Want to know how to become a successful YouTuber? Looking for a one-step guide to create a successful YouTube channel from scratch? You’re in the right place.
There are a TON of people who became rich due to YouTube.
YouTube is the second biggest search engine after Google. If used right, you can use YouTube to earn millions, become famous, and be known worldwide.
If you’re new to YouTube or struggling to become a successful YouTuber, this detailed guide is exclusively for you.
In this post, we’ll discuss;
- How to create quality videos for YouTube
- How to get more views and subscribers
- How to make money from YouTube
- Some important tips to quickly build a successful YouTube channel and more
So are you ready? Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
How to Be a Successful YouTuber in 2025?
Know your “why”
Know what “success” means to you. Knowing your “why” is the MOST important step to succeed as a YouTuber.
What are you trying to achieve from YouTube?
- Do you want fame?
- Do you want to get rich?
- Do you want to build a personal brand?
All the successful YouTubers know their why.
Let’s take MrBeast’s YouTube channel for example.
MrBeast is one of the most-viewed creators on YouTube with over 100 million subscribers. He stands #2 on a list of Most Subscribed YouTube Channels.
Jimmy Donaldson is the guy behind this super successful YouTube channel. He’s known for giving away millions of dollars to charity and his subscribers.
His “why” is this: “to create an impact in the world and make people happy”.
If you’re curious, here are some of MrBeast’s accomplishments.
- Raised $20,000,000 to plant 20,000,000 trees
- Given millions to charity
- Donated over 100 cars
- Gave away a private island
- Gave away 1 million dollars in one video
- And many more
So what can we learn from him? Find out your why. Your vision becomes clear if you know what exactly you want out of the YouTube platform.
Choose a memorable YouTube channel name
If you want to be a successful YouTuber, you need a channel name that’s easy to remember.
Also, your YouTube channel name is what helps others to quickly understand what your channel is about. So make sure to pick a catchy name.
But… coming up with a memorable YouTube channel name is always hard.
We have a quick tip for you!
You can use FREE tools like the YouTube name generator from Wix to easily come up with a ton of great channel name ideas for your YouTube channel.
Here’s how it works.
Once you’re on the website, enter any keyword that’s relevant to your YouTube channel.
Viola… The tool will instantly generate a ton of channel name ideas.
Have a look!
Here are a few more quick tips to pick a catchy name for your channel.
- Make it easy to spell
- Make it easy to type
- Try to relate your channel name to your content (if you’re planning to run a channel on fitness, try to include a fitness term into your channel name)
- Brainstorm a lot (ask your friends, use free YouTube name generator tools, get inspiration from other channel names)
Above all, make sure the name is available. You can use free tools like Namecheckr to quickly find availability on YouTube.
Here’s how it looks like;
As you can see above, for the example username “Backlinko”, the YouTube channel name is unavailable.
Create high-quality videos
The #1 rule to succeed on YouTube: create videos that are worth watching.
To become a successful YouTuber, you need to learn how to create videos that get more views, likes, comments, and subscribers.
Don’t just throw garbage videos on YouTube and expect it to make you famous or money.
It’s NOT going to work. Your videos should provide either value or entertainment to your video viewers.
Here are few solid tips for you to create high-quality videos.
Plan your videos the RIGHT way
Few YouTubers use scripts and few others create videos in freestyle (without a script). Pick which one suits you or give it a try to both to find out what works best for you.
No matter what type of videos you create, it’s always good to have an outline for the video. Do proper research to create engaging videos that help you grow your channel.
Filming YouTube videos
You need to decide whether or not to show your face while creating videos. It’s always a good idea to show your face publicly if you want to be a successful YouTuber in the long run.
Have the right equipment, but not right away.
If you’re just getting started on YouTube, you can use your smartphone for creating your first few videos. See how it feels. You don’t need expensive equipment right away.
Just make sure your videos are well lit and have better sound quality. Invest in a quality microphone for a crisp and better audio quality.
YouTube video editing
To create engaging and incredible videos for your channel, you need to learn editing (or hire someone to do it for you). Why? Because there are a lot of things involved in creating a perfect video including
- Removing unwanted content
- Trimming video images
- Adding graphics
- Adjusting color
- Adding an intro
- Add amazing background music, and the list goes
If you’re just getting started, it’s always better to learn video editing. You can use tools like Filmora, Movavi, Adobe Premiere, etc to edit your videos like a pro.
Increase views and user engagement
To build a successful YouTube channel, you need more views and subscribers. How can you increase views on your channel along with user engagement? Here are 3 quick tips for you.
Create powerful thumbnails
Want more views on your videos? Create click-worthy thumbnails. Video thumbnails let your video viewers see a quick snapshot of your video while browsing YouTube.
Don’t create false clickbait thumbnails to get more views as they’re not going to help in the long run.
Instead, focus on creating surprising yet appealing thumbnails that capture your viewers’ attention instantly. One best way to create catchy thumbnails is to use free image editing tools like Canva as it provides a ton of YouTube thumbnail templates.
