Hello! My name's Alex, and I've been a freelancer for a few years while also running a modest YouTube channel on the side. Today I want to share my personal journey of freelancing on YouTube including how these two paths intertwine as well as all the skills, tools and tricks I've picked up along the way. If you're a freelancer looking to grow your presence on YouTube (or a YouTuber looking to freelance), this is for you.

And, as a bonus, I'll also get into how I boosted my channel's subscriber count, average view count, and overall success using a service called QQTube, among other strategies.

Why I Turned to YouTube

When I first started freelancing, I was doing graphic design jobs on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr but I quickly realized that having a strong online presence was key to standing out. Most freelancers I knew had personal websites or at least a portfolio on Behance. I had that too, but I wanted to go a step further which is why I decided to start a YouTube channel.

I began my channel as an experiment, hoping to learn a few new skills and potentially attract new clients, but what I didn't expect was how much YouTube would benefit my freelancing career.

Video is one of the most powerful mediums we have today (potential clients who won't read a 2000 word blog post will happily watch a 5 minute video.) By being on YouTube, I was a real person not just another profile picture, and I was able to build trust with my audience, some of whom became clients.

But beyond client work, YouTube itself became a source of income and opportunity through networking, sponsorships, and even a bit of ad revenue. That's when I realized that there are multiple ways to leverage being both a freelancer and a YouTuber.

Not only do you attract freelance clients via your videos, but you can create content based on your skills and freelance for other YouTubers. And if you grow enough you can earn passive income alongside your active freelance income through ads, sponsorships, and merch.

That doesn't mean it wasn't tough to get started - it was. That's why I'm writing this post, to help you avoid making the same mistakes I did and save time with a few key strategies.

Beginner Gear & Tools for YouTube

One thing I learned quickly was that quality matters and, as a freelancer on YouTube, my content itself was a portfolio. If my video looked or sounded bad, who would hire me as a designer? So I invested some effort in tools to up my production game, but I did it on a budget and using a lot of free resources at first.

• Basic Filming Setup

  I don't have experience as a videographer, but thankfully YouTube is beginner friendly. I started with just my iPhone camera and a $20 lapel mic, which made a huge difference. Eventually I got an affordable ring light (since I was filming in a dark apartment corner).

• Canva For Graphics

  As a freelance designer I do use Adobe software for heavy work, but for my YouTube thumbnails Canva was my go to. I have the paid version now, which lets me remove image backgrounds and save brand colors and fonts to keep my thumbnails consistent, but even the free version served me well.

• Screen Recording & Editing

  A lot of my content involves screen shares (showing design tutorials), so I use a free tool called OBS Studio to record my screen and myself simultaneously. For editing, I started with iMovie (free on Mac) and eventually moved to DaVinci Resolve (which has a generous free version and powerful features).

• Keywords Everywhere & TubeBuddy

  These two are like my secret weapons for planning content. Keywords Everywhere is a browser extension that shows me how many people search for certain terms. For example, if I type 'freelance graphic design' into Google or YouTube, it will show me an estimate of search volume and related keywords. This helps me pick video titles that people might actually be looking for. TubeBuddy is another browser plugin specifically for YouTube; it helps with tag suggestions, analytics, and even A/B testing thumbnails.

• Project Management

  I personally use Trello (very similar to Asana) to organize my tasks, and recently I also started using Google Calendar integrated with Google Tasks for my daily to dos.

• Website & Portfolio

  I built my site using Wix, which took me just a weekend to get a decent-looking portfolio site up, and I embedded my YouTube videos there as well. So when clients visited, they saw my design samples and could click a YouTube video to see me explain a design concept. Now I occasionally write blog posts too (repurposing some of my video scripts as articles) - which brings in a bit of search engine traffic.

How I Grew My Channel (& What Didn't Work)

You've created a fantastic video, uploaded it and then...crickets. I know that feeling too well. Just like a freelance business, a YouTube channel can feel invisible at the start.

For me, the first step was optimizing videos for search. It's a slower game, but it's worth doing from day one. Using the keyword tools I mentioned, I always make sure my video titles, descriptions, and tags include the phrases people might search.

Along with this, when I published a new video I'd share it on my LinkedIn, X, and a few Facebook freelancer groups. It's not that these went viral, but it did put my professional work on the radar where it was more likely to resonate. On the same note, by being active on YouTube and other platforms, I was able to make connections in my field and with other YouTubers. This led to a few collabs and even a handful of clients.

