Advice on Starting a YouTube Channel & Blog | Q&A

Today I'm sharing tips on how to start and grow a successful youtube channel & blog, as well as my creative process in filming, planning, and editing videos. Timestamps below! Check out the other videos in this series.

// Q&A: Content Creator Series

// RESOURCES

// TIMESTAMPS
0:54 - Advice for beginner content creators
2:15 - How to pick a name / Why I chose the name Lavendaire
9:41 - My creative process: weekly structure
10:36 - How much time on filming + editing
11:26 - How do I come up with content ideas
13:04 - My list of content ideas + content calendar
15:05 - Promoting your content within YouTube
17:42 - Promoting your content outside of YouTube (social media, forums, blogs, collaborations, guest posting)

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// F O L L O W

▸ snapchat | lavendaire

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FILMED & EDITED BY AILEEN XU

// M U S I C

// G E A R
▸ editing | Adobe Premiere Pro CS6

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// A B O U T

I’m Aileen, a lifestyle blogger sharing knowledge and inspiration on creating your dream life.

Lavendaire is my blog about personal growth + lifestyle design. Follow along and learn how you can create a life that you love.

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Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored video.

[CarmenElaine]

Every now and again I find a YouTuber that I am so, so grateful I stumbled across. There have only been a few but you, my friend, are certainly one of them. You're fantastic. Thank you so much.

[charlycheer]

Great tips...loved the QVCA part and how you said you will never run out of ideas if you're truly passionate about something. I think that's so true.

[issy]

This video is GOLD. Thank you so so much for sharing your advice! I've been contemplating on starting a blog, and now I feel even more motivated and excited and convinced to begin after my exams :)

[katchapman]

I kept pausing this video and your one on filming equipment to take screenshots and to take notes because honestly this is the most helpful Youtube video I think I've ever watched. You're honestly genuine and seem so generous and friendly, and just listening to your voice calms me down. You have that real element that not a lot of Youtubers have that keeps viewers hooked because you're actually saying something interesting and intriguing, not waffling on about nothing useful. I aspire to have that same kind of aura about myself and through my future videos. Well done and thanks so much for all your wonderful advice :D

[NatalieBennett]

Another great video from you, Aileen! Your passion for your content and lifestyle really shows through when you're speaking about it. Your eyes light up and there's a touch of giddy in your voice when you speak about your passions and it is infectious! Thanks for the inspiration, dear!

[TheNatasharay]

Hello Miss Lady!!
OMG!! I almost don't know where to start! This video literally gave me so much LIFE! It was so good that I literally kept pausing it to take notes in my YouTube journal. Just a quick tidbit of background on me. I was a TV News Reporter for nearly ten years then I decided to go back to school to get my masters so that I could learn a few new skills one of which was filmmaking in terms of documentary films. I am very much interested in bringing my own unique perspective on the world and current events rather than having my content edited to fit the "ideology" of the News station I was employed by. Anyway I digress, I couldn't be more excited about my transition to start a blog and YouTube channel. I've blogged in years past but I didn't really have a specific "niche" but now I've lived life enough to where I feel I have something of value to share with an audience. I can't tell you how meaningful I found this video! You were so authentic and gave so many tips that are easily relatable and that I know will help me to create content and be consistent! To give you a little preview on my current state of where I am in the process I've reached out to a website designer and I'm also working to create my logo. I plan to launch my YouTube channel and Blog simultaneously! I really hope you will consider giving me feedback on my content when I post it so that I can grow and improve. Again, thank you for being so intentional in how you delivered your content. It was most definitely more than useful and applicable to me and will greatly help me to focus more specifically on my "WHY" as to the foundation of why I'm doing what I'm doing. My "WHY" is that I want to inspire and share some of my life journey that I feel will help others to avoid things that I have experienced. I want to also give career and life tips that I've learned along the way. I'm days from my 33rd birthday and BOY have I learned tons!! I truly hope I've not bored you to tears but I just couldn't leave this video without first telling you that this is the video that truly made me decide to subscribe to your channel. I also watched your tech video on the camera, audio, lighting, and editing set up that you should consider when first starting out! That video was amazing also BUT this one right here blew me away!

-Thank you,
Peace, Happiness, and Love

Follow me on my current social media platforms which are Instagram and Snapchat. For the purposes of consistency both of my usernames for these social media platforms are the same: @msmochachick


I only use this email address to keep my YouTube subscriptions and don't use the email for email at all because it's been spammed a couple times.

[IamAvaMonroe]

Thank you so much for these tips! You can tell how caring you are by the care you took with this video. Have a wonderful rest of your week!

[Juone]

Hey Lavendaire, if you are limited in shooting hours by the natural light - I recommend buying lighting gear with daylight color temperature. This way the color temperature is the same as if shooting with natural light and it doesn't matter if mixed light (natural and lighting gear used at the same time) is introduced in the frame. You can find really affordable options from eBay that has two to three light heads, stands and bulbs. The key to make the light look natural and soft is to use a diffuser in the front of the light source or bounce the light of some big surface (white wall or a ceiling for example). This way you can shoot even when the sun sets and the footage looks like if it were filmed during daylight.

[XOLorena]

This was really helpful! Not like most you tubers that just yell "JUST BE YOURSELF" the whole time 😂

[nicoleching]

I love that you're so real & honest! Finding a youtuber like you is a gem because it's so rare nowadays to find a youtuber/blogger who genuinely wants to give value to their audiences.

[jessyyyyc]

my content on YouTube has been crappy. I've just been posting travel vlogs & fun videos. I don't even have a YouTube banner yet!! or a video explaining who I am!! But after seeing your channel & watching this video, I've decided I really wanna buckle down. I want to MAKE something out of the platform I've created. I guess I just never put too much focus on it bc my main focus was on my blog. Now I think I'm ready to amp up both platforms even more. Thank you for the inspiration. You're amazing. 💖

[swethalakshmi]

This was honestly life-changing for me. I have been wanting to create a blog to be able to help people by relating to them and motivating them through my life's experience. You are truly a god given gift to me. I always feel so inspired and motivated after watching your videos and you make me feel like I can be anything I want to be. To create my dream life. This video is going to be my basis for creating my blog soon after I finish my college. Thank you for everything that you do. I know its an old video of yours but still relevant even now and I'm not sure if you are even going read this comment but oh well I gotta say what I gotta say.

[LightTheWayFitness]

Thank you! You are such a polished & professional, yet genuine young woman. I appreciate receiving the technical information in a thorough & engaging format.

[TheCoulterCoop]

As someone trying to start a channel, I've watched MANY of these types of videos. This is the most helpful one yet, thank you!

[abigailgray]

Your voice is so relaxing, so glad I found your channel 😊

[Enchantelle]

This was the most informative video on this topic that I've seen. The QVCA tool is brilliant! And your method of organizing/ planning your content is a great model to follow for other content creators. Thanks for sharing Aileen! 💕💕

[aubreyj.]

"When there are times I feel like I don't have that much to share, that's a sign I'm not growing as much as I could be growing. And so, when I don't have anything to talk about, I know that it's a problem with me, and I'm like oh my god I need to go out so I could have something to talk about." I really needed this

[edensroot]

I learn so much from you and just found you on YouTube recently! Your videos are airy and crisp your content isnt fluff either. You are organized and detailed in your explanation of things. Keep up the great work.

[itsajjenkins]

This is great.
I am 3 months into Youtube and my blogging.
It's hard but totally worth it. Still learning and growing every day!
So things like this help a ton!

[CookieliciousNZ]

I just found your channel and loving what you are sharing, thank you so much for putting yourself out there 😉💖