If I started a Youtube Channel in 2025, I’d do this

Starting a YouTube channel is an exciting venture, but as with any new adventure, there are lessons to learn and pitfalls to avoid along the way. This post will take you through the journey I embarked on to grow and monetize three YouTube channels in a single year. I faced some big challenges and made some mistakes, but those experiences taught me valuable lessons that I'm eager to share with you.

Should You Go for Quality or Quantity With Your Videos?

In the early stages of my YouTube career, I prioritized quantity over quality. This quantity-focused approach allowed me to gain valuable experience in producing videos, but it didn't attract the right audience, resulting in stagnant channel growth. Switching gears to focus on well-crafted and intentionally targeted videos made a world of difference. Now, investing more effort into a single high-quality video yields tenfold the results, driving significant traffic to my website and boosting product sales.

For newcomers, there is value in producing a large number of videos initially. Think of your first 25 videos as practice runs—an opportunity to learn video-making basics without the pressure of perfection. During this phase, it's more important to publish and gather feedback than to nail every detail. Embrace experimentation while your audience is still growing, and get comfortable with the process.

Keeping Things Simple

Several years ago, living in Okinawa, Japan, I got deeply involved in scuba diving. Driven by excitement, I invested over $3,000 in scuba gear, only to find it cumbersome when traveling and eventually underutilized. This scenario is common among new YouTubers too. Eager to start, they often invest in expensive equipment right away, hindering their ability to create content.

The secret to overcoming this obstacle is to keep things simple. Start with the essentials; your smartphone can serve as a camera initially. Focus on skill development before considering costly upgrades. Tools like Descript offer beginner-friendly features that empower you to create quality content without steep learning curves. Remember, simplicity catalyzes action; start with what you have and gradually improve as your skills grow.

Think Legacy, Not Likes

Embarking on your YouTube journey with a long-term mindset is crucial. True success on YouTube extends over years, not weeks. Consider your efforts as building a legacy rather than chasing immediate likes. Plan for your desired audience growth to take longer than expected.

While garnering instant attention through sensational content is tempting, it may not align with your long-term goals. Instead, create videos that bring you joy and offer value to others. This mindset fosters sustainable success. Resist the urge to overly fixate on analytics. Many videos gain traction slowly, sometimes taking months to capture audience interest. Treat each video as a planted seed; some will flourish immediately, while others will grow steadily over time.

To illustrate this, consider my personal YouTube channel. It's a platform where I document travels, share newly acquired knowledge, and discuss my interests. These videos are my life's work, intended to last beyond my lifetime, much like the timeless autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Though I don't claim to match his legacy, I hope to inspire you to view your creations as enduring narratives.

In conclusion, creating videos is the modern counterpart to writing, sharing ideas across generations. Your content could become a historical reference for future audiences. What stories and skills do you aspire to immortalize? As you consider these thoughts, prepare to launch your first video.

In my next post, I will guide you step-by-step through the creation and editing process on YouTube, helping you take the first actual steps on this creative journey.