I love to brew, whether it’s All Grain, Extract or just from a can it’s a fun hobby and you save a ton of money. But what should you do if you want to share your hobby and reach out to the brewing community or just want to let people know about Homebrewing?
There are many platforms you can create content on, be it video or blog or even podcasts. In this article I'll deep-dive into what you can do to solidify and expand your new channel centered around Home Brewing and brewing in general (depending on how broad you want it to be) What kind of set-up you will need and how and where to find content as well as ways to get your new channel off and running with plenty of views and subscriptions.
How To Start
First things first, let’s get your new channel up and running. You’ll be ready to begin setting up your new channel in just a few clicks:
- After logging in, go to YouTube using your Google account and select the user symbol in the top right corner of the page.
- To access the YouTube Settings for your account, click the gear symbol
- To create a new channel select “Use a business or other name”
- After that, select ‘Create’ after adding your brand name.
- Try picking a name that is easy to remember and is relevant to the topic you’re wanting to create content for.
Spread the Word!
But YouTube isn’t the only platform where you can show your love of Homebrewing to the world, there are several other video and live streaming platforms such as Tik Tok, Twitch, BitChute, Vimeo and Daily Motion just to name a few.
Joining as many of the big social networks as you can is a terrific way to get the most of your uploads. This will enable you to spread your voice in various ways and establish your name everywhere you go. You must therefore select the social networks that will help you the most.
What’s Next?
So now that your Channel is all set up and you’re ready to start making lots of Homebrewing content…How exactly do we shoot a video and what kind of equipment do we need and how do we get good, clear audio?
Set-up
Creating content for your chosen platform or platforms can seem overwhelming, I know the feeling. Especially when you’re new to this whole making videos thing. But in reality, it’s not as difficult as it might seem. Next, we’ll go through the basics of shooting a video, as well as what you need to finally upload your first video.
Its too expensive
“Surely, to make decent videos on the internet you need to spend thousands on video and audio gear” I hear this a lot and it’s a common misconception, you don’t need to spend a fortune to get set up. The truth of the matter is that the iphones, android and apple phones are perfectly capable of capturing high quality, high resolution images and videos.
Some even up to 4K. Understanding all the intricacies and nuances there are in the world of photography is not necessary when you are just starting out creating Homebrewing-focused content as your audience is more interested in what you have to say than what you look like
Speak up!
Speaking of which, did you know that audio is more important than video? This is because studies have concluded that your audience can overlook the odd video mishap or mistake but are generally unwilling to listen to a really poorly sounding video. This is a struggle I know all too well as I have noticed audio inconsistencies when filming my own content and am currently working toward investing in some better audio equipment.
There are two types of microphones: a shotgun mic which looks like a boom mic but a lot smaller, and a lavalier or lav mic which is basically a tiny lapel microphone that attaches to the clothing.
Say what?
Capturing clean audio is paramount, there is nothing more frustrating than watching your video for the first time that you spent hours on just to find out that the audio sucks. Most times it has to do with background noise making it hard to hear what’s being said.
One problem many content creators face is reverb, reverb is basically when you are stepping too far away from your device’s microphone and it makes the sound seem ‘tinny’ and difficult to hear, this is where a lapel or lav mic really comes into its own.
Alternatively, you could just try stepping closer to the mic. So the more objects you have in the room you are recording in, the less reverb there will be.
OK, so we’ve created an account, we’re set up with a good recording and capturing device to create our content around Homebrewing and making beer at home, what are we going to say and how do we say it so our audience is engaged and won’t just click off and watch something else?
Content & Audience
Without doubt this is the hardest part of the entire content creation process. I’m not going to lie, this part of finding engaging content and actually producing it is challenging. Especially if you are brand new to the whole making videos thing.
So it is crucial that you decide what you are going to talk about and equally as important that you do some research about what it is you have chosen. Think about it, if you don’t know what you’re going to talk about or if what you are talking about is incorrect, your audience is immediately going to switch off and go to the next channel!
