Either as a new or old freelancer, you already know how hectic finding clients could be – you probably hate it too. And well, you could argue that you have a few trusted customers – thanks to freelance communities like Legiit. But don’t you want more?
Besides, is “more and countless” customers not better than a “limited few”? Your business would say yes! But unfortunately, you had probably exhausted all your marketing tricks and ads.
So, what now? What more can you do to get more stuff done?
Start a YouTube channel for your freelance business!
What? What would you say? No! You are shy of the camera; you can’t possibly start any video content! No, you stammer and blink like a million times in 5 secs – YouTube is a no-no for you!
Hello, you’re making excuses! Agreed, but do clients even buy or hire from YouTube?
Clients hire freelancers on YouTube – and they do so often. But if you don’t try, you’d never know. Now, you might ask, how come?
Putting yourself out there on video content shows your human touch. And who doesn’t like buying from a human over some texts that could have been Jarvis’ output?
More importantly, YouTube-ing hints your client in on the summary of your processes – and that in turn enhances trust. So, yes, YouTube works. However, it might be best for creatives like web designers.
Even if you don’t offer visual services, we say still try YouTube. Why? At the core, YouTube is also a search engine. And, putting up your content on any search engine increases your chances of lead generation.
Summarily, you can’t go wrong with a YouTube channel as a freelancer. Even at that, you must do it right if you want more lead generation and sales from it. But how?
That question is what this post will answer. Here, we will guide you through:
- What you need for launching a YouTube channel for your freelance business
- Understanding your audience
- How to generate content ideas
- How to set up an account
- Uploading and optimizing your video content
So, shall we begin?
Note: If you are new to freelancing, you probably want to create your service and gather a few reviews before having a YouTube channel.
What Do You Need For Launching A YouTube Channel For Your Freelance Business?
How Does YouTube Work?
First off, we are not saying you can’t surf YouTube to find your favorite video. Instead, we mean you should learn the business side of YouTube. How can you use the tool to boost your sales? What are the basics?
About basics, what makes an incredible video? How do you write a captivating video description? More importantly, how can you edit your videos with a YouTube video editor?
You see what we are saying; those YouTube questions are what you don’t know. So, to get started, make your findings. Ultimately, knowing how the robust platform works is the foundational way to harness it for your freelancing career.
Pro tip: You could also take a shortcut and ask video marketing experts!
What Equipment Do You Need?
If you were doing a personal channel, your audio and video equipment might not matter. But for business, you should come out as professional as possible. For that reason, you should invest in the appropriate equipment.
What equipment exactly are we talking about?
- Start by creating a Google account if you don’t have one already.
- Invest in quality audio sets. About that, if you could do away with onboard microphones, that’d be awesome!
- A high-definition camera – you could also use your mobile if it has excellent video quality.
- A sturdy and durable tripod – a selfie ring and stand might be a great alternative if you’re recording with your mobile.
- Learn basic video editing.
Despite the listed equipment, we will advise you to record your videos in well-lit areas – or at least get your lighting right. Also, don’t neglect your thumbnails – you could hire a graphic designer for help.
Suggested article: How To Drive Traffic And Views With High-Converting Thumbnails
Niche It Down
A little confession: We love web design. So, the examples here are in that line. Nevertheless, you can apply the tips anywhere.
Creating a YouTube channel that handles broad topics won’t help – especially since you’re just starting. You want to be a reckoned force on YouTube as early as possible – so, niche down. But how?
For example, say you’re a web designer; you could create a website and the lots. From the lot, there would be an aspect that is your core strength. Let’s assume that is backend development.
So, upsell only your backend development skill for a start. In other words, all your videos and descriptions should be about the topic. And since that is your strength, you’d comfortably radiate class when talking about it.
Now, you know your niche, the basics of YouTube, and the equipment you need to get started. But we still haven’t discussed the most crucial element to your success or failure. What is that?
Understanding Your Audience
This part is often the most difficult of the lot because you’re dealing with humans. And the truth is that we have enormous expectations. So, ask yourself how you’d meet such expectations? But who is even your ideal client?
If you don’t have a customer profile, you might want to define that first. These tips could help:
- What gender do you prefer working with?
- Does the education, marital, or religious stand of your client matter?
- Are you targeting high-value customers or just people to lure with your click baits?
- What age range would be most likely thrilled with your videos?
- Do you have a specific location in mind?
Once you answer those questions, you can easily design a fictional character that represents your client. Now, think like that character; what would he want? What approach would be best for him – should you be too salesy or subtle like a rabbit?
Ultimately, you’d be able to design your USP, Unique Selling Point. And that is a good thing because you’d have a summary of:
- who you are
- what your channel represents, and
- more importantly, the style and tone of your content
Read also: How To Outsource Your Content On Legiit
How To Generate Content Ideas
Credit: Chris M Walker
First off, you don’t want to be posting just any content. You need content that matches your USP, your client’s pain points, and the purpose of your channel.
