics and workflow until you have a process that is well-oiled.
There isn’t any replacement for hard work. Always search for patterns like subject, editing style, or delivery system and create videos like those.
Improve Your “Watch Time”
Make your video as long as your topic requires. Nowadays, longer videos result in more watch time. This boosts your videos in YouTube’s algorithm.
Do not make videos longer just to make them longer. You will lose viewers. Generally, 7-15 minute videos perform better.
Content Mix Strategy
Always try to make videos that serve you channel’s community, perform well in search, and are shareable. You can post regular videos for your product, service, brand, or other things.
You need to mix the types of videos as well.
Along with the regular ones you can have videos that contain responding to comments, answering questions, interacting via live video as well.
You will have two channel’s subscribers seeing your videos meaning more subscribers, viewers, and reach. Collaborate with guests or co-hosts that fit your niche only.
To get subscribers and growing your channel, you need SEO. YouTube results actually pop-up before other traditional blogs, articles, or websites.
Some fantastic tools for YouTube SEO are TubeBuddy and VidIQ – They help with keyword research, ranking and even your thumbnails – check out my resource page for more tools to help with SEO & Branding.
Do how-to’s, product reviews, and long-form (7-15+ minute) videos covering specific topics to rank higher.
Giveaways and Contests
Hosting giveaways is a one of the quickest ways to gain subscribers. Base your giveaway on your channel’s niche.
YouTube viewers love giveaways. Host giveaways or contests and encourage people to subscribe and engage with your channel.
Embed Your Videos
YouTube does not give you options to promote videos. This is why you need to have a website. Make a detailed blog or article that coincides with your channel and gives people the ability read, watch, or do both.
Embed your videos in your website or blog post and promote it to your email subscribers. Add a video widget to your blog post or website as well.
Creating, Organizing, & Promoting Your Playlists
With the increase in videos you’ll create, people will find it more difficult to navigate your channel.
This is a great option to boost engagement without spending much time. Live-streaming does have a learning curve. After you have learned it properly, it is the easiest way of creating video content. On YouTube, live-streaming is called YouTube Live.
It provides splendid engagement opportunities as you can communicate directly with your viewers. You can so some live streams on topics such as Q&A Sessions, Webinars, Tutorials, Product Demonstrations, etc
Should I Try Paid Adverting?
Just using organic growth is good, but you’ll have to add paid promotion at one time or the other to speed things up. Create an ad campaign and help drive subscribers and viewers to your page.
This is similar to Facebook Ads, but is tailored towards YouTube.
Deep Dive Into The Community
Other than promoting your videos to grow your channel, you need to be active in the community. This allows you to get feedback, network, and share interests with people having the same goals.
Attend events like Content Marketing World or VidCon and meet other creators like yourself and promote your videos.
Analytics, Analytics, Analytics & There’s Data Too
YouTube’s analytics and reports are crucial to your success. Your analytics are tailored to your channel and provides an opportunity for you to improve.
Do not stay away from analytic because it feels overwhelming. If you avoid it, it will not help you to understand it.
Publish to Social Media
Last, but not least is publishing to social media and promoting the hell out of it. This is no secret that video kills it with engagement and boosting performance in terms on social media.
Regularly promote your channel and videos to your followers and encourage them to become subscribers.
As soon as you upload your video, let your followers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn know. Create previews or snippets for each social media platform and link it to an accompanying blog post or article on your website.
Conclusion
Driving participation using quality content is what makes up for engaged followers who advocate your brand to others. Always be true to yourself and your brand, and be in constant communication with your viewers.
Develop quality content, make thumbnails to grab viewer’s attention, deliver as promised, start videos using a strong hook, and keep things interesting. Overall, you’re creating an experience to keep your viewers’ engaged.
Did you like my post on “How to grow a YouTube channel?” Did you try any of these in your videos? What results did you get?
Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube
Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.
1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search
I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.
When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.
Big mistake!
I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.
That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.
Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.
3. Rev.com helps people read my videos
You can’t always listen to a video.
Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.
This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.
A GREAT way to find an audience and keep them hooked no matter where they are watching your content.
4. PlaceIT can help you STAND OUT on YouTube
I SUCK at making anything flashy or arty.
