Most authors these days can call themselves entrepreneurs. There's a lot that goes into the business of writing besides storytelling. If you're looking to make writing a regular thing, especially when it comes to building and maintaining your writin...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
YouTube is a powerful platform for getting discovered and connecting with readers. Chances are, you use YouTube and already know the power it wields. However, many authors feel this platform is outside their technical abilities because it's video-based. Fear not! If you are determined to use YouTube as a social media outlet for your author brand, you can make it work with some basic equipment and preparation. Let's explore:
1. Commit to a regular posting schedule. As with any social media platform, consistency is a major key to success. More content means more chances for building an audience. Once you determine how much time you can devote to creating your videos, decide how often you can post and stick to a regular, frequent posting schedule. The recommendation is no less than 1 video upload per week.
2. Use the right equipment. This means investing in good lighting, high quality audio and visual equipment, editing software, and a reliable and fast internet connection.
3. Set up a studio. We recommend that you find a quiet place in your home (perhaps your office) that can be transformed into a studio, whether permanent or temporary. You will also want to create an aesthetically pleasing backdrop for your videos. Virtual backgrounds can be problematic. Instead, position yourself in front of your bookshelves, drape a curtain across a wall, or hang images behind you that add to the mood you're trying to create. Just be sure your backdrop isn't too distracting.
4. Create valuable content. Given the number of videos on YouTube talking about the same things, you'll want your content to really shine. If you write in a niche, for example historical vampire novels, play that up here. Perhaps you could offer something unique in each of your videos, like a writing tip of the week. Or create a video series featuring vampires through the ages. Most importantly, you should decide what type of content you'll be sharing and stick to it. Your subscribers need to know what you specialize in. That way, when they're looking for information about vampires in the 18th century, they'll know where to go.
5. Be authentic.This might be one of the most important tips when creating content for your channel. Viewers will see right through someone who is only trying to sell. Provide value for your viewers by entertaining, inspiring, and helping them in a genuine way. By being yourself, you will gain the trust of your subscribers and form deeper connections.
6. Plan your videos. It may sound counterintuitive to create a scripted video if you're going for authenticity. Maybe you're a pantser, and you rarely outline or plan your novels. The truth is, creating a video is a very different process. You'll want to keep a document with the topics you plan to discuss in your video. You might use bullet points so these topics are easy to read at a glance. Go ahead and write up a script for each point and read them back to yourself to be sure the points are coming across to your viewers. Even if you go off script when you're recording, working from one will help keep you on topic.
7. Go ahead and promote your brand and novels on your YouTube channel. Although your videos will not be about your stories, you're still a writer, and the point behind your YouTube channel is to promote your author brand. Use the description box to add links to retail outlets selling your works, and include links to the other social media platforms where your viewers can find you.
8. Use the description box wisely. You can include approximately 2000 words in your description. You will want to provide an informative but brief summary of the topic of your video and, as mentioned above, include important links to your works, social media accounts, and other information you might have mentioned in the video.
9. Include an eye-catching thumbnail photo with each post. When users search the web, YouTube videos are some of the first results to pop up. Improve your SEO (search engine optimization) by including a thoughtful description about your video, along with a visually-pleasing image that will lure potential viewers to your channel.
10. Pay attention to your tags. Relevant tags will get you found on both YouTube and Google searches. TubeBuddy is a free (upgrades available) browser extension and mobile app that integrates directly into YouTube which helps you find high-performing, searchable video topics, and then crafting the perfect titles and tags. You can create the best video anyone has ever seen, but if it's buried under thousands of similar videos, nobody will ever see it. If you invest in one thing for your YouTube channel, researching and optimizing your tags should go at the top of the list.
👉 Check out Wattpad's own crystalandfelicity on their YouTube channel. They've used their experience as Wattpad authors and turned it into a niche, building a unique presence on the platform. Below, we've shared their video on how authors can use YouTube as a promotional platform for their author brand.
