If starting a YouTube Channel is a goal you have for this year, then you NEED to watch this video pronto.
Because Iām sharing the 10 biggest mistakes new YouTubers makeā¦
And what you should do instead if you want to start and scale a successful channel (without wasting a ton of time).
Hey Posse, whatās up? Itās Alex.
And today we are talking about YouTube!
āAlex, how do I get started on YouTube?ā
Itās a question I get a LOT ā from freelancers and business owners at ALL levels.
It seems like everyone wants to start a YouTube Channel.
And I am HERE for it.
I honestly think YouTube is a VERY wise marketing move for those who are committed to getting started and doing it rightā¦
But Iām not talking about starting a channel to become āYouTube famousā with the hopes of turning it into a full-time careerā¦
I mean, sure, Mr Beast did it but thatās not the only way to use YouTube to make serious moneyā¦
I think the smartest strategy is to use YouTube as a traffic channel and credibility booster in your business.
In other words, leverage YouTubeās massive (and predictable) reach to build your brand awareness, your authority and your sales.
I started my channel back in 2019 as a way to build my authority as a freelance copywriterā¦
My goal was to use YouTube to showcase my copywriting and marketing knowledge to find and land higher-paying clients and build my copywriting agencyā¦
(at the time, I had JUST hired my first copywriter to support me in my freelance business).
Great idea, right?!
It wasnāt until I started getting regular viewers and subscribers asking me to teach them how I started copywriting that I actually pivoted the direction of my channel to teach freelance copywritersā¦
And it was only AFTER after that pivot that I launched the Copy Posse.
Now, I have come back full circle and Iām creating content to help copywriters, marketers, AND business owners master the world of digital marketing, branding and copywriting.
Today, I have hundreds of THOUSANDS of subscribers, but my YouTube growth was definitely not strategic or linear in the beginning.
I had to fumble my way around the platform, and get familiar with the YouTube audience before I really āgot itā…
So this blog is going to help you get started on the right foot by breaking down the 10 biggest mistakes to avoid when starting a YouTube Channel…
And what to do instead.
If you want more marketing tutorials to start and grow your business, like this one, then make sure you join my newsletter to catch my next one.
Now, letās get started counting down the 10 biggest YouTube mistakesā¦
Hereās where NOT to do, starting with…
Mistake #10: Starting Too Broad
Oooooof. This is a big mistake that a lot of new YouTubers makeā¦
They donāt want to pick a specific niche or topic because they have āmultiple interests, skills or servicesā and donāt want to ābox themselves inā.
Look. I hear you. I get it. Now STOP IT.
Welcome to the world of entrepreneurship. We all have multiple interests and squirrels we want to chaseā¦
But LISTEN TO ME⦠when youāre a brand new YouTuber with no subscribers yet it is in your best interest to start niche and solve a SPECIFIC challenge for your viewers.
Remember, YouTube is a Search Engine. Period. People search YouTube when they are looking for an answer for something SPECIFIC.
So let’s say youāre a musician and youāre starting your channelā¦
If you create one video about how to play the guitar as a beginnerā¦
And then your next video is some random video of you playing the pianoā¦
And your next is about your favorite old record playerā¦
And your next is about how to play an expert-level songā¦
Your channel is going to struggle to gain traction as fast as it could because YouTube has no freakinā idea what your channel is about and what problem it solvesā¦
Which means they arenāt going to show your content to potential subscribers.
Which means potential subscribers wonāt find you.
If, on the other hand: your first video is about a specific topic⦠like ālearning the guitar for beginnersā
And so is your secondā¦
And your thirdā¦
And your fourthā¦
And you get the picture ā YouTube will very quickly learn who you are and what youāre about and show your videos to the right peopleā¦
WHO will be way more likely to subscribe. Because guess what? People subscribe to learn MORE of the same. If your channel is a hodge podge of random stuff, people are less likely to say āI want more of thisā!
Now⦠the good news isā¦
YOU DONāT HAVE TO DO THIS FOREVER.
You can eventually broaden your niche and talk about other RELATED things.
When I first started my channel all I talked about was copywriting and how to start copywritingā¦
Now, years later, I talk about branding, marketing, social media, YouTube and other topics my subscribers might be interested in now.
My content evolved as my subscribers evolvedā¦
But you better believe I still go back to the basics for new subscribers who just found me and want to learn more.
So, when getting started, get crystal clear on what your channel will be aboutā¦
What is THE MAIN CHALLENGE you want to solve and for WHO?
Post videos about that ā and only that ā for the first few months or until you start to gain some momentumā¦
First go deep, then go broad.
