Making content around video games on YouTube has to be some of the most fun you can have on the platform, but getting discovered, maybe not so much.

It's not going to be as easy as hitting record on your next Minecraft building session or wiping the floor with everybody in Fortnite. So the purpose of this post is to help you get discovered on YouTube playing games in 2020.

6 Tips for Starting a Gaming Channel on YouTube

But even if you don't have a gaming channel, don't fret because a lot of this advice I can be applied to several different genres of video on YouTube!

#1 Gaming Channels on YouTube: Find YOUR Niche

Let's first discuss the types of gaming content getting discovered in gaming in 2020. In order to figure that out, we have to ask ourselves, well, what is YouTube? Ultimately, YouTube is a search engine. Now, that may seem obvious, but have you ever made a video titled Bob plays Minecraft episode 12? That's what I'm talking about. Nobody is going to search for the words Bob plays Minecraft episode 12, and the next thing we have to ask ourselves is, well, what are we doing with search engines?

And the answer is answering questions. Whenever we think of something we need to know, we type it into YouTube and try and find a video that's going to answer that question or cover that need. Perhaps it's just to find something funny to watch to get you through your lunch break. With that in mind, the types of content that I want you to be focused on when trying to get discovered in gaming on YouTube would be tips and tricks, reviews, tutorials. Like this one:

Cover a glitch that you found in a game or an Easter egg that you found. Maybe nobody else has found it. The next time the game you're playing has some DLC that drops, pick it up right away, review it, and let people know if they should spend their money on it. Maybe you bought it and it was a terrible mistake, but that's a great video right there.

If you're struggling to come up with ideas on what you could be covering around your game, check out 

. Type a search in for the game you're playing, and see what people are watching in real-time. What videos are getting the most views right now?

Not only will this help you figure out what your competition's doing, but it'll also help you figure out what questions people may be asking about your game which brings me to the second topic we need to cover, and that is focusing your channel on just one game.

The best thing you can do for your channel is to become an authority on the game you're playing. If you like to play Call of Duty, then you need to be making Call of Duty videos so YouTube views you as the Call of Duty authority. The more videos you make on one game, the more data YouTube has to focus on when it's trying to figure out what videos to recommend to people when they type in Call of Duty.

Now, for a lot of gaming channels, that's a huge ask. Hey, one game per channel, that's it. If you don't want to make a new channel every time you play a new game I totally understand, and there are plenty of examples of people who didn't have to make a new channel whenever they played a game that they don't normally play. However, I want to stress two things:

One, play a game through and through. Make sure that game is the primary game on your channel at least for a time.

Secondly, when you do finally pivot be sure that the next game you're playing is at least similar to what you were playing before. If you're a Minecraft channel, it'd probably be best if you played another survival, building, crafting game. If you're a Call of Duty channel, it'd be best if you played another first-person shooter. These changes will help you keep your current audience from going and finding somebody else because they already like games similar to the one you're playing.

If you're playing a game that's relatively popular and you're just having some trouble coming up with ideas, maybe check out 

Type in specific channels and see how other people are covering the games that you're covering. Based on how your competitors' videos are doing, you're probably gonna get some good insights into what you should be doing next.

#5 Don’t Upload a Single Gaming Video Without Doing the Work

The next thing we need to address is upload frequency. It is tempting, especially in gaming, to record hours on end of content and break it up into several videos so you have something every single day, and I understand that temptation. However, don't do that.

Since we already have you thinking about making tutorials and reviews, those videos are going to take time, and I would highly recommend spending that time crafting each video to perfection.

, make sure your titles are researched as are your tags and your description. Do the work because that's going to pay off.

Every new video that you post is going to be a new opportunity for somebody new to discover you, so make sure every video is helpful to that end. If you would like to play a game through, make a long-term let's play series, that's okay, but I want you to do that knowing that what you're doing is helping your current audience stay engaged, which there's nothing wrong with doing that, but it does take time away from crafting those more discoverable, searchable videos.

#6 Become an Active Part of the Gaming Community

So, I've told you to stick to one game. Do tutorials, do reviews, and try not to upload ‘Let's Plays’ every single day, but how do we expand and how do we discover different types of content we can make to not only keep our audience engaged, but keep us engaged with the game as well?

