YouTube Channel Starter Kit
Video idea pipeline, script templates, thumbnail checklist, upload schedule and title/SEO tracker.
Written against
- · Income Tax Act — self-employment income, GST/HST registration at $30,000
- · Ad Standards Canada — Influencer Marketing Disclosure Guidelines
- · Competition Act — misleading representations and testimonial disclosure
- · Copyright Act (Canada) — licensing, moral rights and music use
1. Channel positioning
- · One sentence: "This channel helps [audience] [outcome]."
- · Three series you can produce for 12 months
- · Channel trailer under 60 seconds, banner, and a consistent thumbnail style
2. Idea pipeline
| Stage | Definition | Target count |
|---|---|---|
| Captured | Raw idea, one line | 50+ |
| Validated | Search demand or audience request | 20 |
| Titled | Title + thumbnail concept written first | 10 |
| Scripted | Full outline or word-for-word | 4 |
| Filmed | Footage in the folder | 2 |
| Scheduled | Uploaded with metadata | 1–2 |
3. Script template
- · 0:00–0:15 Hook — restate the title promise and the stake
- · 0:15–0:45 Credibility and roadmap in one breath
- · Body — 3 to 5 chapters, each with a mini payoff and a pattern break every 20–30 seconds
- · Proof — demo, screen capture, data or a real example
- · Close — recap, one call to action, and a specific next video to watch
4. Thumbnail and title checklist
- · Readable at 120 px wide; test at phone size
- · Maximum three or four words on the thumbnail
- · Face or subject with a clear emotion, high contrast against the background
- · Title under 60 characters, keyword within the first five words, no clickbait you do not deliver
- · Title and thumbnail must match the content — misleading packaging breaches the Competition Act when it involves a commercial claim
5. Upload checklist
- · Description: 2-line summary, chapters, links, affiliate disclosure
- · Tags, end screen, cards, pinned comment with the call to action
- · Declare paid promotion using YouTube's built-in disclosure AND say it out loud in the video
- · Captions uploaded or reviewed for accuracy
- · Music and stock footage licensed for commercial use; keep licence receipts
6. Performance tracker
| Metric | Healthy | Fix if low |
|---|---|---|
| Click-through rate | 4–10% | Title / thumbnail |
| Average view duration | 40%+ | Hook and pacing |
| Returning viewers | Growing | Series consistency |
| Subscribers per 1,000 views | 5+ | Clearer positioning |
This template is provided for general business use and reflects Ontario and federal Canadian requirements as commonly applied. It is not legal, tax or clinical advice. Confirm current requirements with Ontario.ca, your local public health unit or municipality, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, the CRA, WSIB and your professional regulator, and have high-risk documents reviewed by a licensed Ontario lawyer or accountant before use.