“I want to start YouTube, but I do not know what to film”
Route A: YouTube Shorts (everyday content and skits / 30–60 seconds)
For a beginner on a low budget, publish three YouTube Shorts first and iterate by reviewing responses in 72-hour cycles. Use 1,000 total views and 30 new followers within 7 days as short-term KPIs, then scale from five videos to three per week based on results.
Steps to start today
- 1Create a YouTube channel and finish brand setup in YouTube StudioSteps: create a channel with a Google account → create channel art and an icon with a free Canva template → describe "what this channel does" in 60 characters in the About section. Deadline: within 48 hours from today. Tools: YouTube Studio, Canva. Priority: high
- 2Film three Shorts videos on an iPhoneSteps: make three 30–60-second vertical scripts (hook in the first 3 seconds → problem → punchline or suggestion). Film three patterns indoors or outdoors, keeping total filming time under 2 hours. Deadline: within 72 hours. Tool: iPhone camera. Priority: high
- 3Edit three Shorts in CapCut and add thumbnails and textSteps: add eye-catching opening text to each video and use music from the YouTube Audio Library or licensed CapCut sources. Adjust each video to 15–60 seconds. Deadline: finish editing within 48 hours after filming. Priority: high
- 4Publish on YouTube and apply the publishing template (title, description, and tags)Steps: test the format "trending word + solve it in 30 seconds" in titles. Add one affiliate link and social links (X/Instagram) to the description. Test publishing around 8 p.m. Deadline: publish within 24 hours after editing. Priority: high
- 5Use a promotion template on X (formerly Twitter) and InstagramSteps: immediately after publishing on YouTube, make two short text-and-image posts on X and one Instagram Story. Goal: reach 100 total impressions within 72 hours. Relation to the original idea: supporting early traction for the YouTube videos. Deadline: immediately after publishing. Priority: medium
Reference and validation data
- INFERENCEShorts have low production costs because they are short, allowing hypotheses to be tested quickly.
- INFERENCEYouTube copyright rules are strict about music and other people's footage, so unlicensed music or TV footage creates a risk.
- INFERENCEInitial direct revenue from AdSense takes time until YPP eligibility, so starting with affiliate links in descriptions is realistic.
Smallest deliverable to build first
Edit three vertical Shorts filmed on an iPhone (30–60 seconds each) in CapCut and publish them on a YouTube channel within 7 days.
First customer to target
Get the first viewers from existing friends and family, plus 100 impressions on Twitter (X) (target: 100 total views within 72 hours of publishing).
Concrete monetization path
Add one affiliate link (Amazon or A8) to the description of the published Shorts and aim for one conversion from a click in the first week (within 7 days).
Biggest pitfall or risk
Mass-producing short content without differentiation may limit viewing growth (the content could saturate quickly because it lacks originality).