Thinking about starting a YouTube channel in 2025? Read our 17 tips below for the best chance of success.

With over 2.5 billion reported active users in 2024, it’s hard to find a niche on YouTube that isn’t completely saturated. So that begs the question – is it possible to grow a YouTube channel in 2025?

The short answer is yes. 2025 is a great time to start a YouTube channel – perhaps even more so than previous years. Many users have recently reported seeing more videos from smaller channels, with the theory being that YouTube is currently promoting new creators. And if that theory proves true, 2025 is the perfect year to start your channel.

So, if you’ve decided that 2025 will be your year to make it on YouTube, congrats! We’re excited to be a part of your journey. Below we’ve laid out our top expert-recommended tips for starting a YouTube channel in 2025.

1. Make content based on keyword research

This SEO-driven method of gathering content ideas is one of the oldest in the book, and its longevity is a testament to its effectiveness.

Remember – YouTube is a search engine. So optimising your content with that in mind is key to boosting your discoverability in the early days of your channel.

One of the best ways to create SEO-friendly YouTube videos is to make sure your content ideas are informed by keyword research. Here’s how to do it:

Use an SEO tool like UberSuggest to search keywords that are relevant to your niche.
Look for keywords that have a high search volume and low competition.
Base your content around these keywords, and make sure you include the keywords in your video title and description.

If you follow the steps above and create high-quality content, you’ll have a decent chance of ranking highly for your chosen keywords, enhancing your discoverability early on!

2. Identify a gap in the market

If you’re struggling to come up with a niche, ask yourself what sort of videos you would want to watch that you can’t find anywhere on YouTube.

If you’re serious about building a large audience on YouTube, you should approach it like you would approach starting a business. That means either:

Identifying a gap in the market.
Offering a better alternative to what’s already out there.

Both of these options involve doing something differently. Think about what sort of videos you, as a viewer, would want to watch. Be as specific as possible to identify the aspects where there isn’t much competition. Then double down on those aspects as your channel’s unique selling point.

3. Keep your video titles general and dramatic

When starting a YouTube channel, you want your videos to be shown to as many people as possible. This is because more viewers means more data on metrics like watch time – things the algorithm needs to work out your target audience. It seems counterintuitive, but keeping your video ideas generic can actually help you connect with your target audience more quickly.

To make sure your video is going to appeal to as many people as possible, try to make your title and thumbnail mysterious and dramatic*. Take this Vincent Chan video, for example. The title and thumbnail are relatively vague, indicating that the video is about money, but not necessarily about saving money.

Vincent purposefully makes the title and thumbnail vague and dramatic to spark interest, which will maximise the video’s click-through rate. More people are probably inclined to click on that title and thumbnail than if it were something more specific like ‘Why saving money gets easier after your first £10k’.

Below is another example by Simon Alexander Ong. The video is about establishing good habits, but the title and thumbnail don’t make that obvious in order to attract as many people as possible.

*You may have noticed that this advice somewhat goes against tip #1 (make content based on keyword research). That’s because you should be posting a range of content, as recommended by Google’s marketing strategy for YouTube. You can refer to their Hero-Hub-Help framework for more information on this. The ‘Help’ category refers to your SEO-driven, keyword-informed content, whereas your ‘Hero’ content will be the more generic kind of videos YouTube can push to a big, broad audience.

4. Double down on your successful videos

If one of your videos does take off in the early days, it’s because people enjoyed it. When this happens, you should double down on the style and topic of the video to give that same audience something to come back to. This can attract new subscribers in the early stages of building your channel.

For example, if you found success with the video ‘What every beginner trader should know’, you should create another video in that same vein e.g. ‘What NOT to do when you start trading.’ By adapting the content only slightly, you can still provide value and new viewpoints to your audience, while also starting to create that consistency that encourages subscribers.

5. Create viewer avatars

Aim to understand your audience as deeply as possible, including their age, hobbies, interests, fears, and desires. Once you’ve created an in-depth viewer avatar, you’ll understand what kind of content they want to watch. It sounds simple, but a lot of new creators try to come up with content that’s so outside the box that it doesn’t really tick anyone’s boxes.

6. Don’t compare yourself to big channels

Remember that most of the ‘big’ YouTube channels started off just like you – on a phone camera, in their homes, without expensive lighting and sound equipment. Comparing yourself to other channels is a waste of time and energy, and it’s likely to drain you of motivation and self-belief.

7. Good lighting matters more than an expensive camera

If you’re starting your channel on a budget, don’t rush to buy a professional camera. Your first priority should be your lighting setup, as this will make the biggest difference to the quality of your visuals. In fact, smartphone cameras are so good these days that buying a professional camera isn’t ever a necessity for most creators.

Check out our blog on Budget-Friendly Lighting and Audio Hacks for Creators for some cheap ideas for improving your sound and visuals.

8. Focus on quality and uniqueness

With so much AI-generated content flooding the internet, thoughtful, human-made content is so important. While some successful YouTubers have advised to ‘get your first 100 videos out of the way’, you shouldn’t rush that first 100. It’s better to spend a little extra time on each video to ensure it’s well-executed and that it’s better than the last.

You’ve also probably heard a lot of creators preaching the importance of ‘consistency’, in terms of how often you post. But having a posting schedule can be restrictive and negatively impact your content quality.

Remember – consistent quality is so much more important than your frequency of posting. Focus on quality, storytelling, and what you can bring to the table that no one else can – these are the things that will ultimately help you find success.