And that's where the community comes in around a game. When covering games on YouTube, try to immerse yourself in the community around it. If the game has a modding community, that's great. You can make a video that just kind of showcases different mods every week. If it's a building game like Minecraft, try and find servers that feature amazing builds. Tour them, show people new things they've never seen before.

You'll find once you're discovering different communities within a game that people are creating challenges and playing the game in ways that no one ever imagined. Try to do one of those challenges on your channel or better yet, come up with a way to play your game that no one's thought of before and you make the challenge for someone else to do.

The easiest way to grow any channel on YouTube is to provide value. Although it's tempting to record four hours of gameplay footage and break it up into eight 30-minute videos, that's not going to get you discovered.

Become an expert in your game and answer the questions that people are searching for around it.

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level and 

 then make sure to download vidIQ. Join over 1 million other users and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

And if you’re really serious about growing your YouTube views and subscribers, sign up for exclusive access to the 

 and learn how to launch a successful YouTube Channel in just 30 days.

YouTube gaming logo with Nintendo Switch controllers and "Gaming 2020" text on screen

Ready to start your gaming channel on YouTube? Here are 6 tips to give you a heads up on the competition.

How to Start a Gaming Channel on YouTube

Tax Day is April 15th if you are resident in the US, and If you're lucky enough to make any kind of income from YouTube you have just a few days left to file your personal income tax return including your Schedule C for any self-employed earnings you received in 2019. If you haven’t filed yet, we confirm 10 types of expenses you can deduct if you are a YouTuber in the USA.

We spoke with Devin Weber the VP of Operations for 

. Devin is a Certified Public Bookkeeper and Enrolled Agent with the IRS. She has managed the finances for Braille Skateboarding for 6 years and is one of those rare people who enjoys preparing taxes.

 This post is intended as purely informational. You should always consult a professional tax attorney or CPA if you are unsure about your tax filings.

3 Essential Things to Know About Filing Taxes as a US-based Video Creator

Before we dive into the expenses you can claim as tax-deductible let’s take a look at some essentials that every YouTuber or video creator that’s making a living online should know:

The bottom line is if you earned more than $400 from YouTube in 2018 you need to declare that to the IRS. If your income from YouTube was more than $600 in 2018, Google is legally required to provide you with a 1099 form (

). If you’ve worked with any brands or sponsors as part of a YouTube collaboration or promotion, and you earned more than $600 from those sources, each brand or sponsor will also need to provide you with a 1099 form. Even if they do not provide you with a 1099, you know you earned that money and you should report it as part of your total receipts.

#2 There is No Gray Area for the IRS When it Comes to Declaring Income

According to Devin, far too many people claim tax deductions are a ‘gray area’ but when it comes to the IRS there are absolutely no gray areas, to them it’s “black or white" and while you as a contractor might believe you can slip questionable expenses through, the IRS is not here to play. You better be 100% confident that, if you got audited, you could argue and win the case for that expense. If you don't and you feel like you're getting away with something, don't take that chance.

An IRS audit will shine a spotlight on every part of your financial history, and uncover every penny of unreported income, and every penny of expenses that were really personal rather than business use. That is something you really, really want to avoid.

However, the IRS understands that it costs to live and to run a business as a freelancer, so there are so many deductions they allow you. At the end of the day, it’s foolish to keep any income hidden, as, in most cases, you legitimately can find deductions to balance out the majority of that income.

#3 You Can File an Extension (On Paperwork not Payment)

Filing taxes in the US can be an overwhelming experience and the 

IRS does offer the option to file an extension

 if you need it. However, if you believe you will owe the IRS money on 2018 earnings, you will still need to submit that payment on April 15th 2019 - the extension is simply an extension of time to file, not an extension of time to pay.

10 Tax Deductible Expenses for US YouTubers

For the IRS to recognize a legitimate business expense that qualifies as tax-deductible, it must be classed as both ‘ordinary’ and ‘necessary’. You can find out further information regarding these rules on the 

For any YouTuber, the process of video creation is going to come with some kind of cost, especially if that creator wants to publish content with higher production quality. Even if the creator films with an iPhone (more about that in section 4), the chances are they might progress to a dedicated camera and microphone as well as other hardware. Keep the receipts and as a dedicated video creator, you can absolutely claim back these expenses as tax-deductible.

