This post is all about the 5 stages of starting a YouTube Channel.
Do you want to know what it’s like to start a YouTube channel? I can most definitely tell you all about my experience and how you might experience the same feeling too. Keep reading.
If you didn’t already read my first post on tips to start a YouTube channel, you can read it here.
This post is all about the 5 stages of starting a YouTube Channel.
Disclaimer
Everything in this post is my personal opinion only and should be used for informational purposes. I am not an expert when it comes to starting a YouTube channel; however, I recently started and believe that my experience is just as real as what you might experience. Everyone is different and everyone will have different reactions to starting a YouTube channel. This is mine and what I think will happen to you.
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Let’s begin.
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The 5 Stages Of Starting A YouTube Channel
STAGE 1 : Thinking
Months of Pondering
People do YouTube for a living. They’re living these dream lives. All they have to do is film what they do, get paid for it, and use that money to do more fun things to film and it’s just an endless cycle. I could never do that. I’m too awkward and I don’t have the equipment nor the creativity or talent to maintain a channel.
Should I?
After months of pondering, you finally start to consider starting a YouTube and ask yourself, should I? Well of course you should because you could one day blow up and become just like those celebrity millionaire YouTubers. Duh.
If they can do it, why can’t you? But then you think about what the people around you will think.
You’re filming videos of yourself and showing the world? Why? That’s so pointless. That’s weird. You’re just trying to be like this big YouTuber and you most likely won’t get there.
But then you think about how all those big YouTubers had to start somewhere too. Only the ones that don’t let fear stop them go far and reaching their goals.
So yeah you’re gonna try it. And if the people around you make fun of you, it has nothing to do with you. They’re most likely jealous and don’t have the courage to try for their dream life like you. They’re afraid you’re going to be more successful than them and will put you down.
So, you start anyway.
STAGE 2 : Acting
Filming + Not Liking It
So you position yourself, turn your camera on and you start talking. You got past the first step of filming yourself, but you keep fumbling over your words.
You didn’t think to plan your content ahead of time. It was just decided that you were gonna go for it, wing it, and see what happens.
And so you rewatch your clips and think you failed. You Think you’re too awkward. Then, you hate them all.
Editing + Not Uploading
Despite hating your videos, you decide to edit anyway because maybe your editing skills are good enough to make up for your lack of personality on camera.
You edit. You had zooms. Some sound effects are inserted here and there. Lots of scenes are cropped out or taken out entirely. And then you have this masterpiece of your first attempt at filming and editing.
But what happens next? You still hate it. If you were the audience, you’d never watch this yourself.
So why would you put this content in front of the eye of other people? Why would you want to put them through that misery and second-hand embarrassment?
And so, you never upload your first video.
STAGE 3 : Long Breaking
Taking a 6-Month Break
Now that you’ve decided not to upload your first video, you’re pretty burnt out from all that thinking, planning, filming, editing, and you’re just done with it all. Maybe YouTube isn’t for you. So you just dump the idea entirely.
Or you can be like me and start with a blog instead. A blog was a little easier because I never had to show my face to upload content. I only had to write down my thoughts and share them with the world.
STAGE 4 : Just Doing It
Filming On A Whim
Months have gone by and you tried the blogging thing. You got views and met new people but now you’re ready to take another step towards your content creation journey. You decide that you want to try YouTube again.
So what do you do? You film on a whim and just do the first idea that pops into your mind. For me, I put together a montage sort of deal with all the photos and videos I could gather from 2021 and called it my 2021 recap.
It’s embedded here if you’re interested. If you do decide to watch it, keep in mind that I created this on a whim and it was my first time editing and putting together a video myself.
Editing To Have Something Done
As I said, I filmed on a whim and didn’t think much of what I had just filmed. The next step was just to put all the clips together, edit them to be somewhat presentable, and upload them.
I tried to include zooms (which I don’t think made it into the final cut, text boxes, and some sound effects (which definitely did not make it into the final cut either). I threw in any editing skill that I could think of and knew how to do in this video.
