Are you wondering how to start a travel YouTube channel? When we started our full-time travel adventure we knew we wanted to put videos on YouTube but we weren’t sure how to get started.
With YouTube there are little things you have to do to ensure your videos and channel are setup correctly. We had started channels prior to our travel channel but there was just information we felt we were missing in order to get our videos found.
So I did the one thing I know how to do… I sought out an online vlogging course to teach me the ins and outs of how to start a YouTube channel and launch it correctly.
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How to Start a Travel YouTube Channel
Starting the channel is the easiest part with a few exceptions of some of the settings in the dashboard.
To actually get started you just need a Google Account then you login with it on YouTube.
You are going to click on your name icon on the top right hand corner of the screen and click “your channel” and if you don’t have one then it will give you this option to create a channel.
Before you do this make sure you decide on whether you will use a name other than yours as your channel. You can’t change your channel name once you get started and the link isn’t super obvious.
Once you do this you will be able to go into the settings and start customizing your channel.
Things to Customize:
- Channel art
- Profile picture
- Channel description
- Details
- Add links
- Channel Trailer
Like I said there are a lot of little details to be filled in that could make a difference in people finding you when searching on YouTube or Google. Don’t forget to do these basics!
The Best Travel Vlogging Course
So the majority of what I have learned has come from Marc’s course How to Start a YouTube Channel. I knew I was forgetting things when setting our channel up. In fact, I started the channel then went through the course and ended up going back to fix things I had missed.
I’m sure you’re wondering though if you really need a vlogging course and how it will impact your success getting started.
You don’t need it but it will vastly put you ahead of the crowd. You can also cut through the noise and focus on what you need in order to get your channel off the ground and start creating content for it.
There are a lot of “experts” out there and I’m not going to pretend to be one which is why I’m suggesting this vlogging course. But it’s not just a vlogging course! He also teaches tech, discusses the best vlogging equipment to get started and how to optimize your videos for success.
What in the Course:
- Choosing a Channel Theme
- Channel Setup
- How to Select the Right Gear
- How to Manage Your Video Files
- How to Edit Like a Pro, When You’re Not
- How to Find Royalty Free Music
- How to Get More Views & Subscribers
- How to Upload Videos Correctly
- How to Launch Your Channel
- Bonus: Private Student Only Facebook Group
- Bonus: Tech Videos, Finding Your Voice & More
It’s really a no brainer to take lessons from someone who has over 800,000 viewers per month and makes over 6 figures on his channel.
I can’t say enough good things about his course… in fact, I’m the first testimonial on his sales page.
Can You Make Money Vlogging?
So here’s the biggest question… can you make money vlogging? Yes, you can make money vlogging. No, it won’t happen overnight.
There are a lot of ways people make money with YouTube channels and ads on your videos are just one way.
Main Ways to Make Money on YouTube:
- Ads
- Affiliate Links
- Sponsored Content
- Product Sales
There is a new way to make money on YouTube and that’s through their subscription memberships. The only stipulation is regular channels have to have 30,000 subscribers and gaming channels have to have 1,000 subscribers.
So the short answer is yes, you can make money vlogging and creating travel videos.
How Do You Make a Good Travel Vlog?
This is debatable on what your taste is in video, how you want to present your videos and who your audience is. It will also depend on what your audience wants.
To make a good travel vlog in my opinion you need to weave story into your activity. My favorite YouTube channels provide consistency in their content and I always know what to expect.
Whether they are doing reviews, adventuring or just doing vlogs I always know what to expect from them.
Can I Vlog With an iPhone?
Our first video was recorded on an iPhone and the newer model cameras are getting better and better. I personally don’t vlog with an iPhone anymore but if it’s a matter of using one or not getting started I say use it! You can always get yourself a nice gimbal to use to make smoother videos.
What Equipment Do You Need to Become a YouTuber?
Really getting started is better than waiting to buy a fancy camera, mic and whatever else you think you need.
I will say though that purchasing my Canon M50 was the best decision we made and it’s made our videos so much better.
I will be completely transparent with you on our equipment.
Our camera equipment consists of:
- GoPro Hero 6
- Canon M50
- GoPro Karma Grip
- GoPro Karma Drone
- External Hard Drives
- Memory Cards
- Rode Mic
- Tripod
- Selfie Stick
- GoPro Suction Cup Mount
- Spare Canon Batteries
This list of our travel vlogging equipment doesn’t include the tools we use to manage our YouTube channel. We’ve bootstrapped our channel so far for the most part but here are the tools we do use:
- Music: Epidemic Sound
- Editing: Adobe Premier Pro
- Keywords: TubeBuddy
These are the only subscriptions we pay for and I actually paid for TubeBuddy for an entire year then got an invite for a lifetime membership so I won’t pay for this again.
What Should a Beginner Post on YouTube?
Travel vlogging for beginners shouldn’t be overcomplicated. The first thing you should create is a channel trailer to give your new viewers an idea of who you are and what you have to offer.
This is our current channel trailer but we’ve created 3 different ones at this point so this isn’t something you’re married to if you don’t like the first version you create.
Then you should sit down and create a content calendar of sorts to give you an idea of what to create, when you will create it and when you will publish it.
We decided on Saturday’s for our release day so our subscribers know Saturday’s they are going to see something new from us.
We do most of our content planning around topics that I know are trending or in season. This is a more advanced strategy you shouldn’t worry so much about when getting started since you don’t have an audience yet.
Our first video was a how to video and it is still our most popular and consistent in growth. It brings us the most watch time and channel views. So don’t discount your first video! Even if you shoot it with an iPhone.
You can watch our How to Flat Tow Video here.
YouTube Tips for Beginners
These are my top tips when first starting out as a beginner…
Don’t compare yourself to bigger channels. This will only get you frustrated with your own growth or lack thereof.
Subscribe to TubeBuddy even though you think you can do research without it. TubeBuddy will weight your channel against the tags you are going to use and help you determine if you can even rank for them or not.
Pay for a royalty free music service. I know you’re just starting out but it’s better to have royalty free music and not risk your videos being ineligible for monetization when you can monetize with ads.
Be confident. You will only get better on camera by practicing and owning it! Own your voice. Own your look. Own you.
Take the YouTube course I mentioned above. Trust me you will feel better starting out if you know what you’re doing! Just being in the private Facebook Group alone is worth the money I paid for the course.
If you plan to make money from your YouTube channel treat it like a business from the start. Be consistent and provide a ton of value to your viewers. Be proactive about marketing and build relationships with your viewers.
Getting starting and keeping up with a YouTube channel will be thrilling and give you a new sense of freedom. The freedom to create content and down the line get paid for it is phenomenal to me.
We currently make money from our channel through affiliate products and in the near future hope to have merchandise as well as sponsorships. It’s all a work in progress but it’s fun for us.
Of course here’s our YouTube channel if you want to subscribe. We provide a weekly video with a mix of education and inspiration for RV travel with a family. We publish how to videos, reviews, and adventure content.
