Planning and Promoting Your YouTube Channel: Three Tips for Small Business Owners
By Ryan Donaldson
Preparation is key. While this may not be the most fun aspect of your creative process, it will ensure that you have everything you need to shoot stunning videos. There are some simple steps you can take to establish quality control and efficiency to maximize the impact of your next video project. In this article, we will discuss call sheets and show you how call sheet templates and storyboard templates will make your life easier and help you best prepare for your next shoot. We will also show you ways to promote your YouTube channel using various social media platforms.
- Create a Call Sheet
In short, a call sheet is a documented schedule prepared by you or an assistant director that outlines the primary details of your video shoot. Call sheets help organize the shooting schedule, location, and call times for your talent. Most film call sheets will tell actors and other members of the production team where to be and at what time. They also contain the shot list so that you have a guide of which shots are needed for a particular video. This helps organize your day and prepares you for what’s needed for any given shooting schedule.
Start With a Simple Call Sheet Template
A free call sheet template is the first step in creating your next call sheet. Many websites give you a call sheet example that you can download, and this is a great place to start. Your call sheet requires contact information, production title, names of cast and crew and their call times (when they show up for work), date, weather, shooting schedule, location, etc. These call sheets also may contain incidental information such as parking and information on the nearest hospital. A critical part of production is to keep yourself and your crew safe!
Not all call sheet templates are the same, so you want to make sure you have a call sheet that is tailored to your type of video project. For example, you may not need a call sheet template that includes weather information if you’re shooting indoors. You will want to keep it simple for the sake of clarity, but make sure you aren’t missing any key pieces of information.
Many YouTube creators shoot entirely by themselves, and this works for many channels. However, with a cast and crew, these call sheets are essential for a successful shoot. Your call sheet template should conform to the needs of anyone included in your production. A call time should account for hair, makeup, and wardrobe preparation as well. And remember, provide only one call sheet per person, per day. A wrong call sheet can lead to disaster, especially if an actor’s call time varies from day to day, so keep this organized!
When using your call sheet template, make sure your information is consistent, and before distributing it to your cast and crew, remember to proofread carefully. Mistakes can be costly and you don’t want a simple typo to ruin the shoot. Also, send a PDF instead of something that can be edited, such as a Microsoft Word doc. You want to make sure that no one makes any unauthorized edits.
Another thing to remember is to have your call sheet approved. You want to make sure that your cast and crew are all on board so that you don’t run into any unnecessary scheduling conflicts. Once your PDF call sheet is viewed and approved, you’re on your way to another smooth production. Remember, the call sheet is essential to keeping yourself and your crew running smoothly.
- Use the Storyboarding Process to Improve Your Content
Just like your call sheet, using storyboard templates will vastly improve your efficiency on a shoot and give you clear ideas on how to film your scenes for the day. This process is largely the same across the entertainment industry, from large commercial motion pictures to TV commercials and smaller projects alike. You can download free storyboard templates to get you started off on the right foot, and these storyboarding resources can be easily found online. Of course, you can always create a simple template from scratch using Microsoft Word or Google Docs. You can also design your vision further with creative tools like Adobe Photoshop (as layered PSDs), PowerPoint, and Adobe Illustrator. Essentially, your storyboard acts as a graphic organizer for your video project with a series of images. It contains illustrations and photos and helps organize and focus your script and your overall vision. In short, creating storyboards helps bring your stories, your writing, and your characters to life!
Finding the Right Storyboard Template
There is no perfect storyboard template, but you should choose a free storyboard template that is simple and straightforward. It is good to note that a professional storyboard is a comprehensive storyboard. A good storyboard will detail the name of the production, scene numbers, aspect ratios, and shot numbers. A simple sketch of each scene and the shot will help you visualize your goals for that production day, but you can always spice it up with animation or even create a video storyboard. Storyboard templates don’t vary much, and there can be multiple formats, but you want to make sure you have enough space for notes and updates. Any free storyboard template is a good start, but always feel free to make it your own.
The main aspect to focus on is that storyboard templates, just like your call sheets, will help you stay focused, organized, and better prepared to tell your story. The more prepared you are, the better your work will turn out.
- Marketing Your YouTube Channel with Social Media Videos
If you are wondering how to start a YouTube channel, great social videos are a major component. Social videos are key to spreading the word about your YouTube channel. Your social media videos help create awareness of your work on other social platforms and keep your followers engaged. Audience engagement across multiple platforms will ensure that your fans are seeing everything you have to offer, and you don’t want them to miss a thing.
When you create videos, you need to also find ways to shape that same video content as a tool for social media marketing. For example, creating short videos (vertical videos) on a social media platform like TikTok that link to your longer, more in-depth YouTube video. It is also critical to choose the right video clips that will cater to a larger, broader audience. An effective promotional video will be one that appeals to a wider range of viewers.
Your video content for YouTube should also reflect similar social media video content. For example, you wouldn’t want a YouTube channel committed solely to food while having an Instagram account that rarely mentions food. Your Facebook videos (or Facebook Live) is another video platform that should have the goal of drawing more social media followers to your YouTube channel. A Pinterest video showing you working behind the scenes can give more insight into your more professional-looking YouTube videos. It will engage social media users in a new and different way.
Your social media videos are the perfect way to market yourself as these let viewers see another side of you. Some of the best videos can be simple Instagram stories that may last only a few seconds but still effectively communicate your ideas. Use live videos and live streams as a teaser or a call to action, or just as a marketing strategy. Your goal is to let social media video work for you and keep your audience’s attention.
Creating Social Media Ads
Once you’ve gained a modest following, you may start to consider social media ads as a means to generate income. First and foremost, you need to grab your viewers’ attention by means of a relevant, engaging image or video. You also need your video ads to speak with enthusiasm to hype up your brand. Timing is also key. Keep it short, but long enough to convey the needed amount of information. Also, make sure you provide direct links to the product or service. Take a few minutes to write up a short script, and keep it fun!
Social Media Video Tips
Unless you’re doing detailed how-to videos, you want to try to keep your video ideas short and sweet. When creating video content, stick to something simple. For more complex ideas, try uploading multiple videos to various social media apps. When your videos auto-play, this helps to tie everything together.
Upload videos with topics you’re passionate about. Your followers will notice. You want to be their one-stop shop on a particular topic, and you will need to make efforts to maintain that loyalty.
You want to create video content that is new and engaging, and you need your video content strategy to focus on not only those loyal followers but also on gaining a new audience. Think about it. Everyone uses the social network to watch videos. Your goal is to use your social channels and marketing efforts to steer them towards yours.
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