Cheap Gear to Start a YouTube Channel

There's no need to break the bank when it comes to creating a YouTube equipment list. It may seem like you need to invest a ton of money on filming equipment for YouTube but the truth is that you can create amazing video content on a budget and I'm going to show you how.

Today, we're digging into how you can create professional looking YouTube videos using equipment you might already have and we're also going to dig into some purchases to uplevel your content while sticking to a $100 budget.

The Camera

This might not be as important as you think. No doubt you've thought that you need an amazing (or expensive!) camera to get great video results but in reality, lighting and audio are far more important.

This means you can start with what you have! If you're using a smartphone, like an iPhone, chances are your rear facing camera will do the trick. Set it up on a tripod or prop up in a window and you're good to go!

The Lighting

Lighting will make or break your video quality. It doesn't matter how amazing your camera is if you have terrible lighting, it will totally detract from your video.

On that note, natural lighting is absolutely the best lighting you'll get. So if you can make use of that, you'll be golden. But don't worry, there are options to really help you make the most of the lighting situation you have.

Softbox lighting is a great option and there are so many types you can get for under $100. In fact, this is where I'd be most inclined to invest my money since we already established that lighting will make or break your videos.

The Tripod

This isn't a total necessity but is so nice to have! A tripod will help you create a steady shot and you won't have to worry about holding the camera while you film. I prefer the Gorilla style tripods as they really allow the ability to get a variety of shots.

However, you can totally get away with propping your camera up on a stack of books. We've all done it!

The Microphone

Audio is so important because your viewers need to be able to hear you and they need to be able to hear you well! I use a Blue Yeti and while this microphone sometimes gets a bad rep, it's simply because many don't understand the proper settings. Remember, the closer you are to the microphone, the better the audio will be.

On the cheaper side, you can try a Blue Snowball, which people love.

Maybe you're not ready to invest in that yet. It's totally worth it but you can also use the mic on your earbuds.

So what do you think? Are you ready to tackle the equipment?

LEARN HOW TO CREATE INCREDIBLE VIDEO CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR IN MY FREE TRAINING, THE 3-STEP GUIDE TO CREATING AMAZING VIDEO CONTENT!

How to Turn Blog Posts into YouTube Videos

One thing is absolutely for sure. You are most likely sitting on a goldmine of easy video ideas. If you're struggling to come up with new video content or you're just ready for some content marketing strategy, this week's video is for you.

In this video I'm sharing how you can repurpose content. Yep, we're going to convert blog posts into video so you can make the content you've already created work harder for you. Not only is this amazing for your YouTube channel but your blog is getting a boost too. That's right, we're tackling content marketing and video marketing in one go.

1. Research Your Top Performing Posts

This is a great time for you to dig into your analytics. Head to your blog and take a peek at what posts are performing best. Those are posts that you'll want to consider creating videos for. But make sure that you're only tackling topics that you still talk about and you're still enjoying talking about because if you create a video that isn't relevant or you don't love, you're not helping anyone. Yourself included.

Pro Tip: Check out top performing pins as well!

2. Research and Validate

Once you've created a list of potential posts to convert into video, it's time to research and validate on YouTube. This means taking the time to see if a post will actually convert well to video and YouTube because there is a difference in the platforms.

3. Create a Playlist

Can you create a series of videos based off of the content that you've pulled from your blog? Are you able to have one video lead into another?

For example, I've created a series just for beginner YouTubers. The first video was on how to start out on YouTube and now I'm sharing how you can convert content you've already created into video. It's a natural progression.

How can you implement a playlist?

4. Rework Your Content

Blog posts are crafted differently than videos. So you'll want to make sure that you're reworking your content to create an optimal viewer experience.

Don't worry, I'm not going to leave you hanging. You can get a free script template to help you break down the content into a winning formula. Just click here!

5. Focus on the Hook

One of the best things you can do is truly focus on the hook. This means really grabbing their attention in the first 5 seconds of the video to keep them from clicking away. You can talk about they're going to learn, what the value is or even a sneak peek of the outcome.

Once you've done all of this, you get the added bonus of extra SEO juice just by embedding the video into your website!

Easy, right?

Learn how to create incredible video content in under an hour in my FREE training, The 3-Step Guide to Creating Amazing Video Content!

I Quit My 80K a Year Job to Start a Business - and I WASN'T Successful

Let's talk about that time I quit my job to start my own business. Yep. I quit my job to become an entrepreneur. And then guess what? It wasn't successful. Now this probably sounds like a bad dream come true, especially if you're quitting your job without another one lined up. But this is just the scratching the surface.

In this video, I'm sharing with you the story of how I quit my job and started my own business. We'll even talk about why I quit my job. We're going to talk about the ups and the downs. And trust me, there are definitely some downs. It's time for a real and raw conversation about what they DON'T tell you about quitting your job to be an entrepreneur. Don't worry, we're not only going to dig into the story but I'll be sharing some business advice along the way to that you can start thinking about quitting your job.

Learn how to create incredible video content in under an hour in my FREE training, The 3-Step Guide to Creating Amazing Video Content!