It’s a super talented creator that can upload every video they make to YouTube without any tweaking or editing. If you invest in a computer that you use to edit and upload, you can claim that purchase as part of your tax-deductible expenses - as long as the main use of that computer is for your business. Yay.

If you create or edit video content from home and have a specific area dedicated to that pursuit (i.e. a desk or a corner of the living room or bedroom), then the IRS will allow you to claim a percentage of your home costs (rent, utilities) against that.

However, it takes some working out to understand what percentage you can claim against. A very simplified example is ff your home is 1,000 square feet and, the space that you use is 100 square feet, well then 10% of all the costs of your home are going to count against your home office. You can find out more about writing off home office expenses in this 

You can legitimately claim against Internet and cell phone costs - but only the business portion of the usage. If a YouTuber buys an iPhone for $1,200 and they use it for personal stuff 40% of the time, and they make and edit their videos and upload them and answer comments 60% of the time then, they can only take 60% of that cost as an expense, not the 100%.

So many business owners make the mistake of taking 100% and that is not correct You will, if you get audited, owe money. Find out more from this 

Running any kind of freelance business carries its own supplies costs, and it’s no different for YouTubers. For instance, alongside cameras, mics, green screens, etc, a science channel may have a legitimate reason to purchase a microscope or lab equipment, while a beauty blogger might need to invest in the latest Jeffree Star palettes or Kylie Jenner lip kits as part of the reviews they upload to YouTube.

Braille Skateboarding not only invests in skateboarding equipment, but they also claim expenses for any props or extra equipment they use in shoots (

For any serious YouTuber, the process of video creation can be costly. However, different creators will have different expenses depending on...almost everything. Luckily, the IRS will let you write off supplies directly related to your business if they are ‘necessary’ and ‘ordinary’ which means that YouTubers shouldn’t be held back in purchasing equipment if it directly relates to them earning a living. Just keep every receipt and confirm on every receipt the video that particular supplies relate to. If you're unlucky enough to be ever audited and the IRS discovers a claim for, say, $300 worth of mascara, you can provide evidence via that video you created around the best mascara brands of 2018 that generated 1.2M views. The IRS will think that’s acceptable.

Office supplies also fall under this category so go ahead and claim that printer and ink, those folders and binder clips, that dry erase board, and that desk and chair.

No matter how talented a video creator you are, there will be some skills you are going to need help with as part of your YouTube journey. You may take on an assistant, or outsource help with editing, social media, costume design, bookkeeping, or 100 other things, and the chances are those businesses or individuals will require payment for their services. The good news is that you can claim against those expenses!

However, just as any company or individual you work with on a freelance basis should legally provide you with a 1099, you need to do the same for your subcontractors if you have paid them over $600 in 2019. Those individuals can then report the income on their own taxes.

Anyone you pay money to as part of being a YouTube creator is a tax-deductible expense for you, but reportable income for them (via a W9 form from them which confirms their name, address, and SSN). Remember, the IRS wants those taxes no matter who it is so if you deduct it and it goes to another person, they better report it.

#7 Travel Expenses (National & International)

There are a huge number of video creators whose sole focus is on publishing content around travel. Naturally, a good deal of expenses may be incurred as part of their business so keeping a very clear record of receipts is vital. There may be other creators who rack up expenses around travel throughout the year and may be able to make these tax-deductible if they can prove that travel was essential to the business of being a YouTube creator.

But beware - here comes one of those gray areas we talked about. To the IRS, there is a VERY clear distinction between business use and personal use when it comes to travel expenses. For instance, if you have a YouTube channel and you fly to Paris and you do an episode about the hidden gem bistro's of Paris as part of a holiday, you need to separate out the business part of it. Say, you are in Paris for 10 days and, for five of them, you're doing filming and business work, then for half of the time is business, and half of the time is fun. You can claim half of the travel expenses (50% of hotel costs, flights, etc) but you cannot claim for the whole trip if the whole trip is not dedicated to business.

Also note, the IRS only gives you a 50% tax deduction on meals and entertainment so, if you spend $100 on food, you're only going to get a deduction of $50. Again, check with your CPA if you are unsure, these are only guidelines.