YouTube Cards
YouTube cards are similar to notifications that appear on desktop and mobile which you can set up to promote your videos, playlists, websites, etc.
YouTube cards are extremely important to get more views. Do you want to know why? Read on.
Every video on YouTube has a specific spot where viewers drop off. Most of the time, people visit a video halfway and click on any other video.
That’s where you should be using “cards” to keep your viewers watching videos from your channel instead of clicking on other videos.
Here’s an example illustration of a “dropoff”.
You just need to find the specific “dropoff” point in your video where viewers tend to stop watching and add a YouTube card at that specific spot (either by linking to another similar video or a playlist).
End Screen
An end screen (also known as an end card) is what appears in the last 5 to 20 seconds of a YouTube video.
End screens help you get more views on your other YouTube videos. So it’s extremely important to add end screens for all your YouTube videos.
Here’s how the end screen looks like;
As you can see above, on our YouTube channel, we’re showing one playlist and a relevant video as the end screen (including the subscribe button).
Similarly, you can also add end screens for every video you upload to your YouTube channel to get more views and increase user engagement.
Last but not least: use proper call-to-action in your videos. You should encourage people to subscribe to your channel, like your video, follow you on other social networks, leave a comment, etc.
Discover the leading voices on YouTube in India with our comprehensive list of the top Indian YouTubers.
Learn and implement YouTube SEO
Your job as a YouTuber doesn’t start and end with uploading content. To become a successful YouTuber, you need to attract more people to view your videos.
One of the best ways to do that is to use YouTube SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
If you want to grow a successful YouTube channel from scratch, you need to learn and implement video SEO.
Whether you know it or not, all the successful YouTubers who attract a ton of views and subscribers implement specific SEO strategies on their videos.
Curious to find them out? Here are some of the PROVEN ways to optimize your YouTube videos to get more views and subscribers.
Find better keywords for your YouTube videos
Be it a normal SEO or video SEO, it all starts with keyword research.
Keyword research is the process of finding better keywords to get more visitors to your YouTube channel (or website).
So how do you find better keywords for your YouTube videos? Here are some of the easiest ways for you.
Use YouTube autosuggest
One simple yet free way to find unlimited keyword ideas is to use YouTube autosuggest.
Just enter a keyword that’s relevant to your channel and YouTube automatically suggests you all the long-tail keyword ideas.
Have a look;
As you can see above, when you type a keyword term (for example, “SEO tips for”), the YouTube autosuggestion tool gives you relevant keyword ideas automatically.
That’s how you can come up with a ton of interesting ideas for your future videos for free.
Use Semrush keyword magic tool
We use the Semrus keyword magic tool for keyword research (for our blog posts as well as YouTube videos). Over 7 million marketers use the Semrush tool for various SEO purposes including keyword research.
If you want to get accurate monthly searches for each keyword, the Semrush keyword magic tool is exclusively for you.
Quick note: You can try the Semrush SEO tool FREE for the next 14 days. Visit this exclusive link to grab their 14-days free trial.
Here’s how the keyword data on Semrush looks like;
As you can see above, for the same example keyword (i.e SEO tips), the Semrush keyword magic tool is giving us over 2000 keyword suggestions (that’s HUGE data, right?).
Along with the keyword suggestions, you can also find monthly searches for each one of those keywords.
All in all, if you’re looking to find a ton of keywords with accurate monthly searches, you should go for tools like Semrush.
Optimize your videos the RIGHT way
Once you’re done with keyword research for your videos, it’s time to optimize your videos properly.
YouTube video optimization helps you rank higher in YouTube search results which ultimately helps you generate more views and subscribers.
Here are some of the best tips to optimize your YouTube videos.
YouTube video title: Your video titles play a key role in better rankings. You should ALWAYS include your primary keyword at the beginning of your title.
You can use headline generator tools like CoSchedule Headline Analyzer, Sharethrough Headline Analyzer, etc to create catchy titles. Also, make sure your YouTube video title matches your video content.
YouTube video description: YouTube understands the “context” of your videos by looking at your video description. So make sure to create an engaging video description that includes your primary and secondary keywords.
YouTube tags: YouTube video tags are words that are used to give YouTube context about your videos. It’s always a good idea to include all the RELEVANT keywords as tags in your videos.
Here’s how the YouTube video tags look like;
Monetization: How to Make Money With Your Youtube Channel
Getting more views and subscribers on your YouTube is great. But you need to find ways to make money from your channel if you want to stay in the game forever.
Here are the 3 BEST ways to monetize your YouTube channel in 2025.
Monetize with YouTube ads
One of the popular ways to make money from YouTube is to use Google AdSense. You can use the YouTube Partner Program to start displaying Google ads on your YouTube channel videos.
You just need 4000 Watch Hours and 1000 subscribers to be able to apply to the YouTube Partner Program. Also, you must have a linked AdSense account.
Quick note: If you already have an approved AdSense account, you can use it. You can link as many of your channels as you want to a single AdSense account. If you don’t have one, you can apply for AdSense first and then link it to YouTube Partner Program.
