This post was originally posted on ComfyGirlWithCurls.com on January 6th 2021, and was referring to my lifestyle YouTube Channel. I’ve moved it here in the hopes that it will inspire fellow content creators to take the dive on their on YouTube journey. I have since created a second channel for content creation tips, Creating With Kaya.
Can you believe it? After five years as a natural hair & lifestyle creator, I finally took the dive and launched a YouTube channel.
Who am I?!
If we’re being honest, starting a YouTube channel is… or was… the last thing I EVER envisioned myself doing.
There are probably a lot of reasons why I never thought I’d be a YouTuber… a lot of internalized fears, and a lot of skewed perceptions of what it even “means” to be a YouTube creator in the first place.
But in the end, I finally did it. I got over the little voice in my head, and now Comfygirlcurls is on YouTube! We’re taking over ALL the platforms, my friend.
But because I had been so resistant for so long, I felt it was fitting to launch my channel with a video discussing why I *didn’t* want to launch in the first place, and I’ve shared it below for your easy viewing!
(If you’re in the mood to read and dive deep, scroll for a more in-depth discussion beneath the video!)
5 Reasons Why I Said I’d Never Start a YouTube Channel
I hope that in hearing the reasons why I didn’t want to start a YouTube channel, you might relate and find that you are able to overcome your hesitations just as I did!
1. I hate the sound of my voice
Okay, I know everybody says this. But some girl back in elementary school said I was annoying, and honestly it really messed me up for most of my life.
Yeah, I have issues.
It’s funny though, how something so seemingly small can have lasting effects on how you perceive yourself. Seriously. Ever since then, I’ve been convinced that I have an annoying voice, and I would essentially be torturing the public by having them endure listening to me.
ANYWAYS.
This actually took me a long time to get over. So how did I get over hating the sound of my voice?
I started getting used to my voice by talking to the screen via Instagram stories. And then eventually, I tried some IGTV videos. It really took a lot of baby steps to get me to feel comfortable hearing my own voice in the content I created.
And to be fair, I don’t necessarily like my voice now, but I’m definitely comfortable with it. Comfortable enough anyways, to start a YouTube channel!
This is actually just one of the mistakes that held me back along my content creator journey.
2. I don’t think I’m high-energy enough for YouTube
So many of these super successful influencers are like BAM.
IN YOUR FACE.
SUPER HIGH ENERGY.
It makes it seem like the only way someone can be successful on YouTube, is to have a super pumped-up personality.
So whenever I so much as entertained the idea of starting up a YouTube channel, I’d quit while I was ahead, dismissing myself as too calm or boring.
But the reality is, I like to watch more subdued YouTubers.
So I figured, there has to be an audience looking to see content from someone more low-key like me. Changing my perspective on that really helped me get over that hurdle, and I am SO glad I did.
Since sharing the above YouTube video, so many people have come forward saying they prefer watching calmer creators too!
3. The time commitment
My biggest problem as a content creator, is time management. I find it so difficult to stay consistent on all the different platforms.
Prior to launching a YouTube Channel, I already had my blog, Instagram, Twitter, a FB page, and Pinterest. Do you think I was balancing my time on all of those equally without getting burnt out?
Definitely not. (I’m also doing all of the above around a full-time job).
So the idea of adding YouTube to me plate was incredibly daunting.
To be successful on YouTube, you can’t just film a video, throw up the raw footage and call it a day.
- Keyword research needs to be done prior to even choosing a video topic
- You need to plan out the video in advance (an outline makes filming go a lot smoother)
- The video needs to be edited (it takes me hours going on days to edit a video)
- A thumbnail needs to be designed
- SEO practices need to be put in place (writing a good title, description, etc.)
- Post-upload promotion needs to be done (you can’t just rely on YouTube to share your video).
So that all takes a good chunk of time.
But when I finally decided to take the dive to do YouTube, I had a strategy.
I knew that batching my content, and repurposing it would be key.
So first off, when it came to planning video topics, and doing keyword research, I knew I could do that at the same time I planned out my blog posts.
So first…
Keyword Research & Planning
I was already using KeySearch to do my keyword research for my blog, and I found out that they also have a YouTube tool!
(You can sign up HERE. Get 20% off with code KSDISC)
Keysearch is a fantastic resource for doing keyword research and planning. It allows you to find related keywords, and gauge how competitive a particular phrase might be.
I love that I can now do this research for both my blog, and my YouTube channel.
And then there’s TubeBuddy. This one wasn’t mentioned in the video because I started using it shortly after that video went live.
It is a chrome extension that is actually designed to work with Youtube. It has been an absolute game-changer for me, and really helps me plan out my Youtube videos.
I also decided I would batch my content creation days
So far, this is working well. If I already have my makeup on for a photoshoot, I’ll take the time to film as many consecutive videos as I (and my camera battery) can handle. Then I’ll edit them whenever I have some free time.
This is really why having a prepped outline makes things so much easier! When I want to film, I can pull up the notes on my phone and jump right into it.
No additional prep time needed.
And to ensure I’m not wasting good content, I plan to repurpose it.
And that’s exactly what you’re seeing here! I made a YouTube video, and I invested the time to repurpose it into a blog post!
This takes less time than writing a brand new blog post from scratch!
And likewise, I can take old blog posts and repurpose the key information into a video for YouTube! It is a massive time-saver.
Related Post: 5 Blog-related tasks to do when you don’t feel like blogging
Okay and the next reason why I did not want to start a YouTube channel:
4. The commenters seem really mean
Okay. Maybe I’m too soft, but I was really afraid to get started on YouTube because I was terrified of the commenters.
It’s no secret that the YouTube comment section is one of the most chaotic places on the internet.
And I was not ready to open myself up to further scrutiny from strangers, and potentially even bullies.
But I realized that the same thing could be said of any platform. The moment you put yourself out on the internet, you are technically opening yourself up to “haters”.
But then I realized. I’ve been blogging, Instagramming, and Tweeting, for five years, and I have never experienced any real hate.
Related Post: What I learned after 5 years of blogging
So I figured: if I had managed to create an incredibly cool and supportive community on Instagram and around my blog, who says I couldn’t foster the same positive community around my YouTube channel?
5. Oversaturation
This is a term you hear a lot. You’ll hear…
“Youtube’s oversaturated with Natural Hair content.”
“Youtube’s oversaturated with vloggers.”
“There are too many [insert niche] videos out there, you’ll never stand out.”
And this mentality is what stops SO many people from even beginning. But similar to the above: the same can be said of Instagram.
You search the hashtag #NaturalHair on Instagram, and you are hit with literally millions of posts. How’s that for oversaturation?
But again on Instagram, I have found a community, I have found an audience, and brands have found me, even though there are probably literally millions of other people targeting the same niche I am.
And the reality is, no one tells your story like you can. We all have our own unique experiences to bring to the table.
So don’t let anybody tell you that an industry is oversaturated, or a niche is oversaturated. Just. Go. Do. It.
Final thoughts
So there you have it.
Those are the five reasons why I was scared of starting a YouTube account. Those reasons literally held me back for years, and I’m glad that I am over them.
All in all, I am super excited to have started, and am LOVING the experience so far.I am so glad that I got out of my head and finally did it.
If you are interested in coming along on this journey with me, please subscribe to my channel! I never thought I would say that…
And please let me know what sort of videos you’d like to see from me in the future!
