Why I Burned Out on YouTube…
6 mistakes I made on YouTube — and how you can avoid them
Now that I’m consistently creating content for my own channel again, I reflected on why I burned out the first time around. Here is what I found:
1. Not having a pre-made list of video ideas.
Sick of wracking your brain every time you’re about to film? I was too! One of the best ways to prep for filming videos on YouTube is to have a pre-written list of video ideas that you can easily access.
Editor Tip: In addition to the title, include 3–5 bullet points outlining the video.
2. Not understanding my unique niche (or having one).
I didn’t know what core subjects I wanted to talk about, so I made content about everything. This was overwhelming. Plus, your audience needs to be able to tell right away what your content is about.
Editor Tip: Pick 3 sub-topics you want to be known for and that you want to talk about online, and create content ideas around that.
3. Too much set-up and equipment.
I used to have two large box lights, a huge ring light, and a heavy camera and tripod. It took FOREVER to set up, and it discouraged me from filming. Nothing was portable.
Now, I have a collapsable ring light, a mirrored vanity light, and my vlog camera on a short tripod and it takes me less than 5 minutes to set up, and I can fit it all in my backpack.
Editor Tip: Get a collapsible ring light (I love this one from Amazon), a mirrored vanity light (I’m obsessed with this one) instead of huge box lights. Or even better, use sunlight when you can!
4. Overthinking editing choices.
I didn’t establish a consistent editing style that I could replicate over and over again, and it made editing much more time-consuming and tiring.
Editor Tip: It can be as easy and deciding which fonts and colors you want to use for your videos, and saving those as presets in your editing software of choice (I work in Final Cut Pro).
5. Trying to create too many videos per week.
You can succeed only if you can be consistent, and I was always pressuring myself to create 2 videos per week, which was ambitious considering everything else I was trying to balance. Give yourself permission to create less frequently if it means you can show up consistently.
Editor Tip: Set a realistic filming and editing schedule and put it in your calendar to stick to it! I now post 1 video every two weeks, and that works for me without stressing me out.
6. Caring too much about vanity metrics.
When I started YouTube in 2014, I thought views, subscribers, likes and comments were how a video’s success is measured. Now, after working on YouTube as a video editor for the past 7 years, I know it’s more about consistency and creating content that’s valuable and entertaining to the viewer more than anything.
Editor Tip: If you create value for the viewer and aim to form a connection with your audience, you can trust that the rest will eventually come. Stay patient!
Want to learn how to edit elevated videos for YouTube? Click here
What has been stopping you from creating? Let me know in the comments!
