The main concern that I have heard on repeat from aspiring creatives is “I really wanna to start my own YouTube channel but I don’t have branding in mind and I don’t have a DSLR camera.”
If you also think this way, this is totally understandable with how saturated every social media platform is now, especially YouTube. However, it’s bullshit. In fact, you have it totally backwards!
You think the OG YouTubers had the latest cameras and microphones? No, they were using their webcams… only because their phones didn’t have cameras on them. And yes, I know the market is much different now. It feels like everyone, even smaller creators, have branding and nice equipment. So how can you feel like you are supposed to compete with them for a even a hint of visibility?
Well… the truth is that you shouldn’t try to compete with them from the get go if you are a first-time YouTuber. The best advice I think I’ve given in my 7 years of working in the online video space is that you need to try to see the beginning stages of YouTubing as a gift. Not something you should rush to evolve out of. And yes, I personally know this is much easier said than done.
But hear me out. You need time to figure out all the skills that come with being a YouTuber: Lighting, camerawork, editing videos, editing thumbnails, metadata, etc. But morseso the time you have while not being on anyone’s radar might be the only time you have to experiment. To develop your voice. To develop your editing style. To get comfortable on camera (it doesn’t come naturally to most, despite everyone on social media now). To see what format(s) you gravitate towards. To find an upload schedule that is comfortable for you. All the technical things I just mentioned can only be picked up by doing them repeatedly. I know it’s hard to fully get this if you are someone who is new to online video, but it’s really hard to do all these experimental things once you have built even a bit of a following. Essentially, enjoy not being seen for a bit. There is a special kind of freedom in people not giving a shit about you and what you are making that I don’t think people relish enough nowadays. Your creativity can change once you know people are watching.
For years, I’ve heard YouTubers say on conference panels “We all have camera phones right? Making videos is getting more accessible now!” To be honest I was side-eying anyone that said this because I think making decent videos on an iPhone 5 back then would be pretty rough. But NOW with modern phones and with free high-quality editing software like DaVinci, I fully agree that getting started with making online video is pretty low-barrier. So there is really no need to feel like you need to start off with a professional setup to get started on your channel. Unless you are super rich. For everyone else, don’t pay up front for nice equipment when you don’t even know if this kind of art is for you and when you don’t have experience using them. That’s setting yourself up for failure. It’s okay to have good ideas that are not well-executed when you start out. You can always redo them once you have more experience under your belt.
If you are someone just looking to add your voice to the lawless wasteles of the internet, just start. Really. Don’t think too hard about it. Give yourself permission to suck. Celebrate this time where you get to suck. Remember that you are finding YouTubers you like, big or small, at a point where they have found their stride and understand what they want to put out into the world. You probably didn’t find them when they were still figuring everything out. I’m not sure if this comes from our addiction to an overnight success narrative but I think it does. And it’s dumb.
I hope this helps! If you have more specific content strategy and production consultation needs, please feel free to reach out to me through my website chrislam.tv.
