Once you get started on YouTube, you’ll probably find that you love creating content on the platform more than you ever imagined. Many people make a second channel to feed this passion and curiosity.
But as any big YouTuber will tell you, managing one channel on its own is a lot of hard work. If you don’t prepare accordingly, you might find that you overwhelm yourself after creating additional ones.
Fortunately, you don’t have to accept defeat and let your creativity suffer. We’ll give you nine tips for managing multiple YouTube channels simultaneously.
1. Make One of Your Channels Your Main Priority
When you initially started on YouTube, you probably chose a niche that interests you more than any other. And while you might use that one to earn income, the second channel was perhaps a side project to keep you entertained and share your thoughts with the world.
Like anything else in life, you can’t make everything your priority and expect to see significant progress. YouTube is no different, and you should focus the majority of your energy on one channel.
You can make one channel your priority in multiple ways. For example, you can post regularly on your main channel and randomly post on the other whenever creativity hits. That way, it removes the pressure of sticking to a strict schedule for your second channel.
2. Create a Video Schedule
It’s no secret that most YouTube channels fail, and one of the main reasons they do is that users aren’t consistent enough with their uploading. If you don’t have a clear plan for the kinds of videos you want to create, expect that your channel will be the latest to suffer.
Even if you only have one YouTube channel, you should have a video schedule. But with two, it’s even more vital; knowing exactly what you have to do will save a lot of time and mental bandwidth trying to think of an idea on the fly.
You can use several tools to create your video schedule, including Google Calendar and a range of alternatives.
3. Manage Your Time More Efficiently
If you’ve ever looked at a high achiever who seems to get a lot done and wondered how they do it, the answer is probably effective time management. While we’re often taught to pack our schedules with anything and everything imaginable, the reality is that this yields less-than-ideal results for most people.
To successfully manage two or more YouTube channels, you must prioritize your daily tasks. If you have work or studying commitments, make sure you include these—but limit the number of meaningless things you do. Tackling the most difficult task first each day will also help you build momentum.
There are several methods for time management, including the Pomodoro technique. Try a variety to figure out which works best for you.
4. Practice Patience
Even growing a single YouTube channel takes months, if not years. But if you’re trying to build more than one, you might become impatient and wonder why things aren’t progressing at the speed you want them to.
Since you’re dividing your attention into more areas, you might need to wait longer for your channels to grow—compared to if you put all of your energy into one. If you remain consistent in the long run and you learn from your mistakes, you will eventually become successful. So, it’s worth persisting—even when you feel like giving up.
5. Batch-Record Your Videos
If you’ve ever watched a YouTuber and noticed that they’re wearing the same clothes in several consecutive videos, they probably batch-recorded their content. And if you want to successfully manage more than one YouTube channel simultaneously, you should strongly consider following their lead.
You’ve already set everything up when you record videos—such as the tripod and lighting. The only exception is vlogs, which are naturally more “in the moment”. Rather than packing everything away, you might as well record two or more videos in a single sitting.
If you plan to batch-record your videos, take regular breaks to give your brain time to think.
6. Make Presets to Streamline Your Editing Workflow
You probably use editing software to put your videos together. That could be Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve—or even Final Cut Pro. The choice doesn’t matter, as you can make presets for pretty much every professional video editing platform.
Making presets will significantly cut your editing time if your videos are relatively consistent in style and theme. You can create these for exports, color grading, and more.
7. Talk About Subjects You’re Genuinely Interested In
When you’re thinking about starting a YouTube channel, you’ve probably found yourself searching for the most profitable niches. And if you want to become a professional YouTuber, you will need to figure out a way to monetize your channel.
Thinking about monetization isn’t a problem unless you opt for topics you don’t care about. Picking subjects you aren’t interested in will hurt your chances of succeeding; viewers will pick up on your lack of care, and you’ll probably burn out within a few months.
If there is something you’re interested in, you can guarantee that other people are too; remember that over two billion people use YouTube! Pick topics you’re passionate about, and you’ll stick with things for the long run.
8. Outsource Tasks
If you want to make a living from YouTube, you’ll need to begin thinking like a business person. When you don’t make a lot of money in your initial phases, reinvesting as much as you can back into the channel is a wise idea.
You can limit your workload by hiring other people when you’ve got the means. Many big YouTubers have a personal assistant that can help with administrative tasks, and you’ll also notice that a lot of them have editors.
You can use platforms like Fiverr and others to find the help you need.
9. Create a Different Vision for Each Channel
While some people are good at improvising and running with ideas, you will maximize your chances of success if you have an idea of the long-term direction you’d like to move in. When managing multiple YouTube channels, you should strongly consider creating clear visions for all of them.
You don’t necessarily have to think about monetizing each platform, but you should at least have an idea of what you want to do with them. For example, you might want to educate people on a particular topic with one—but use the other to experiment.
Managing Multiple YouTube Channels Is a Lot of Work, but It Is Possible
If you want to start more than one YouTube channel, we’re not going to tell you to give up and be more “realistic”. However, you do need to think about the amount of work involved—and ensure that you can manage the load effectively.
Following the tips we’ve mentioned in this article will give you a good starting point for successfully managing two or more YouTube channels.
