Starting a YouTube channel is rewarding if you stick with it in the long run, but it’s a common misconception that being a YouTuber is easy. When you get started, you’ll quickly realize that you have a lot more to learn and do than you thought.
Streamlining your workflow is a great way to grow your channel quicker and lower the learning curve. If you’re looking for tips on doing that, you’re in the right place; this article will outline eight ways you can upload your videos more efficiently.
1. Keep Presets and LUTs in Your Editing Software
If you’re serious about growing a YouTube channel, you’ll probably use editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve. And in your early days, you might consider using presets or LUTs to learn the basics and make your own later down the line.
You can, of course, go down the route of editing everything on your own. But if you do that for all of your videos, you’ll spend a lot more time in the post-production process than you need to.
Once you’ve found color correction and grading styles that you like, you’re better off saving them as presets or LUTs. Depending on the software you choose, the process will differ slightly.
2. Keep Extra Effects to a Minimum
Once you’re comfortable uploading videos on YouTube, you’ll probably start thinking about how you can up your production quality. Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve all have several helpful tools and features you can use to add something extra to your footage.
When using extra effects, though, you must be careful. Using too many will make your video look sloppy, and it might cause your software to crash. Moreover, it’ll add a lot of unnecessary time to your editing—all for minor things that most of your audience probably won’t notice.
Try to minimize effects like titles and graphics in your videos. You’ll enjoy a cleaner edit and, thanks to the additional time you have, you can increase your output.
3. Create a Document for Your Tags, Links, and Descriptions
If you’ve covered the basics of starting a YouTube channel, you’ll probably already have a niche. Many of your videos will have a consistent theme—and you’ll probably use similar tags and descriptions.
You’ll likely also use the same links if you share your social media profiles and any affiliate links you use. But if you constantly have to type these out, it can start to feel like you’re repeating yourself—and you’ll also waste a lot of unnecessary time on a task you probably don’t enjoy.
For tags, links, and descriptions you regularly use, create documents from which you can copy and paste. You can use Google Docs, which is especially useful if you sometimes upload from your smartphone or tablet. Alternatively, Microsoft Word—or any note-taking platform—will suffice.
4. Record All the Way Through
If you watch almost any YouTuber closely, you’ll notice that some of their videos skip at random points. When you record yourself talking, you’ll probably stumble on your words a few times—regardless of how experienced you are.
Many beginner YouTubers make the mistake of stopping the recording as soon as they make an error, and then start over. However, doing so wastes a lot of time—especially if the rest of your video is fine.
If you focus on getting a perfect take, you could spend hours recording. A better strategy is to record all the way through and edit out anything you don’t like later. You should only need to start a new recording if your camera reaches its time limit.
5. Briefly Outline Your Videos Before Recording
We don’t recommend scripting your videos from start to finish. Your recordings will look unnatural, and you’ll also fail to include time for anything spontaneous that might pop into your head. However, you shouldn’t go into things without at least thinking about what you might say.
Before you record, put together a brief outline. Focus on a beginning, middle, and end; the beginning should outline the problem, while the middle adds more context and information. Then, at the end of the video, you should provide viable solutions to the issue you discuss.
To create your outline, you can, again, use a simple tool like Google Docs or Microsoft Word.
6. Outsource Your Editing
Of course, you’ll want to have creative freedom when putting together videos for your YouTube channel. YouTubers are often convinced that they’re the best person for editing their content, and nobody else could possibly replicate what they do.
In reality, though, you can probably find at least a dozen people who are just as good at editing as you—if not better. Editing often takes longer than recording, and if you want to upscale your channel, you’re better off outsourcing the job once you earn enough money.
Of course, outsourcing your video editing isn’t mandatory. If you genuinely enjoy it, feel free to continue tweaking the videos on your own.
7. Outsource Other Aspects of Your Business
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to keep your YouTube channel as a hobby alongside a different career or business. But if you want to eventually become a full-time YouTuber, you should think about how you’ll operate your company—and you should do so well before you hit the monetization requirements.
When your YouTube channel becomes a business, you want to spend as much time working on the business as possible—and minimize how long you work on it. In addition to editing, you can outsource the following tasks:
- Accounting
- Emails
- Marketing
You can use several online platforms to find and hire people you think would be a good fit for your business, such as Upwork and Fiverr.
Streamlining Your Workflow Is a Smart Move
If you want to make a full-time living from YouTube, you need to think about how you can achieve the highest output—both in terms of videos and quality—while using your time more efficiently. Running a YouTube channel requires having to do several tasks, many of which you probably hadn’t thought of when you first switched on your camera.
Once you’re generating enough income, you should consider getting other people to do tasks you don’t want to do. Besides having more time for the things that matter, it’ll also benefit others by providing employment opportunities.