Hello! Right now you’re reading “The Creator Confidential”, a blog where famous YouTubers share their stories and tips they have for growing a YouTube channel. Over the past week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Keana, and here is the finished result. Enjoy!
Keana Skurla started creating videos on YouTube over 8 years ago. Since then, she has gradually gained over 71,000 subscribers and 4.7 million views! With so many years of experience on YouTube, Keana shares some of her wisdom, including her top 3 tips for smaller YouTubers, how she deals with hate, brand opportunities, and more!
What inspired you to create your channel? When did you start?
Not many people know that I actually started Youtube in middle school— but with a different channel! I’d spend hours on end watching videos from Bethany Mota and JLovesMac1 (I mean, who didn’t?) and I guess I just wanted to share makeup tutorials and “my january favorites” with the internet LOL. But I think I got maybe 200 subscribers and decided to make a new channel because I realized mine was a cringefest when I got to high school. I made the new channel but honestly didn’t post consistently til college! I fell in love with coming up with fun ideas, filming, and editing. I loved how it felt like I was a creative director— in charge of the whole creative process. The biggest reason for why I make Youtube videos is that it’s my creative outlet. I just loved creating!!
Do you think your family or background/where you grew up influenced your content? In a positive or negative way? Can you talk about how your parents or sister affected your YouTube channel?
My family has always been very supportive of my Youtube and it definitely encourages me to keep it going. Also, it’s awesome that my sister will offer to help me film if I ever need assistance.
Top 3 tips you would give to small YouTubers trying to start a successful YouTube channel?
Find your niche— but also don’t be afraid to refine it when you grow & change! People want to see consistency with your channel, to some degree. I’ve always classified myself as a lifestyle and college YouTuber but now that I’ve graduated college, my niche is definitely going to shift.
Be consistent. This honestly might be just as important as #1. And it’s something I’ve struggled with this past year. It is so so important to be consistent, and I’ve realized this more this past year. After struggling with a toxic relationship senior year, I didn’t have the energy to film and put myself out on the internet. After a few months, I could tell that my break from YouTube left me with lower engagement. So if you’re wondering, consistency really is key!
Master the art of thumbnails! Doing research on some trends is going to help too but thumbnails are one of the MOST important aspects of a video. If your thumbnail sucks, no one is going to click your video. I’ve been using Lightroom to edit photos for the longest time and then I’ll use Photoshop to add text and some layers. I’m still learning as I go but I recently bought an iPad and will be using Procreate to amp up my thumbnail game!
Have you ever become unmotivated to post on your channel? If so, why and how did you get over that and start creating again?
100%. There are definitely some days where I am not feeling creative enough. But that’s totally fine! I think it’s normal to have a creative burnout or even just struggle with producing your best content! I am in a constant struggle with myself about whether or not I thought a video turned out good enough. Some things that help reinvigorate me when I’m feeling stuck or unmotivated are talking with friends/family, painting, listening to music/creating spotify playlists, and working out.
How do you find opportunities with brands? Also, this doesn't necessarily have to be about brands but: What is one of the best opportunities you've been given because of your channel?
Typically, brands just reach out to me via email or Instagram DMs. But I’ve also been introduced to platforms like AspireIQ and GrapevineLogic which connect you with brands, and I’ve had great experiences with both! One of my friends actually started saying “why the heck aren’t YOU reaching out to brands?” Guys, there’s a lot of potential out there. Be right back, going to go email BoysLie. I can’t decide on one best opportunity so I have two: working with HomeGoods and attending the Lulus launch party in LA. First of all, I could live at HomeGoods; I am in love with home decor so it was a dream getting to collaborate with them on a college apartment makeover. Second, the Lulus launch party was singlehandedly the coolest event I’ve been to! Open bar, a whole lot of YouTubers, clothes, and snacks— I even met another fav vlogger, Tasha Farsaci!
How do you balance college, your job, and YouTube? Do you have any time management tips?
In college, I would set aside time for filming and pretty much plan out my weeks in my notebook/journal. This helped me allot time for friends, school work, etc. Also, a lot of the time I would be vlogging my real life so I’d sometimes be getting video content while going about my normal day! Now that I am graduated and have a full-time job, it’s been a lot harder to get things done! Utilizing my weekends is KEY.
How long does it take you to edit one of your videos?
Really depends on the video! Editing vlogs is generally quicker than if I do a more cinematic style or one with a lot of footage to go through. I’d say some videos take 5 hours and some take 10-15, or sometimes I’ll edit within a span of days.
Finally, what is your experience with hate (in real life and in comments) and do you have any advice on how to deal with it?
I do get the occasional comment telling me I look 15, but luckily I don't receive too much hate. I typically don’t think twice about a rude comment because they don’t know me and I don’t know them! Plus, everybody gets hate. I think once you realize you can't please everyone, it's easier to ignore the comments.
Thanks for reading! A huge thanks to Keana for taking the time to answer all the questions. Here are the links to all her socials:
Instagram: @keanaskurla https://www.instagram.com/keanaskurla/
YouTube: Keana Skurla https://www.youtube.com/user/thatmakeupgirl09
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