Ignore the naysayers. Starting a YouTube channel in 2024 is a good move. While it might feel like all the good ideas are taken, they’re not. And even if they were, with YouTube holding steady at more than 2.5 billion users per month, there’s plenty of attention to go around.
If you’re approaching YouTube as a get rich quick scheme, you will likely be disappointed. But if you’re approaching starting a YouTube channel in 2024 earnestly, and if you put in the the work, you can and will grow your channel.
Starting a YouTube channel in 2024 is easy enough. Just follow the steps to create a YouTube channel and you’re live. But that’s just the beginning. We’ll break down vital strategies for how to start a YouTube channel successfully, from choosing the right art to creating engaging hooks and mastering SEO.
get an unfair advantage on YouTube
Give your YouTube channel the upper hand and easily optimize for more views, more subs, and more of every metric that matters.
1. Know your concept
When starting a YouTube channel in 2024, you can post pretty much anything you like (provided it doesn’t fall afoul of YouTube’s Community Guidelines). But to start a YouTube channel successfully, you need to hold yourself to a higher standard.
A budding creator needs a clear idea for content, and they need to know how their content or coverage is different; how it sets itself apart.
Look for a high-opportunity YouTube niche. Check out our piece on the 15 Most Profitable YouTube Niches for inspiration. Look for a topic that makes you excited to produce plenty of content. You can also check out TubeBuddy’s Keyword Explorer tool to see what viewers are searching for.
Start by thinking about your ideal audience. Why should viewers come to your channel? Will your content be informative, provocative, emotional, or funny? Don’t be afraid to dig deep or get weird. You’re looking for the thing that sets your content apart. Sometimes, a combination of unexpected topics can lead you to uncover a dedicated niche audience: Think cooking videos that end in utter chaos, or funny reaction videos to internet forums.
2. Create your channel
Creating a YouTube channel is easy. Creating a YouTube channel that stands out is more challenging. Your goal is to make a channel that people in your niche want to engage. That starts with choosing a good channel name and creating a solid profile picture.
Your channel art / YouTube profile picture should grab attention and suggest what your content is about. Effective channel art is simple and bold, whether viewed on a big TV or a tiny smartphone screen.
Your channel name should also tell people what your content is about. When naming your channel, convey your content focus and your personality to potential viewers. For instance, “Minimalist Design Center” and “House of Sparkles” may be potential names for interior design channels, but they hint at very different kinds of content. If you’re struggling to decide, pick something simple and punchy.
All that said, don’t get too hung up here: you can always change this stuff later.
3. Fill in your profile and channel
Your channel description, trailer and banner image are featured prominently on your page. Again, take advantage of the opportunity to capture potential viewers’ attention. Take a look at successful channels related to your topic: What about their channel branding draws you to their channel and videos?
This can mean adding eye-catching images, an intriguing trailer intro or a lively and entertaining description. On longtime comedy YouTuber Lilly Singh’s channel, her banner image and trailer are clean, colorful and tease her recent successes and upcoming projects. Maybe your descriptions pose compelling questions, or your trailer starts out with one of your best stories or jokes.
4. Build a content calendar
Starting a YouTube channel in 2024, look at successful content creators for inspiration. One thing the most successful YouTubers all have in common is that they post consistently. They upload quality content on a regular and predictable basis. It makes sense: YouTube wants to see that you’re committed and viewers want to know what to expect and when to expect it. Any creator would be thrilled to have a loyal audience that eagerly anticipates their newest content.
Creating a content calendar will help you think realistically about how much content you can feasibly produce and post—and how much time you’re willing to put into your channel. This will lead to more consistent (and therefore engaging) content right from the start, and lower odds of hitting the creator burn out wall that can be the result of poor content planning or overly ambitious content plans.
Try posting content once a week, and raise or lower the frequency as needed. If you have trouble filling out your calendar, that might be an indication that you need to niche down your YouTube content.
5. Start creating!
The key to starting a YouTube channel, in 2024 or any time, is to make content that people want to watch. The most appealing YouTube videos have an interesting hook and a strong narrative thread.
Open your video in an engaging way, and try to tell a story that will keep your audience engaged. Generally speaking, viewers are drawn to authenticity, whether that means sharing your hottest takes, weirdest quirks or corniest jokes. If you love what you’re doing, others will love it too… and that’s your audience.
Your first video won’t be your most polished, and that’s okay. Uploaded more than 15 years ago, the first vlogbrothers video is two minutes long and has minimal production value, but it established the channel’s concept and sense of humor—and laid the foundation for a successful channel that’s still growing.
6. Spread the word
Understanding the most basic elements of the YouTube algorithm is key to how to start a successful YouTube channel: Watch time is everything and YouTube will direct more viewers to more successful videos. Said differently, views fuel views.
The more of your video(s) people watch, the more likely your video(s) are to be recommended.
Do everything you can to drive those early views. Share your content with friends and family. It’s free and easy, and views from friends and family count just as much as views from searches and recommendations.
To extend your reach even further, start thinking about community. Cross-posting to other platforms brings in fans who wouldn’t see you on YouTube, and replying to comments engages your existing viewers. Begin relationships with your peer creators by commenting on their videos and giving them shout-outs in yours. The more you put yourself out there, the more people will see your videos—and other creators will want to return your support.
7. Dig into the nitty-gritty
So you’ve got a video and you’re racking up some views. Congratulations! Now what?
Researching how to continually improve your videos’ performance is a great investment of your time. Your first video might be performing well, but to achieve consistent performance in the long run, you’ll need to pay attention to the details like SEO and analytics that can boost your strategy.
SEO refers to the factors that impact your videos’ rankings in search results and recommendations, many of which you can control. Appealing thumbnails, titles and descriptions can improve your performance, and title and thumbnail generator tools can help.
Analytics tools don’t directly affect your video rankings, but give you detailed information about video and channel performance across several different metrics. Try out YouTube’s analytics dashboard and TubeBuddy’s Channelytics tool.
8. Keep refining your strategy
Once you know your way around SEO and analytics, use that information to test different tactics.
Do your videos perform better when you follow a certain title format or keep them under a maximum length? What does your viewer retention look like? Where do your videos rank in search results for certain tags?
The best way to gain insight into your success is to experiment, so try new things.“ Marry your niche while you’re varying your format.” Experiment and try new things but stay in your lane (AKA niche).
How to start a successful YouTube channel in 2024
Starting a YouTube channel in 2024 (or whenever you may be reading this) comes down to one very basic point: do the work and don’t expect a miracle. If you do the work, your channel will grow (and if you use TubeBuddy, your channel will grow faster). If you aren’t expecting a miracle, the ups and downs won’t be so discouraging and you’ll free yourself to experiment with your content.
Remember that every YouTube channel starts with zero subscribers. Keep at it. Do the work. Approach YouTube with a long-term vision… and always use the right tools for the job.
get an unfair advantage on YouTube
Give your YouTube channel the upper hand and easily optimize for more views, more subs, and more of every metric that matters.
by TubeBuddy as part of