YouTube is the most influential video site, having turned producing, watching and interacting with online videos into a mainstream activity. It is also the most popular video sharing website in the world and is the second most popular website of any type, behind only Google in overall popularity according to Alexa.com in December 2019.
However, making a YouTube video is undoubtedly not a simple process. Especially if you are a novice in this field, you may want to have some understanding of the process of making YouTube videos from beginning to end, so this article is designed to help you understand the basic processes and methods of making YouTube videos.
Beginning of Everything: Channel Strategy
Successfully making a YouTube video involves more than just recording and uploading. You need a strategy to guide your decisions and maximize your sound. A good strategy includes defining your target audience, choosing topics and planning your content.
Define Your Target Audience
Whether you are doing it for fun or for profit, knowing who will watch your YouTube video is crucial. You need to understand their interests and problems. Imagine you are making videos about cooking. Who would watch them? Maybe people who love trying new recipes or want to learn how to cook better meals at home.
So to better identify your target audience, before you make a YouTube video, you can ask yourself questions like this:
- What age group am I targeting?
- What are their hobbies?
- What problems can I solve for them?

Choosing the Right Topic
Once you know your audience, pick topics they care about. Your content should be valuable and interesting to them.
- Do Research: Use YouTube’s search bar to find popular topics and see what other creators are doing.
- Check Trends: Look at current trends and see if you can create content around them.
- Most trigger yourself: If you are very interested in a topic, then please do it regardless of any trivial thing, because only by truly trying can you find the path that suits you best
Content Planning
Planning your content in advance makes the process smoother and more professional. This includes creating scripts and storyboards. A script will help you stay on track while recording, and a storyboard will visualize what your video will look like.
- Write Scripts: Outline what you’ll say and do in your video. This prevents you from forgetting important points.
- Create Storyboards: Sketch out each scene of your video. This helps you plan camera angles, shots, and transitions.
By focusing on these aspects, you can create a basic YouTube video strategy that guides your content creation and helps you reach your goals.
Equipment: What Do You Need to Start a YouTube Channel?
Starting a YouTube channel doesn’t require a lot of fancy equipment. You can begin with the basics and upgrade as your channel grows. Here’s a breakdown of what you need:
Basic Equipment
To start, you don’t need to spend much money. A smartphone and a simple video editor are enough to get going.
- Smartphone: Modern smartphones have excellent cameras that can record high-quality video. Phones like the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy can produce videos that look professional.
- Simple Video Editor: Apps like iMovie (for iOS) and Capcut are user-friendly and offer the essential tools for editing your first videos.
Upgrading Gear
As your channel gains traction, investing in better equipment can improve your video quality.
- Cameras: Consider a DSLR or mirrorless camera for higher resolution and better control over your shots. Brands like Canon and Sony offer great options.
- Microphones: Clear audio is crucial. An external microphone, such as the Blue Yeti or Rode VideoMic, can significantly enhance sound quality.
- Lighting Equipment: Good lighting makes a big difference. Softbox lights or ring lights can help eliminate shadows and make your videos look more professional.
Audio Quality
Clear audio is often more important than video quality for keeping viewers engaged.
- External Microphones: Use USB microphones for direct recording to your computer. Lavalier mics are also great for on-the-go recording.
- Soundproofing: Reduce background noise by recording in a quiet space or using soundproofing materials like foam panels.
Record and Edit Your YouTube Videos
Making a YouTube video involves more than just hitting the record button. You need to pay attention to your recording environment, techniques, and editing skills to produce high-quality content.
Setting up Your Recording Environment
A good recording environment is crucial for video quality. Here are some tips to ensure your setup is optimal:
- Lighting: Ensure you have adequate lighting to avoid dark or grainy footage. Natural light works well, but if you’re recording indoors, consider using softbox lights or ring lights to illuminate your subject evenly.
- Background Noise: Record in a quiet space to minimize background noise. Closing windows, turning off fans, and using soundproofing materials can help reduce unwanted sounds.
