We knew when Google bought YouTube that video was probably going to start to get pretty big. And it has. Not only is video content shared three times more than any other content, but if your website contains video footage then its favourable for SEO. In short, if you haven’t already, you NEED a YouTube account and to get rolling! Here are our 5 easy steps for setting up a channel:

1. You need Google to get YouTube, so if you haven’t already, set up a Gmail account:

• Go to www.google.co.uk
• Search for Gmail and select the relevant link
• Select “Create an account” – it’s free and the simple steps will take you through how to get started
• Once you have your username and password you can go to YouTube

2. Go to www.youtube.co.uk and select “Create an account.” Your username here can (and should) be different to your Gmail username. Its a good idea to use your full name and/or business name followed by TV e.g. ShakeSocialTV.

3. Follow the steps to get all your information in and get the basic account set up.

4. Channel art – as on all social media sites, the way it looks is really important.  Make sure its branded correctly so that people will know who they are looking at! YouTube offer specific guidelines on channel art sizes and how to edit: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2972003?hl=en

5. Get something on there! It’s easy to shoot a quick video on your smartphone and edit footage using free software like Windows Movie Maker. A good tip is to get a tripod so that the camera is steady. You may want to think about animated video, and rather than paying thousands of pounds you can do it yourself with sites like GoAnimate [http://goanimate.com/videomaker]

So don’t delay and get your YouTube account set up and start sharing out your video!

What do you think? Let us know in the comment box below.

By Harriet Thacker

Harriet is a marketing expert, social media enthusiast and Shake Social’s champion blogger. Struggling to maintain your own blog? We can help!