The Complete Guide to Starting a Cooking Channel on YouTube

Are you thinking of starting a cooking channel on YouTube? 

YouTube is a beautiful space for thousands of chefs, foodies, and home cooks who want to share their recipes. Starting a YouTube channel has many benefits, whether you plan to put your entire focus into the platform or want your cooking channel to drive traffic to your food blog or food-related business. With the right approach, YouTube can help you connect with your audience, increase your brand visibility, and generate revenue. 

Starting a cooking channel on YouTube is certainly doable. Still, it will take time and effort if you want to do it properly and stand a chance of getting noticed amongst the thousands of other food YouTubers who enjoy an audience on the platform. Even before you upload your first video, there are so many factors to consider, from picking a niche to choosing the right equipment to create engaging and high-quality content.

In this post, we’ll explore how to start a food channel on YouTube and the steps to make it successful!

How to start a cooking channel on YouTube?

Starting a cooking channel is exciting, but there are many moving parts. In this guide, we break down the process into four easy-to-follow stages.

Step 1: Get your research done 

You don’t want to rush in blindly and start creating videos with no plan, as you won’t reap the maximum benefit. It’s best to investigate and figure out what works well and what doesn’t. Here are some things to try during your research phase:

Define your audience and choose a niche

Defining your target audience and creating a niche are critical first steps when starting a YouTube cooking channel. Carefully consider the demographics of your ideal viewer, including factors like age, gender, location, income level, and any dietary restrictions. For example, millennials watch around 30% more food content on YouTube than other age groups, so targeting a younger audience could be advantageous. 

Once you understand your audience, develop a unique niche and selling point that sets your channel apart from other food YouTubers. Your niche should align with your interests, skills, and what you can offer that’s different. Some niche possibilities include focusing on a specific type of cooking, like hyper-realistic cakes, documenting your growth as a beginner cook, or exploring the science behind cooking techniques. Whatever you choose, your niche should shine through in your channel name, branding, and the videos you create. A well-defined niche will help your channel stand out and attract a loyal audience.

Choose a theme and style 

With your target audience and niche identified, it’s time to decide on an overarching theme and style for your cooking channel. Your theme could revolve around a particular cuisine, such as Italian, Mexican, or plant-based, or focus on a specific cooking method like grilling, baking, or 30-minute meals. Alternatively, you might target a particular dietary preference, such as gluten-free, keto, or budget-friendly recipes. A consistent theme will make it easier for viewers to recognize your brand and know what content to expect.

In addition to your theme, consider the overall style and vibe you want for your channel. Will you have an energetic, upbeat delivery or a more laid-back and relaxed approach? Do you want your videos to be highly polished and professional or embrace a more authentic and unedited feel? Your style should reflect your unique personality and align with your target audience’s preferences.

Watch other successful YouTube channels

One of the best ways to prepare yourself for creating a successful cooking channel is to look at the competition. Research successful cooking channels to see what else is out there and how the best YouTubers do it. This will give you a sense of what content performs well and what doesn’t. You can also get inspiration for recipes, cooking trends, and creative ways to shoot your video.

A few examples of successful YouTube cooking channels are A Cook Named Matt, CookingBomb, and Jamie Oliver, all of which have millions of subscribers.

Step 2: Prepare properly

Proper preparation is essential before hitting the record button. Planning your content and gathering the necessary equipment will help ensure a smooth and successful recording session.

Find recipes

What recipes will you demonstrate on your cooking channel? You’ll need to post content regularly to maintain an engaged audience, so build a backlog of recipes before starting. 

Begin with recipes you know well, then find inspiration from cookbooks, food blogs, TV shows, Instagram food accounts, or other YouTube cooking channels to find more recipes. Adapt the recipes you find and add your unique spin to make them original. Consider your niche and target audience when selecting recipes.

Create a content plan

Posting content consistently keeps viewers engaged and helps your videos rank higher in YouTube search results. Create a content calendar to plan and organize your recipes into series or categories, such as vegetarian dishes, gluten-free recipes, or seasonal content like summer BBQs or holiday meals. A well-structured content plan ensures a steady stream of ideas and helps you prepare for upcoming shoots.

