Camera-shy but want to earn, learn, and start a YouTube business? Starting a Faceless YouTube channel can be a great way to build an audience and create content without showing your face.
There are hundreds of faceless YouTube channels that get millions of views per video and earn a large amount of passive income by doing so. If you want to be on that list, you just need to apply the right YouTube marketing strategies.
In this article, we’ll cover the following:
- Why start a faceless YouTube channel?
- Best faceless YouTube channel ideas
- How to choose a niche for your channel
- How to start a faceless YouTube channel
- Tips on hiring on Fiverr for your Faceless YouTube Channel
- Best Free Tools to Grow Your Channel
- Best strategies for growing your faceless YouTube channel
- How to Monetize your YouTube channel
- How to increase likes and subscribers
What is a Faceless YouTube Channel
A faceless YouTube channel is a channel that does not show the face of the person behind it. The videos are usually either narrated or have music playing in the background.
The nice thing about a faceless YouTube channel is it allows creators to focus more on the editing and voiceover aspect rather than relying on their personality or face to gain viewers’ attention. If you are someone who is more interested in showing off your ideas, voice, or editing skills but don’t have the desire to put yourself in the videos themselves, a faceless YouTube channel could be the right type of channel for you.
Why Start a Faceless YouTube Channel
There are many reasons why someone might choose to create a faceless channel. For some, it allows them to focus on the content of their videos without worrying about their appearance. Others simply enjoy the creative freedom that comes with not having to show their face.
Here are some of the reasons why starting a faceless YouTube channel can be a great business idea:
- No need to get in front of the camera
- Less equipment may be required depending on the type of faceless content you put out (i.e., relying on stock footage is a cheaper option than shooting on a camera.)
- Easy-to-start business model
- Low startup cost (all you need is a microphone and a phone or computer.)
- Anyone can start a faceless YouTube channel
- Can explore topics you’re passionate about
- Can make you millions of dollars on the side in the long run
Regardless of the reason, faceless channels can offer a unique and entertaining experience for viewers.
How to Start a YouTube Channel Without Showing Your Face
1. Choose a Niche and Content-Type
A niche is the category/type of content you will be making that targets a specific and definable group of people.
There are many faceless channels out there that cover a wide range of topics, from cooking and DIY tutorials to gaming and product reviews. It’s important to pick something that you’re knowledgable and passionate about, or at least have a strong interest in. That way, you’ll be more likely to stick with it and produce consistent content.
Figure out who your audience is going to be:
- What kind of youtube channel can you start without showing your face on it?
- Who are you creating content for?
- Who do you want to serve with your content?
Identify problems that your audience needs to be solved:
- How can you create videos that solve these problems?
- Are you able to answer the questions your audience frequently asks?
- What would you like to see more of?
- Is there a void in the niche that you can fill?
2. Niche Down Using Basic SEO
YouTube SEO determines a channels ranking in the search results through the use of popular keywords.
If you have good SEO, your content will be among the top channels listed in the search results. If you have poor SEO, your content could be buried so far down in the search engines that it won’t be seen unless people scroll to the bottom of the page.
Best SEO Tools:
- TubeBuddy
- Semrush
- Google Trends
- Ubersuggest
- Find key phrases that pop up in YouTube’s search bar to see what people are searching for in your niche.
YouTube SEO Pro tip: Choose medium to low-difficulty keywords or keywords that are easier to rank for. Avoid high-difficulty keywords as that is an indicator that the word is hard to rank for in searches.
Niche Down to Increase Profits
If you’re just starting out, finding a more specific niche is going to make your channel more profitable than general ones, and you won’t even have to be that popular to make a decent income.
When you create content for a specific niche audience, you are able to charge more for ads and sponsorships because you are providing value that is not easily found elsewhere.
Use Long-Tail Keywords
Long tail keywords are those that have fewer searches per month but have lower keyword difficulty. The fact that these keywords have searches means there’s still interest revolving around it. And this is where you should first bank on your focus on creating your topics.
3. Choose How to Operate Your YouTube Channel
Free Method – Produce videos yourself
You don’t need to spend any money, but you will have to create the content yourself. This can be a good option if you have the time and skills to do so. This is the option that most beginners will go for until they can build up a good enough income source to start an automated YouTube channel.