Mistake #9: Copying Someone Else
Okay this one isnāt exactly black and whiteā¦
I do think that looking at other channels for inspiration is greatā¦
Because it gives you a good place to research what topics your potential audience would be interested in and see whatās workingā¦
But THE BIG MISTAKE is when you try to blatantly copy what someone else is doing or awkwardly mimic their personality or style.
People watch a YouTube video to be entertained, inspired or educated on a problem they need solvedā¦
But people STAY and SUBSCRIBE to channels because they jive with the person IN the videos.
Content is content and a lot of it is the same at first glance, I get thatā¦
But your subscribers arenāt searching YouTube for more of the same. If they are still searching it means they havenāt found exactly what they want yetā¦
Which means, they want something DIFFERENT. A new voice, a different approach, a fresh perspective.
When I started my YouTube channel there were tons of other channels teaching copywriting on YouTubeā¦
On the surface ā my topics and titles probably looked pretty damn similar to others out thereā¦
But my VIBE was completely different.
Iām loud and high energy. I like to have fun and use gifs and I talk with my hands. LOL.
Iām EXPRESSIVE. What Iām Italian, deal with it.
Some people donāt like it and I get a few troll comments every now and then ā sure.
But itās cool because I donāt like you either and you can SUCK IT because I was just voted as the most popular copywriter of 2023 by Copywriting.orgā¦
Haha and that proves that while you wonāt CANāT be for everyone.
When youāre YOURSELF, you attract the right peopleā¦
And THAT is how I built the Posse.
Many of my subscribers who later become students tell me they feel like they knew me after watching my videosā¦
And thatās because Iām ME. Now – that doesnāt mean I wasnāt AWKWARD AF in the beginning. Just go back and watch my first video⦠but as I got more confident in front of the camera, I was able to really BE ME.
I donāt play down my personality or try to mimic someone else.
And that will be YOUR secret weapon too.
So be you ā weird, quirky, funny, charismatic, nerdy, LOUD, quiet. Whatever!
Alrightā¦
Mistake #8: Not Starting Because āSomeone Else is Already Doing It”
This ties into the last mistakeā¦
But this time, instead of copying another channel ā the mistake here is seeing that other channels already exist on your topicā¦
And using that as an excuse to NOT start because you think itās āoversaturatedā or that youāll ānever get noticedā or āI canāt do it better than so and soā…
Or, you start a channel on a topic you arenāt really that interested in JUST to be ādifferentā…
Which means youāll lose motivation pretty quickly and give up before it has the time it needs to take off.
I canāt even count the number of people I know who have made this mistake.
But listen, if there are successful channels in your niche, GREAT! Because they are proof that what you want to do is possibleā¦
And there is a market hungry for that education!!
But LISTEN.
No matter what, growing a channel on YouTube is not an overnight thing.
It could take you months before you start to see any real traction.
I was posting a video every single week for SIX MONTHS before I hit 1000 subscribers. I donāt say that to scare you.
I say it because the Channel you start is very important.
It HAS to be something you genuinely love and enjoy talking aboutā¦
You have to be okay with ātalking to an empty roomā for awhileā¦
Hello?
Otherwise, when you are 3 months, 6 months, 9 months in and not seeing HUGE results ā youāll quit.
So please donāt sidestep the channel you ACTUALLY WANT to create just because you see other channels already doing it.
Rememberā¦
Being YOU is your superpower.
Mistake #7: Not Planning Content In Advance
Listenā¦
INCONSISTENCY IS NOT YOUR FRIEND in social land.
Remember, you want YouTube to know what your channel is about so they know who to show your stuff toā¦
Well, you also want YouTube to know that you are a SERIOUS content creator.
Not just another person who started a channel on a whim and then neglected it.
In the beginning days of your channel, it is very important to post consistently.
Whether itās every day, every week, or every month ā the frequency is up to you but stick with it.
Because it teaches YouTube that youāre legit.
Now, what does inconsistency have to do with not planning out your content in advance?
SIMPLE.
There is going to come a time when you will hit a creative roadblockā¦
Or you wonāt āfeel inspiredā…
Or the LAST thing youāll want to do is record a YouTube videoā¦
And when that happens, if you havenāt preemptively mapped out your content in advanceā¦
It will make pushing through that obstacle WAYYYYY harderā¦
And so you wonāt end up posting a video.
Then one week leads to two, which leads to three, and on and on.
So you can become very inconsistent very quickly if you arenāt actively mapping out your content ahead of time.