I have every intention in the world to make something that looks cool but im about as artistic as a dropped ice-cream cone on the web windy day.
That is why I could not live on YouTube without someone like PlaceIT. They offer custom YouTube Banners, Avatars, YouTube Video Intros and YouTube End Screen Templates that are easy to edit with simple click, upload wizard to help you make amazing professional graphics in minutes.
5. StoryBlocks helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways
I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.
And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.
I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.
I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the StoryBlocks website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.
YouTube is now a vast video uploading website, where numerous youtubers are making money. Be it smartphones, laptops, or tablets, we’re always on our mobile devices.
It is important for content creators to have the power to record videos, edit them, reply to comments, and take care of their channels from their mobile devices.
YouTube is now the biggest video streaming network in the world and the second largest search engine right after Google. Nowadays, worldwide, we are seeing the YouTube trend and everyone is looking to become the next successful YouTuber. This is mainly to become viral, get views to their videos, and in turn earn a huge amount of money and fame in the process.
The reality is, achieving success on YouTube isn’t as easy as people think it is. It’s very hard, as you have to outsmart and outrank all of your competitors in your niche. This sounds tough, doesn’t it? But, if you’ve got great content and do the proper marketing or promotional strategy, you’ll be the next big face.
The YouTube creators list is increasing day in day out. Many want to handle their YouTube channel from their mobile devices. These creators use different apps to handle their YouTube channel. Many of these apps have to do with capturing videos and editing them afterwards and uploading them to YouTube.
If you are able to create and edit videos on your Android or iPhone directly, you will be happy. These apps will help you to share them on your social media and with your family and friends.
Yes. You’ve read it correctly. There are a huge number of apps which people might consider as important to them so that they can become an efficient YouTuber. Many a times we cannot use our PCs or laptops so as to access numerous video creation and editing solutions.
To help on your YouTube journey, we’ve written this article with mobility, ease of use, features, cost, and platform availability in mind. Many people do not know or think about these types of apps. In reality, these apps are going to help you reach the next level just by using your mobile device.
In a simple manner you can create a lot of content on the go simple using your mobile device. What do most youtubers want in an app or apps? They want the ability to create or do the following things:
Logo
Thumbnails
Video / Audio Editing
We’ll be covering these functions in our list of the Best Mobile Apps for YouTubers.
The mobile apps mentioned below are useful for different objectives in the content creation process. I would recommend that you install all these apps and check out which ones work best for you in the YouTube content production process.
As you know, not every app is created equally and so are the platforms on which they are available. To help save money and time every youtuber must have these mobile apps. We have gone through these apps and below provide you with a list the best must have apps for youtubers in 2020.
Now, let’s get going.
YouTube Studio
Google’s official app makes it easier and faster to manage channels on the go. You’ll be able to check the latest statistics, reply to comments, and get notifications so you’ll be connected anywhere anytime.
Features:
Video and Channel Monitoring
Analytics and Monetisation Settings
Filtering and replying to comments
Receive important notifications
Update video details, image thumbnails
Bonus Tip – Now you know your stats maybe its time you look into optimization for more views. Why not check out TubeBuddy and VidIQ to amazing your rankings on YouTube.
iMovie – Turn videos into movie magic
This one is for you Apple fans who want to edit videos on the go. Using iMovie, you’ll be able to edit and enjoy videos easily. You can start editing on your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and then finish it on your Mac.
Features:
Hollywood-style trailers
Make stunning movies
Everywhere – iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch
Sharing with family and friends
Customize logos, names, and credits
KineMaster – Video Editor, Video Maker
KineMaster is one the best full-featured video editors available for Android. It supports multiple layers of images, video, and text, and more. It helps you create amazing videos using your Chromebook, tablet, or phone? KineMaster’s editing tools are free to use and it also supports unlimited exports even in resolutions up to 4K!
Features:
Combine numerous layers of images, video, stickers, text, special effects, and handwriting
Color adjustment tools and Reversing videos
Add background music, voiceovers, voice changers, and sound effects
Tools to trim, crop, and splice your video
Slow motion and time lapse effects
AZ Screen Recorder – Video Recorder, Livestream
This is another app to record your device’s screen. There is no time limit, ad free, no watermark, and is easy to use. It lets you record your screen in HD and Full-HD. It is the only screencast app that allows videos to pause and resume while it is still being recorded.