9. Use storytelling to keep viewers engaged

Storytelling has become somewhat of a buzzword when talking about content creation. You’ve probably heard it a million times by now, but still might not fully understand how to implement it into your videos.

The simplest way to do this is to think of your video like you would a TV show, book, or movie. Make sure the following is clear to your audience:

Who is the main character?
What is their goal?
What obstacles do they need to overcome to reach that goal?
What will happen if the goal isn’t reached?

By including all these elements you can create jeopardy and drama, which is key to getting viewers hooked on your content i.e. more subscribers!

Check out our blog on How To Use Storytelling To Improve Your YouTube Videos for more in-depth guidance on storytelling in content creation.

10. Get good at creating thumbnails and titles

Your thumbnail and title are the dealbreaker that decides whether people will click on your video or scroll past it. They’re the packaging you choose for your product. Being able to create compelling thumbnails and titles is essential in 2025, 2026 and beyond – it will never NOT be essential.

There’s no exact formula of what makes a good thumbnail, because it’s important to stand out. That said, there are a few rules you should follow when creating yours:

Your thumbnail should complement your title, not mirror it. Say something different with both and avoid repeating yourself – that’s wasted real estate!
Make sure your thumbnail text is readable – keep sentences to 5 words or less, but the shorter the better.
Use power words or dramatic statements to create jeopardy or excitement e.g. ‘DON’T DO THIS’, ‘IT’S A TRAP’.
Use bright colours to help draw attention.
Make sure the thumbnail is genuinely relevant to the video (and not pure clickbait!).

11. Hook your audience in the first 15 seconds

Platforms like TikTok have changed how we consume video content, and we’ve become accustomed to receiving almost instant gratification. A 30-second video can now contain as much information and value as a 3-minute – or even 30-minute – video once did. All this means audiences will now ruthlessly close your video if they don’t feel invested within the first few seconds.

You need to convince your audience to watch the whole video within the first 15 seconds, so work harder on your intro than on any other part. Ensure it’s fast-paced and engaging, and lets your audience know exactly what to expect.

12. Make content that you truly enjoy

Creating content that you actually enjoy making and watching will help you stay consistent, even on your bad days.

You’ve got to be in it for the long run if you’re serious about growing a YouTube channel – most people don’t see results for months or even years. If you’re just in it for the money, and you don’t get monetised quickly, you might get frustrated or give up, and all that effort will go to waste.

It’s obvious when someone isn’t actually passionate about their content, and it’s a major turn-off for viewers. So make content that you truly enjoy watching and creating for the best chance of success.

13. Make Shorts a core part of your strategy

As YouTube tries to compete with the likes of TikTok for user watch time, Shorts have become more prominent on the platform.

YouTube Shorts are viewed over 70 billion times a day, and that number is on the rise. If posting Shorts isn’t part of your content strategy, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. It’s far easier to rack up a few thousand views on a Short than on a regular YouTube video, and Shorts give you the best chance of going viral.

But it’s not just for the extra exposure that you should be posting Shorts. You’ll also get more video editing experience, with less risk. Most creators can produce 3, 5, or even 10 Shorts in the time it would take them to create one long-form video!

14. Cross-promote your content

Given how saturated YouTube is now, it’s undoubtedly harder than ever to get noticed. But that’s why it’s essential to cross-promote your content on other websites and social media channels. Doing so will boost your exposure to a wider audience, without relying on the YouTube algorithm (which is notoriously difficult to win over).

If you do promote your content on other sites, groups or forums, you should always check their rules on self-promotion. The last thing you want is to get yourself banned and annoy people!

Here are some effective ways to cross-promote your content:

Reddit threads or subreddits.
Facebook groups.
Repurpose your video into an article and post it on blogging sites like Medium, embedding the video into the page.
Repurpose your video into multiple short-form clips and post on TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Mailing list (if you have one).
Extract the audio from your video and create a podcast version.

15. Don’t ignore your criticism

Criticism can be tough to accept, especially from strangers, but it’s part and parcel of having an online presence.

If you receive a few negative comments, try to look on the bright side – people are taking the time to engage with your video, and it might actually be constructive feedback. Take time to answer each of your comments politely, even if they’re mean. If someone said they didn’t like something, ask them why – this is your chance to engage with your viewers and show them that you want to improve your content.

16. Post 1-2 videos a week if you can

This might seem contradictory to tip #8 (focus on quality and uniqueness), but there’s no doubt about it – posting more frequently will help you grow faster.

Perhaps the reason you haven’t been posting that frequently is because your videos take a couple of weeks to create. Can you be more open-minded with the kind of content you’re posting? Can you think of other kinds of videos you could post that wouldn’t take so long to create? Like behind-the-scenes content, tutorials, or day-in-the-life videos?

You don’t have to post this regularly, but doing so will undoubtedly expedite your growth and help you become a better creator faster.

17. Keep at it

Starting your channel is easy. Making your first few videos isn’t that challenging. The hard part is keeping at it when you don’t get the results you want.

We all secretly hope and believe that we might go viral with our first few videos. But there’s a 99% chance that this won’t happen. Most successful YouTubers got to where they are today because they didn’t give up after months, or even years of hard work.

If you’re serious about starting a YouTube channel in 2025, just make sure you’re being realistic and are willing to dedicate the necessary amount of time to it.

17 Tips For Starting A YouTube Channel In 2025