#8 Local Travel Expenses Related to YouTube Business

Did you know that if you travel locally on YouTube business - say, to a coffee shop to do some editing, or to Target to pick up supplies - you can claim local transportation expenses? Not only can you claim on the mileage (currently at 55 cents per mile but this differs every year), but if you keep your receipt, you can also claim for any parking expenses. Any local travel expenses incurred, even toll charges can be tax-deductible if you keep proof of payment.

#9 Subscription & Software Licencing Fees

If you are signed up for any subscription services or pay license fees for software or other items directly related to your business, then you can also claim these as tax-deductible. For instance, if you’re a beauty blogger, and you have a regular subscription to a beauty magazine, you can claim against that.

Again, it’s up to you to prove to the IRS that any licenses or subscriptions you list have a direct impact on your business. The subscription had better tie into the way that you're making income, and you need to be honest about the money you’ve spent in order to make an income from YouTube. And, if you can show that it was, you're good. Some examples of the type of expenses you can claim for include:

You can also claim against bank fees incurred as part of running your YouTube Channel which includes expenses like Wire transfers, or if you pay a monthly fee for a business bank account, or incur PayPal charges. If you sell merch, you can also claim postage and packaging expenses, and if you have a PO Box, you can claim for that too!

There is no escape from paying taxes to the IRS, but if you ethically report your income and deductions and you're not lying about anything, you have absolutely nothing to be worried about.

Like it or not, everyone should pay their fair share of taxes. We have firemen and schools and roads that get repaired because people pay their taxes. But Devin states that “you should pay your fair share but not a penny more.” and take full advantage of the tax deductibles that are available to you.

 then make sure to download vidIQ. Join over 1 million other users and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps towards success. Just 

Calculator buttons with wooden blocks spelling TAX and percent sign, finance concept.

10 last-minute tax filing tips for US YouTubers - make sure you claim all your deductibles!

10 Last Minute Tax Filing Tips for US YouTube Creators

With over 2 Billion users, YouTube is in a unique position to guide the conversation around the current health crisis the world is facing. And the platform is encouraging creators to spread the word about social distancing and self-isolation to help flatten the curve of growth of 

With more countries under lockdown every day, the need to stay at home (unless you are a key worker, or need essential food or health supplies) is truly the only way we can contain the spread of this pandemic.

YouTube has been incredibly responsive to the advice given by Governments around the world and are now actively encouraging creators and influencers to '

'. It is asking YouTubers to consider publishing positive videos urging their audience to #StayHome, and creating content that viewers will find entertaining and informative under the #WithMe banner.

The platform has also rolled out resources that offer educational support for children, families and adults over the next few months.

YouTube wants creators to publish content that not only encourages viewers to stay home right now, but offers a way of entertaining and including them in a wide range of activities. Creators who have built an engaged following have the opportunity to support that community with videos that inform, teach, and inspire.

The new initiative, which promotes the #StayHome #WithMe message, is encouraging a sense of community and inclusion among both creators and viewers. YouTube is 

 to ensure your coronavirus videos are advertiser-friendly, factual, and hit the right tone.

, YouTube is curating a range of topics including the following:

The playlists feature a huge range of creators, including late-night talk show hosts like Jimmy Fallon, who have moved their broadcasts to YouTube:

YouTubers who plan to broadcast Premier or live-stream content around the #StayHome #WithMe campaign are also being offered a range of emojis to use for promotion:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank you for sharing the message to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StayHome?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StayHome</a> through your <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WithMe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WithMe</a> creativity! Let your viewers know about these emojis they can use in chat while you live stream and Premiere. Check out the full list in the reply below. <a href="https://t.co/5rK4GtImzz">pic.twitter.com/5rK4GtImzz</a></p>&mdash; YouTube Creators #StayHome (@ytcreators) <a href="https://twitter.com/ytcreators/status/1241130556055793667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2020</a></blockquote>

 that features informative and educational channels that create content around math, history, the arts, science and many more subjects.

The content is organized by age group with categories for pre school children, kids aged 5 and over, and teenagers. The Learning hub will also provide extra resources around education, such as schedules and relevant playlists.