Paid Method – Hire a content creation team to automate the process
If you want to be hands-off with the editing, filming, scripting, voice-over work, and the whole production process, you will need to put together a production team to automate the process.
For more information on how to start a successful automated YouTube channel, check out our complete guide.
Mixture of Free & Paid Methods
- Handle part(s) of the production process yourself, and outsource workers to handle the rest.
- Prioritize based on your skills.
The third method is a hybrid of the first two. With this method, you pay for some parts of the content creation process and do other parts yourself.
This can be a good option if you want to save money and still have some control over the creation process, or if you have some but not all of the skills required to produce high-quality videos. (i.e., if you are good at editing video but bad at writing script.)
4. Set A Realistic Goal
Understand YouTube Isn’t a ‘Get Rick Quick Scheme’
In the beginning stages of building your faceless YouTube channel, it’s important to understand that you will make little to no money until you achieve monetization status, which comes after you reach 1,000 subscribers and have 4,000 total watch hours in the last 12 months.
To achieve monetization status as soon as possible, you will want to build a unique presence and community on YouTube by focusing on putting out great quality content and encouraging your subscribers or viewers to interact with your channel by asking them to like, comment, or subscribe in exchange for giveaways, live Q&A sessions, mail time, and more.
With consistent quality content, you can expect to monetize your channel in about six months. From there, the earning potential is limitless.
Goal Setting
You should be posting at least two to four videos each week on a consistent schedule. (i.e., every Tuesday and Thursday at 5 p.m.)
Find out how much time you will need to produce these videos each week and stick to a consistent schedule.
Things to consider:
- On average, how long will it take to fully produce a video for your channel?
- Measures of success (i.e., like, comment, and view counts for videos)
- Analyze successful and unsuccessful videos to better understand the type of content your audience gravitates towards.
Best Ideas for a Faceless Channel
Once you’ve decided on a niche, start brainstorming video ideas and stories that you can tell without showing your face. Remember, the key to a successful faceless channel is creating engaging and original content that will captivate your viewers.
Here are a few of the many types of faceless YouTube videos you can do:
- Animation/Illustration Videos
- Reaction Videos with Audio Only
- Gaming
- Product Reviews
- Time-Lapse
- Relaxing Music
- ASMR
- Guided Meditation
- Tutorials
- Horror Stories
- True Crime
- Top X Ranking Videos
- Cooking/Recipes
- Documentaries
Must-Haves for Your Faceless YouTube Channel
Channel Icon and Banner
If you insist on designing your own channel icon and banner, I recommend using Canva or Canva Pro. Canva allows you to build your own channel icon and banner image and it also allows you to build thumbnails, pdfs, and social media posts.
Your channel icon and banner image are the first things your audience will see. To make sure your channel standouts, you can either:
- Hire a professional graphic designer on Fiverr
- Do it yourself using Canva
Use my link for Canva Pro: https://bit.ly/canvaplatform
Video Script
The script is what the narrator of the video will read. A well-crafted script can make all the difference, providing structure, flow, and even a few laughs. But if you’ve never written a YouTube script before, where do you start?
You can either do your own research and write the scripts yourself, or you can hire someone through Fiverr to write scripts for you.
Video Footage
Stock footage is a must-have when it comes to creating engaging videos for a faceless YouTube channel. There are a few different ways you can go about acquiring stock footage for your videos.
Free Resources:
- Pexels
- Pixabay
- Story Blocks
- YouTube Creative Commons
- Screen Share/Screen Record
- Canva (Free)
Paid Method:
- Canva Pro – If you are looking for premium stock footage or photos to make your videos stand out from the rest of your competition, you can use something like Canva Pro.
Video Editing
Now when it comes to video editing you can do it yourself by using one of the editing software listed below, or you can hire a video editor on Fiverr.
Since video editing can take a really long time, I recommend hiring someone to handle this part of the editing process for you. This way, you can focus more on coming up with new video ideas, overall production, research, scripting, and more.
Free Editing Software:
- iMovie
- Windows Movie Maker
Paid Editing Software:
- WeVideo – Cloud-Based Option
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Final Cut Pro
Best Option:
- Hire a Video Editor on Fiverr
Voice-Over
Narration is going to be one of the biggest aspects of your video since you won’t be showing your face. A good voice-over can improve average viewer duration and make your content more engaging. It can also add another level of personality to your channel. You can either record the narrations yourself or hire a voice-over artist on Fiverr.