Crop, Rotate, Compress, and Extract images from video
Facecam while live streaming
Stitch, Crop, Blur, add text, and draw on images
YouTube Thumbnail Maker & YouTube Banner Maker
This app allows you to create thumbnails and banners for your YouTube channel. If you need an app to create your YouTube channel art, then this is the one. This app is collaboratively made by numerous youtubers who very well know the importance of having great channel art designs to attract viewers.
Features:
Crop thumbnail images to 1280×780
100+ backgrounds
Color intensifying filters for your images
Tools for brightness, contrast, saturation, vignette, and 3D rotation
Add typography fonts and graphic design elements
Making thumbnails can take time to master but in this blog article I explain everything you need to know about how to make the perfect thumbnail.
Tag You
This app is the best tool to boost your videos. SEO is simple and quick for videos with their proprietary keyword optimization. Optimizing tags dramatically improves subscriber engagement, videos’ performance, and promotional opportunities. Tag You helps you to find the optimal tags making videos go viral and get better views.
Features:
Quick and simple SEO
Tag and keyword optimization
Discover best tags
Optimize video tags
Search competitor video tags
Google Ads – Grow your Business Online
Google’s Ads app will help you in managing, optimising, and tracking your ad campaigns by simply using your smart device. You’ll be able to easily check your ads’ functioning on the go using this simple solution to your desktop account. You can keep your campaigns functioning smoothly irrespective of where your go.
Features:
Create ads and campaigns
Call an expert for live help
Update budgets, bids, and campaign status
Add, change, or delete keywords
Review performance using instant notifications
See campaign impressions, average CPC, clicks, and conversions
Improve campaigns based insights, suggestions, and alerts
Canva: Graphic Design, Video / Poster / Logo Maker
Having over 60,000+ templates makes Canva the best online graphic design solution you can have. You can create amazing high-quality posters, banners, thumbnails, covers, and others also. You can use it on your PC and smartphone.
As it is in the cloud, you can create, change, and promote your work anywhere anytime using any device.
Features:
Create posts and covers for a variety of social media
Design logos, book covers, blog designs for any project
1 million + stock photos and elements to choose from
Create, change, and share designs with colleagues or friends
Design YouTube thumbnails & Twitter and Pinterest banners
60,000+ free guides created by professional designers
SnapSeed
SnapSeed is one of the best photo editor apps made by Google. You can choose different adjustments and effects to apply to your pictures. You can save the editing history and default settings for future usage.
SnapSeed is widely used to create default settings thumbnails. Some filters are Grunge, Drama, frames, Vintage, etc
Features:
29 filters and tools
Supports RAW and JPG files
Selective filter brush
Open and tweak RAW DNG files
Adjust colour and exposure automatically
Adobe Premiere Rush – Video Editor
Adobe’s Premiere Rush is a great app to edit videos on your mobile device and offers good video editing functions. It helps you to create incredible video clips using ultra refined editing features. Enrich your channel with a stable flow of awesome videos using Adobe’s Premiere Rush. It’s a cross-device, all-in-one video editor.
You can make and share professional-grade videos with cool video effects like speed easily and quickly. Also, you’ll be able to work in-between all of your devices – tablet, phone, and desktop.
Features:
Capture high-grade content
Edit your videos using 4 video & 3 audio tracks
Edit content using just dragging and dropping
Built-in customizable templates
Support for opening Rush projects in Adobe Premiere Pro
I love using Adobe – In fact I have edited over 2500 videos with Adobe Premiere and other tools over the years. It has a little bit of a learning curve but I would highly recommend it. If you follow this link you can get a great deal on Adobe’s suite of tools.
PixelLab – Text on Pictures
PixeLab is a good app when you consider that you can use it to make thumbnails of your videos. You can add 3D text, Stylish Text, Shapes, Stickers and Drawings on top of your pictures easily. It uses a clean and simple interface which lets you concentrate on whatever you are doing.
