Want to become a YouTuber but not sure where to begin? Let’s skip the usual fluff and get straight to the point.
Becoming a YouTuber isn’t rocket science. Thousands of people do it every day – some succeed, some don’t. The difference often comes down to having a clear plan and sticking to it.
You don’t need fancy equipment or a big budget to get started. Take MrBeast for example – he started with just a phone camera in his bedroom. What matters is understanding the basics and taking action.
In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what you need to do to become a YouTuber. No complicated jargon or empty promises – just practical steps that work today.
Whether you want to share your gaming skills, teach what you know, or show your daily life, this roadmap will help you avoid common mistakes and start your channel the right way.
Ready to get started? Let’s walk through everything you need to know.
Want to take your videos to the next level?
Who is a YouTuber?
The term “YouTuber” gets thrown around a lot so it’s easy to wrongly assume everybody understands exactly what it means.
A Youtuber is someone who makes YouTube content. This is a content creator who uploads videos to their YouTube channel.
Typically, they are tasked with content generation, videography, video editing, channel management, and general process in running a YouTube channel.
However, they can outsource some or even all of these tasks to more competent hands like professional freelancers/agencies. The aim for many is to explore their creativity, while for others, this is a job, whatever it may be, YouTube is fulfilling the dreams of content creators.
How Much Does a YouTuber Make?
Wondering how much a YouTuber can make on the platform? While there is no exact figure, a YouTuber can make a lot as evident from some of the top earners making tens of millions of dollars yearly.
These figures are often from a few verifiable sources like YouTube Partner Program, while brand deals, merch and product sales figures are often unknown.
YouTubers have several opportunities to make money from the platform. Whether it is from YouTube Ads, brand deals, affiliate marketing, merch and product sales, and crowdfunding.
Step-by-Step Guide To Becoming a YouTuber
If you want to become a YouTuber, here’s your chance! A simple guide on starting your career as a creator on YouTuber and becoming successful. Whether it’s reaching new audiences or making a lot of money.
1. Choose a Niche and Audience
You need to decide your topic or niche first before proceeding. While there are many lucrative YouTube niches like education, personal finance, tech reviews, and travel, the one you choose should be a blend of what you have some knowledge of and its variability.
With YouTube, you want to have a defined niche. “Everything goes” will probably not work here. You want your audience to know you for a particular topic from the get go.
After getting your niche, you also have to decide who your target audience are. This may require a little research to see some of the ideal audiences for your content.
You don’t have to copy them as you can create some interception between a few of those audiences to form your unique target.
2. Research Competitors
You know your topic and target audience, great! Next are your competitors. Why? You need to see what they are doing and how to stand out.
From simply studying your competitors, you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t, how to differentiate your channel and a whole lot more. Don’t shy away, learn from them. After all, they’ve been there for longer.
3. Create a Content Strategy/Plan
Now it’s time to delve deeper into how to satisfy your audience when you launch. A content strategy and schedule will help you get a continuous flow of video ideas and timeline to follow. It’ll also prevent inconsistent posting schedules that can affect your growth.
Take time to decide the topic and type of content you want to produce. Your early decision on niche and audience and your research on competitors will help you make a great content plan.
The idea is to get a long line of content ideas that matches your niche, interests your audience, and sets you apart from competitors.
4. Get Quality Equipment
Quality equipment like microphone, lighting tools, and camera will help you make exceptional videos. While starting out, it may be difficult to get the most expensive gadgets however, some quality equipment are still fordable.
The idea is to start with a quality microphone and shoot in well lit places with even your phone till you can afford a camera.
5. Create a YouTube Channel
With the preparations all done, it’s time to create that channel. Thankfully creating a YouTube Channel is straightforward and will only take a few minutes to set up.
Start by signing into YouTube and clicking your profile icon from where you will select settings. Click create new channel and fill in your details like channel name and handle.
6. Optimize Your Page
Just creating the channel is not enough, you need to get it up and running with the necessary branding materials and optimization. Start by writing an SEO optimized description, you should also have an engaging name and banner that shows what your channel is all about.
Tools like Google’s Keyword Planner and TubeBuddy can help you with keyword research. Even your video titles, descriptions and the tags you used should be optimized for SEO.
Doing this will boost your video’s reach and ensure the right audience gets to watch them.