Free Method: Use an audio recording device for voiceovers
Paid Method: Hire a voice-over artist on Fiverr or Pictory
Video Music
Adding background music to your videos enhances the storytelling process, sets the proper mood for a scene, and evokes emotion in your viewers. You will want to match your audience here, so if you have a channel that talks about sports, make sure to use upbeat, sporty music that is similar to what you would hear on TV.
Watch a few different channels similar to the one you’re looking to start for inspiration on what type of music you should be using.
There are lots of great places to find music for your YouTube videos. What I use for my own channel comes from EpidemicSound.
You can also check out the YouTube Music Library, which offers a wide range of tracks that you can use for free. You can also search for Creative Commons-licensed music on sites like SoundCloud and Free Music Archive.
Thumbnail
As a YouTuber, one of the most important elements of your channel is your thumbnail image. This is what will help draw viewers in and give them a sense of what your video is about. While you could simply use a still image from your video, many YouTubers like to use music to create their thumbnails.
You can either create your own thumbnail using Canva Pro or PicMonkey, or you can hire someone on Fiverr to make them for you.
Hiring Virtual Assistant(s) for your Faceless YouTube Channel
Find quality candidates to complete each individual component of your faceless videos. (i.e., scripting, editing, coming up with new ideas, channel manager, etc.)
This way, you can be sure that each part of the video is up to par and your final product will be one your viewers will be sure to watch all the way through.
Protip: Avoid all-in-one services offered on Fiverr and Upwork.
Although it may be cheaper to hire one person to handle everything rather than paying several people, you will be sacrificing content quality. In my experience, most of the content that they’ve been able to produce wasn’t able to be posted to my channel because the quality of the video was not good.
More on: How to Hire a CHEAP VA on Upwork + Hiring Walkthrough (2022)
Tools for Growing Your Channel
TubeBuddy
TubeBuddy is one of the most important tools you can use to optimize your channel. It helps with things like keyword research, tags, bulk edits, best times to post, thumbnail testing, and more.
With TubeBuddy, you can optimize your channel and make sure your videos are getting seen by the most amount of viewers possible.
TubeBuddy has a free browser extension that integrates directly with YouTube and provides tools for data & research, SEO, promotion, and more.
Use my link to create an account with TubeBuddy: https://www.tubebuddy.com/charliechang
Videly
With video SEO software, you can optimize your videos for search engines, making it more likely that they’ll be seen by potential customers.
Just like TubeBuddy, Videly is a video SEO software that can help you choose the right keywords and tags, as well as track your video’s performance over time.
You can also track your progress over time to see how your rankings are improving. And best of all, Videly is available for both Mac and PC.
How to Grow a Faceless YouTube Channel
Even with the best tools in the world, you won’t get anywhere if you’re not consistently pumping out quality content. Here are some of the best strategies for growing your faceless YouTube Channel.
Consistent and Quality Content
It’s important to have consistent, quality uploads if you want people to keep watching your videos. Try to aim for at least two videos per week.
This is frequent enough to keep your viewers engaged without overwhelming them with too much content. Consistent uploads also allow the YouTube algorithm to become familiar with your channel and will in turn recommend your content to more users on their platform.
Evergreen Content
Evergreen content is content that doesn’t have an expiration date and is likely to stay relevant for an extended period of time.
If you’re looking for a way to take your YouTube channel to the next level, then consider creating videos that answer questions that your audience is asking frequently. By creating evergreen content that ranks highly in YouTube’s search results, you’ll be able to reach a wider audience and build a stronger following.
YouTube is the second largest search engine domain in the world, so making videos based on keywords your audience is consistently searching for can have a huge impact on your channel’s growth and success.
If you’re ready to take your channel to new heights, start brainstorming some questions that your viewers are likely to be searching for. Then, get to work creating engaging and informative videos that will help them achieve their goals.
33 Video Rule
Once you’ve posted 33 videos, take a close look at the ones that have received the most views, likes, and comments. These are the videos that are resonating with your audience, so start creating more content like this.
By doubling down on what’s working, you should see a big boost in your channel’s growth.
Plus, your viewers will appreciate that you’re giving them more of what they want. So don’t be afraid to experiment and see what kinds of videos perform best in the first 33 uploads.
