The Ultimate YouTube Starter Checklist: Things To Do Before Starting A YouTube Channel (Part 1)

Are you in the process of setting up a YouTube channel? Use this comprehensive checklist to ensure that you’re well prepared to start publishing videos consistently. Read on to save yourself heaps of time, money and effort.

1. Channel name

Use a mind mapping technique to think of names for your YouTube channel. Write one word that describes your YouTube channel. Now write down all the things that come to your mind when you hear this word. Continue this cycle until you find a unique name. 

2. Channel logo

Collaborate with a graphic designer to create a logo that represents your YouTube channel. The more simple and clear it is, the easier people will be able to recall it. Stay away from complex logos with too many patterns.

3. Brand motifs and symbols

Think about how you want to define the “look and feel” of your channel. What feelings do you want your channel to evoke in your audience? Now handpick a few icons and symbols that make you feel those emotions and add them to your visual library. 

4. Brand colours

Pick colours that resemble your YouTube channel’s key theme. For example, if your channel is about travel, you could pick boho colours like brown, green, orange and blue. Stick to a maximum of 2-4 colours. If you use too many colours, your brand identity will not be strong enough to set you apart from the rest.

5. Brand font

Choose a font that’s clearly readable. It must be bold, big and shout out your message. Avoid cursive, flowery fonts. And make sure you only have one main font for your titles and one small font for your body copy. 

6. Transition slides

How do you want to cut from one scene to the other? There are plenty of sweeps, swirls, slides and other fun transitions that help you set the tone for your channel.

7. Language

Set the tone of voice for your channel. Do you want to sound bold, friendly, funny or a combination of all these tones? Have you invented any unique words or terms that are catchy? For example, monday+blues=monblues.

8. Channel trailer

Your viewers should know what to expect from your channel by just looking at the trailer. Your trailer can be anywhere between 15-60 seconds long. You can start promoting your trailer even before you publish your first video, to get a strong buzz going. 

9. Social media handles

Create business profiles on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter exclusively for your YouTube channel. Try to get a username that’s consistent across all your social media handles. 

10. Banner art

Your banner shows up on your YouTube homepage. You don’t need to be a professional editor to create high-quality banner art. You can use tools like Canva to edit your existing photos, change the design layout and add fun graphics that make your banner pop. 

11. YouTube team

Consider hiring your own YouTube team. You can have 2-3 videographers to capture multiple angles, one graphic designer and one video editor onboard. If you’re not able to pay them, consider providing internships, free event invites, home-cooked meals or barter. Post online ads on local platforms like gumtree or Upwork or Fiverr to search for people interested in contributing. 

12. Equipment

You’ll need lights, sound recorders, mics, a tripod and a camera. Rent out equipment by the hour and experiment with what works best for your channel before you buy them.

13. Editing software

You’ll need editing software like Adobe suite, thumbnail makers, sound mixers, video templates, photo filters and more. Download a few popular ones and dabble with them before you start heavy editing. 

14. Thumbnails

Your thumbnails must be designed according to your brand style. Use the same fonts, colours and titles for all your thumbnails. Snappa has plenty of thumbnail templates you can customise. 

15. Solid background

If you’re shooting indoors and don’t have a non-cluttered spot to shoot your videos, get a green screen, DIY or buy a backdrop on Amazon. Opt for colourful and bold colours without patterns. 

16. Rituals

Do you want to make up a repetitive behaviour to use consistently in your videos? Like a secret handshake or a funny wave to greet your viewers.

17. Video intro

You should have a super short 3-5 second video intro that will remain the same for all your videos. The intro must have a unique theme song/sound effect along with an animated transition of your logo. This helps brand recall. 

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Want to know more about the nitty-gritty planning and strategy you need to put into your YouTube channel? Read Part 2 of this blog post here: The Ultimate YouTube Starter Checklist: Things To Do Before Starting A YouTube Channel (Part 2).