Starting an ASMR YouTube channel can feel scary.
It’s a big step and publishing your first video feels so intimidating.
No one really tells you how to get started – until now.
You can find lots of resources for technicalities like how to set up a YouTube channels and how to upload your first video.
But this guide focuses on the silent information and tips you rarely find anywhere else.
Let’s get started.
Step 1: Start Filming
Don’t even think about publishing before trying the filming process first.
You can take all the pressure from the process when you just decide to first see how filming feels like.
Sure, a good microphone is important, but not necessary for your personal first trial. The same goes with other fancy equipment like ringlights, props, stands, and what not. You can get those later when you are sure you want to continue your ASMR journey.
Just grab your phone or a camera and start filming.
Your couple first videos might never see the light of day, and that’s okay.
However, I recommend you already film a few videos in order to really kickstart your channel later.
Step 2: Choose Your Name
Now that you know what filming feels like, you can get more serious.
Choosing your ASMR YouTube channel name is one of the biggest decisions. If you know right off the bat what you want to be called, you can start building your brand with the first videos.
However, if you aren’t sure yet, you can always change the name later.
Tips for Naming Your Channel
- A good starting point for your ASMR name is your own name or nickname.
- If you already know the niche you are working in, you can incorporate hints in your name. It can be any regular word you associate with the “vibe” of your channel.
- Keep it simple. Avoid long names and names with series of numbers, as those come across as spammy and not thought out.
- Do a little research. Is the name you want already being used by someone? Is there a risk that your channel can be mixed up with someone else’s?
Remember to check other social media channels as well to make sure your name isn’t already taken.
- Make it easy to find. It’s no coincidence that many ASMR channels include the word ASMR or Tingles in the name. It makes your content and target audience clear.
Step 3: Create the Channel
Now that you have done the thinking, you can create the channel.
I won’t go into details, as YouTube makes it very easy to create your own account once you start the process.
If you want instructions, you can find plenty from Google’s Support documents or even from fellow YouTubers.
One thing you may want to consider: You can either use one of your existing accounts and simply change the name of your account, or create a new one.
The decision depends on whether you want to keep your ASMR channel separate from your other YouTube activities or use the same account for everything.
Step 4: Start Publishing
Alright, no time like today to start publishing!
Simply upload one of your test videos or film a new one.
If you want to seriously grow your channel, it’s a good idea to upload several videos right off the bat, or at least within the first couple of days.
It keeps you from procrastinating and gets you on the good side of the algorithm.
Keep up a good publishing pace in the beginning.
When people first find your channel, they are more likely to stick as viewers if they have more videos from you to watch next.
When publishing ASMR videos, don’t forget to give them descriptive names and good desriptions. Using hashtags can also help people find your videos.
Things to Keep in Mind
Publishing videos on YouTube is straightforward, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
- Copyright details: If your video contains e.g. copyrighted music, YouTube will have to review your video and might not approve the upload if there is something in violation of the guidelines. Thus, I would advice against including any music in your videos.
- Age restrictions: YouTube will ask you if the content is made for children. If it’s not specifically made for children, you will want to mark it as not for children, even if the content itself would be age appropriate. Kid’s videos will have limited engagement and visibility, and you don’t want that as someone who does videos for the general audience. In fact, keep your whole account strictly for the general target audience, and make another one for kid’s content if you want.
- Community guidelines: Be sure to follow YouTube’s community guidelines and keep your account clean of any violations. Violation of rules will result in a strike where you can’t publish on YouTube for a set amount of time. Three strikes result in a ban.
Step 5: Complete Your Channel and Branding
After getting properly started and getting those first views in, you can focus on the details.
Create a profile picture, add a banner image, customize your channel front page, start creating playlist, and more.
All of these factor into your credibility and brand as an ASMR creator. As an example, you can look at GibiASMR’s channel below. She has created a profile picture and banner that distinguish her from other creators.
But don’t sweat it – just enjoy the ride and perfect the details later.
Step 6: Explore Different Formats
A well-rounded ASMR YouTube channel includes more than long form videos.
Explore Shorts and make Community posts. Engage with your viewers in the comment section.
The more connected your subscribers feel to you, the more likely you are to retain viewers and grow your ASMR channel.
Extra Tip: Just Get It DONE
Perfection is the killer of progress.
You can dwell on details as much as you want and polish your name, aesthetics, and everything else.
But don’t overthink it: almost everything can be changed along the way. In fact, many ASMRtists evolve and find their unique style with time.
Just start doing your thing and advance your channel piece by piece!