10 January marked one year of video making fun. Why did I put myself on the internet? Candid blogging is one thing, but videos too? Letting strangers into recesses of my bedroom, my things, my thoughts. Here are nine things I wish I knew before I started.
Be open
I've learnt to be open and let my viewers in. This is how you build a community and people will love to watch you. We love hearing other people's stories.Editing. Editing. Editing.
All you need to learn to do is cut clips and put them together and there are so many tutorials online on this. Take your time. Cameras, sound effects and lighting may at first seem overwhelming but within weeks you'll be surprised about what you can learn.
Find your niche
My channel begun as a fashion channel but now it's taken a different direction into personal growth, intentional living and minimalism. Don't go in with a genre-specific username unless you're very sure you will keep to that genre. Your name becomes your brand and what people remember you by. If your username is MaliaMusic people will associate you with music.
You don't need a Mac
You can't scroll past an Instagram photo without an apple product being decorated in a flat lay. You don't need to shell out on a £1000 laptop just for its editing software. I know people who use Windows Movie Maker and have a successful YouTube channel.It's not about how you look
I never click back to my older videos, even some recent ones because a) I hate listening to the sound of my own voice b) I will criticise and pick at myself non-stop. How I look, what I'm wearing. There have been times, and still are times when I log into YouTube determined to take a particular video down and get distracted by the notification bar with a new comment.You Don't Have to Tell Anyone
I worry about what people think of me often, yes this is coming from a blogger who voluntarily chooses to put her life online. I worried more so what my friends and family would think bu as soon as I started I couldn't wait to share my videos with everyone.
It's Not That Hard
It really isn't. Your first video will be hard. Awkward to be accurate, but it gets easier. You soon find your own rhythm.Have no expectations
I dived into YouTube with hopes, expectations, excitement and fears. I expected certain videos to drive a lot of views while others I thought nothing of. Every single one of my expectations were turned around. You just never know what people will love. I know it's hard not to overthink, but upload your first video with the least amount of expectations and presumptions.
Practise talking to the camera and watch yourself back a few times. Use your phone or laptop, don't invest in anything expensive as YouTube may end up not being your thing.
