July at Blogchatter was full of hustle bustle and a lot of activity! We had our yearly version of Lights Camera Chatter and it was, as we’d predicted, a hit!
It is now time to recount all the lessons we’ve learnt this month at Blogchatter through live video sessions with a few of our experts.
YouTube is the new buzzword that’s floating around in the inter-webs. With the world going digital due to the pandemic, it seems like everyone is hopping aboard the vlogging train. And why shouldn’t they? It seems like the perfect outlet for one to express their thoughts and put their hobbies to good use.
What’s more – your vlog can be monetised. You can make money while doing what you love! Our YouTube experts tell us that the platform starts monetising videos when a particular channel reaches 1000 subscribers and 4000 hours watch time during 1 calendar year.
There is a lot that goes into making a good video but all of our experts have certain things in common that they keep in mind to make sure their videos reach their audience, and beyond. Let’s talk about the important factors.
CONTENT
A proper working script is of utmost importance when recording a video. One cannot grasp the attention of the viewer if they’re at a loss for words or don’t remember their content correctly.
Your aesthetics are what will attract your audience but your content is what will make them stay.
Make sure your video has all the adequate information and components necessary to send your message across.
VIDEO
The best part of YouTube is it gives viewers and learners visual stimuli to put together with what they’re listening to or what you’re trying to tell them. If your audience can see you clearly and if your video is bright, you’ve won half the battle already.
So, make sure that you have proper lighting wherever you record and that people have something interesting to look at while they follow what you tell them.
Another important component is the audio. No matter what your video is about, if your audience is unable to hear you properly, your efforts will be wasted. It is important to have proper, good quality audio when recording a video. A lot of our experts suggest buying external microphones to better assist you in this aspect but most of them say that our smartphones are well-equipped to complete this project! Some of our experts prefer recording their videos at night time when the background noise is minimal. Apps like AudioFix can be used to make sure that your sound is up to the mark.
You can check DD’s video on equipment for beginners here.
Our expert Purba Chakraborty says that the first 30 seconds of a video are crucial and in these few seconds, you should be able to summarise what your video is about and what you’re covering as a part of it.
KEYWORDS AND SEO
Although content is king, another important element of these videos is the keywords, the thumbnail and the description. The words you use will decide how searchable your content is and remains in the long term. Your description as well as your title should contain important keywords that reflect what your video is about and do a good job at summarising it. Another aspect that is important is the thumbnail which is the cover picture of your video. This is the main point of attraction for your viewers and can draw them towards or away from your video. Apps like Canva come in handy while designing a thumbnail as they have a lot of different templates to choose from.
It is important to use SEO strategies to incorporate keywords that you know will be searchable. YouTube gives you the option of adding tags and this helps in making your content searchable all over the internet.
EDITING
When everything else is taken care of, it all comes down to how your present your content to your audience. This is where editing comes into the picture. There are a lot of free and paid editing softwares available on the internet. We’re going to list down a few that have been suggested by our experts:
- InShot for smartphone users
- Magisto for smartphone users
- Blender for desktop users
- Filmora for desktop users
- Shortcut for desktop users
TO NICHE OR NOT TO NICHE?
Although most of our experts suggest you pick a niche and stick to it, it isn’t always necessary. One of our experts, Rashi Roy, talks about a lot of different things on her channel and has varied content. She doesn’t think it’s important to stick to a niche and limit yourself. And it works for her!
Don’t be hesitant to try everything that you can and then slowly, with time, choose what you want to pick and what you want to leave behind.
PARTING NOTES
At the end of the day, what matters is that you stay true to who you are and create original content. Individuality is a quality that’s appreciated on the internet so do not hesitate from doing something different and out of the ordinary!
The world is your oyster and this is as good a time as any to get started with your YouTube journey if you haven’t already. Don’t forget to keep us updated!