Talking Heads
So make sure what you are saying is truthful and can be backed up. When it comes to the subject of Homebrewing, Google is your friend. There is also a vast wealth of knowledge to draw from, podcasts/livestreams/forums as well as other content creators are a great source of information to collect from as long as you keep your content original and don’t plagiarize.
To further reach out to not just the homebrewing audience but to a much larger audience if that is what you’re looking to do. Social Media strategy applications such as vidIQ and TubeBuddy, are a great way of finding out who is watching your content, what people in general are watching and how to come up with titles that will show up in whatever platform you’ve chosen.
For most of us learning how to make your own beer at home is at the very least a hobby, but for myself it’s something I'm passionate about, and in turn this makes it so much easier to find content to upload to my channel and I am almost able to do this on a weekly basis, which is a recommended timeframe to upload new content as this will tell the algorithm, to push your content up.
Having Fun!
Creating content about something you enjoy is very important, imagine how draining it would become if you were creating videos about something you found boring? Just remember, there is always something to discuss when it comes to the world of homebrewing. Beer reviews are always very popular, as long as you don’t waffle too much.
Find a beer you love or always wanted to try and talk about it. Unboxing videos are another popular subject, if you’ve made a new brewing purchase, get it on video. Been invited to a homebrewing convention or festival? Take your iphone, android or whatever with you and film it, vlogging videos are also very popular on social media.
Whatever it is you chose to capture, keep it related to homebrewing, don’t branch off onto unrelated subjects in the early days of your channel as this will just confuse your audience. After you are somewhat established then you can branch-off into other related or non-related topics.
Think of it like a tree, you have the trunk which is homebrewing, and similar to a tree you can branch-off into different videos that are related to homebrewing or making beer/wine/cider etc.
Attracting the RIGHT audience
Building your homebrewing channel is all about attracting your key demographic, this way your channel will grow which in turn will attract views and subscriptions. This is why sub-for-sub requests simply don’t work.
Those who are not interested in homebrewing or making beer at home will not stick around for long, so it is crucial you attract the right audience. Finding subject matter you have in common with your audience is a fundamental way of building a relationship as well as a rapport with your viewers.
Shoot Happens!
As a father of two and someone who works full-time, finding the space and time to shoot content that is up-to-scratch and not full of interruptions can be a real challenge. Always plan ahead where you’re going to shoot, and what you’re going to say. Some handy tips to remember are
- Always make sure your recording device is fully charged, or at least enough to last the video. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve run out of power while filming.
- Try and keep the ‘umms’ and ‘ahhs’ to a minimum, as someone who is guilty of this I've worked hard on this to try and eliminate this habit, not only is it tiresome to watch for your audience it also gives the impression you don’t know what your talking about.
- It may sound obvious but always look directly into the camera, a lot of content creators (myself included) subconsciously look at the screen of your recording device instead of where the camera actually is. This gives the impression that you are focused on something off-camera.
- When you’re brand new to filming, just keep filming! In the early days you’re not going to know what to say, this is normal and it is OK! It’s fine to mess up, and make mistakes. This is how you learn and get better. And besides…any stuff you don’t want in there can just be edited out.
Editing & Technique
Shooting over now it’s time to edit our video, this is a process that will involve a fair chunk of time in the filming process as there is a lot to cover. Organizing your media files and correct editing practices are important if you want to end up with a consistent video. So as i mentioned before one of the first things you will need to do after filming is exporting your footage to a folder, personally I prefer to use Wondershare Filmora X software, but there are a huge number of film software out there for you to choose from.
After you have exported your media file onto your computer folder, it is important to rename each file. This is because if you have archived files, the new files you have exported may have the same default file name and if this occurs it makes it very difficult and pain-staking sifting through the right files. In Fact that goes for any file on your entire computer, duplicate file names are a recipe for disaster.
B-Roll? What the heck is B-Roll?
