If you ask kids today who they aspire to be, it’s no longer pop singers, movie stars, or football players, it’s YouTubers. YouTube has created a galaxy of stars and influencers who are household names and earn millions through the content they create.
Yet here’s the thing. Building a successful YouTube channel is not as easy as it looks. Hitting the right formula is like catching lightning in a bottle, but it can be done, as Franklin Seeber will testify.
Described as the “Steve Irwin of YouTube,” Franklin’s fishing and wildlife channel has hit over a million subscribers in next to no time and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. For all those aspiring to walk in Franklin’s footsteps, here are his top five insights on how to become YouTube’s new kid on the block.
Be Unique
YouTube has a billion unique viewers every month. That’s a big audience! If you want to grab your viewers’ attention and keep it, you better make sure you’re offering something unique. Thinking outside of the box and being creative is the lifeblood of YouTube. It’s a saturated marketplace, and to stand out above the competition you’ve got to be 100 percent original.
Build Your Brand
Once you’ve decided upon your specific field of expertise and the area in which you want to operate, it’s time to walk the line and not deviate from your particular niche. Everything you produce should be consistent and revolve around a key theme. Your audience should be readily able to identify your brand and respect its authority and authenticity.
Quality Is Key
Although your content may be all killer and no filler, it’ll count for nothing if your video production quality isn’t up to scratch. Videos must be visually appealing, so don’t stint when it comes to getting the right equipment and expertise into producing top dollar productions. And don’t be shy about asking friends and family to hold the camera while you do your thing.
Stay Social
What happens on YouTube shouldn’t stay on YouTube. You need to promote the living daylights out of your content if you want it to go viral, and this entails using Twitter, Facebook, and all the other platforms to share with those who care.
Be Professional
It’s not enough to carve a niche for yourself, you’ve also got to be one of the best in the field at what you do. If you want to upload content for fun, that’s fine, but if you want to be a YouTube success story, you need to offer the audience something with a professional edge, and something that’ll make them go, “Wow!”