I also want to talk about YouTube promotion services, because I did use them and they genuinely helped me at a crucial stage in my channel. I was a bit hesitant at first, but after doing some research I settled on QQTube, since countless customer reviews confirmed that they do in fact provide real views from actual people and I wasn't going to just get bot engagement. Essentially, it's like running ads to get your video in front of real viewers, but QQTube handles the heavy lifting and at a fraction of the cost of Google Ads.

QQTube's service was easy, affordable, and it delivered as promised, and the best part is that instead of spending hours and a big budget on an ad campaign, I spent a few minutes and a modest amount on QQTube, and got real results. Since then, I've used QQTube in moderation whenever I have a video I feel particularly strongly about. It's kind of my secret advantage over other starting channels that rely 100% on organic reach.

That being said, you shouldn't slack on content - the video still needs to be good to retain those viewers and convert them into subscribers or commenters. What QQTube does is help you get seen.

Finally, be patient. I know everyone says it, but it's true. There were times when I felt like throwing in the towel, but I'm glad i stuck with it because now it brings in a small side income and serves as a valuable funnel for my freelance services.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

So, what not to do? First, don't misrepresent yourself. That means no clickbait, exaggerations, or outright lies - the audience will see through that.

You should also avoid neglecting your core freelance work chasing YouTube fame - don't get so into making videos that you procrastinate on client deadlines. It can be a tough balance, but client work has to remain a priority since it's your main income, and you can view YouTube as an investment that pays off later.

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A Day in the Life of a YouTube Freelancer

Freelancing and maintaining a YouTube channel is like two jobs but if you do it right, they can compliment one another nicely. Here's what an average day looks like for me as a YouTuber and a freelancer.

• Morning (Client Work)

  I start my day handling freelance tasks because that's when I'm most alert and those are top priority. I'll spend a few hours on client projects (designing, coding, any meetings or admin tasks I need to address). I make sure to knock out any approaching deadlines first

• Afternoon (Content Creation/Marketing)

  After lunch is usually when I switch gears to work on my content, which could mean outlining a new video or doing some filming or editing. On days when I have a video go live, I'll spend time promoting it - posting on social media, engaging with early commenters.

• Evening (Learning and Misc)

  In the evenings, I often unwind by watching YouTube - but not mindlessly. Often I'll watch channels for freelancers/entrepreneurs and jot down ideas that pop up.

• Weekends (Big Picture and Rest)

  I try to take at least one day off completely each week to recharge (burnout is real!) On Sundays I might batch produce content depending on my social schedule. I also use weekend time to analyze how things are going - I'll look at my YouTube analytics to see which videos are performing well and why, or review my finances to ensure my freelance rates are on point and I'm hitting income goals.

Productivity Tips

• Time blocking is key.

• I use the two minute rule: if it takes less than two minutes, I do it immediately.

• Ask for help and delegate tasks where you can.

• Cut yourself some slack - this is tough, but be patient and it'll pay off.

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The Payoff of Working as a YouTube Freelancer

I'm not a mega YouTube star or a millionaire freelancer but I've grown both my freelancing business and my YouTube channel substantially compared to where I started. My channel recently crossed the milestone of 10,000 subscribers, which felt amazing and also opened up new opportunities (like being invited to speak on a virtual panel about freelancing!)

My client roster is also healthier than ever, and while I still maintain profiles on Upwork and Fiverr, the majority of my high-paying work now comes through my website or email.

Having multiple income streams has made things more stable, so if client work is slow one month, course sales or YouTube can pick up the slack.

Key Lessons I've Learned

• Don't be afraid to market yourself. Marketing is part of the job of being a freelancer!

• Use the right tools and services to make your life easier. Whether it's Canva or Asana or QQTube, take advantage of these.

• Be authentic. My channel grew faster once I stopped trying to copy what I thought a professional YouTuber should act like and just started being myself.

• Keep adjusting. I continuously tweak how I balance freelance vs YouTube time. If I notice I'm overloaded, I step back and adjust.

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Conclusion

Freelancing on YouTube isn't the easiest route but the rewards can be tremendous in terms of personal growth, network expansion, and financial gain.

If you're on the fence, I'd say go for it. Start small and don't be discouraged by slow growth at the beginning: even the biggest YouTubers started at 0 subscribers.

My journey so far has taught me that being successful as a freelancer (or a YouTuber) isn't about one big break or some secret formula. It's about the consistent, cumulative effort - gradually building your skills, your audience, your client base, and using all the tools at your disposal to do so.

Here's to your freelancing and YouTube success - may they grow together and take you to new heights!

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