youtube brand – Alan Spicer – YouTube Certified Expert

Build Your YouTube Brand and STAND OUT!

YouTube is a huge platform with millions of channels and maybe even billions of users watching hours & hours of video every second. This can be a huge needle in a haystack when it comes to companies or branding so you need to Build Your YouTube Brand, make it STAND OUT and drive authority.

I can be hard to get noticed but if you make your brand UNMISSABLE then it will help attract some attention. Here are 28 tips to Build Your YouTube Brand.

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#1 – Choose your identity – Start to Build Your YouTube Brand

If you want viewers to subscribe to your channel and come back for more later, then they need to know what they are getting themselves into.

While there are endless YouTube video ideas to choose from, it is important that you have an identity. Whether that means talking about beauty, travel, sports, gaming, or anything that comes up in your life, make it very clear to the audience so that you get subscribers who stick around!

#2 – Follow a passion (yours and theirs)

First of all, make sure that YOU are passionate about everything you are saying and doing on your YouTube channel. If you don’t then none of the rest of the list will matter, and you won’t have any fun!

Once you know what you are passionate about, find the groups of people that are equally passionate and likely to make a large, loyal fan base. If you know that you love all Technology, then think about making great videos catered towards viewers who are passionate about virtual reality, or artificial intelligence.

If you become a trusted source in passionate niches, you will have a great channel.

#3 – Make great video thumbnails

YouTube king of subscriptions PewDiePie uses eye catching thumbnails every time

Your video’s thumbnail is the first thing people see so make it count!

Boring, or grainy images are going to look weak beside other YouTubers who are competing for the same viewers so take a few minutes to make a great thumbnail and you will see the difference.

4 Tips for Better YouTube Thumbnails

1. Use closeups of your face: Humans like eye contact and this will catch their attention in search results!

2. Convey strong emotion: Strong emotion on your face can set the tone for the video and prime the audience for what is in store.

3. Use bright backgrounds: It’s all about being eye catching in a sea of YouTube results all over the screen. Bright screens get people’s attention, and also tend to create stark contrast with your main image.

4. Be consistent: It helps your brand to have similar thumbnails all the way across your page

# 4 – Show off a great channel logo

Your channel logo may be small, but it can say a lot about you. Don’t underestimate the first impression that people will see representing ALL the hard work that you put into your videos. Before creating images like logos and banners, you should make sure that you are making them the appropriate size

#5 – Use Awesome Art for your banner

The images that you use on your channel can influence viewers to hit that ‘subscribe’ button.

#6 – Make a compelling channel page

Your channel page is the home base for anyone looking at your body of work. First and foremost, make sure it looks pretty with the logo, banner, and thumbnail tips above. Now that you look like a pro, you should remember that some people might actually read (yes read!) your channel description. Use this opportunity to tell your story, and let your personality shine through.

This is an area where you can show off the benefits of subscribing to your channel, and use a call to action to try and get their sub while you have their attention. You can (and should) also organize your content with playlists. This will let any potential YouTube subscribers find the content that is most interesting to them quickly.

It also makes for a good viewing experience for anyone who wants to binge watch your videos

#7 – Add some contact info

If you are putting yourself out there on YouTube, and you want to build an army of subscribers, it helps to be accessible. Who knows what opportunities might come up – a fellow YouTuber might want to connect, or a fan might want interview you on their blog.

One thing is for sure is that if you make yourself hard to get a hold of, it is a lot less likely that golden opportunities will fall into your lap.

#8 – Have recurring segments

Recurring segments!What do the Tonight Show, Jeopardy, and Bill Nye The Science guy all have in common? RECURRING SEGMENTS! Audiences return again and again for DECADES because they like the reliable structure and familiar nature of their favorite shows. Think about how many clicks Jimmy Kimmel gets every time he posts a “Mean Tweets” video.

If you can come up with a handful of structured segments that you can perfect, you are guaranteed to get more views. People want to see the next segment that they know they are going to love.

#9 – Upload Often

YouTube viewers subscribe to channels that are clearly active and posting new videos all the time. If you are stingy with your posts, then there is no reason for them to follow you.

Try to start out with at least one video per week. That way you will quickly build a library of content that viewers can go back and watch, with a pattern that they know they can count on in the future.

#10 – Have a content calendar and stick to it

Calendars aren’t just to help you stay on schedule

With so much YouTube competition, your subscribers need to know that they can rely on you for consistent content.

Make 2 key decisions

How many videos will you produce each week?
When will you publish them?

Once you know these answers, your YouTube channel should run like clockwork for your subscribers. Try to hit ‘publish’ at the same time each day/ week.

