How to become a YouTuber as a kid: Helping them start their channel

If you have a child wondering how to become a YouTuber as a kid, there are many ways you can help them get started. Creating a YouTube channel can be an exciting way for kids and teens to express themselves and learn valuable lessons, but it requires your guidance to ensure that they remain safe online.

Making the decision: Is it OK for kids to be YouTubers?

Becoming a YouTuber as a kid is exciting, but can be a little nerve-wracking too. Many young content creators have successfully built audiences by sharing their passions, but there may be risks to consider. With wise boundaries, YouTube is one of the most creative online jobs for teens.

Online interactions, privacy concerns, and the pressures of maintaining a channel can be overwhelming. Before helping your child start a channel, it's worth having a discussion to clarify expectations and the type of content that they will share. If you are intentional in identifying best practices online and maintaining supervision, YouTube can be an excellent learning experience.

Safety first: Parental guidance and YouTube rules

Before your child starts creating content, make sure you understand YouTube's community guidelines and essential internet safety tips.

Age requirements, privacy settings and online safety

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YouTube's terms of service require account creators to be at least 13 years old. However, younger kids can participate with parental permission. The best way to help your child start their own channel is to set up a Brand Account under your own Google account. This option allows you to transfer the account to them when they reach the appropriate age.

YouTube also offers a supervised channel for kids under 13 with additional parental controls, but it doesn't allow uploads. Be sure to keep this in mind when setting up your child's account.

Whichever option you choose, here are some safety measures to protect your child's privacy and prevent child identity theft:

• Enable privacy settings

• Turn video comments off or monitor them for inappropriate content

• Avoid personal or identifying information in videos and descriptions

Managing screen time and content consumption

Without regulation and guidance, it's easy for kids to get lost in filming, editing, and watching other creators. Establishing ground rules can help them avoid overlooking other aspects of their lives, like school, socializing, and physical activity.

To create a healthy balance, set daily or weekly limits on the time your child spends on their channel. Since kids often draw video ideas from other creators, it's also important to keep track of the videos they're watching to ensure they're following age-appropriate influencers.

How to become a YouTuber as a kid: Steps to start and succeed

Once the channel is created, it's time to start making content. Breaking down the process can help your child stay organized and learn responsibility.

Finding the perfect niche: What kids love to create

A defined niche is one of the most important steps in growing a YouTube channel. It helps attract the right audience and makes the channel shine.

Popular niches for kids include:

• Gaming walkthroughs and reviews

• DIY crafts and other creative projects

• Tutorials and educational videos

• Family vlogs

Explain to them that the best type of video is one that your child truly enjoys. Their enthusiasm will stand out on camera, draw a supportive audience, and help them become a good YouTuber as a kid.

Naming and branding: Making a channel stand out

A strong name helps your child's channel stand out. Work with them to come up with something unique and memorable that reflects the content they hope to create. Consistent logos, thumbnail styles, and color schemes will help viewers recognize their content and give the channel a professional appearance.

In addition to branding, a consistent video intro is also a nice touch. This is an area where kids can experiment with different animations or editing styles to make their channel unique.

Creating videos: Recording, editing, and improving quality

Your child doesn't need top-tier equipment to grow their channel. Most modern smartphones record high-quality video, and free video editing software like iMovie or CapCut is beginner-friendly.

If they need help, encourage your child to watch tutorials on basic recording and editing techniques. There is plenty of information available, and researching it will help them take ownership.

Getting noticed: Tips to grow and promote a kid's channel

It's important for kids to understand that building an audience does not happen overnight. It takes dedication, patience, and a willingness to learn from mistakes. Encourage high-quality content over immediate popularity, and remind them that it can take time for hard work to pay off.

With clear expectations in mind, here are some tips to become famous on YouTube as a kid:

• Upload consistently to keep the audience engaged

• Regularly respond to comments if enabled and encourage positive discussion

• Adjust content for search engine optimization (SEO) with relevant titles, descriptions, and tags

• Share your child's videos or channel on social media with friends and family

Making money on YouTube: Earning and saving wisely

With a large enough audience, a YouTube kids channel can definitely earn money. If your child is wondering how to make money on YouTube, they must be part of YouTube's Partner Program. The program allows creators to earn through ads once they have 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours watched in a 12-month period. They can make additional money from affiliate links, selling merchandise, and company sponsorships.

Making money from content creation can be a great opportunity for kids to learn to save, budget, and spend their money wisely. For more fun ways to introduce financial literacy, Greenlight has a variety of guides on financial literacy for kids and teens.

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