You get a huge selection of backgrounds, fonts, presets, stickers. You also have over 60+ distinctive options which you’ll be able to customize. You can create impressive graphics and surprise your friends right from your tablet or phone.
Features:
Text effects – 3D, Shadow, Stroke, Reflection, Mask, Emboss and many more
Ability to add your images from your phone’s gallery
Customize emojis, stickers, shapes, and much more
Ability to change or remove the background
Enhance images using effects such as stripes, vignette, saturation, hue, etc
Create memes using presets easily and in seconds
Conclusion
I hope this blog post on Best Mobile Apps for YouTubers has helped you to start your YouTube journey right away. If you have any suggestions, feedback, or questions regarding YouTube, please do not hesitate to write to us in the comments section below.
You have decided you want to start a blog with no money but don’t know where to start? Well, you’re in the right place – here is my beginners guide to blogging!
How To Start A Blog with No Money?
You can start a blog for free with companies like WordPress, Blogspot and Medium. WordPress is free to use and can even be free to customize with free themes. They offer free hosting but I was suggest upgrading to shared of dedicated hosting should you want a little more freedom.
Blogging is a wonderful thing; it gives you an opportunity and voice. You can write about anything you want and share it with your readers. If you turn your new blog into a success it can even provide an extra source of income.
I’ve put together a super-easy guide to start a new blog from scratch to turning it into a success. This guide will help you with everything you need to know from getting started, to the correct setup to attracting traffic and building your audience to make this a success
Why do you want to start a blog?
The first step on your journey to start a blog is the ‘why’. Why are you here? Why do you want to start a blog? What are you hopes and dreams of what the blog will do?
It’s important to have a good idea of your why before you start. If your reasoning is to write for fun, without a real business plan then your steps would be different to someone wanting to start a blog as a business venture to make money.
I’m going to assume at some point you want your blog to make money, because everyone would like more money, right?
Your next step once you have a good idea of why you want to start a blog is deciding what to write about. Before you do anything at all you should have decided on a niche and have around 10 – 15 blog post ideas around that niche that you can write straight away.
Deciding on a niche
A mistake a lot of people make is assuming you should write about everything, wear many hats and try and solve all the problems – this is not sustainable, nor will it make your blog a huge success.
You need to define a niche and your ideal reader who you want to write for. Your ideal audience will have their own set of interests, problems and struggles which your posts will help them solve.
By niching down and writing around one topic area you will help your SEO (search engine optimization). This is because when Google crawls your website it will see content around one area, keywords that link together and will therefore see you as an expert in that field and will show your posts higher in search results
It will also keep your readers longer, if there are lots of other similar posts that answer more of their questions then the reader is more likely to click around your blog and spend longer reading rather than leaving after reading one post.
Make sure your niche and topic area are ones you love. If you’re not in love with it then keep thinking, if you start writing on an area you are not passionate about chances are you won’t continue with the blog and you will get bored of the creation process
Deciding on a blog name
By this point you should have decided why you want to start a blog with no money and what niche you’re going to write about, you’re almost ready to start the technical aspect of starting a blog but first you need to decide on a name.
This is important because you will be stuck with this forever, so make sure it’s what you really want. Brainstorm a few ideas, think about keywords and what people might Google to reach your blog.
Try and pick a short catchy name, one that will still resonate in years to come and one that will not age. Once you have a name you need to check the domain is available, you should also check the social handles are free too it’s important you maintain consistency across all platforms.
If your name is available as a domain, and all the key social platforms then you are all set to start your blog and claim them as your own.
Where to host your blog
So, you have your niche, your ideal audience and you have now picked a name. Now you need to decide where to start your blog with no money and where to host it. There are many options out there but two of the more popular options are Blogger and WordPress.
If you’re brand new to blogging, I’d say to open a test account on both to have a look around the interface and system to decide which you prefer.
You will read a lot out there about how you must use WordPress if you plan to monetize, which isn’t strictly true.
There are a lot more options for customization and plugins to help your journey but personally I found the interface on blogger simpler. There isn’t a right or wrong answer on who you should host with, and it doesn’t need to be a final decision.
If you decide to start with a Blogger platform (which is free) there are many tools out there to migrate across to WordPress at a later time.
