Have you ever thought about starting a YouTube channel? On the 15th August 2011 I uploaded my very first cake decorating tutorial onto YouTube with honestly no expectations or big aspirations for what it could be.
14 years ago this month I uploaded a 10 minute video onto the Cakes by Lynz YouTube channel and never in my wildest dreams could I ever have imagined that the channel all this time later would have over 200 videos with 48 million views in total.
My first YouTube Video
With no experience of how to make film a tutorial, my very first video was a short tutorial showing how to make a cute pair of shoes, that you could add onto a cupcake.
To celebrate I had a go at recreating the exact same cake toppers, which was so much fun. You can see how I made them as a Short over on YouTube.
Plus if you would like to download the original template for the mini shoes just click here: Mini Shoe Topper Template
How I got started on YouTube
Back in 2011 I had been baking and cake decorating for a few years and with a lot of encouragement I set about filming my first tutorial. Filming the tutorial felt like something fun and absolutely terrifying at the same time!
I always said I learnt from the ‘School of YouTube’. I used to watch every tutorial I could, so this felt like something I could do to give back to a community that had helped me so much.
YouTube then and now
Looking back, 14 years ago YouTube was a very different place. There weren’t the amount of creators there are now and a lot less cake decorating videos. The algorithm also didn’t feel like such mystery and social media wasn’t really a thing. To put it in perspective I didn’t get an Instagram account for another 5 years (July 2016). I had never heard the term content creator and an ‘Influencer’ really wasn’t a thing back then!
After uploading that first video I have to admit it took me a long while to upload another, but slowly as the channel grew. People started watching the tutorial and people started to subscribe which was incredible and this really inspired me to make another!
Fast forward to today and the Cakes by Lynz YouTube channel now has over 200 video tutorials, over 48 million total views with 670k amazing subscribers. To think it started with a tutorial showing how to make a mini pair of shoes.
I still feel like I’m learning and some of the time it can feel hard trying to keep up with the ever changing algorithm, but it has been an incredible journey. I have loved watching the channel grow and there is no better feeling than uploading a new tutorial and seeing people watch, leave comments and making the cakes themselves.
A heartfelt Thank you
If you’ve ever watched, commented or liked a video I honestly can’t thank you enough. The channel wouldn’t have grown without you and I am honestly so thankful for your support.
Whether you’ve watched one video or you’ve been here from the start I am so grateful. I hope you’ve found the videos useful and they have played a tiny part in your cake journey.
I can’t wait to create more cake tutorials and I’m looking forward to more cake decorating with you in the coming years.
My top tips for starting a YouTube channel
- Just start – it doesn’t matter if you don’t have the best camera or equipment. Upgrade as you grow, but don’t delay getting started.
- Learn from feedback – listen to what people are saying in your comments as this will really help your channel grow. My audience helped me realise I needed to edit differently to make my audio better, which was incredible beneficial to the videos.
- Choose a topic you love – making one or 2 videos is fine, but make sure you’re still going to enjoy making videos in your chosen niche when you’re making video number 200!
- Be yourself – it’s great to learn and be inspired by other creators, but don’t try to copy them. Be you and be true to yourself.
- Don’t put pressure on yourself – over the years I have put so much pressure on myself to get videos out and whilst consistency is the key to growing a YouTube channel, remember to look after you!
I don’t have all the answers and I still feel like I have so much to learn, but if there are ever any questions you have about starting your own YouTube channel please let me know by leaving a comment below.
