How Much Does It Cost To Start A YouTube Channel?

After working for years with personal brands, small businesses, and large corporations to create video content for YouTube, I can vouch firsthand for the value a healthy YouTube channel can bring. I am often shocked at the apathy around starting and growing a YouTube channel in the small business world. The hesitation usually surrounds the costs or time needed to create the video content to support a YouTube channel. Even as a video professional who knows better, I’ve lacked the necessary dedication to allocate resources to my own channel. However, I realize that not everyone has access to the equipment or software you feel you need to maintain a healthy YouTube channel. Assuming you already have a content plan, I would like to share the costs of starting a channel and give you some options that cost nothing.

First Question: How Much Should You Spend?

A common question is cost: "How much should I spend on starting a YouTube channel?" The great news is YouTube is completely free to use! There is no need to buy a channel or pay a subscription to post your videos. Stop and let that sink in for a moment: with over 122 million active daily users and 500 hours of video uploaded every minute, YouTube is a massive platform full of potential. That's many eyeballs looking for something to watch, and you can get started without spending a dime—at least not right away.

Equipment: What Do You Need?

Camera

The days of viewers tolerating subpar video quality are gone. However, there is no need for an expensive camera right away. Your smartphone is literally all you need to get started. Most new phones can shoot in 4K, and free apps like iMovie (iPhone only) or Capcut are easy enough to navigate that you’ll be editing your footage in no time.    

However, once you're ready to upgrade from a smartphone, you'll want to look for a camera with good autofocus and microphone input. The Canon Rebel series is a solid entry-level choice, costing almost $400 for the new T7i model. I've used the Canon T2i for over ten years as a backup camera, and it's still going strong. If you've got a bigger budget, the Canon 90D is a fantastic option with excellent autofocus that is more than enough for most businesses.

Microphone

Audio from a camera or phone is only so good, and sound quality can make or break a video. While you can start with your phone's built-in mic or the one on your camera, upgrading to a good microphone should be a priority. For smartphones, search “Wireless Lavalier Microphone” on Amazon and find an option compatible with your model phone. If you have a camera with a microphone jack, look for Rode Video Mic. It’s an excellent option to clarify your audio and will only cost you about $200. If you can't afford a mic right now, consider using Adobe's free Speech Enhancement tool to clean up your audio.

Lighting

Good lighting elevates your video quality significantly, making content more visually appealing and professional. While the complexity of lighting setups can vary, a primary light is all you need to get started. Depending on your setup, and if you just need to illuminate a face, you can get by with a dimmable ring light. Also, a shop light from Home Depot pointed at the ceiling is a low-cost solution to light up an entire room.  

Editing Software

Editing software is crucial to refining your videos, and the cost of editing tools varies widely. As mentioned above, Capcut is a free entry-level solution. If you have time to learn a pro tool, I’d suggest DaVinci Resolve, although be advised that it tends to be a resource-heavy program if you are trying to run it on a basic laptop. Once you get the hang of it, editing is not as daunting as it may seem, and good software can make the process smoother. I prefer Final Cut Pro, but I’m hesitant to recommend it because it depends on having an Apple laptop. Recently, Apple released a version for iPad that is about $5 per month, although I have not yet tried it out. Adobe Premiere Pro is also an option; however, it will set you back $30 per month and has a sharp learning curve, but there are lots of tutorials available on YouTube to help you along the way. 

Budgeting: How Much Will It All Cost?

So, how much do you need to get started? Let's break it down:

Camera: $500 (optional at first)

Microphone: $200

Lighting: $50

Editing Software: Free or $5–$30/month

Conclusion: Time to Start

Your total investment should be at most $800, which is more than reasonable for most marketing budgets. The best part? You can begin with your smartphone if you need more time to justify the expense. You don't need to spend thousands or even hundreds of dollars to start. Just start! All you need to do is take the leap. As a seasoned video professional, I can help you navigate the costs and provide tailored advice about creating great content without breaking the bank.

Developing A Video Marketing Strategy

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, many businesses that had already invested in video had a much easier time adjusting to the new realities. They were able to make adjustments to their video marketing strategy and create content where it was needed most. Video is the perfect medium for educating, updating communities, and keeping customers engaged. Now more than ever, many activities that were once done in person are now done online.

As a marketer or a business owner of any size, whether it was the global impact of a pandemic or it was marketing goal that had been put on the back burner, you probably came to the realization that a video is no longer an option but rather a requirement. However, it is just as important to realize without a video marketing strategy behind this medium, a video in and of itself can fall flat.

A Video Marketing Strategy Sells

Now, it’s no secret that video is a proven seller; that’s why should take center stage in your overall marketing plan. Landing pages with a video increase conversion rates by over 80%, and the word video in the subject line of an email drive click-through rates up by 65%. In fact, according to real estate studies, home listing with a video gets viewed four times more than homes without and therefore sells much quicker.