One thing you absolutely must do if you start with blogger is to buy a vanity URL, this will get rid of the .blogspot.com and make your blog look more professional
You should now have the bare bones of a blog; you should have a platform where you are running your blog with a name you’ve chosen and an idea on a niche.
As I mentioned earlier before officially launching you should have 10 – 15 blog post ideas in the pipeline, this is so your readers have something to read when they land on your blog.
Your content is the single most important thing to focus on, it’s the reason people are visiting and is the reason whether they stay or bounce straight off your blog.
By already having a minimum of 10 blog posts it gives your readers a good feel for you and your content and what to expect in the future, this gives them a reason to subscribe to your blog and want to come back.
You should also try and have a regular posting schedule and editorial calendar. If you post at the same time / day regularly your readers will come to expect a post and visit your blog at that time thus increasing your traffic.
An editorial calendar helps you plan ahead, it gives you an idea of what you’re going to write so you know what research to do, pictures to take etc.
You can plan evergreen content to keep readers returning and any key holiday dates that may come up, I recommend keeping a month in advance on your calendar so you can plan and publish accordingly
Final step before launch – Google Analytics
Your blog is almost ready, you’ve got your 10 draft posts ready to publish but your last step before going live is making sure you have Google Analytics installed, this is crucial from the start.
It may not seem it as your traffic will be smaller to begin with, but it will provide you with so many insights such as how people are reaching your blog, which posts are doing well, and which search queries people are using to reach your blog.
These are all helpful for further refining your niche and helping you create new blog posts to answer the questions your audience is searching for.
You now have a blog with a clear defined plan and niche, social channels all consistently with the same handles, 10 draft blog posts you can push out and a method to track all your new traffic to help you decide on your next 10 blog posts – you’ve officially started a blog!
Congratulations.
What else would you like to know about starting a new blog?
If you’ve decided to go down a vlogging route and have started creating and publishing Youtube videos, then you need to make sure you promote your YouTube channel so your videos don’t flop.
It’s really easy to publish your content but without promotion how are people going to find your videos and see your content?
I’ve put together 10 brilliant ways to promote your Youtube channel and increase your views, a few simple changes to your normal Youtube tasks could see a big traffic change.
[1] Make sure your titles are engaging
Just like any other form of social media or blogging you want people to click into your content, the only way to do this is make sure people are drawn into your content and want to click.
Make sure you use persuasive writing, ensure its clear what your viewers will get out of the video, and most importantly solve a problem for your viewer.
Look at your current titles and decide would you click on it? Do you know what the video would be about?
71% of my traffic on my YouTube channel is from search that I won because I used TubeBuddy and VidIQ to optimize my titles, descriptions and tags.
[3] Promote yourself
If you’ve got a number of videos, the ideal action is for your watchers to watch all of the content.
Make sure you reference your older videos in new ones, leave links in the description and then if your watchers are interested its easy for them to find your older link and click through
[4] Share across platforms
Most social media platforms have a native video uploader, upload a snippet of your video with links to the full Youtube video.
This way wherever your audience are they have a very clear direction of how to access your Youtube videos.
It may be that they don’t usually use Youtube to find content but if it lands on their facebook feed they’re more likely to click through – clicking through from external websites shows Youtube that your content is valuable and is more likely to increase your ranking
If you need help with sharing your videos and building your brand – check out my resources page, packed with great tools I use personally to help grow my brand and get noticed on YouTube.
[5] Subscribe Buttons
You can subscribe to Youtube videos by clicking in the description, but a lot of viewers won’t read the description or even click through to subscribe.
You need to make it abundantly clear WHY they should subscribe to your channel and make sure you add a nice big subscribe button within your video.
Our brains are hardwired to react to visuals so make sure with every video you upload a custom thumbnail image which is bright and details what your video will do.
While YouTube will auto create a thumbnail, by creating a custom one you can make sure your viewers can see instantly what your video will be about.
If you’re going to spend the time to create a professional looking thumbnail, start with the proper sizing and dimensions.
Per YouTube’s guidelines, your thumbnail image should be 1280 x 720 pixels, with a minimum width of 640 pixels. An aspect ratio of 16:9 is ideal as it’s used most often in YouTube players and previews.