I like to plan out all my content at least 4-8 weeks in advance ā at a minimum.
Iāll sit down, do my research, and map out a whole list of video topics, keywords, and hooks for each videoā¦
This doesnāt mean that I donāt occasionally switch up my plan. Or throw in a video thatās highly relevant from time to time to capitalize on emerging trends and keywordsā¦
But the plan isnāt meant to be rigid.
Itās meant to give you structure ā something to fall back on.
So when it comes time to record a new video, youāre not relying on ācreative inspirationā to magically strike.
This isnāt just important for the YouTube algorithm. Itās also important for your subscribers.
If you want them to be loyal, you have to be loyal to them.
So decide how often you want to post videosā¦
Then start mapping out your content.
I have an entire blog where I give a lot more information on how you can start to map out your YoutTube Content.
Mistake #6: Ignoring SEO
Now, Iāll admit, as a conversion copywriter, the word SEO would make me breakout in hives because it was just not something I knew (or cared) anything aboutā¦
Until I started my YouTube Channel. Now, SEO is my best friend.
Remember, YouTube isnāt just another social media algorithm. Itās a SEARCH ENGINE.
And itās the second largest search engine in the world ā right behind Google.
And rememberā¦
When youāre first starting your channel ā with no audience and no subscribersā¦
The best way for people to find you is by utilizing that search function.
This means you need to research and really understand what your ideal audience is searching for.
What are the keywords they use and when? What are the variations they might use? There are tons of tools available to help you with this research phaseā¦
And the list goes on and onā¦
Find a tool you like and then USE IT RELIGIOUSLY for every single video you create.
Yes, every single video.
Especially in the beginning, you should optimize your video titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords.
This will help your chances of having a video that ranks higher when someone searches one of your keywords on YouTube.
And no, this doesnāt mean you ākeyword stuffā or use irrelevant keywords because itāll help you get rankedā¦
Thatās a quick way to alert the YouTube police and lose reach.
BUT, look, I KNOW SEO-rich titles and topics can be SUPER boring. So the good news is, you donāt need to do this forever.
Once you have a subscriber base, you can start playing around with your hooks and use catchier headlines to pique the curiosity of your subscribers, which will help boost your video CTRā¦
And this will then help you show up more frequently on the browse page and suggested videos.
BUT you still want to make sure youāre keeping SEO in mind with your keywords, descriptions and tags.
Mistake #5: Underestimating Your Thumbnails
This is a huge mistake, HUGE!
Your video might get ranked on the first page of a YouTube searchā¦
But whatās going to make a person want to click on YOUR video as opposed to the other 10 or 15 in front of them?
Yes, your title is importantā¦
Yes, but itās really your THUMBNAIL that is going to capture someoneās attention and make you stand out.
Mr. Beast, the highest-paid YouTuber on the PLANET, talks about the importance of thumbnails all of the timeā¦
This is why I A/B test all of my thumbnails.
Itās actually kind of wild to me how much a SUBTLE difference can affect the performance of your video.
I mean these thumbnails are identical but the words āmake more $$$ā outperformed āraise your ratesā by 25%.
Creating a good thumbnail is a bit of a learning curve, but anyone with Canva can do it.
And itās not just what the THUMBNAIL TEXT says thatās importantā¦
Here are some tips to keep in mind based on my testingā¦
Faces Do Well
- The larger the better and the MORE the better. So if youāre interviewing someone or referencing someone, put their face on the thumbnail too.
- This is mostly for personality channels. If you have a cooking channel then showing a picture of a delicious meal instead of your face is probably better. But test it!
Use Less Text
- Most people are on YouTube on their mobile devices⦠so a whole bunch of text crammed into an itty bitty thumbnail is not going to look great.
- Less text means BIGGER words, which means HIGHER readability and great CTR.
A Great Hook
- Whether the hook is through imagery ā like Mr.Beast is famous forā¦
- Or through words, like how I do itā¦
- Having a strong hook that captures attention is KEY.
Mistake #4: Neglecting Your Viewer Experience
People come to YouTube to be inspired, entertained and/or educated.
This is a video platform.
People expect videos to be of a certain quality.
And if you have a shaky camera, terrible echo, and the lighting is badā¦
Then people arenāt going to watch your video.
They just wonāt.
They will choose someone else with better quality video.
And the trolls, OH THE TROLLS will come out. Heaven forbid you add in a sound effect someone doesnāt like.
Iām not saying you need to drop thousands of dollars in professional equipmentā¦
You donāt even need to buy a real camera in the beginning if itās not in your budgetā¦
But get a solid tripod, a mic, and a nice bright light – or face a window.