Of course, the nuts and bolts of a video marketing strategy will vary depending on the organization. Budget restrictions may limit a marketer from creating the content in-house with limited resources. That’s ok, don’t let that stop you from starting the journey and experimenting with the creation process. I’ve seen marketing videos shot on an iPhone that was many times more engaging than videos shot on the latest and greatest gear. Remember, you are supposed to be the expert in your field. If you are able to convey the information you need to in a video, it doesn’t matter if the video was shot with a budget of $5 or $50,000. Once you decide to create content regularly and with purpose, you’ve already won half of the battle.

Marketing Strategy Research

If you’ve made that decision, here’s where the research begins. Who is your product or service for, and where do they hang out? Is it an older demographic that hangs out on Facebook or a younger mobile viewer who’s glued to TikTok? Your intended audience will not only affect the tone of your projects but there are nuances within the platforms you should be aware of that are tied to the video optimization processes as well.

Once you’ve determined your audience and where they spend time, what should the purpose of your video be? Are you bringing awareness to someone who has never heard of your brand? Are your nurturing consideration through education and engagement? Is the goal to drive customers to make a decision? If so, do you know where they are in your sales funnel? What I have just mentioned could realistically be 3 to 5 separate video series focused on just one product or service.

Find A Video Strategy Partner

A key is to identify someone in your organization who believes in the power of a video marketing strategy as much as you do. I was very fortunate early in my career to work with a who was willing to take risks. We shot no-budget videos for the company we worked for when YouTube was in its very early days. Those videos were fun creating and we learned A LOT from our mistakes. Two of the videos we made were directly responsible for winning some of the largest clients the company ever had and resulted in open doors for us to replicate our efforts with other businesses. Those no/low budget experiences shaped both my video career and my belief in the medium.

When video is working in concert with traditional marketing it can be a powerful combination. If you need a video partner or just a fresh set of eyes on your current efforts please reach out. I’d love to discuss your video marketing goals and see how I may be of help to you.

YouTube Video Content: Get Your Business Started Quickly

Today the ability to create videos and distribute them at scale is truly a marvel of modern technology. The quality of cameras available on most cell phones only gets better each year, and the convenience of editing video on the very device it was shot is a reality that many of us tend to take for granted. So why is it that so many of us struggle to get started with YouTube video content? Whether your business is new or has been around for generations, the answer is easier than you probably realize.

ROI For YouTube Video Content 

For most entrepreneurs and marketers working in the small business arena, the concern usually surrounds limited resources. Will content creation provide a return on investment needed to justify expending the precious energy, time, and money to make it worthwhile? I can attest that I’ve personally seen businesses get huge results when they take producing YouTube video content seriously. The good news is it doesn’t take as many resources to get started as you may think.

Video Content Strategies

The first strategy I will usually suggest to clients for getting with video or content creation, in general, is to make a list of their most commonly asked questions. Sometimes it’s as easy as looking at the FAQ page on the business’s website if they have one. Think of all the inquiries you may be tired of answering. It’s straightforward to map out a series of videos based on these topics, and you know the videos will be watched over time. The video links themselves can be a great resource for salespeople, service, or any department that is customer-facing.

Another option to figure out what your audience wants to watch is to simply borrow from your competitors. What are others in your industry doing? Is there a way you can do it better? Figure out which of their videos get the most views and engagement, and then make your version.

Some of the safest bets on YouTube are product reviews, how-to videos, and best-of lists. These are a good option even if you don’t have a large catalog of products but if you do it’s a great option. Just be sure to group everything into playlists so it’s easier for viewers to search them out. The “how-to” genre tends to perform well and is an amazing way to showcase products or services while showing authority in your industry.

YouTube Likes Consistency

Before you get started, it’s important to remember to publish your YouTube content regularly as possible; this requires you to plan out your content calendar in advance and stick to the schedule. The more you follow your calendar, you’ll start to see results, as the YouTube algorithms seem to reward consistency. Finally, and most importantly, make sure to optimize your channel and uploads so your video content can be easily found by people researching your topics.

If you’re still not sure how to start creating video content for your type of business, would like an honest evaluation of your YouTube channel, or maybe have questions about successfully running video ads, contact me today. I’m available for consultations, training or can handle the entire video creation process from start to finish.

How to Optimize Your Video’s Searchability

As the number two search engine in the world, YouTube enjoys a spot second only to Google itself, which it conveniently happens to own. How you optimize your video’s searchability is the difference between if it ever gets seen or not. If you’re producing any video that will live there, it’s important to know how to set it up for success by covering the basics of YouTube SEO. Since Google owns YouTube, its results show up in 70% of the top 100 Google, often listed before a traditional blog post or website.