Be honest & accurate in your thumbnails
If you click bait users to viewing your videos by misleading them with thumbnails and headlines, this will hurt your brand and reputation.
Not only that, but YouTube will stop showing your videos in search results if your bounce rates are too high.
The thumbnail is meant to give context, so providing an image that does not depict what is in the video will harm you rather than benefit you. Find the most important point or part of your video and create your thumbnail around that.
[7] A complete profile
Many people skip straight to creating content but don’t skip out on your profile it’s a really important aspect to making sure your viewers return.
Maintain a consistency across your other social media channels / website and most importantly have very visible contact details.
If your channel is going well then companies may want to contact you for sponsorship deals, your watchers may want to send you an email
Why have Multiple Social Media Accounts?
Having a social media presence is key things for companies in this day and age.
Especially with the different types of social media accounts out. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. is key to get the word out about your company, brand, youtube channel or blog to your chosen target audience.
Social media has been a growing trend for businesses over the last few years, and for good reason. Before you begin dabbling with multiple social media sites, a strategy needs to be put in place that includes:
Consistency: Instead of posting when you have time, post something at the same times every day so your audience knows when to expect it.
Engagement: Interact with your audience through social media, whether it’s by answering questions they post or by asking questions yourself.
Images: Don’t just post links and text. People love pictures and infographics. Visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text. Businesses that have used infographics have grown in traffic 12% more than those that don’t.
This will increase your reach to people without accessibility issues too, so many people watch videos with their phones on mute you’d be amazed how many are skipped over if they don’t have subtitles it’s a really untapped market you need to address.
Why Accessibility Matters
It’s time to set a universal standard for accessibility. How many people have visited your channel and left without complaining because of its inaccessibility?
There are 466 million people around the world who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Up to 71% of people with disabilities leave a page immediately if it is not accessible.
How do the statistics of videos with captions compare to video content without subtitles?
When it comes to watch time, subtitled videos increase view time by more than 12% and are watched an average 91% to completion. In comparison, videos without subtitles are only watched 66% to completion. When subtitles are included, 80% more people watch videos to completion.
[9] High Quality Content
Let’s be fair, you can create rich SEO descriptions, fill out all your profile, have active subscribe buttons etc. etc. but if your content is weak then people won’t return, they probably won’t even watch the entirety of your current video.
Just like any other form of blogging / vlogging or social media content will always be king. Make sure the videos you are creating are what your ideal audience would be looking for, that the video ultimately answers a problem, that you’re clear and engaging and most importantly that you are yourself.
Anyone can create a factual video what makes your videos unique is you. So inject some personality and let your viewers really get to know the person behind the camera
Hopefully if your videos are doing well you will start getting comments on your videos – answer them! Respond to your fans and engage with your community.
These are your viewers and subscribers, by making them know you ‘see’ them they’re more likely to return to your new content. Plus engage enough and you will get ideas for new Youtube videos, questions they need answering – its basically free market research very specifically from your audience.
So there you have it, 10 ways you can improve your current Youtube promotion with just a few simple changes.
Avoid These 10 YouTuber Mistakes and You WILL Grow on YouTube. You want to grow on YouTube and get more subscribers but so many small youtubers forget core basics or repeat the same mistakes over and over.
I have been on YouTube since 2012 and every time a review a channel for a client they will have made at least one of these mistakes.
This is a great way to redirect people to a new video, an affiliate link or a updated version of your video.
If your video gets a few hundred views maybe even a few thousand, this is you chance to push your audience into binging more of your content and extending the session watch time. The more you can keep people engaged the more likely the youtube algorithm will take pity on you and start suggesting your videos to other people.
Make better YouTube Thumbnails
Think of your YouTube thumbnail as packaging for your perfect product.
Would you walk into a shop and pick up and ugly boring looking box? What if that box looked unloved, maybe even dented. Would you pick that ugly dented box over the one next to it that looks shiny, clean and colourful?
This app allows you to create thumbnails and banners for your YouTube channel. If you need an app to create your YouTube channel art, then this is the one. This app is collaboratively made by numerous 