Ask Your Audience to Like and Subscribe to Your Channel Multiple Times
It may seem like a small thing, but it makes a big difference. By asking your audience to like and subscribe to your channel, you’re letting them know that you’re serious about building a community and that you value their support. This is also referred to as a Call To Action or CTA.
Post at the Right Time
As any YouTuber knows, the initial reception of your video is essential for its success. One way to get a small but noticeable boost in your initial views is to post when your viewers are on YouTube.
You can do this by going to the YouTube Studio, going to Analytics, and then going to Audience. This will show you when most of your subscribers are active on YouTube.
Check out our video on Best Times To Post YouTube Videos for more information on how posting at the right time can help grow your channel.
Post When Your Competition Isn’t
As a bonus, I want to give you this super cool video release strategy that has worked on my videos.
A lot of other channels post their videos on the hour or half-hour mark, so by releasing your videos at a different time (15 or 45 minutes past the hour, for example), you’re more likely to get views from YouTube subscribers who are notified of your new video.
This can help give your video a boost in the algorithm and get more eyes on your content because there are fewer people posting at these times.
Duplicate What’s Already Working For Your Competitors
Lastly, look at what other successful channels in your niche are doing. Are there certain types of videos that perform well? Is there a certain style of thumbnail that catches people’s attention? What do all the successful channels in your niche have in common?
By studying what works for other channels, you can save a ton of time working through trial and error finding out what your audience wants to see.
How to Make Money with a Faceless YouTube Channel (Monetization)
YouTube Monetization Requirements
In order to apply and get approved for channel monetization, you must have at least 1000 subscribers and a minimum of 4,000 watch hours in the last 365 days. Your channel must also be in good standing and comply with YouTube’s monetization guidelines at the time that you apply.
Lastly, you must also have a Google Adsense account linked to your channel.
As long as your channel meets those four requirements, you should have no issues getting approved to become a YouTube partner and start earning money through your channel.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is when you promote a company’s products in exchange for a commission on sales or traffic you generate to their site.
With a faceless channel, you can add affiliate links in the ‘Description’ field beneath your video. If someone clicks on one of those links and makes a purchase, you earn a commission on the sale.
For more information, check out our Complete Affiliate Marketing Guide to learn how you can make over $200,000 in passive income per year using ShareASale.
Brand Deals and Sponsorship
Brand deals and sponsorships are a great way to earn money through your YouTube channel.
These are 15-60 second ad integrations that you insert in the middle of your videos, and these are known for paying extremely well.
If you’re interested in this option, be creative in your approach, and don’t be afraid to reach out to potential partners. The best partnerships often come through a shared passion for the product itself.
Merch Sales
Creating merch can be one of the most lucrative ways of making money through your channel.
You can encourage your viewers to buy merch by offering exclusive deals and discounts on products, or by doing giveaways to viewers who subscribe, like, and send proof of purchase of some merch.
Not only do you get to keep 100% of the revenue earned from merch sales, but you will create a community of people who will in return be advertising your channel to the masses whenever they choose to wear it in public.
Sell a Digital Product
For certain types of content that would be better served in longer formats, consider selling it in the form of an online course or E-book.
If you manage to scale your faceless channel to anything over 10K subscribers, chances are people are going to want to learn your method to success. In addition, your subscribers will have likely watched several of your videos up to this point and have gained some sort of trust for you.
Check out our video on the Top 10 Digital Products That Make +$500 Per Day in 2022 .
Channels I Would Start Today
If I were to start off with a faceless channel right now, it would probably be a topic that is trending.
These could be things like
- Cryptocurrency
- NFTs, trading cards, or physical collectibles
- Commentary about trending shows
- Movies that people are searching for
Actionable Steps to Start a Faceless YouTube Channel
- Choose your niche
- Learn the basics of YouTube Video SEO and YouTube Marketing Strategies
- Decide your method of operation (free, paid, hybrid)
- Begin planning and creating content
- Upload consistently
- Analyze analytics after 33 uploads, and replicate what’s working
- Scale your channel
Conclusion
There you go! We’ve given you everything you need to know to go out and start your own successful faceless YouTube Channel. Remember, starting any YouTube channel takes a ton of groundwork before you begin to see results. But with the right approach from the beginning, you’ll start to see those results pay off in ways you didn’t imagine were possible.
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