In essence, you need a content strategy. That is the only way you can generate quality video every time. About that, you should ask yourself a few questions:
How Would Your Content Stand Out From The Rest?
It’s pretty straightforward – really. Follow your style and be free! More importantly, do better than what is ranking for your desired keyword. Keyword?
Yes, remember we said that YouTube is a search engine! So yes, it works on the principles of keywords and queries like Google. And for the best results and views, it is best to target low-hanging keywords with promising outcomes.
However, note that the process of keyword research can be complex. But fortunately, you can simplify it all by hiring keyword researchers. And if you’d still like to experiment with things yourself, try KWFinder!
Tips on making your content stand out:
- Show your viewers behind the scenes
- Show actionable steps from experience that nobody else has
- Do interviews with your clients/contacts to get detailed insights that nobody else shares
What Type Of Content Are You Even Posting?
We wouldn’t want to limit your content style. Nevertheless, it would be best to have consistency. That said, you should clearly define the type of content that you’d be posting.
So, what are your options?
- Advertisements and news
- Interviews
- Product demos
- Reviews (roundups or singular)
- Recordings of live events or streams
- Tutorials (how-tos and guides)
Ultimately, ensure that your videos are educational and engaging. Of course, that is after you have optimized your content for your audience and the YouTube search result pages.
What Would Be The Ideal Duration And Schedule For Your Content?
The answer depends on how much content you have generated. You don’t want to start a daily commitment when you don’t have enough juice in your tank. About that, how big is your tank? What duration are you targeting for your videos?
If you’ve decided to work with teens and young adults, a long video might not be a hit. Even the so-called entertainment videos are 3-5mins max.
Also, young audiences might prefer a consistent supply of content over a short range of time. And since they wouldn’t watch lengthy videos to start, they have the energy to do daily watch time as much as your videos are engaging.
On the other hand, adult audiences might prefer long and rich content. They often have the patience to commit to 10-25mins of video – or even longer. But, you might want to hand in those detailed posts once or twice a month.
Ultimately, know that there is no ideal schedule and duration for your YouTube content. Regardless, we will advise you to mix things up – despite that, always stick to the mission of your channel.
Lastly, if you want your audience to share your video content, the duration might not be up to you. It would depend on the social media platform your audience shared your video.
Check this out: The Freelancer’s Guide to Getting Clients on Facebook
Now that we have sorted the basics of getting started on YouTube, let’s get handsy!
How To Set Up Your YouTube Account
Start With Your Google Account
Before a YouTube account, you need Google’s. The chances are that you already have one, work with it. But if you want your channel to be strictly business, consider a Google business account. Here are the perks of that:
- Brand integrity
- Centralized product management
- Interaction with your Google my business account
Now, Create Your YouTube Channel
Use your already registered Google account to create your channel on YouTube. And the process is straightforward:
- Go to your account page – that’s the first page you’d see after registering your YouTube account
- You’d see a link that reads “create a new channel” – click on that and follow the prompt
Own Your YouTube Channel
Now, you have a YouTube channel! But before you start uploading your video, personalize your space. How?
You can either leave your channel as your registered name. But we’d advise you to use a brand name.
Note: if you’re creating a brand account with a different name, ensure that it still represents your business. Furthermore, consider personalizing the following features:
- Your channel art (also background image) – use an image with dimension 2080 x 1152 or 2560 x 1440 pixels; they are responsive to all types of screens
- Your channel icon (also profile picture)
- Your channel trailer ( also teaser videos)
- The about – this is where to insert your USP
Pro tip: Your channel images are just as crucial to your brand as your thumbnails. So, ensure you invest rightly in them. In essence, work with expert designers to bring out your best representation.
If you don’t know how to change the listed features, find the “customize channel” button and make your adjustments. For the channel trailer, make it a max of 30 sec featuring the highlights of your channel. More importantly, include a CTA towards the end.
On the about section, add these crucial pieces of information:
- A link to your Legiit profile – this is an opportunity to display your incredible reviews
- A link to your website – if you have any
- You might also want to include links to your social media accounts. However, ensure you optimize your profile summaries before adding the links.
- Contact information – if you love your privacy, include only your business details.
Uploading And Optimizing Your Video Content
Create A Content Calendar
By now, you have a lead on your content strategy. Use that lead to create an outline for your content. Now, sync the plan, using YouTube content calendar, to your promotions. That way, you will automatically publish new videos on scheduled days, even if you are offline.
Optimize Your Video Content
The chances are that you have the low-hanging keywords already. Now, use those in your video titles, descriptions, and tags.
Also, rename your thumbnails to contain your keywords. And ensure that you customize each thumbnail to the content in the video.
Post Your Video
Once you adjusted all the features and got the scheduling right, start posting your videos. And even if your first upload isn’t excellent, you’d get better with time and practice. But what you shouldn’t do is make excuses and not create your YouTube channel today!
Go out there and work for what you deserve – good luck!
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