How to start a YouTube channel for your business

Since its inception in 2005, YouTube has evolved beyond a simple video-sharing platform. 

Today, it’s a powerful marketing tool for UK businesses, helping brands reach wider audiences, showcase products or services through engaging video content and build authentic connections with viewers.

And thanks to platforms like YouTube, video marketing has become a favourite among users, with 82% of UK consumers purchasing a product after watching a brand’s video.

But despite the advantages of having a YouTube presence, those starting a business may be discouraged from creating a channel, as they worry that it’s too complicated, time-consuming, or costly to produce quality videos.

To help you out, we’ll walk you through the essential steps to kick off your YouTube channel – from setting up and creating effective videos to optimising your content and growing your audience – all without breaking the bank.

1. Plan your YouTube channel for business success

Having a successful YouTube channel starts with a clear plan, not a fancy camera. For this, you’ll need to define your goals, understand your target audience, and decide what type of content will best showcase your brand and attract viewers.

Define your “why”

First, you need to determine why you want to start a YouTube channel.

For example, marketing on YouTube can help increase brand awareness, generate more leads, educate customers to reduce support tickets, or simply showcase why your products/services are the best out there.

You’ll also need to understand the difference between vanity metrics – such as views, subscribers and like count – with business metrics that actually measure success, like website traffic, lead generation, sales conversions, and customer engagement. This will help you see the real impact your videos have on your business, not just how popular they look online. 

Pinpoint your audience and niche

Next, you’ll need to think about who your content is for. Your target audience might be the obvious answer, but you should also narrow your focus and find your niche. The more specific your content is, the easier it is to attract the right viewers and stand out from competitors.

For example, instead of creating general “business advice” videos, you could focus on “financial advice for UK freelance creatives”. This will help you build authority in your space and connect with an audience that truly values your expertise.

Brainstorm your core content pillars

When creating content, variety is key. There are different types of videos for different purposes, whether it’s educating your audience, building trust, or just promoting your products. 

Here are four popular video formats that can help your business grow on YouTube:

• Educational: How-to videos or tutorials, answering the question that customers are typing into Google.
• Demonstrations: Showing your product/service in action by solving a real problem, or demonstrating its usefulness or value.
• Engagement: Behind-the-scenes videos or founder stories to help build trust and humanise your brand.
• Promotional: Testimonies or explainer videos that showcase customer success and your unique value proposition.

2. Set up your channel the right way

Setting up your YouTube channel properly is the first step to growing your presence on the platform. A well-put-together channel makes a great first impression, helps people find you more easily, and shows viewers that you’re serious about your brand. Here’s a rundown of what you should do.

Create a brand account

When creating your account, you’ll need to set it up as a brand account. This will allow your channel to have a different name from your Google account and let multiple people manage the channel without sharing personal login information.

There are two ways to get a brand account – either by creating a brand new channel or by moving a personal channel to a new brand account. 

Method 1: Creating a new brand account

• Log in with the Google account you want to be the owner of the brand account.
• Go to your channel switcher at youtube.com/channel_switcher.
• Click on + Create a channel.
• Enter a name for your new channel. This will also be the name of your new brand account.
• Follow the remaining instructions to complete the channel creation.

Once you’ve completed the process, your channel will be automatically created with a new brand account linked to it.

Method 2: Moving a personal channel to a brand account

• Sign in to YouTube with your Google account and go to youtube.com/channel_switcher.
• Click on + Create a channel and give it a temporary name (it will be deleted in the next steps).
• Go to youtube.com/account_advanced and look for the move channel to brand account option.
• Select the brand account you just created from the list of accounts to move your content to.
• Click Replace and then confirm the move.