Microscopic view of coronavirus with red blood cells and YouTube play button overlay

YouTube is encouraging creators to 'spread the word to stop the spread' of coronavirus. Here are some ways YouTubers can play their part in the campaign to #StayHome #WithMe

YouTube to Creators: Spread the Word about Coronavirus

YouTube creators who publish content specifically for children have already suffered a blow from the 

 the platform rolled out in November 2019. Now those same creators face new restrictions from potential legislation aimed at further limiting the reach of the type of content that can be published on the platform.

The Kid’s Internet Design and Safety (KIDS) Act, has been proposed by United States senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal, with the intent to further protect children aged 16 and under who consume online video on social media sites like YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and others.

The KIDS Act: How it May Could Children-Focused Video Creation

If the bill is approved, it would mean new laws would come into force for social media platforms to protect children and young teens. Those sites would need to fundamentally change the way they both deliver, and promote video content to children.

Under the new law, auto-play videos, recommendations, and push notifications would have to be turned off for any content that is made for kids.

Senator Ed Markey was the co-author of the COPPA Act but wants to extend the protection afforded to children with further legislation. In a 

"Today, kids’ faces are increasingly covered in the glow of their screens, and it’s time to face the chilling reality that some websites and apps are built in ways that harm children. Powerful companies push kids to buy products at every turn online, and top platforms are saturated with disturbing content that no kid should ever be exposed to."

The KIDS Act wants to push through the following restrictions designed to protect children:

The ban on ‘auto-playing’ videos - a feature that has the potential to reel children and young teenagers into spending an unhealthy amount of time online

The suppression of push alerts and badges that may encourage children to extend the time they spend on their mobile devices

The bill limits sites from promoting inappropriate, violent, or dangerous content, and will require those sites to set up a feedback system for reporting that content

Banning sites from pushing content around influencer marketing or marketing that includes “embedded interactive elements”

Stopping websites for promoting alcohol or nicotine products to those aged under 16 years of age

One of the stand-out restrictions in the proposed bill calls out unboxing videos in particular. As one of the most popular trends on YouTube, this content has long encouraged the partnership between creators and brands or influencers.

Unboxing videos, like this one below from the SquirrelStampede YouTube channel, are often sponsored, thereby exposing children to a certain toy or confectionery brand under the guise of entertainment.

The KIDS Act isn’t proposing the banning of unboxing videos - because good luck with that - but would prohibit platforms like YouTube from recommending this content to children. It would also make it illegal for social media platforms to recommend any sponsored content to children, impacting an already fragile eco-system, and further limiting the exposure unboxing creators would get on the platform.

The KIDS Act would also make it illegal for platforms to recommend literally any kind of branded or sponsored content to users under the age of 16.

The after effects of COPPA on YouTube creators who publish children’s content has been significant, and the KIDS Act has the very real potential of limiting their visibility to a critical extent. With restrictions on children’s content being recommended, the number of views and Watch Time a kid’s focused YouTube channel will be severely impacted.

We'll keep you up to date with any news on this issue.

And if you’re really serious about growing your YouTube views and subscribers, sign up for exclusive access to the [vidIQ Academy]

Group of diverse kids playing video games together with YouTube logo in background

After the impact of COPPA, YouTube creators who publish content for children face new limitations from the proposed KIDS Act.

YouTube Children’s Content Creators Face New Woes from KIDS Act

I didn’t think I’d be writing this post 7 days ago. But here we are, being thrown headfirst into a world we don't really understand, with millions of people currently self-isolating, under quarantine, under a potential shelter-in-place mandate, or being asked to work from home by their company because of the current health crisis. It’s an extraordinary and challenging time.

, there has been a significant and understandable uptick in people in the US searching for content around ‘working from home’ or ‘remote working’ over the past week.

vidIQ is a fully remote global company. We don’t have a central office and every member of the company works from home. I asked some of the team for tips about what works for them when it comes to staying motivated and productive. I hope you find them useful.

25 Working From Home Tips from the vidIQ Team

If you’re sharing a house with a partner, come up with your own boundaries. For instance: "If I’m in my office, I’m working," or "between 9am and 3 pm I’m working". Also, I make sure to communicate that if I can't chat, it's not personal, it just takes a long time to shift gears from work to personal.