Get the right equipment 

To film high-quality recipe videos, you’ll need the right equipment. Start with basic cooking tools that match your branding for a cohesive look. For filming, you’ll need a good quality camera (either a dedicated device or smartphone), a tripod for steady shots, lighting equipment like a lightbox or reflector, and a microphone for clear audio. 

Don’t forget about backdrop and props – choose items that reflect your brand and create an attractive, clean kitchen setting. These may include wooden boards, plates, glassware, and background ingredients.

Step 3: Shoot your first cooking video 

Creating your first cooking video can be an exciting and nerve-wracking experience. Here are some pointers to make this process easier for you:

Don’t overthink it

Remember, your initial videos may not be perfect, but you’ll continually improve your skills and content quality with practice and persistence. Don’t hesitate to start sharing your first videos, as building your content library is essential for growing your channel.

Shoot your first video

When it’s time to shoot your first cooking video, embrace the learning process and avoid making mistakes. Incorporate a variety of shots and angles to keep your videos engaging. Also, capture enticing sounds like sizzling, chopping, or bubbling to engage your viewers’ senses and make your food look as appetizing as possible. For more in-depth advice, check out this step-by-step guide to making cooking videos. 

Edit vigilantly

After shooting, carefully edit your video to create a concise and engaging final product. Cut out unnecessary sections and consider adding subtitles, voiceovers, text overlays, or background music to enhance the viewing experience. Pay attention to pacing, ensuring that your video moves along at a good speed without feeling rushed or dragging on too long.

There are many user-friendly video editing software options available, such as:

• Computer-based: iMovie, Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro
• Smartphone apps: Canva, Vimeo, InShot, KineMaster

Remember, your initial videos may not be perfect, but you’ll continually improve with practice. Don’t hesitate to start sharing your videos, as building your content library is essential for growing your channel.

Step 4: Publish your video and stick to your content schedule

Once you’ve finished shooting and editing your cooking video, it’s time to share it with the world! Publishing your first video is an exciting milestone. Promote it on your social media channels and consider embedding it on your website or blog.

After publishing your first video, stick to the content schedule you prepared during the second step. Aim to publish new videos consistently, whether that’s weekly or biweekly. Regularly brainstorm ideas for new recipes, cooking tips, or food-related topics to keep your content fresh. As you publish more, monitor your analytics to see which types of videos resonate with your audience.

Tips for running a successful cooking channel on YouTube

Starting a cooking channel on YouTube is an exciting venture, but building and maintaining a successful channel takes more than just great recipes. Here are some essential tips to help you grow your audience and create engaging content that keeps viewers returning for more.

1. Beware of trends 

While staying current with food trends is essential, be cautious about jumping on every viral bandwagon. Some trends may not align with your brand or cooking style, and constantly chasing the latest fad can make your content feel inauthentic. Instead, focus on creating timeless recipes and content that will remain relevant and valuable to your audience.

When considering a trend, ask yourself if it fits your niche and if your audience would be interested in it. If a trend does align with your channel’s theme, put your own unique spin on it to make it stand out from other creators hopping on the same trend.

2. Interact with your audience

Don’t just post videos and leave them there. Engaging with your audience is critical to building a more significant following and encouraging more engagement in the future. Make sure you reply to comments or mention specific users in your videos when you use their suggestions or answer questions. You could also livestream, run competitions and giveaways, or collaborate with other YouTube content creators who have a similar target demographic.

Building a strong community around your channel fosters loyalty and encourages viewers to return for more content. Consider creating a dedicated space for your audience to interact, such as a Facebook group or Discord server, where they can share their own recipes, ask questions, and connect with fellow fans of your channel.

3. Monetize your content

If you wish to create cooking content full-time and generate income from your channel, it’s essential to focus on monetizing your food content. You can do this through various ways, including affiliate marketing, sponsored content, and joining YouTube’s Partner Program. 