Define your channel’s brand identity

Once you’ve created your channel and brand account, it’s time to bring it to life with your business branding. This includes:

• Channel icon: You should use your logo here. Make sure it’s clear (e.g. not blurry or pixelated) and that your customers recognise it straight away.
• Channel banner/art: A large rectangular image on top of a YouTube channel that represents your brand and content, such as what you do and who for. A banner should be 2560 x 1440 pixels for the best display on all devices. Tools like Canva can help you create effective YouTube banners.
• The “About” section: Explain what your business is and your value proposition. You should also include keywords and a link to your business website to help with search visibility and allow potential customers to learn more.

Consider essential settings and verification

This includes your channel’s keywords, setting your location, and verifying your account.

Much like with search engine optimisation (SEO) practices for your website, it’s equally important to use them for your YouTube channel as well.

Using keywords in your video titles, descriptions, and tags will help the platform understand your target audience and your channel’s topic, in turn recommending your videos to the right people.

Additionally, you should verify your account before uploading content. Doing so will let you unlock certain features such as longer videos, adding custom thumbnails, and live streaming. 

And finally, make sure to set your channel’s country to the UK, so that you attract the right viewers geographically.

3. Get the essential gear on a startup budget

Running a YouTube channel doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and you don’t necessarily need expensive equipment or video software to create effective content. Here are a few simple tips to help you get started.

Utilise your smartphone

You might think you need to spend hundreds on a video camera, but modern smartphone devices are just as capable of recording good-quality video. 

A good rule of thumb is to film horizontally and with a clean lens, so that there aren’t any blurs or smudges in your video. You should also try to keep your camera steady to avoid shaky film. Consider investing in a smartphone tripod, or rest it on a stable surface if you can.

Make audio quality a priority

Even if your video is high quality, poor sound will immediately turn off viewers. After all, a Google and YouTube survey found that 84% of viewers said they’d rather watch a video with clear audio and average visuals than a good-quality video with bad sound.

You can ensure good sound quality on your video by:

• Getting the microphone close: Whether you’re using your smartphone’s built-in microphone or an external mic, you should keep it close to your mouth so that your voice is loud and clear, and less background noise is picked up.
• Treating your environment: Avoid large, empty rooms with hard surfaces. Instead, record in a small room with soft furnishings like carpets, curtains, or couches.
• Using a pop filter: If you’re using an external microphone, use a pop filter – an accessory placed between a microphone and a voice – to prevent harsh plosive sounds, as the bursts of air from “p” and “b” sounds can cause a jarring “pop” in your audio.
• Running a sound check: Before recording your video, do a short test recording and listen back on headphones. Make sure to check your audio levels to ensure the sound is loud and clear without any distracting noises or distortion.

Make sure you get the lighting right

Even if you have the budget for an expensive video camera, getting the lighting right is crucial for a professional-looking video. Here are a few principles and techniques you should follow.

Use soft lighting for direct-to-camera speaking

Soft lighting minimises harsh shadows, making skin look flattering. For this, you can use a large light source (e.g. a window) or place a diffuser, such as a softbox or even a white sheet of paper, between the light source and your face.

Utilise natural light

You can do this by facing the window (as it acts as a single soft light), avoiding backlighting (e.g. having a bright window or lamp behind you), and recording during the time of day when natural light is at its softest and warmest.

Invest in the right equipment

The best equipment for effective lighting includes:

• LED panels: These are energy-efficient, don’t generate much heat, and allow you to easily control the intensity (brightness) and colour temperature of your lighting.
• Ring lights: Provide soft, even light from the perspective of the camera. Ring lights are also cost-effective, with some being available for under £20.
• Bounce cards: If you only have one powerful light (your key light), you can use a large piece of white foam board, poster board, or a white wall placed opposite your key light to reflect some of the light back onto the shadow side of your face.

Use free or low-cost editing software

You don’t need to fork out a lot for video software either. Depending on your skill level and operating system, there are many options available for free or low-cost software. The most popular options are listed below.

4. Create your first video

Now that you’ve got all the essentials, it’s time to start recording your first video. 