Be more flexible with your time. I always set myself a 45-minute work chunk where I may break off for 5 minutes to empty the bin, or empty the dishwasher - something physical versus sitting at my desk. Oh and get a comfortable chair.

Get a good pair of Bluetooth headphones. Dishing out a little extra pocket change is worth it for quality audio and blocking out the noises of home when you need to focus on work.

 It might seem obvious but carve out your own space somewhere at home so you can leave it at the end of the working day. If you don't, the lines between work and personal time may become so blurred you end up adding more stress to an already difficult situation.

Carla Marshall, Head of Content Marketing

Use Slack, Asana, Google Doc, Notion to stay on top of your work. Create healthy boundaries between work and home life.

 *Keep a to-do list handy and give yourself deadlines for when to get specific tasks done. If your company doesn't already have a task system, an easy one to get started with is Google Tasks. This can be accessed on your phone or in your email's inbox. Discord is also a great tool for keeping in touch with friends and/or work colleagues. *

Destinate space to work in that's purely for work and when you're in the space, let everyone know not to bother you. Sometimes the best space in a busy home is inside a closet. Do whatever you can to stay focused and limit your interruptions. Another tip, don't do ANY housework when you are working from home, it'll distract you and interrupt your flow. When you're working from home, you work, when you're done working, go to town and clean your toilet seats!

 *Schedule time to check-in with your teammates weekly, either individually or as a group. You will be checking in on work reasons already, but use this time to check in as people. Since you are not in an office, organic conversations won't just happen, and those are important to stay connected as a team. *

Set a reminder to stand up and move. Also, try not to sit in front of the computer right after getting out of bed or you can be glued to it until lunchtime. Lastly, try not to sleep in the same room/area you work in.

Working from home is like working from the office (minus the commute of course). Set your alarm, get dressed, head to the "office" and get into the workday as you normally would. It’s also critical to take breaks and get up and away from your computer - go outside for a bit of fresh air so your brain can get that refresh.

Liron Segev, Director of Customer Success

I don't strictly stick to a 9-5 schedule. I often have long lunches (partly because I need to take Jasper, my dog, for a walk), but I'll make that up and more by working later or starting earlier. When my commute involves 5 steps, I am happy to work when I am motivated, fresh and buzzing with ideas whatever time of day it is.

 *I won’t move my laptop from my desk. I noticed when I would work from my bed or couch, it was easy to get distracted. I know when I am at my desk it is work time. It can be difficult to push yourself to get ready for the day when working remote. However, I tell myself "no coffee" until I shower and get dressed and that motivates me because I cannot do without coffee. Plus the shower helps wake me up. *

 *If you are new to working from home, try to set up a routine that "switches" you from non-working mode to working mode. It might be wearing a more formal set of clothes, leaving the apartment for a brief walk (to simulate "going to the office"), or something like that. This will help you re-orient your brain and help you get into the working mood; when the work is done, it will help you wind down and stop being "at work" to prevent yourself from never giving yourself a rest. *

 *Recognize that the danger of working at home is that you overwork which then affects family time. Setting an end-of-day time and sticking to it will help. With freedom comes responsibility - deliver your work to the same quality as your would if you were in the office and perhaps when all this becomes a distant memory, remote working could be a permanent way of working *

One of the biggest struggles about working from home is timing and focus, for that I recommend to follow a shift and try to separate things at home. Avoid working from your bed, for example. :)

Frederico Soares da Silva, Senior Front End Engineer

I always ensure I have great coffee brewing throughout the day in addition to putting specific holds in my calendar so that I can get some fresh air and walk. I try and have lunch at a restaurant to engage with people if I'm not working at a co-working spot. I also might ask a colleague to hop on a Zoom call to chat and have a real-time connection if there is a topic that might benefit from that instead of Slack or email!

__Liza Frank, Executive Assistant to CoFounder, CEO __

 *Try to set up your workspace so it catches the sun. Also, keep it free from clutter. *

Pavel Sinev, Customer Experience Specialist

 *Use Pomodoro to balance out your work/rest. Make a TODO list at the beginning of the day. *

Have a work area that is only for work and nothing else

Try choosing a dedicated workspace that is separated from your free time activities – we have a home office I use to get work done. This limits distractions and allows you to focus on your daily tasks!