When it comes to the actual editing process, the first thing you will need to do is put down the main story of your video onto the timeline. After which you can put down what is known as the B-Roll, B-Roll is simply footage taken that compliments the main video. For example, if you are filming a brew-day perhaps shoot some footage of picking up the ingredients or perhaps a slo-mo shot of milling the grain or doughing-in the mash.
Sometimes I will add to the main story such as transitions, text or music (always use music that is copyright free or you could get a copyright strike or worse) and edit as I go. After this I will do a complete rough edit and then a final edit at maximum quality.
One tip is to edit at half quality and don’t forget to render your film as you go, as this will eliminate your software crashing during the editing process, which I can tell you is incredibly frustrating.
Don’t Sweat the small stuff!
Adding music, graphics and titles is a great way to engage your audience. Always use copyright free music there are a number of sites that offer paid subscriptions to great quality music or you could use YouTube Audio Library which is free.
Adding titles to your content helps the audience understand what you’re doing or where you’re going. For example: I often add titles during brew day to let the audience know what ingredients I’m using or what is happening during the mash or boil.
Editing can be enjoyable for some but a chore for others, just remember you don’t have to edit your video in one sitting. Editing takes time, work at it then take breaks and come back to it. Rushing it will just make your video look bad and hard to watch.
…and publish!
Once you’ve completed your edits and you’re happy with your video it’s time to export your video to your chosen platform or platforms. Be mindful of what quality of definition you are uploading at, sometimes YouTube or other platforms will compress the quality of your video if it is set at a low level of picture quality (ie: anything under 720p)
And the longer your video remains on the platform the lower YouTube or other platforms will set the picture quality at. Once uploaded remember to give it a easily searchable title and tags (VidIQ and TubeTubby have some great tools to help you with this).
People are much more likely to view a video titled ‘How to brew a saison’ or ‘Find out how to make mead’ as this is a frequently asked question, and you are actually showing people how to create something. Think of YouTube as a search engine. A clear description in the description box as well as a catchy thumbnail is also important for good engagement with your video.
Post-production and Conclusion
Making content online may look a lot of fun and simple, but it can be very time-consuming. For some who do this consistently or as a full-time job it can be exhausting and sometimes even burn-out. Hours and hours of work more often than not can be condensed down into only 10 minutes of actual footage.
It requires filming, editing, researching your chosen topic, thumbnail creation, b-roll, and so on. On average it is recommended you upload at least 1 video a week if you’re wanting consistent views to help you channel grow.
Sometimes I will produce a series of videos at once and release them separately a few days or even a week apart, so you could set aside one day to film multiple videos or one long video split up into different videos. I employ this technique in my Brewing Channel and also in my Q & A channel.
Good content is King!
Finding content to talk about can be challenging, one great idea to come up with things to talk about is answering questions in the comment section, turning those questions into an entire video. Alternatively, signing up to brewing forums and facebook groups is a fantastic way to see what questions people are asking and you can help them out by answering those questions in a video.
People love to see other people doing things. Going with a mate to the local homebrew festival? Bring a camera or iphone, film it and there is your content for the week or possibly two weeks. Thinking of putting down a beer or wine or cider or mead or whatever? Film it, just let the camera roll, don’t worry about mistakes or boil-overs or spillages, it can all be taken out in the editing process.
Remember, making content on-line is supposed to be fun. Don’t allow a mindset of ‘I have to film content every single week, whether I have something to say or not’ creativity is not something that can be forced, you’re not expected to be ‘on’ all the time.
There will be times when you just can’t get the creative juices flowing and its normal, maybe then it is time to step away from the camera and take a break for a while and come back refreshed later on.
Einstein and Algorithms
The more you put into your channel the more you will get out of it, your audience is important and as such you should be doing the best job you can each and every video you make. If you are genuinely excited about what you’re talking about your audience will soon pick up on this and the more popular your channel will become.
It was Einstein that said ‘The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest’, this also applies to your videos, the more content you make the more your chosen platforms algorithm will suggest your content which in turn will help your channel grow.
For more homebrewing tips and tricks, tune in to our YouTube channel or click onto our our BRAND NEW website www.twistedknotbrewing.com
