Did reading this title make you a little uncomfortable? You wouldn’t be the only one. Just the thought of filming a Youtube video can have that effect on people. Heck, I still get nervous when I sit down to film! But the one thing that’s made the biggest difference? Preparation.

Take it from me. The girl who used to fool herself, thinking she was ready. “I know exactly what I’m going to talk about!” I’d tell myself. Cue to the camera recording and it would take ages to record a simple sentence. I’d end up with tons of clip recordings that made editing frustrating and a longer process than it needed to be. That’s when I hit pause and taught myself how to prepare for Youtube videos.

How To Prepare For Youtube Videos

These 5 steps are pretty straightforward but they make a big difference.

Research Video Topics

What questions do you answer frequently? What topics come naturally to you? Then go to Youtube and use the search bar to see what types of videos pop up? Look at the high performing videos and decipher why that video is doing so well. What hook did they use at the beginning? Why do you think this video is doing well? And how can you create your own version of it?

Write Video Scripts

I spoke about scripts in this blog post so you know I’m not a word-for-word person. I like to write a mix of bullet points and have a few exact sentences written out. It makes speaking to the camera seem more natural and there’s less pressure thinking you’ll forget something. Oh, it saves you a ton of time! Writing out scripts makes filming a breeze and allows you to film multiple videos in one sitting.

Choose Location

What spot in your house has good natural lighting? Tidy up your background and put a tripod, or anything that will allow you to prop your camera, in front of the window. Don’t fret about the perfect background. I repeat: Don’t fret about the perfect background 🙂 Mine is currently a blank, boring white wall and it’s doing the job just fine.

Prepare Yourself

Here comes the vain part: Doing your hair and makeup is crucial. It boosts your confidence and it’s like putting your armor on before going into battle! – Except you’re about to sit down to film a Youtube video. Same thing, right?

Film Youtube Video

Record a clip to make sure you’re properly in focus, that the audio is working – and that nothing is in frame that shouldn’t be there ?The test clip also allows you to adjust the camera zoom or height. After that, you’re ready to rock and roll!

If you follow these steps you’ll know how to prepare for youtube videos and show that confidence on camera. Putting the effort in to prepare will also help you down the line in the editing process. You won’t have tons of clips to sift through and be able to upload it in no time ??