Have a separate space where you can close the door and get away from noise (especially if you have kids). The secondary benefit of a separate space is mental separation so that when you aren't in that space but at home, you can be present with your family/friends and not be in work mode.

 *Start your day with your laptop fully charged, once your battery runs out, that's time to take care of yourself. Once you've taken care of yourself, charge your laptop back up. *

I tell my kids, "just because you see me doesn't mean I'm available." It's hard to balance work and Dad guilt, but it's a necessary art that must be mastered.

To help me get out of my PJs and make the bed on "self-work days" I make a to-do list. This makes me feel productive, especially if I can clear the to-do list by the end of the day. And yes "wake up, make the bed, make a brew and get dressed" are all viable tasks!

It's important to remember that different things work for different people. Don't beat yourself up if you're balancing working from home with limited space, limited technology, child care or any other challenges. You've got this.

Woman working on laptop at home office at night with light bulb idea icon above.

vidIQ has always been a fully remote company so we asked the team for their top tips for anyone new to working from home.

25 Tips To Get the Most Out of Working From Home

 which cover a multitude of sins video creators might break be it nudity, harmful, hateful, violent content, harassment and bullying, or spam. Creators can quickly find themselves in trouble if they cross the line on any of these topics.

There are many different Community Guidelines and also a number of places where creators can break them such as:

In the past, the punishment from YouTube differed depending on where the crime was committed. It might be that you lose livestream privileges or that you couldn't post videos for a certain length of time. The rules were somewhat chaotic, so YouTube have cleared up the confusion for creators and made it crystal clear what violates a Community Guideline (

 we’re covering Community Guidelines in the post and not copyright strikes which is a whole different topic and one we’ll be covering soon).

YouTube Community Guidelines February 2019

As of February 19th 2019, the new Community Guidelines are in place for all creators on the platform. YouTube are keen not to punish first time offenders who may not be up to speed with the rules, and as a result, all channels will receive a one-time warning the first time they post content that crosses the line with no penalties to their channel except for the removal of that content. The good news is that this one time warning applies to all channels so even if you do have an existing strike you still get this warning before further penalties. It doesn't matter where you break the Community Guideline whether it be on a thumbnail, video content, playlists, or via the comments - the penalty is always going to be the same.

 The second time you break Community Guidelines will be considered your first official strike. That will result in your content being removed as before. On top of this all your YouTube content posting privileges will be frozen for one week. This includes videos, live-streams, YouTube stories, and community posts. However, you’ll still be able to post comments. After a week you will get all of the posting features back but the strike remains on your account for 90 days in total.

 If you commit another Community Guideline violation within a 90 day period this is your second strike with the same penalties applied except that instead of a one week ban you get a two week ban on publishing content.

 If you fall foul of the Community Guidelines for a third time, YouTube isn’t here to play. Your channel will be terminated!

Obviously the termination of your channel is pretty drastic so YouTube have now promised to be more transparent about the guideline you violated so it doesn’t get to that stage. They will be more specific with information about that violation, communicate it to you through notifications and emails and via the Creative Studio. There will also be an appeals process in place as before.

We applaud all of the changes that YouTube are making here. I think that the first time warning is a fantastic idea because many video creators get terrified over making any strike at any point in their YouTube journey. I think a consistent penalty system makes it very clear to the user. It also eliminates the extremely harsh 90 day livestream penalty there used to be.

In effect, creators are getting an extra strike out of the new rules but you shouldn’t take advantage of that. After your first warning you shouldn't be making any further strikes on your YouTube channel.

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level then make sure to download vidIQ. It will help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

YouTube new rules announcement with surprised man pointing to red X icon thumbnail

YouTube have just made some sweeping changes to their Community Guidelines which affect every creator. Find out how you can stay on the right side of the new rules.

New Community Guidelines From YouTube: What Creators Need to Know Right Now

When you tell people you have a YouTube channel, one of the most common questions asked is, "Oh, how many subscribers do you have?" And the answer may be, none of your business!

When you are logged in to YouTube, you should see your channel logo in the top right-hand corner of most YouTube screens. If you click on that, 

you have the option to go to YouTube Studio.

 This is currently in beta, but will become the standard as 2019 progresses. This is your homepage, or dashboard, on the new creator studio, and in order to hide subscriber counts from the public, you click on the settings button in the bottom left-hand corner. Click on Channel >> Advanced where you’ll see a check box that says display the number of people subscribed to my channel.