Once you reach those numbers (4000 Watch Hours and 1000 subscribers), here’s how your channel’s dashboard looks like;
Once YouTube approves your application, you can start showing ads to make money from your videos.
Promote affiliate products
One of the best ways to monetize a YouTube channel is to promote affiliate products.
Affiliate marketing is probably the BEST income source for YouTubers as it helps you earn passive income.
Affiliate marketing is the process of promoting others’ products where you get a commission whenever someone purchases something through your affiliate links.
Did you know that we made over $340,000 in affiliate commissions just from one affiliate program called the Semrush affiliate program?
The sky’s the limit when it comes to affiliate marketing income.
You can use your channel to promote RELEVANT affiliate products in your niche. Just make sure to follow the RIGHT affiliate marketing strategies to grow your income from your channel.
Sponsorships
One more popular way to monetize your channel is to use sponsored videos.
You can simply create a normal video for your channel and in the introduction of the video, you can say “This video is sponsored by XYZ”. Then, give a brief description of their company or product. That’s it, you’ll get paid by that brand!
If your channel is getting popular, you’ll start attracting a ton of sponsorships from other brands.
Apart from the above methods, you can also sell your own products to make money from YouTube.
Read: How Much Money Do YouTubers Make in 2025? Top YouTube Earners!
5 Quick Tips to Create A Successful YouTube Channel in 2025
Here are five quick tips that can be helpful for YouTube beginners to build a successful channel.
1. Pick a niche: You need to niche down. What are you REALLY good at? Why should anyone watch your videos on YouTube? What’s your SPECIALITY?
Make sure to pick a niche that has the potential to grow. If you’re curious, here are some of the evergreen and most profitable niches you can consider;
- Moto vlogs
- How-to
- DIY
- Technology
- Make money online
But if you want a target audience, pick a niche that’s RELEVANT to your business or skills.
For instance, I chose SEO & affiliate marketing to start my YouTube channel.
Once you have a decent number of subscribers, let’s say, 10,000 subscribers, then you can start exploring NEW topics that are slightly relevant to what you’re already creating.
2. Enjoy the journey: Don’t start a YouTube channel to earn ONLY money. If you go that route, you’ll most likely fail. It takes a couple of years to earn a decent income from YouTube.
That’s why it’s so important to have fun and enjoy the journey. Don’t get frustrated when things are not working according to your plan. Be patient and trust the process.
3. Be everywhere: Market your YouTube videos across all social media platforms. If you want more views and get famous, you need to be everywhere. Make sure to create accounts on all the major social media channels including;
Whenever you publish something on YouTube, make sure to share it across the other social media networks. Social media promotion helps bring additional views to your YouTube videos.
4. Create 100 videos without focusing on views or money: If you’re a beginner and NEVER made any video on YouTube, here’s a tip for you: create at least 100 videos (at least one video a day), and don’t worry about the views.
Whether someone watches your video or not, just publish a new video every single day. Do it for 100 days straight. It not only helps you overcome your fear of facing the camera but it also helps you find the RIGHT audience for your channel.
5. Be consistent: Pick a consistent posting schedule on YouTube. Whether you want to publish a new video every day or once a week, stick to a plan and be consistent with that schedule.
If you wish to grow on YouTube, you must upload videos consistently. There are no other shortcuts. Consistency is the KEY to success.
Read: 5 Best AI Video Generators In 2025
FAQs | How to Become A Successful YouTuber
Here are some of the frequently asked questions on becoming a successful YouTuber.
One of the best ways to become famous on YouTube: “Either create content that entertains or educates.” Make videos around trending topics. There is no QUICK way to become famous on YouTube. It requires consistency and hard work.
Follow other successful YouTubers in your niche, analyze them, find out how they create their videos. Sometimes, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Follow what’s already working and do it slightly better. That’s how you succeed!
It depends on what type of monetization strategy YouTuber users. The average YouTube ad rates lie between $0.10 to $0.30 per view. There are YouTubers like MrBeast who makes millions of dollars through sponsorships and selling his own merchandise.
Here are some of the popular YouTube channel names.
– PewDiePie
– MrBeast
– Smosh
– Dude Perfect
Here are some of the ways most YouTubers get paid in 2025.
– Running ads on YouTube (using AdSense)
– Sponsorships
– Collaborations with other brands or products
– Affiliate marketing
– Selling merchandise
Final thoughts on becoming a successful YouTuber
If you want to become a successful YouTuber, you need to think LONG TERM. Don’t look for shortcuts and be consistent.
One of the common success traits of most successful YouTubers is this: they give their 100% effort to make videos. They always find something interesting to serve their audience and keep upgrading.
So what are your thoughts on building a successful YouTube career? Did you find this guide useful? Have any questions? Let us know your views in the comments.
Anil, this is the kind of article I have been searching for months which has all aspects of creating a successful youtube channel. I agree with the point that we should take a simple youtube channel name that people can remember. I tried the end screen part on our channel. We did increase the views on other videos after applying this. I also shared this blog post on our Twitter page. I did interview you on our blog post a long time ago.
Thanks a lot John connecting again. I still remember that interview.