How to Make a YouTube Video: Tips for Beginners

How To Make A YouTube Video: Tips For Beginners

YouTube is the world’s largest platform for consuming video content, and thus offers great potential for aspiring video makers of all kinds. With its incredibly large user base, you can quickly reach viewers who have an interest in your content and make your own channel grow. Taking your first step into the world of YouTube video making can be intimidating and difficult. There is a lot of planning, writing, and technical know-how that needs to go into creating an effective and successful YouTube video. To help you out, here’s a comprehensive guide of tips to make your first video.

Coming Up With A Topic

The most important step at the beginning of your video making journey is deciding what content your video will be about. When it comes to YouTube videos, you have a lot of choices for topics. Here are some tips for coming up with a topic for your first video:

1. Brainstorm – This is probably the best and easiest way to come up with a topic for your video. Take a pen and paper (or open up a word document!) and start listing out any and all ideas that you have for potential video topics – no matter how weird and wild they may seem.

2. Research – Once you’ve come up with some topics, do some research to see what other YouTube channels are talking about and what’s currently popular in the community. You can read existing videos, watch tutorials, and look at reviews on the topic. This will give you an idea of what’s popular and if it’s going to get views.

3. Choose – After you’ve done your research, pick a topic that you’re passionate about, that is unique and interesting, and that you think will get you the views and engagement you’re looking for.

Developing The Content

Now that you’ve chosen a topic, it’s time to start developing the content of your video. Writing out a script is helpful to create an organized flow for the video and make sure that you don’t miss any important points. Here are some tips for writing your script:

1. Outline – Start by planning out the structure of your video. What are the main points you want to discuss? How will you introduce them? What order will you use for presenting the ideas? Outlining this structure at the start can help make sure your video is focused, clear, and organized.

2. Get Into Detail – Once you’ve outlined your video structure, you should start writing out the exact words that you’ll be speaking. For example, going into detail on the topics you’ll be discussing and incorporating any jokes, graphics, sound effects, etc. that you want to include.

3. Practice – After you’ve written your script, practice speaking it out loud. This will help you get a sense of the video’s flow and what pacing will work best while recording.

Setting Up Your Video

Once you’ve planned and written out the content for your video, it’s time to set up the technical side of things. You’ll need to choose the gear you’ll be using, light your scene correctly, and set up any audio equipment. Here are some tips for setting up your video:

1. Gear – Invest in some basic gear for shooting your video. At the very least, you should have a camera for recording the video, a microphone for capturing the audio, and a tripod for steadying the footage.

2. Lighting – Lighting is very important for making sure your video looks good. A few simple lights, or even natural lighting, can make a huge difference in the quality of your video.

3. Audio – Audio quality is just as important as video quality. Invest in a good microphone to make sure your audio is clear and easy to understand.

Recording And Editing The Video

Now that you’ve got everything set up, it’s time to record and edit your video. Recording your video can be intimidating, but with practice it can become second-nature. Here are some tips for recording your video:

1. Take Breaks – Don’t be afraid to take breaks during the recording process. It’s hard to be “on” for an entire take, so feel free to take a few moments to compose yourself and get back into the flow of it.

2. Record Multiple Takes – Record multiple takes of the same scene so that you have a variety of shots to choose from. This will give you more to work with when it comes to editing.

3. Shoot B Roll – B roll (or supplemental footage) is footage that can be used to break up the flow of your main shots. This could be footage of your hands holding the object you’re discussing or anything else that may be relevant to the topic of your video.

Once you’ve finished recording your video footage, it’s time to start editing it. There are many video editing software programs out there, so it can be overwhelming to choose which one is right for you. 

Here are some tips for choosing the right software for you:

1. Research – Research different software options to determine which one has the features you require and the user interface that best suits you.

2. Trial Versions – Test out available trial versions of the software to get a better feel for the program and see if it’s right for you.

3. Price – Price is often a huge differentiator between different software options, so you should factor this into your decision.

Once you’ve chosen a software, you can start editing your video. Editing is a fun process, but it can be quite time-consuming and quite technical. 

To make the process go more smoothly, here are some tips for effectively editing your video:

1. Timeline – First make sure that you organize your footage onto a timeline. This includes adding all of your b roll footage, as well as any text or graphics you’ll be including.

2. Trimming And Re-arranging – Once your footage is organized, start trimming and re-arranging your clips to create the desired flow and pacing for your video.

3. Effects – Add any effects you want, such as filters and transitions. This will give your video a more professional look and feel.

Adding The Finishing Touches

Once you’ve finished editing your video, it’s time to add some final touches. This includes adding titles and credits, choosing music, and laying in sound effects. Here are some tips for adding the finishing touches:

1. Titles – Adding a title to your video helps to establish your branding and gives the video an overall professional look.

2. Credits – If you’re using footage or music from other sources, be sure to include credits at the end of the video. This shows respect to the creators and helps to establish your credibility as a video maker.

3. Music and Sound Effects – Finally, add in some music and sound effects that fit the tone and feel of your video. This will help to create atmosphere and draw in your viewers even further.

Promoting Your Video

Once your video is finished, you’ll need to promote it in order to get the views and engagement you’re looking for. Here are some tips for promoting your video:

1. Share It Everywhere – Share your video on all social media platforms to maximize the potential audience for your video.

2. Engage – Engage with your viewers on all platforms to build relationships with them and create a strong connection.

3. Network – Reach out to other video makers and try to form connections and collaborations.

Making your first YouTube video can be intimidating, but by following these tips you can be sure to create an effective and successful video. Remember to choose a topic that you’re passionate about, write out a script, set up your video properly, edit it well, and promote it to get the views and engagement you’re looking for. Good luck and have fun on your YouTube video making journey!