Why Hide Your YouTube Subscriber Details to the Public?

So, that is how you hide your subscriber count. The burning question now is 

 The common opinion is that having a visible subscriber count can either add or take away value from your channel. A lot of video creators with smaller channels, say, less than a hundred subscribers, are worried that viewers will be immediately switched off from their content because they don't have a perceived audience watching their content already.

That may be a valid point. When you watch a video, and you see a channel with lots of subscribers, does that convince you more to subscribe to their channel than content from another video creator which is just as good, but has a tiny number of subscribers? But as subscriber counts are by default public, what kind of message does that send if a creator makes a conscious decision to hide them?

From a personal point of view, I've never been afraid of hiding my subscriber count, after all, every video creator starts at zero and ends up somewhere. And after a few years of making videos, and when you've built up your channel, you'll realize what a immaterial number that was when you were first starting out your channel. It's all part of a YouTube journey.

Red subscribe button with a green arrow pointing and bold text asking "WHY?" in black.

Want to hide your YouTube subscriber count? We show you how to (but also question why you would want to do that?).

How to Hide Your YouTube Subscriber Count [New Method!]

After setting up your YouTube channel and publishing your initial videos, it’s essential to leverage real‑time analytics and free optimization tools to pinpoint your strengths and identify opportunities for improvement. Now it's time to unleash your secret weapon.

 This post highlights vidIQ – the free Chrome extension designed to empower YouTube creators with intelligent tools and actionable data. So, if you haven't got it already, stop reading and download the free 

 to download it and install it on your computer. We know that you are just starting on your YouTube journey, so we're not trying to cash in on you as soon as possible. We want to give you that kickstart to help grow your channel and build an audience. Hey, it’s what we do.

Let’s start with some YouTube numbers. With the 

, you get a snapshot of how your individual videos are performing. But what if you could get an overview of how your entire channel is performing? Well, that's exactly what the vidIQ real-time stats bar can help you with! With vidIQ’s real‑time stats, you can effortlessly monitor key metrics over intervals such as the last 60 minutes, 48 hours, and seven days – including detailed watch time and subscriber counts – ensuring you stay on top of your channel’s performance.

Of course, you can access Channel stats via YouTube Analytics, but vidIQ’s real-time stats bar allows you to see the data whether you are on the search page, on a watch page, or on a YouTube home page. We always show you the real-time analytics, and for someone like me who's got an analytics obsessive compulsive disorder, I always want to check those numbers, and I can see them wherever I am on YouTube. It’s a much-loved feature on the vidIQ Chrome extension - and it’s 

. But we're not quite done there because if you like graphs as much as you like numbers, well, all you need to do is mouse over the real-time stats bar, and you get a breakdown of just how well your videos have been performing and your channel over the last seven days.

Also, for YouTube channels that haven’t yet reached the monetization requirements of 4,000 hours, we’ve also added an additional metric in the real-time stats bar, which tracks your Watch Time over the last 12 months. Once you've reached those requirements, this metric automatically disappears. So if you wanted this tool for no other reason than to find out just how close you are to monetization, this is why you should download vidIQ.

Maximizing Video Performance with Like/Dislike Ratios

When you install the vidIQ Chrome extension, you gain instant access to performance percentages for each video, allowing you to see quickly which content is resonating with your audience. This is essentially the likes-to-dislikes ratio on any video on YouTube. This data is invaluable for optimizing content, revealing which videos capture attention, and driving improvements in your channel strategy.

You can find out whether an individual video is resonating with your audience or not

You can determine how your videos are performing at the Channel level

For your Channel, this VidIQ feature will show when the likes ratio falls below 90%, and when the ratio falls below 70%.

Discover expert strategies on how to grow your YouTube channel fast and free. Learn data‑driven tips and use vidIQ free tools to boost views and subscribers.

Carla Marshall

Posts Written By Carla Marshall

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New Community Guidelines From YouTube: What Creators Need to Know Right Now

How to Hide Your YouTube Subscriber Count [New Method!]

How to Grow Your YouTube Channel Fast & Free

How to Hide Likes & Dislikes on YouTube Videos

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