Video Searchability

The average American spends around six hours every day watching videos on the internet; what exactly will make any of them watch yours? Every second, people search for products or solutions to problems solved via Google; they do the same on YouTube. And with over 500 hours of videos uploaded every minute, the brutal truth is that your video has about the same chance of going viral as you do of winning the lottery.

Try it for yourself; look up any product or “how-to” on Google, and you’ll almost always get something from YouTube on the first page. But how do those video results get there?

Video SEO Basics

When people search for a product or subject, they want to know what your video is about from the get. Always remember that you’re creating content for people, not search engines, but you should always be mindful of YouTube SEO when you’re planning your videos. Here are some of the basics of optimizing your YouTube content:

Titles and Description: Include target keywords in your titles and descriptions, and make sure it’s engaging. You can use a tool like this to help you find keyword ideas. YouTube video titles should be somewhere between 40 and 70 characters.

Engagement: YouTube is technically a social media platform, so engagement (likes, comments, views) helps to determine a video’s ranking in search results. Be sure to “like” and respond to comments on videos. If you already have videos uploaded to YouTube, take a look at your analytics in the YouTube Studio. There you’ll get detailed info about your audience’s demographics, location, and watch time.

Categories: Categories like “Automotive,” “How to, and style” help YouTube get a better sense of who may want to watch your video.

Tags: You can also add tags to your videos to give YouTube extra context about your video content. They let you use a lot so add as many as you can think of; just make sure they’re relevant to the subject you’re covering.

Mention Keywords In Your Video: Believe it or not, just saying your target keywords in your video can also help YouTube understand what your video is about.

Thumbnails: Customize your video’s thumbnails. Be sure to use a font and style that is consistent with your brand. It should be easily recognizable to your audience and give them a compelling reason to watch your content.

Playlists: The more content you create, the harder it becomes for people to navigate your channel. Creating playlists helps to organize your videos and YouTube treats it as though you created another set of searchable content.

The ability to create videos has never been easier from both a financial and time-consuming perspective. Be sure you have a plan to optimize your video’s searchability once your content is posted online. If you need help navigating all this, or you’d like an audit of your YouTube channel, contact me, and let’s discuss what’s involved in taking your content to the next level.

How Do I Market My Video On Social Media?

First off, I’m assuming you have a video. A video that is well thought out and properly shot and edited. If you do, then congratulations! You made a video - so now what? Before you ask all your friends and followers to share your video content, here are a few facts you should be aware of. The number one search engine in the world is Google, of course; everyone knows that. Number two is YouTube, which Google happens to own. Every 60 seconds, over 500 hours of video are uploaded to the site alone. Data shows the average American spends around six hours every day watching videos on the internet. What exactly will make any of them watch yours? How you market a video on social media and, more importantly, how you optimize your video’s searchability may be the difference between if it ever gets seen or not.

Market A Video On Social Media With Ads

Here’s the brutal truth: your video has about the same chance of going viral as you do of winning the lottery. For most businesses, marketing in general on social media has become a pay-to-play game. Although the option of paying to market a video on social media exists for every social site, I’ll just stick to YouTube for now. Here are a few possible video ad formats you could get started with.

Bumper Ads: These are the six-second videos that must be watched before you can watch the video you actually came for. Yes, six seconds is the maximum length, and it goes really quickly.

Skippable and Non-Skippable Video Ads: These ads can show up before, during, or after a video. The skippable ads can be skipped after five seconds, but for the non-skippable ones, you have to watch till the end before you can see the video you came for or happened to already watch.

The key to using these video ad options is always to be the context in which they appear. If you are watching a cat video and an ad for a first-person shooter pops up, it’s probably going to get skipped. The subjects, videos, or channels you use as your target audience will determine whether they are more likely to skip your video or watch to the end and take action. 

Market Your Video With Email 

If your business has an email list, consider adding video to your email marketing campaigns. By just adding the word “video” in your email subject line, you can, on average, boost open rates by up to 19% and click-through rates by 65%. 

Share In Social Media Groups 

If you’re a business or marketer for your organization, you should be actively engaging in online communities. When you produce video content, you should be prepared to share it when relevant. If you’re in a LinkedIn or Facebook group centered around the industry or cause, it would be a good idea to post your video content as long as it would be helpful to the members. Also, keep in mind that most groups discourage self-serving “marketing” of any kind as a condition of membership, so sharing something that is obviously promoting your business would probably be considered bad taste. Remember that context is everything, if you’re part of a group that is for car enthusiasts, you wouldn't share a video about how to upgrade your computer’s RAM. Some in the group may find it interesting, but most members aren’t there for that type of video content.

Maybe you have a dormant YouTube channel, or perhaps you’re unsure where to start. Don’t worry, content creation and marketing a video on social media doesn’t have to be a painful experience. Contact me today and schedule a free no-obligation consultation, and get started with video tomorrow.