Other monetization strategies include creating and selling your own recipes and products, such as cookbooks, meal plans, or branded kitchenware. You can also offer exclusive content or perks to channel members who pay a monthly subscription fee. Diversifying your income streams helps create a sustainable business model for your cooking channel.

When exploring monetization options, maintain transparency with your audience and only promote products or services that align with your brand and values. Your viewers trust your recommendations, so it’s crucial to be authentic and selective in your partnerships and sponsorships.

4. Collaborate with other YouTube food channels

Collaborating with other YouTube food channels offers numerous advantages for growing your own channel. By collaborating, you can tap into the existing audience of the different channels, potentially exposing your content to new viewers. Cross-promotion between collaborating channels helps drive traffic and subscribers to both parties. 

Collaborating brings variety and fresh perspectives to your content, keeping your audience engaged. Building relationships within the YouTube community through collaborations opens doors to future opportunities and partnerships.

When choosing collaboration partners, look for channels that share a similar niche or target audience but offer something different from your own content. This allows you to provide value to your viewers while also attracting new subscribers interested in your unique perspective.

5. Monitor your data

One of the best features of YouTube is the vast array of analytics it provides users. Monitoring your stats is incredibly important, as it identifies areas for improvement and helps you optimize your content. There are lots of stats you should be tracking, including:

• Watch Time, which indicates how engaging your content is
• Average Percentage Viewed, which indicates how much of your video people are watching
• Audience Retention, which indicates how well you’re building loyalty
• Rewatches, which indicate if people are invested in your recipes

Tracking these stats over time will enable you to identify areas for improvement and adapt your approach accordingly. Use this data to inform your content strategy, such as determining which types of recipes resonate most with your audience or identifying optimal video lengths for maximum retention.

6. Become a multi-channel influencer

Expanding your presence across multiple platforms allows you to engage with your audience differently and create a cohesive brand experience. Cross-promote your content by sharing YouTube videos on your other social media profiles and encouraging followers to subscribe to your channel. By diversifying your online presence, you can attract new followers, strengthen your community, and establish yourself as an influencer in the food and cooking space.

Each social platform has its own benefits. For example, Instagram is great for live streaming and posting sponsored content, while TikTok is perfect for short, punchy recipe videos. Email is another important channel, as it allows you to keep your audience engaged and send personalized content and updates on any projects you have in the pipeline. 

You should also have a website that serves as a base for all your content, such as recipes, products, and video tutorials.

How to embed YouTube cooking videos into your recipes with WP Recipe Maker

WP Recipe Maker is a fantastic tool that makes it easy to embed YouTube video content anywhere in your blog. It’s perfect for posting cooking videos alongside the written recipe. The YouTube video can sit inside the recipe box or outside of it – it’s up to you.

You can embed your video by going to the media section of your WordPress site and pasting a link or the embed code to your YouTube video. Using the YouTube Data API, WP Recipe Maker then automatically retrieves the video markup, adding it to your recipe metadata, optimizing your site for SEO, and helping it rank higher on the search engine results page.

Having a food blog on your website can be incredibly beneficial, as it allows your audience to find and recreate your recipes without having to rewatch your videos continually. If you want to create a food blog on WordPress, you’ll want to take it to the next level using WP Recipe Maker, which allows you to easily generate recipe cards and embed your YouTube videos into your recipes.

Ready to start your cooking channel on YouTube?

Starting and running a successful cooking channel on YouTube can be an exciting and rewarding journey. By following the steps outlined in this article – from thorough research and proper preparation to shooting and publishing your first video – you’ll be well on your way to sharing your culinary passion with the world.

Remember that it’s important to incorporate other channels into your growth strategy, and a food blog is particularly useful. If you’re running a food blog on WordPress, the WP Recipe Maker plugin will be an invaluable tool in your arsenal, as it will help you create stunning recipe cards on your website. You can also embed your YouTube videos in your recipe cards, which is useful as it will make your recipe cards even more engaging. Get the most out of your YouTube videos by trying WP Recipe Maker today!