by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

Did you know that YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world? Over one billion hours of videos are watched on YouTube every day.¹ Why aren’t more authors on this site?

For over a year, I was afraid of putting my face on the screen. I didn’t think I could cut it as a spokesperson for our ministry’s books, and I thought I would easily forget my lines. I was hesitant to use for God this gigantic resource called YouTube. That has changed.

If millions of people are using YouTube every day, why not fill it with God? Why not flood the site with thousands of channels that encourage hearts and share the truth of the gospel? Channels that point people to the One who loves them the most and wants to help them. Channels created by Christian writers. Like you and me.

You Don’t Have to Be on the Screen

If you’re hesitant to be on camera like I was, I have a suggestion. Use memes. You know, those memes we’re told to make that will help to maximize our presence on social media. The pictures that have a Bible verse on them or a quote from our books. We can make videos out of them and post them on our YouTube channels.

Sharing a video of quotes from your book allows potential readers to have a sample of your writing. It may entice them to learn more about your book and visit your website. YouTube can become a powerful tool for encouraging hearts and building our platforms. It may be the breakthrough we’ve been waiting for.

Getting Started

Create a You Tube channel by signing into YouTube with your Google account (or by making one). YouTube has its own channel for guiding users through the process of building a channel, and it’s called YouTube Creators. Check it out to learn all about this process.

Creating a meme is as easy as using an app like Canva or computer software like Adobe Photoshop Elements. Find a captivating, royalty-free picture on a site like Pixabay.com, or use one of your own pictures of high quality. Don’t make the picture too “small” in size so it won’t appear grainy in your video. A picture that is eight inches tall by ten inches wide and has a resolution of 96 or 300 dpi (dots per inch) should work well. Use the “text” tool to add a quote to the picture in a spot where the words are the most legible.

Put together a slideshow of your pictures using a video editing app like PowerDirector or software like Windows Movie Maker which are both free, or use something like Adobe Premier Pro. If you’re creating a video of Bible verses or inspirational quotes unrelated to your own work, you can use an app or software that is for non-commercial use. But if you’re promoting your books, check the terms of use to see if the program can be used for commercial use. I recently subscribed to Adobe Premier Pro which is supposed to be one of the best programs, and so far so good. However, Amazon has several video editing software programs for sale that you can purchase without a subscription. 

Adding Music to Your Video

There are three ways to find music for your videos—by purchasing royalty-free music, by creating your own, or by using YouTube itself. I prefer the last two ways. I used Sony Acid Music Studio to create my own music for this video—Breaking the Chains Quotes. I created five clips of music, and the graphics with quotes on them appear for ten seconds along with a music clip. The Sony program came with a CD of music loops, and I had an adventure building my own music, featuring guitars, bass, and drums.

An easier way to add music is to use the clips that YouTube offers. Check out this incredibly  short video that features one of their music clips—Nine Seconds of Nature’s Smallest Joys. I found a piano clip whose notes mimic the beats of the butterfly’s wings. (Imagine that!) We can share the simplest joys of life on our YouTube channels and the incredible truths God is teaching us.

So What Do You Think?

Would you be willing to start a YouTube channel if you knew you didn’t have to appear on camera? Next month I’ll share about the joys of making videos of ourselves talking and share some ideas of what to talk about. But for now, tell us in the comments if you would be willing to take on this new adventure and use YouTube as a resource for God and His kingdom. After all, we can use every available resource that God directs us to, and saturate the world with His truth and love. Let’s not forget this one.

¹ Sarah Bolme, Your Guide to Marketing Christian Books, Fourth Edition (Charlotte, North Carolina: CREST Publications, 2019), 157.

Katy Kauffman is an award-winning author, an editor of Refresh Bible Study Magazine, and a co-founder of Lighthouse Bible Studies. She loves connecting with writers and working alongside them in compilations. Her compilation, Heart Renovation: A Construction Guide to Godly Character, was a 2019 Selah Awards finalist and Director’s Choice finalist. Katy’s writing can be found at CBN.com, thoughts-about-God.com, the Arise Daily blog, PursueMagazine.net, and two blogs on writing. She loves spending time with family and friends, making jewelry, and hunting for the best donuts. Connect with her at her blog, The Scrapbooked Bible Study, and on Facebook and Twitter.