Youāll be surprised how professional the video quality is and you need to spend next to nothing to get started.
I have a free YouTube Equipment guide with links to all of my favorite YouTube equipment ā along with my tips & tricks for getting the best quality videos.
You can download your copy in the description box below.
But the viewer experience doesnāt stop with video qualityā¦
Learn some basic editing techniques ā or hire a professional if you can afford it.
Pay attention to things like transitions and cutsā¦
Edit out any unnecessary gaps or pausesā¦
And even adding some visual & sound elements where appropriate ā makes a huge difference in how long a person will watch your video.
AND whether theyāll keep coming back to watch moreā¦
Youāll notice in my videos SOMETHING changes every few seconds ā whether itās a jump cut, a graphic, GIF or sound effect.
Mistake #3: Not Promoting Your Videos
If you publish a new video to YouTube and then think your job is done⦠think again!
You need to promote your channel and every single new video you post.
When you first start your channel, youāre not going to get very many views ā you just wonāt.
Especially if you are truly starting from scratch ā with no current brand or audience.
Like weāve talked about a lot in this blog, itās going to take some time for people to find you through the search function AND for YouTube to trust you enough to push your content to a wider audienceā¦
So that means you need to put in some work to get your videos some attention.
The easiest way to do this is to promote your channel!
And no, Iām not talking about running ads ā though if you have the budget for it, more power to youā¦
Iām talking about just organically sharing with your community ā whatever community you do have ā that you just posted a new video.
This means if you have an email list ā send an email to them. If you donāt have an email list⦠START ONE NOW.
If you have Instagram, make a post there and post it to your stories.
If you have Facebook, post about it thereā¦
LinkedIn, TikTok, X.
ANYWHERE you are active online, you should be promoting your new channel.
When I started my channel I had ZERO email list, NO brand and NO audience. But I had friends on Facebook and Instagram and you better believe I promoted my videos there and asked them to share.
I know it can feel awkward at first, but youāll be surprised how many people are happy to show you their support.
Oh and make sure you promote your video AS SOON as you post it.
The more views you get in the first 10 mins can really impact the algorithm and show YouTube that people are watching this new video – and makes it more likely that your channel will grow quicker.
Mistake #2: You Post & Ghost
Again, if you think growing a successful YouTube Channel ends with posting great videos then think again!
Yes, YouTube is a search engineā¦
But itās also a social media platform!
People might primarily go to YouTube for contentā¦
But they CRAVE connection.
If you arenāt engaging with your viewers ā by replying to, or liking, comments at a MINIMUMā¦
Then youāre missing out on a huge opportunity to build a really loyal fan base of viewers.
Remember ā your viewers have hundreds of thousands of options for where they could be spending their time and attentionā¦
Taking the time to reply to a comment shows them that you CARE about them.
It makes them feel good.
It makes them like you.
And it makes them want to KEEP COMING BACK.
Itās honestly such a small thing that takes no time at all ā especially in the beginning ā and it can go a LONG WAY for making your channel stick out and making it a place that people like to be.
And now, for the #1 reason why YouTubers give upā¦
Mistake #1: Focusing Only On Numbers
UGH. Yes, I know. Youāre starting a channel because you want people to watch your videos.
And itās frustrating when you donāt get the views, subscribers or growth that you wantā¦
YES ā paying attention to analytics is important⦠because it can tell you a lot about what type of content performs well and what doesnātā¦
But focusing on the number alone is a huge mistake.
And itās one that can really destroy your mojo if youāre not careful.
Don’t let the numbers rule you.
And donāt measure your success by metrics alone.
Do you want to know the REAL secret to be successful on YouTube?
Enjoy the process, regardless of the results.
Thatās it.
Fall in love with the process.
Learn as you goā¦
Stay consistent, regardless of viewsā¦
And I can almost promise you that your Channel will find its groove.
It might not happen on the exact timeline you want.
But it will happen.
If you want some real inspiration to stick with it, Mr. Beast uploaded his first YouTube in 2012, and his channel didnāt have its breakthrough until 2017.
THATāS FIVE YEARS.
Imagine if he was just in it for the money or fame⦠he never would have lasted 5 years.
But he was on YouTube because he loved it.
So he kept showing up, trying harder, and experimenting ā even when no one was watching.
And now heās the highest-paid YouTuber in the world.
If you learned anything from this, I hope itās that.
Donāt forget to grab your free copy of my YouTube Equipment & Studio Guide now.
Until next time, Iām Alex. Ciao for now!