Small Business: First 5 Steps to Start Your Own YouTube Channel

Social media platforms play an important role in promoting a product or service online. Every social network has something unique to offer. Google's video sharing site, YouTube also does a great job by giving you an excellent opportunity for sharing your video stories with the world.

Let's first have a look at these vital YouTube statistics.

More than 800 million unique visitors each month Available in 43 countries and 60 languages. Over 10% of all views come from mobile devices. More than 3 billion hours of video are viewed every month. Around 100 million people socially interact each week.

If you want to market your services or products via videos online, YouTube is just the perfect option to go for. All you need to do is start your own YouTube channel and begin interacting with your audience!

Given below are the first steps to get started -

Sign In or Sign Up step 1

YouTube is operated by Google. So, you'll first need a Google account to sign in and register yourself on this video channel. In case you don't have a Gmail account already, you can click sign up and create an account first. You'll need to complete a registration form which requires you to provide a Google username, a password, your gender, an alternate email ID etc. Finally, you'll be sent a confirmation email for account verification.

Return to YouTube Home Page - step 2

Once you've verified your Google account, you can return to the YouTube's homepage and sign in (if you aren't already). As soon as you're in, you can click on your Google username at the top right of the screen and click 'My Channel' under YouTube menu.

Create a Channel - step 3

By clicking on the 'My Channel' link, YouTube takes you to a new page where you can start to create your own YouTube channel. When you have a channel of your own, the video sharing website allows you to upload videos, create playlists and comment on videos uploaded by others.

On the new page, you can click the continue button to have a YouTube channel created for you automatically. If you want to use a different username for the channel, you can choose.

Customise or Edit step 4

Yes, YouTube allows you to customise your channel so that you can enhance the appearance and stand out. Click 'Channel Settings' to edit your channel.

Now, click the 'Appearance' tab to select different colours and upload a background image of your choice. The maximum image size that YouTube allows is 1MB. The 'Info and Settings' section allows you to fill out your company description and add tags. From here, you can also customise your channel URL.

Upload Videos (and Publish) step 5

Now your channel is all set. It's time to start uploading videos that you want to share with your friends, colleagues and the world. You'll see the 'Upload' link towards the right of the YouTube search box at the top. If you have the video files on your computer, you can upload them and publish to your channel immediately. Otherwise, you can 'Record from Webcam' right from within your YouTube channel and publish for the world to see.

By Gaurav Singh Heera  - Article Source: EzineArticles.com/9704757