In a post-pandemic world, many people have discovered that many opportunities await them in the online landscape–especially as the facade of the “9 to 5” began to lose its sheen amidst global strife and regulations. Whether you’re working towards becoming a content creator or are looking to sell online goods or services, creating compelling video content is a great way to promote your brand.

If you’re wondering how to start a successful YouTube channel in today’s world, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll dive into the details of what makes a “successful” channel, as well as your next steps to get started!

5 Factors That Add Up To YouTube Channel Success

As with most things in life, “success” can be a fluid concept to nail down, with many supporting factors contributing to it. Your success is also relative to your goals–whether that’s how many views you get or the number of folks you direct to your Shopify by leveraging your content as a lead magnet.

Here👇are some of the primary pillars of YouTube channel success:

1. Number of Views, Likes, and Comments

Obviously, your video won’t have much impact if you’re simply shouting into the void. What good is being a content creator if no one interacts with your work? By keeping tabs on the amount of likes, comments, and views, you can monitor your audience’s engagement with your content–a key indicator of what’s working for you and what isn’t resonating.

2. Level of Community, Subscribers, and Reach

While the number of views is important, it doesn’t do you much good in the long term if you can’t get people to stick around and subscribe. In fact, building a community is half the battle of learning how to start a successful YouTube channel.

You’ll want to foster a sense of trust with your audience by providing them with useful, informative, entertaining, or inspiring content that speaks to their motivations and pain points.

It pays dividends to reward audience participation by responding to comments, engaging with video responses, regularly thanking your followers, and even offering a tiered membership program that provides incentives for your viewers to follow along closely.

3. Consistent Branding and Messaging

One of the great things about curating a YouTube channel is that you get the opportunity to create a unique space for internet browsers to turn to in a chaotic world–but this is also a big responsibility. Ensure your messaging is consistent and always created with your audience in mind, and be sure to make your branding recognizable enough that your followers can pick your thumbnails out of a lineup.

4. Value-Adding Content and Virality

There’s nothing worse than falling for clickbait. Don’t ever leave your viewers wondering why they traded their precious time for low-value, low-quality output. If you’re looking for inspiration on this front, consider that “how to” videos almost always perform well, and your viewers will thank you for offering them time-saving insights like product reviews, trending life hacks, etc.

5. YouTube Channel Monetization

Even if you’re creating videos “for the love,” monitoring cash flow is a good way to see if what you’ve produced is seen as valuable for your audience (and also to YouTube’s algorithm).

If you’re going through the effort of releasing high-value videos to your audience, you might as well collect earnings from it! This can be done through Google’s AdSense, but also a myriad of other ways.

How to Start a Successful YouTube Channel in 2024?

Back when YouTube first started out, there was a lot less competition–but also a lot less by way of strategy, too. Here are ten tips💡on how to start a successful YouTube channel this year:

1. Create a YouTube Account

Creating a channel on YouTube is fairly easy–the platform is intended to be “for everyone!” Simply create a login and then click “Create Channel” in the upper right-hand corner. Add your information and any customization touches, verify your phone number, and you’re all set!

2. Pick a Niche

A niche is essentially a specific topic that you are either passionate about or already quite knowledgeable about–ideally, both. Consistently creating content that surrounds a certain topic or field can help you build an audience around your experience. While it might seem counterintuitive, oftentimes the more specific you can get with your niche, the better it will resonate.

For example, if you have experience in agriculture, try paring down your niche from “farming” to “organic farming” and even further to “organic farming in plant hardiness zone 8B.”

3. Understand Your Audience 👨‍👨‍👧‍👧

Do market research through YouTube’s Studio to understand your viewers more deeply. What are some common characteristics of your viewers? What are they looking for when they click on your videos, and how can you provide value to them? What are their motivations and pain points? Keep in mind that, without an audience, even the best video won’t make an impact.

4. Research the Competition 🔍

Wondering where to start with your content ideas? Consider looking at competitors in your niche to see what’s performing well for them–and even take a look “under the hood” at their community and at their approach to branding. See what you like and what you think could be improved, and incorporate that into your channel.

5. Create a Consistent Content Calendar of Topics and Ideas (Based on SEO)

Now that you have your niche and the audience you’re serving, you’ll want to create a consistent calendar of content ideas (based on keyword research and trends) to “feed” your audience. Schedule your YouTube content in advance, if it helps. It is also beneficial to keep a running spreadsheet of topics you’ve covered so you can cross them off as you go–or also revisit them later.

Some topics are “evergreen” in that they will continually produce results for you over time. Taking archived content and repurposing or updating it is a great way to capitalize on videos that are top-performers while increasing credibility as a reliable expert on the matter.

6. Invest in Tools Capable of Producing High-Quality Productions 💵

Sitting through a video that’s blurry, muffled, or out of focus can be a drag. Don’t subject your audience to it! If you’re serious about creating a high-performing YouTube channel, it’s time to get serious gear, too–even if that’s just a laptop with a better camera or a capable smartphone.

7. Cross Promote Your Content on Multiple Platforms

The more pairs of eyes you can get your videos in front of, the better. Push your content across as many platforms as you can manage, taking time to repurpose the video for each, if you can swing it. This helps to build your online presence as well as capture traffic from other feeds.

8. Repurpose Your Content

Speaking of repurposing content, YouTube Shorts are taking off. If you create long-form video content for your channel, look for worthy soundbites that might have a shot at going viral and turn them into YouTube Shorts, Facebook stories, Instagram reels, etc.

9. Collaborate With Other Creators 🤝

Working with other video creators will not only expose you to a wider audience but will also improve your experience and increase your likelihood of getting noticed by YouTube’s algorithm. It’s definitely a win-win. Even if you feel your channel is “too small,” it’s worth reaching out to a collaborator you admire or whose niche complements yours. You never know what they’ll say until you ask!

10. Monetize

Now that you’ve gone through all the right steps to get your channel off the ground, it’s time for you to reap some rewards. There are a number of ways to monetize your YouTube channel in addition to the more “traditional” route of Google’s AdSense, including but not limited to:

No Better Time to Start Creating Than Now

While it’s famously said that the best time to start creating content was “yesterday,” it’s also better late than never. In 2024, it’s never been easier to learn how to start a successful YouTube channel that pays you dividends for years to come. It’s the small, consistent efforts that pay off in this game–so think of content creation like a daily meditation akin to watering a plant or feeding a cat. Best of luck, and happy creating!