Style And Substance: Improving The Quality Of Your YouTube Channel

Being a YouTuber these days is not just about ensuring you put your point across in something you have an interest in, but it’s a lot more than that if you want to reach the right people. While there’s an abundance of marketing tips we should follow to ensure that we cast our net wide, we’ve also got to think about how we come across, not just in terms of our personality, but in regards to the presentation of our videos. 

Whether you’re a seasoned YouTuber, or you’re just starting out, the quality of your channel plays a massive role in hooking people in but also keeping them. Let’s show you all of the essential technical components that you should have in place.

Video Resolution and Formats

While so many people video themselves off their phones and upload it, you’ve got to start thinking about what it takes to create a superior viewing experience. Higher resolutions like 4K Ultra HD or 1080p Full HD are the best, but you also need to ensure that your camera settings and your editing software will support the resolution that you intend to use. While we all want superior quality, it can be at the expense of a lot of storage, but this is where additional tools can come in handy. 

AV1 encoding, which involves video compression techniques to keep the video quality high while using less storage can be one such option. YouTube also supports various video file formats, for example, MP4. MP4 is widely accepted because it offers decent compression without losing quality, but always remember to use the compatible formats to ensure there is a smooth upload and playback.

The Right Editing Software

Editing software is in abundance. Typically, for those people who aren’t technical and are trying to get their heads around it, it can seem like a closed door. Lots of people have their favorite tools they like to use for video compression or editing. There’s usually the big players that most people have heard of. For example, Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro. 

There’s a reason these tools are highly coveted; that’s because of the plethora of advanced features. Make sure that you know your way around the software. So many people invest in high-quality editing suites but seldom use the tools to their advantage. Partly this can be because you don’t have the time, inclination, or knowledge to make your videos pop. If you want to enhance the visual appeal of your videos, professional editing software can be invaluable. But there’s also plenty of courses and online tutorials that can help you learn your way around these things. 

Additionally, you may want to clean up your audio. Tools like Audacity and Adobe Audition can help you remove background noise and add music. Of course, there are a lot of these tools on phones these days. So, you need to decide whether you are happier to use your phone for all of this or get a laptop. Then you’ve got greater control over the final product. Most professional editors would certainly recommend the latter because it creates that polished end result, and you can get a better understanding of the visuals and the sound quality when you look at it on a computer in comparison to a phone screen. 

You’ve got to think that if people are viewing your content on their phone, which nine times out of 10 they will, if you can make the audio experience less “tinny” and the visuals look amazing on the phone, you will immediately surpass the vast majority of your competitors.

Video Production Techniques

While we’re going to argue that the most popular YouTube channels have very little in terms of production values, those people and channels have spent a long time working on the other components or, at the very least, have stellar content. Because so many people want to become YouTubers, this means we’ve got an influx of competition. So, we need to prioritize camera quality, lighting, but also other production values like framing and composition. 

You don’t need to be an expert in cinematography. However, framing yourself can make your videos visually engaging. Look at some of the movies you find appealing visually. What is it about them that enticed you in? Simple things like using tripods and maintaining a smooth approach to your videoing, while also film techniques such as the rule of thirds, can result in less shaky footage and, therefore, more engaging content.

Reaching a Broad Audience with Little Things

There are a number of things you can utilize to improve the viewing experience. These include: 

• Closed captions and subtitles, which can improve accessibility and make your content more inclusive. While YouTube offers automatic caption generation, take some time to review and edit them for accuracy. It doesn’t take too long and can spare you the embarrassment of YouTube completely misinterpreting what you’re saying! 
• YouTube cards and end screens promote other videos, websites, or playlists and create interactive elements, which can encourage viewers to subscribe. End screens are particularly useful when you create a lot of content that is similar or is continuing from a previous video.
• Video descriptions and tags are also another two things that can improve discoverability as the video description offers context and, with the right keyword research, can boost your visibility through the all-mighty organic SEO components.
• Interacting with your audience is yet another thing that can foster a sense of community. You should respond to comments and ask for feedback, and you can do this naturally within our videos as well. When you build a strong relationship with your audience, this can result in increased growth and can inform you on how to create and refine your content going forward.

Improving the quality of our YouTube channel is not just about the technical components but it can make all of the difference when trying to get ahead of our competitors. You don’t need to learn everything right away, but look at refining your technical skills as an ongoing journey that will help you create a successful YouTube channel.