Overall, I just wanted it done and over with.
Scheduling Before I Changed My Mind
Now that I filmed and edited, I had to schedule the video. This wasn’t the scariest part of starting my YouTube journey but it was a close second. At this point, there was only one thing left to do after and it was to have it uploaded and see the reactions from people that come across it and view it.
Anticipating Publishing Day
While you’re waiting for this video to upload, all the worst-case scenarios are going through your head.
What if this video sucks? What if everyone starts making fun of me? Am I making a mistake? Is YouTube not for me? The questions go on and on and you’re just exhausting your brain at this point.
During my anticipation week before my first video was uploaded, I watched it at least 10 times. I would convince myself that my first video wasn’t that bad. Obviously, I got through the week.
STAGE 5 : Feeling Relief
Upload Day
The day has finally come and you uploaded your very first YouTube video. Your heart is racing. All of a sudden you’re convinced your video is the worst it ever has been and want to take it done immediately and pretend it didn’t happen.
But because you’re a strong individual, you stick with what you’ve already decided and hold yourself back from deleting everything. Maybe this will all be fine?
You told all your friends about it so that you don’t have to hide it. The only responses you got were either views on your video or no comments at all. But the main point is that you told them.
Since you took it upon yourself to let everyone around you know that you have a YouTube channel, they can’t accidentally fumble upon your channel and judge you. You are handing them your channel on a silver platter and LETTING them think what they think about you.
It’s no longer you wondering “what will they think” you can already guess and you know that they’re thinking something because you took control over it. You are in control.
But don’t force your friends to watch your videos to boost your views. You will definitely lose friends this way. Just let them know your channel exists and let them take it from there.
Realizing That Starting A YouTube Channel Wasn’t That Bad
You’re probably feeling flustered for a good 30 minutes before you get over yourself and realize that it wasn’t that bad. Who cares who knows about your YouTube channel and what they think of it? Isn’t your end goal to get lots of views and lots of subscribers anyway?
Most of these people are strangers so why does it matter if your inner circle knows too? The real friends in your life will support you and not put you down for doing something that you enjoy or are trying to do with your life.
STAGE 6 : Overexcitement
Calculating How Far Away You Are From Your Goals
I know, I know, the title of this post is the 5 stages of starting a YouTube channel but here I am giving you the 6th one. (Just because, you know, there are the 5 stages of grief so I just wanted to stick to the number 5).
Once you’re done with your relief period, you become super excited for when you’ll finally hit that 1,000 subscriber count and 4,000 watch hours. (I’m still on this journey obviously because I literally have only 6 subscribers.)
And because you’re so excited for the future, you start calculating how much further along you have until you get there.
These are my current calculations as I’m writing this post.
I am 6% of 100 subscribers.
I am 1.2% of 500 subscribers.
Then, I am 0.6% from 1,000 subscribers.
And of course, I’ll do this math for my watch hours too.
If I want to be completely honest, I didn’t start these calculations until I uploaded my second video because I think my second video is much better than my first one in many areas. The editing, the content. At least that’s what I think. (Roast me for my video if you’d like, I’ll take it as feedback and work on what I could do better as I see fit.)
Here is my second YouTube Video if you are interested.
Ending Note
If you can’t already tell, starting a YouTube channel puts you on a roller coaster of emotions. Starting a YouTube channel made me both nervous and excited at the same time.
Now that I’ve started, I know that I’ll try to keep it going because I want to be able to look back at my old videos and see how much I’ve evolved and changed since then. I hope you’d be interested in seeing my journey too.
I hope you like this post and helps you anticipate what you may expect if and when you decide to start your own YouTube channel. Have a great day and get to content creating!
This post was all about the 5 stages of starting a YouTube channel.
Happy Panda says
I was just encouraging a friend yesterday to start her YouTube channel! I’ll definitely share this post with her!
Lily-Anne says
That’s great! I feel better knowing I’m not the only one going through it right now 😅