This can feel intimidating at first, but it’s important to remember that you don’t have to do things perfectly the first time. However, to get the best possible results, we’d recommend the following tips.

The 5-minute script

The last thing you want is for your video to be jumbled, unfocused, or disengaging. That’s why it’s important to think about your video’s structure before you hit record.

A popular method is the 5-minute script, which is designed to create clear, engaging, and action-oriented videos quickly – typically running for five minutes or less. Here’s a quick breakdown of how it works:

• Hook: Get the viewer’s attention by stating the core problem or benefit they’ll get from watching your video.
• Teach/core value: Answer the viewer’s question, or explain the solution to the problem with a what, why, and how approach to keep it focused.
• Call to action: Tell the viewer what to do next. This could be asking for a like/comment, directing them to a linked resource, or promoting a related product/service.

The YouTube SEO checklist

Even the best-quality video isn’t going to get you anywhere if you don’t implement SEO practices. For YouTube, you should focus on using relevant keywords in the video title, description, tags, and thumbnail.

• Video title: Keep this keyword-focused and compelling (e.g. “How to Register a Limited Company in the UK: A 10-Minute Guide”).
• Description: Provide a clear summary of the video, with natural use of keywords and relevant links.
• Tags: Use a mix of broad and specific tags (e.g. business advice, uk startup, how to register a company uk).
• Thumbnail: This is the first impression viewers will get of your video and can help boost click-through rate (CTR). A good thumbnail should have high-contrast colours, clear text, and a human face. As mentioned above, tools like Canva can help you design eye-catching thumbnails, even if you don’t have any graphic design experience.

The call-to-action (CTA)

At the end of the video, you need to explicitly tell the viewer what you want them to do next. 

For example, you could ask them to like and subscribe to your channel, visit your website, follow your social media pages, book a free consultation, or check out another related video.

Whatever the goal of your video, a clear call to action will keep viewers engaged and help turn casual watchers into loyal followers or customers.

5. Get your content seen by the right people

Creating video content is only half the battle, and it can be discouraging when you don’t get the views and engagement you were hoping for. 

However, with just a few simple digital marketing practices, you can effectively promote your videos and YouTube channel to your audience. These include:

• Embedding videos on your website: Embed your YouTube videos into relevant blog posts, articles, or product pages to direct external traffic to your channel.
• Cross-promotion on social media: Create short, engaging teasers or clips of your video for platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and X (formerly Twitter) to direct viewers to the full video on YouTube.
• Email communication: Use email marketing to announce new videos or link directly to your channels in your newsletter or email signature.
• YouTube Ads: Run paid campaigns (e.g. skippable in-stream ads or discovery ads) to target specific demographics or interests to increase visibility and build your subscriber base.

Understanding YouTube analytics

It’s important to have a good understanding of YouTube analytics, as it gives you insights into how your videos are performing and how viewers are engaging with your content. The most important metrics to look for are:

• Impressions: The number of times your video thumbnail was shown to viewers on YouTube (e.g. the home page, search results, or suggested videos page).
• Impressions click-through rate (CTR): The percentage of people who saw your video thumbnail (an impression) and actually clicked to watch it.
• Watch time: The total minutes viewers have spent watching your videos.
• Audience retention: The average percentage of your video that viewers watch before clicking away.
• Subscriber gains: The subscribers gained (or lost) from a video or over time.
• Subscriber demographics: Data on your audience’s age, gender, and geographic location.

Conclusion

Understandably, starting a YouTube channel for your business may feel overwhelming, but with a clear plan, the right tools, and a little creativity, it’s entirely achievable.

All it takes is understanding your goals and your audience, so that you can create engaging content that resonates with your customers. With this, you can grow a channel that not only builds your brand but also attracts and converts customers,

The main thing is to be consistent and to focus on content that’s useful, entertaining, or informs your audience. That, and some patience and persistence, can make your YouTube channel a strong digital marketing tool for your business.