3 Lessons Learned in Starting a YouTube Channel | Our Experience so far

Hi Friends! Happy almost 2019, we’re so close to a brand new year. To be honest I find it a little silly how much people think a new year means change, when it is really an arbitrary date we’ve chosen to represent the next 365 days of life. However, I do appreciate how hopeful a new year can be to someone who has struggled in the past year, and hope it always a beautiful thing!

It’s been almost a month since we started our YouTube Channel, if you haven’t subscribed to us yet, please do! It means SO much more than you know when someone new joins our adventure. Based on our experience so far, I wanted to share three lessons I have learned in this past month.

1. Consistency is KEY, and along with that, PATIENCE!

If you’re looking to gain any kind of following, you will need to be consistent. People want to follow YOUR story, so if you post once and then skip weeks, they will get lost and forget about your channel. People are interested in your day to day life and what really happens, so if you feel like you have no content, think about what you’re actively engaging in during the day, and share about that. Sometimes, you won’t even know what your video is going to be about until you finish recording and work on editing it. My favorite videos so far have been fun VLOGs without a clear storyline until I edited them.

In order to be consistent, you have to be patient. Most channels gain a following slowly over time, not at once overnight. If your videos aren’t popular, don’t worry! Continue putting out thoughtful, authentic content, and people will likely be interested in joining along.

2. It requires a HUGE time commitment, so you really have to enjoy the whole process.

From planning out what you’re going to post, to actual filming of the video, to the entire editing process, creating a YouTube Channel is not for someone who has zero time on their hands. Since starting our channel, I have lost all free time, which is fine by me, but I can tell Chris gets a bit frustrated by all the time spent working on this, especially the editing. For example, he just looked over at me and asked what I was working on. It’s important to set expectations for this, and to make sure you save time for the things that really matter, like faith, family, and other passions or pursuits. I’ve really enjoyed the process so far. I’m a total creative, and have found it really valuable to also learn some new skills along the way, like consistency (which is a real challenge for me) and planning.

3. It makes it so much more fulfilling if you can find COMMUNITY.

This can be really hard to find right off of the bat. People are so used to being bombarded online with asks, especially if they have a popular channel, so if you’re new and you’re really craving community, the best thing to do first is to GIVE instead of TAKE. Give to others who are walking a similar path by subscribing, commenting, and connecting to what they are doing. In doing so, people will be more receptive and willing to give back and follow along your journey. This is true of any relationship, virtual or not. In order to receive, you must also give. Find joy in the giving. Chris and I have found a lot of joy through following others’ journeys, and this has made it natural to give. Focus on building relationships with the people instead of being concerned with followers or popularity, this will make your experience much more meaningful. A few channels have been really supportive of our young channel thus far, and we have been so grateful for this! Green Dream Project, The Plant-Based Homestead, Forgotten Way Farms, and The Citystead. Thanks guys for all of the love!

As we continue in this journey, I will definitely share new lessons along the way. There are so many other things to learn, but these three have stuck out to me in these past few weeks.

That’s all for now friends!

All my best,

Jenn