So far, YouTube is one of the most popular video sharing platforms. In fact, a Wyzowl’s research shows that YouTube is the most widely-used platform and the majority of video marketers (88%) plan to use it as their main strategy.
Many times people want to try their hand at some social network, they want to get an audience, become popular and make money online. But at the same time, they often have no clue what exactly to do, which inevitably leads to mistakes. As important as it is to learn from your mistakes for future growth and development, some you can avoid right away. This article offers you a list of some vlogger mistakes you shouldn’t make and a few tips on how to avoid them.
1. Don’t Shoot Without Planning
The very first thing is lack of planning. A lot of video creators don’t even plan the content they’re going to provide their audience with. They are busy, for example, studying or working, so when the upload day comes, they make whatever just to make sure the video is in the right place at the right time. It’s essential for any strategy to plan out your content, so then you and your viewers can know what videos are coming next. You can also build playlists to group similar content together, which can be really beneficial.
2. Don’t Make Low-Quality Content
Learning how to make great YouTube videos is also about quality. Never create content that doesn’t add any value or is not interesting: always put a little time and effort into it. It is better to publish fewer videos a week with good audio and quality images than the other way around, which definitely makes the viewing experience uncomfortable. Remember that you don’t have to empty your wallet to make professional-looking videos: don’t focus on your gear, but on your content. If we’re still talking about your tech stack, audio is the most important element to upgrade anyway. The way you sound directly affects how people perceive you: the fact many don’t pay enough attention to. You may not have the best camera or the perfect lighting setup, but pretty bad sound quality will ruin the whole experience for both you and your audience. You can also have some audio editing practice in video volume booster apps to improve your sound.
3. Don’t Put Out Diverse Content
Trying to create videos in various genres is another huge mistake. Some people struggle to find their own niche and think this path leads to more viewers. Just the opposite, if you have videos about different stuff like fishing, pranks or brand reviews, it will be hard to grow your audience because people just don’t know what they subscribe to. Stick to a topic that you love the most and can post about regularly. Also, make sure you dedicate enough time to analyzing statistics and replying to comments.
4. Don’t Plagiarize And Break Copyright Law
Another thing is faking it. A lot of YouTubers try to imitate somebody else’s editing style, music choice or speech patterns to bring views and subscribers, but it doesn’t work like that. On YouTube, you’re developing personal connections with the audience, so it’s essential to be original, present unique content that reflects you: in other words, to be who you really are. Of course, draw inspiration from successful vloggers is a good idea, but develop your own style. Individuality is what attracts the audience the most.
As for copyright, YouTube has strict rules, which people often forget to follow. In order to avoid strikes, try these tips and also use royalty free music and royalty free photos.
5. Don’t Upload, Edit Your Video First
A big mistake is just record and instantly upload your videos. Editing is a significant part of making quality content, and skipping it is detrimental to the channel’s reputation. So, have some video editing practice: do a strong intro, make beautiful transitions, trim your video to avoid unnecessary hesitation pauses, use a video stabilizer to reduce the shakiness, etc. Once the file is ready to upload, make sure to transcribe a YouTube video and provide a transcript. That way you’re making it more optimized for searches.
6. Don’t Spread Too Thin, But Share
Putting a video on YouTube does not guarantee it will get thousands of views. New content creators usually forget to promote their videos using other social platforms, and, consequently, they miss opportunities to get extra views. YouTube isn’t the only platform people spend their time on: they are on all kinds of different social media, like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc. The more content you post, the more likely others will see it. But another mistake here is trying to be everywhere at once. It’s really important to focus on one or two platforms at first, because it takes time to actually learn how to do all of this.
7. Don’t Be Scared To Experiment
Another significant thing is that many people are afraid to experiment with the content they create.
- Experiment with different scenes and ideas;
- Experiment with your scenery, camera presence;
- Attempt using some other topics within the same niche;
- Create new engaging titles and eye-catching thumbnails. You can check out best stock images and download the ones you liked.
Do it all the time, because if you’re not willing to try new things, you might miss the opportunity to discover something that can make a humongous difference on your channel. There is no doubt that YouTube is at the top of the video marketing industry. Keep in mind all the mistakes listed above to develop a next level strategy and improve your video making experience.
