Starting a new website or YouTube channel can seem quite the task to begin with and there are many steps to take prior to even signing up the services. There are tons of experts available to answer your questions about your concerns and what the best way to get going is. I’m no expert but I can tell you about some of my mistakes I have made.
Looking back to when I first got going I now realize there are a few things I should have done differently when I started my blog and channel. Here are some tips I can share with you about what not to do when starting a website and YouTube channel.
1. Branding
I got into making videos from being inspired by other YouTubers/Reviewers such as Sam Pullen. I am the type of consumer who looks up reviews before buying a product. I was already into smartphones, rooting and jailbreaking devices. After a while I had the revelation that I could do the same thing. So I grabbed a camera, had no idea how to edit videos and uploaded right to YouTube. Fresh, uncut and totally noobish videos to start out with. That was the first big mistake.
The mistake wasn’t the inspiration or no editing. The mistake was I uploaded to a channel that I had already set the URL name into stone. With is www.youtube.com/yhwhsozo. YHWHSOZO was a screen name I used for a while back in the day. In case you’re wondering what it means, it is my name in some Hebrew. Joshua means Jesus Saves. Jesus = YHWH. Saves = SOZO. Anyways, my tech brand name is Bane Tech. I had no idea that I couldn’t change the URL name or that I needed to start a new channel altogether. Which leads me to another point. Social media.
Social media is one of the most important aspects of the game to nail down early. None of my screen names match across the board. If you take another YouTuber like wwjoshdew he has all his stuff matching and makes it much much nicer for people to find him. Match Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Google+ is SO vital for familiarity for viewers. My stuff is mixed between Bane Tech and my name as Joshua Bane. It’s not the end of the world, but it is my top regret of when I started Bane Tech.
2. Late in the game
Start writing, videos and content when you have the idea. Don’t ever wait and wish you had started sooner. Just start. If I would have started documenting my smartphone experiences back when I first got into, I can’t imagine where I’d be right now. Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for what I have now, but I wish I would have started when I got the Original Motorola Droid and when I rooted it. That was a light that flipped on inside of me that I never thought I had in me. That device changed my life. It developed a passion for technology that I didn’t think existed.
DroidModderX was and is still my go-to YouTuber for Verizon devices. It’s been cool following his stuff ever since those OG Droid days.
3. Identity Crisis
This somewhat related to point one, but in another light. At first I was all about the Bane Tech brand. I wanted to create a website and channel that catered to tech. But then I am a guy who likes other things and is passionate about many other subjects. About a year ago I was struggling with if I needed to keep it as Bane Tech being the brand or if in the perspective of I am Bane Tech with more about the person than a website. God convicted me that I needed to mend the passions together and that’s what I did. For a long time I had my personal and Bane Tech related stuff separate. But he wanted my passion for my faith and tech to be together. That’s where I developed a motto, “Using tech for the Christian advantage.” I liked the idea of actively finding ways to help other Christians use tech for good and not demonize it.
The crisis is that this all turned out the be a jumbled mess and if I would have planned out what God had in mind rather than jumping the gun, I’d have a well thought out plan and strategy for Bane Tech.
Another dilemma this situation poses is that if I ever get to a point where I can no longer do Bane Tech, it would be an awkward way to go out. I’d like the website and channel to continue on as a brand, but will not happen easily because I have made Bane Tech more about me the person and not a brand. My mistake here was not planning out properly of how I wanted my website and channel to be identified.
In conclusion, I am making the most (trying to at least) of what I have. I am happy with Bane Tech’s identity as it stands. I am too deep into what I have going to make any changes. But you have now learned some of the mistakes I made when I first got going. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes and start off on a solid foundation. Remember to brand correctly, start when you have the idea and solidify your identity. Then rock-n-roll!
If this article helped you in any way please kindly share this with your friends and family. If you have any further questions don’t be afraid to ask. Thanks for reading and happy creating!
