The YouTube guide for NPs: How to open your own successful channel

Tons of people are starting YouTube channels. Some do it for fun, others for profit, and some do it for both. You may have created one yourself just to watch stuff every now and then. But what about uploading videos? How does that work?

Well, you need to get a camera, for starters, but not just any camera. You also need to get a good mic, and have a good idea of who you want your audience to be. However, it isn’t as complicated as it seems.

There are tons of nurses on YouTube, and based on their amazing work we’ve compiled some tips here that will help you get started, and hopefully become just as good as them (or better!).

1. Find out which type of youtuber you want to be

Let’s answer some questions first. What do you want this channel to be like? Do you want to do informative videos? Is it a vlog? Are you a funny person or more on the serious, analytic side? Do you want to educate others? Do you want to market your own business or practice?

Look for people that are similar to you on YouTube, see what they’re doing, and subscribe to some channels yourself. You have to watch some YouTube before you can create for YouTube.

It’s also always a good idea to get inspiration from youtubers in other professions. What are they doing? What do people like the most? Maybe there’s a way for you to combine the topic of being a nurse with something else.

Your channel should have something that’s not easy to find, something that separates you from the rest. It doesn’t necessarily have to be something new, it just has to resonate with a particular audience.

This is what people call a “niche.” The YouTube Creator Academy shared this awesome video on the subject.

If you’re looking for more inspiration, we recently compiled a list of youtubers, podcasters, and bloggers that are popular in the nursing world. It’s a great place to start!

2. Write your first script

Don’t start recording your videos without doing some brainstorming first. Even if your channel is about daily life, write some ideas down beforehand. It could even be a checklist of things you have to cover in the video. You can do it any way you want as long as you do it. Writing something down will help you make a better video (and one that’s easier to edit later).

Let’s say your YouTube channel is going to have some commentary. You’re going to give your opinion on certain topics, interview people, things like that. It might seem unnecessary to write a script for something that should be spontaneous, but hey, even reality shows have scripts.

Here’s a Skillshare course on how to write scripts for YouTube. Skillshare is a learning platform that many youtubers endorse on their videos.

3. Find the right equipment

There are so many options out there that the idea of choosing between any of them can be daunting. Especially for beginners. However, there are lots of microphones and cameras that can help you get the job done without breaking the bank. Let’s look at some of them:

Microphones

Don’t even think about investing in that professional camera just yet. You first have to take care of the audio quality. HD is everywhere today. You can make a good-looking video with your smartphone if you try hard enough, but if it sounds bad, it won’t be good at all.

There are many types of microphones, but you don’t need to be concerned about all of them right now. Later on, if you’re interested in the theory behind audio quality, you can do some research about it and choose a microphone that fits your needs.

Blue and RØDE are two brands that come up at the top of every list. Their mics are easy to set up and great for recording your own videos. If your budget can cover at least $200, you’re good to go.

Let’s look at the types of microphones you need to know, with some examples from those two brands:

Studio: These are big mics with pods that are meant to be put on a table, next to you. They don’t always look like that, but that’s a story for another time. Some good studio mics for YouTube are:

• Blue Yeti (check price on Amazon)
• Blue Snowball (check price on Amazon)
• RØDE NT-USB (check price on Amazon)

Lavalier: These mics have a little clip so you can put them on your shirt. Some people call them lapel mics or personal mics. They are small, but this doesn’t mean the audio quality is worse. Here’s a great one:

• RØDE SmartLav+ (check price on Amazon)

Note: You can plug the SmartLav+ on your smartphone and start recording videos without getting a camera. If you’re unsure about getting into this whole thing and spending money on it, that might be a good place to start.

Shotgun: The name of these mics comes from their elongated shape. They are meant to be attached on a camera, but not the one in your phone. We’ll get into that in a few seconds.

• RØDE VideoMic Pro+ (check price on Amazon)

Cameras

As we said before, if you have a good microphone, you can use almost any camera out there to get started. You can use your smartphone, your laptop, anything works if you have an idea and want to put it out there.

However, it might be good to get familiar with brands like Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus, and others, and learn what DSLR means. There’s a lot of technical stuff behind choosing a camera for professional use, but you can get started on YouTube with just the basic ones.

If we had to choose, we’d suggest you got the Canon EOS Rebel T6. It’s very affordable and comes with accessories. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find that you also have a love for photography once you have it in your hands.

4. Learn about the algorithm

One of the keys to YouTube success is to upload content that’s fresh and engaging. However, this is not the only way to get views. If your videos are good, some people will watch them, but unless they go viral (which would be awesome) they won’t reach a lot of users.

This is where that weird word comes in, the “algorithm.” It refers to the internal processes YouTube uses to recommend videos to us. This algorithm can decide if people get your videos on their YouTube home and recommended videos section or not, so you should pay attention to it.

If you’re just getting started, here are some things you can do to ensure you appear on YouTube’s search results.

5. Get some editing skills

Making videos is a great creative outlet. Now that you know how to get started, you can try recording a test video about a topic you like. The next step will be to edit that video to make sure it looks great.

It’s fine if you want to leave your videos unedited, maybe you’re a natural when it comes to being in front of a camera. But what happens if you make a mistake while filming? Basic editing skills are easy to grasp, and they will make your videos more compelling and fun to watch!

There are dozens of video editing apps that you can use on a smartphone (or tablet) but not all of them are great. If you want your videos to look professional, it might be best not to do everything on your phone.

YouTube has an internal video editor that you can use from the get go. It’s a good place to start learning basic stuff like cutting some parts, adding music, etc.

Try editing your videos with it, and see if it’s all you need. It’s not a bad editor in any way, millions of people use it!

After you post your first video, then you can start looking into other options. We hope you found this article useful and that you have a lot of fun on your YouTube journey. If you’ve decided to share your ideas and perspectives with the world, that’s great! We always need more of that, especially from nurses.

Read more on NPHub:

How to create a kick-ass LinkedIn profile as an NP student

The highest paying nurse practitioner specialties in 2020

Ebony Thyme: The Perks of Being a Travel NP and Instagram Influencer

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