Experts’ Suggestion
The YouTube expert Sean Cannell shared in YouTube Secrets that may be helpful for you to make a YouTube video:
For newbies, the various modes and parameters in the camera may drive them crazy, so Sean gave the answer
- Auto-exposure: you can go into that video mode and you can put it on Auto-exposure if you want the fastest way to get your camera set up and running.
- choose an autofocus mode
- Auto White balance
You can also use tools such as a tripod to maintain the stability of the image and pay attention to the focus of the image, which can make your video more expressive.
Basic Editing Skills
Editing is where your raw footage transforms into a polished YouTube video. Start with these fundamental skills:
- Cutting and Trimming: Remove unnecessary parts of your video to keep it concise and engaging. Most video editors like iMovie or Adobe Premiere Pro have easy-to-use tools for this.
- Splicing Clips: Combine different clips to create a seamless flow. This is particularly useful if you recorded multiple takes or need to piece together various segments.
Adding Effects and Transitions
Enhance your video by adding effects and transitions. These elements can make your video more engaging and professional:
- Effects: Use basic effects like color correction to improve the visual quality. Adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation to make your footage look its best.
- Transitions: Smooth transitions between clips can make your video easier to watch. Common transitions include fades, cuts, and wipes.
- Music: Adding background music can set the tone and make your video more enjoyable. Be sure to use royalty-free music or obtain the necessary licenses to avoid copyright issues.
- Subtitles: Adding eye-catching subtitles can boost your content’s natural view in video for all languages.
Zeemo can better help you add subtitles to video.

Subtitles can add a touch of visual appeal to your videos. Zeemo offers dynamic caption styles, fonts, and subtitle templates that make your content truly stand out. With a wide range of captivating options to choose from, you can customize the appearance of your captions to match the tone and content of your videos. Whether you’re creating tutorials, vlogs, or promotional videos, Zeemo’s dynamic captions will help captivate your audience.
- 500+ Pre-made templates
- Dynamic video caption styles
- Customize subtitle text, position, and appearance
How to Analyze and Improve Your YouTube Performance
Tracking and analyzing your YouTube video performance is essential for growth. Let’s dive into how you can use YouTube Analytics to improve your content and expand your channel.
YouTube Analytics
YouTube Analytics offers valuable insights into how your videos perform and how viewers interact with your content:
- Accessing Analytics: Go to YouTube Studio and click on the “Analytics” tab. Here, you’ll find a dashboard filled with data about your videos.
- Overview Tab: This tab provides a snapshot of your channel’s performance, including the number of views, watch time, and subscriber growth.
- Detailed Reports: Explore different sections such as reach, engagement, and audience to get a comprehensive understanding of viewer behavior.
Key Metrics
Focusing on specific metrics can help you understand what’s working and what needs improvement:
- Watch Time: This metric indicates how long viewers watch your videos. Higher watch times suggest that your content is engaging and retaining viewers.
- Audience Retention: This shows the percentage of your video that viewers watch. Aim to keep this high to ensure viewers are interested from start to finish.
- Engagement Rates: Look at likes, comments, shares, and click-through rates. High engagement rates often correlate with content that resonates well with your audience.
Continuous Improvement
Use the data and feedback to make continuous improvements to your channel:
- Feedback Loop: Regularly ask your viewers for feedback. Use polls, comments, and community posts to gather opinions on what they like or want to see more of.
- Experimentation: Don’t be afraid to try new ideas and formats. Test different types of content to see what works best.
- Iterative Changes: Make small, incremental changes rather than overhauling your entire content strategy. This allows you to measure the impact of each change effectively.
By leveraging YouTube Analytics and focusing on key metrics, you can make data-driven decisions that enhance your content and audience engagement. Analyze trends, gather feedback, and continuously refine your approach to grow your YouTube channel successfully.
Resources:
- Foster, D. (2020). Factors influencing the popularity of YouTube videos and users’ decisions to watch them.
- Sean Cannell.(2018).YouTube Secrets