This week's YouTube Q&A video is for you guys
who are just getting started on YouTube.
What equipment do you need?
What do you-- the essential things
you need to actually get started?
What can you upgrade to later?
What should your content be about?
And way more things.
That is coming up right after this.
Hey guys.
My name is Tim Schmoyer.
And it's Thursday, which means it's time
to take a question that one of you guys
asked of me about YouTube.
And I'll do my best to help you guys out and answer it.
This week's question comes from Beautiful Chaos.
And he or she asked this-- Do you
have a video that explains how to start.
What equipment is essential, what
can be added later, et cetera?
I've always had a passion to do videos,
but I'm afraid I won't have anything valuable to post
and, of course, I am afraid of rejection.
There's actually a lot of these jam packed in that question
that I wish we could actually sit down and have
a face-to-face conversation about it.
First, let's start off with equipment.
What do you need?
Actually, you really don't need a whole lot of anything.
I actually got started just by using
the little webcam on my computer back in 2006.
And I actually had an 8 millimeter camera
but that was pain to use.
So I just used the webcam on my computer.
And you could just get started with that,
depending on what type of content you're doing.
If you're just talking to a camera,
like me, that is more than totally sufficient.
Or you can just-- if you have an iPhone, or an iPod Touch,
or an Android device, most of the time
the camera on these little guys are phenomenal.
They're great.
They're perfect for just getting started.
And I always advise people, don't just go out
and buy a lot of new fancy equipment
because you want to get started in video.
Or you think you're going to need this
or you might need that.
Or actually, really what happens,
is you don't know what you need because you haven't even
started yet.
You don't know what kind of content
you're ultimately going to land on.
You don't know what the feel of your style's going to be like.
There's just a lot of variables to consider.
So just get started with the most cheapest stuff
you can get your hands on.
And since you won't have a large audience,
it's not like there's a ton of people you need to impress.
In fact, you have a tremendous freedom to just experiment
and try new things.
And experiment with this type of content and that.
You don't have a huge audience you
have to worry about disappointing.
Or that they're going to unsubscribe because you
did something different when they subscribed for this thing
and now you're trying that thing.
You know, learn everything you can.
Get out all the mistakes you can.
And just see where this whole YouTube thing takes you
because you might have one direction in mind
and then ultimately land on something else.
So just start with the cheapest equipment you can,
even if that includes just using your phone or something
like that.
If you want to make an upgrade a little bit
above your phone or your webcam though,
there's a link in the description tech
below this video to a video that we did here at Video Creators
that a bunch of us here just talking about what
our favorite cameras are that are just really super budget.
Like $150 or cheaper.
And just evaluated a bunch of those.
If you're looking for a camera, go check out that video
or click right here to go check out that video.
And that will give you some of our thoughts
and advice on that.
The second part of your question is
that you're afraid you won't have anything valuable to post
and that you are afraid of rejection.
And I will tell you this, YouTube is not the place
to be if you are afraid of rejection
because anyone who can tell you here,
who's watching this video, they're
all going to comment below.
They can attest to this and tell you
that YouTube comments are some of the harshest people
out there.
And you are going to feel like a big pile of poopie
if you don't get a thick skin for some of the stuff people
are going to say.
They won't even have watched your videos
and they will just leave negative comments
just because they have that kind of free time on their hands.
And they really have that low self esteem about themselves.
And they feel like dragging you down is somehow
going to make them feel better.
I guess.
I do think, though, before you get started,
you should at least have some idea of what value
you want to bring to the world through your videos.
I'll actually talked with a lot of YouTube creators, Hank
Green, Devin Super Tramp, Black Nerd Comedy, and a whole bunch
of other people that maybe you recognize in this video.
And I asked them that very question--
How does a YouTube creator go about discovering
what value they have so that they
can bring an offer to the world?
And how do they do that consistently
in every single video?
So they have some good advice and tips.
And that video goes into more on that.
That's also linked below for your mobile viewers
who can't click right there.
But I do think that's something you should figure out
before you come to YouTube.
There's plenty of people just filling up
this place with noise.
And there's not anything necessarily wrong with that
but if you want to grow and develop an audience,
I believe that you really have to figure out
what value you're bringing to your audience.
And then pitch that value to them.
Propose that value.
Like here at Video Creators, the value I'm preaching,
pitching, is that I'm going to help you
guy's master the platform.
That's the what.
And then the why.
Why does that matter?
Well, the value is because we're going to spread a message.
I'm going to help you guys spread a message that
can hopefully-- And then the third part,
if I was going to add another aspect to it,
is to change lives.
And so, that's the value that I'm pitching to you.
And I'm trying to deliver that in every single video the best
way that I know how.
And you guys too should definitely
know what kind of value you are proposing to you video.
And make up part of your branding.
Make that part of your channel trailer.
Make that part of every video you do.
It all points back to that.
This is the value that I'm proposing to give to you.
So if you don't really know what that is,
your videos will be really random
and going in lots of different directions.
And it'll be hard to build an audience
like that because, ultimately, at the end of the day,
people care about themselves.
And they will watch your videos if you are offering value
to them, not just because they, in the goodness of their heart,
want to offer more value to you somehow.
So I really think you do need to have that figured out.
Or maybe not totally figured out.
At least an idea of what that is and then start
trying to just work towards that thing.
And see what it becomes as you go that direction
or maybe it's this direction.
Just at least have an idea.
So I would love to hear from you guys.
For the rest of you in the comments
below about what you guys think.
How would you advise this person?
And if you are in this situation of the person who
asked this comment, Beautiful Chaos,
also read all those comments down there
because there's always people sharing
really good helpful things down there that I forgot to say,
or didn't think of, and stuff.
So a lot of really smart people.
Go check out those comments.
And if this is your first time here,
I'd love to have you subscribe.
Every Thursday we do Q&A just like this to help you guys.
On Tuesdays, I do some YouTube news
and just cover what's happening and changing here
in the industry.
And what it means for us as creators
as we develop channels and build audiences.
And then also then on Wednesdays I
give you guys some YouTube tips, ideas, suggestions,
and things like that just to help you guys.
Because, like I already said, I really do
believe that a lot of you guys have messages that you really
need to spread.
And I want to help you guys, in every way that I can,
help you spread those messages so that they reach
the people who need to hear what you have to say
and changes their lives.
So thank you for letting me be a part of that.
That's why I do what I do here on Video Creators.
Subscribe and I'll see you guys again next week.
Bye.