7. Start Creating Content
Get your gears out, check your content schedule and get set for your first video. Making your first YouTube video may seem like a difficult challenge but shouldn’t be with the right guide.
You need to choose a suitable location with enough natural light especially when starting out without appropriate lighting equipment. The location should also be quiet so your audio is crisp.
Shoot your video and run a detailed video edit to cut out unnecessary scenes, introduce transitions and enhance the audio. You can even employ the services of YouTube editing services if you can afford one. After everything, don’t forget to upload the video.
8. Engage Your Audience
Simply uploading your video is not enough to grow your channel. You must engage with your audience. Help them answer questions and even run fan pools for the type of video they want to see next. It’s a great way to build a connection with your viewers.
After posting your video, you should post the first comment to open up a conversation with your audience. Doing this will make it easier for them to ask questions and relate with you.
9. Promote Your Content/Channel
Now is not the time to be waiting on YouTube’s algorithm to do all the promoting for you. You need to leverage your network to promote your videos. And there are so many ways to achieve this.
Engaging with your audience is a way to prompt your video, utilizing other platforms is also a highly overlooked method. Post snippets in other social media channels like Twitter (X). Instagram, and TikTok. Get traffic from all these platforms to your YouTube channel.
10. Grow and Monetize Channel
Engaging with your audience and promoting your videos will grow your channel. However, you can do more to boost this growth. Ensure a consistent video uploading and maintain a quality video standard to continue to grow your channel.
As you grow, you can then monetize the channel and start making money as a YouTuber. The YouTube Partner Program, brand deals, and affiliate marketing are some of the common ways.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Want to avoid the mistakes most YouTubers make that limits their growth? Here are some of the most common mistakes creators make on the platform:
1. Poor Audio Quality
Bad audio can ruin even the best video content. Many new YouTubers focus on fancy cameras but ignore sound quality.
Your viewers will forgive average video quality, but they’ll click away from videos with poor audio. Invest in a basic microphone before upgrading your camera.
2. Copying Other Creators
While it’s good to learn from successful YouTubers, copying them exactly won’t work. Viewers can spot fake personalities quickly.
Focus on being yourself and adding your own style to video formats that work. Your unique take on topics will help you stand out.
3. Inconsistent Uploads
Starting strong then disappearing for weeks is a common mistake. Your viewers (and the YouTube algorithm) like consistency.
Pick a realistic upload schedule you can stick to, even if it’s just once every two weeks. It’s better to upload less often but regularly than to burn out trying to post daily.
4. Not Planning Content
Randomly filming whatever comes to mind rarely works. Without a content plan, you’ll run out of ideas fast and your channel will lack direction.
Spend time planning your content themes and keeping a list of video ideas. This helps you stay organized and saves time in the long run.
5. Ignoring Analytics
YouTube gives you valuable data about what works and what doesn’t. Many new creators never check their analytics or learn what they mean.
Pay attention to which videos keep people watching and why viewers stop watching. Use this information to improve your future videos.
6. Poor Thumbnails and Titles
A common beginner mistake is rushing thumbnails and titles. These are like book covers – they help viewers decide whether to click or scroll past.
Take time to create clear thumbnails that stand out and write titles that make people want to watch.
7. Focusing on Numbers Too Early
Getting caught up in view counts and subscriber numbers when starting out can be discouraging. Focus instead on improving your content and finding your style. Good numbers will come naturally as your videos get better.
8. Not Engaging with Viewers
Building a community takes work. Reply to comments, ask viewers questions, and make them feel heard.
Many new YouTubers skip this step and wonder why their channel isn’t growing. Your early viewers can become your biggest supporters if you take time to connect with them.
Becoming a YouTuber in 2025
Starting a YouTube channel might feel overwhelming at first. But remember – every big YouTuber started exactly where you are now.
The key is to start with what you have. Don’t wait for perfect equipment or the perfect moment. Your first videos won’t be your best, and that’s okay. What matters is getting started and improving as you go.
Building a YouTube channel takes time. Some videos will do well, others won’t. Learn from both. The best YouTubers are the ones who keep going even when views are low.
Ready to start? Pick up your camera, use what you’ve learned from this guide, and make your first video. Need help with editing? Our team at Your Video Editor is here to help you create better content and save time.
Good luck with your channel!