DON’T OVER COMMIT – If you get subscribers with the promise of daily videos, don’t be surprised if you lose them when you downgrade to weekly episodes instead.

#11 – Choose good titles – Eye Catching

Along with the image, your video’s title will form a viewer’s first impression of whether or not you are worth a view.

People tend to click titles that are intriguing or useful to them. Using exciting terms like “Amazing” “Hilarious or “Unbelievable” tend to get people’s attention.

You should also think about driving urgency. Suggesting that watching your video will have an immediate benefit will get more views than static titles. Think about the difference between ‘How to dress better’ vs ‘How to start dressing better today’

#12 – Keep your titles brief but teasing

Don’t give everything away in one long sentence. Keep your video titles relatively short, and leaving them wanting more. Try to keep titles below 50 characters to have the best chance of people clicking on your video.

#13 – Cross Promote Your Videos to Build Your YouTube Brand

Always try to turn one view into many views! When someone is watching your channel, you have a few different opportunities to cross promote your other videos. The best ways are:

Mention a suggested video during your video
Include a call to action button as an annotation, or at the end
Put links to suggested content in your video description

#14 – Pick the right tags

Many YouTubers actually forget about tags entirely. What a waste!

Tags are a key factor in helping Build Your YouTube Brand and get your videos in front of the right people. They will inform the search algorithm when people are looking for content, and will also give new viewers an idea of what your videos and your channel are really about.

#15 – Include Annotations & End Screen Options

YouTube has built in excellent features to build in interactive moments during your video, as well as multiple calls to action at the very end.

Here is a helpful video Derral Eves.

#16 – Use keywords, and SEO to Rank & Build Your YouTube Brand

Speaking of titles, you should think very carefully about the specific words you use in those titles. They will have a big impact on whether new viewers can find you in the first place.

YouTube is the second biggest search engine in the world, and people everywhere are looking for answers and entertainment in that search box. Before anyone can subscribe to your channel, they need to find you first! That’s where keywords come in.

#17 – Use Google Trends to Build Your YouTube Brand

Using Google Trends is the best way to see what people are getting more and less interested in over time.

Why does this matter?

Funny cat videos are more popular than funny dog videos – but both searches peaked in 2014

When the pros think about how to get more views on YouTube, they know that it helps to be talking about things that more and more people actually want to see. You aren’t going to attract a big audience reviewing season 2 of The Adams Family in 2017.

#18 – Use multi-part episodes – Extend & Build Your YouTube Brand

Who doesn’t love a little suspense?

If all of your videos are standalone pieces with no mention of a follow-up, then there is much less incentive to hit the sub button. However, if they want to know what happens next, then they are more likely to follow your channel long term.

#19 – Keep the audience in mind

If you want to get YouTube subscribers, then don’t just make videos that you think will be fun. Pay attention to trends in your niche. For example, if you talk about TV shows, make sure you know what shows are rising in popularity and make content geared towards that rather than only shows that you think people SHOULD want to hear about.

#20 – Always ask for a subscription

Whatever you need your viewers to do, don’t be afraid to ask! Many YouTubers miss out by forgetting to simply ask people to subscribe if they enjoyed the video.

Just be sure to keep the call to action quick and simple

In many cases we are looking for a lot of things – a like, a subscription, a click to our website, a follow on Instagram etc. Don’t overwhelm your audience with a check-list of ways they can help you. Pick one or two that are most important and mention them quickly at the beginning and end of the video

#21 – Use Channel Trailers

Channel trailers are an awesome way to establish what your channel is about, and why people should care. Just like a movie trailer is a fast moving clip that shows the best that a film has to offer and gets people excited for more, your channel trailer can be the difference between a viewer subscribing, or moving on to the next thing that catches their eye.

#22 – Include useful info in video description

Your video description is vital for a couple of reasons:

First of all, if your title and thumbnail catches a viewer’s attention, the next thing they will check out is the description. If you don’t have a compelling reason for them to stick around, they won’t make it far in the video.

Secondly, YouTube can’t listen to every word in your video, so it relies on descriptions for its search engine. This means that a good description can help you show up in search results for potential new subscribers.

#23 – Add a channel watermark

How to add a channel watermark to your video

You can build in your own personalized watermark that will show up on each video. This is a subtle reminder embedded right onto the video content that the viewer should subscribe

#24 – Look for helpful resources

If you are reading Vlogging Guides, then you are already off to a good start ?

BufferBlog, Vlogging Guides, and communities like YTTalk can help you learn how to get more views on YouTube from fellow vloggers.

#25 – Attend Events

From local meetups, to massive international events, there are many opportunities to attend YouTube related events. Use these opportunities to network with other content creators, and meet your fans!

#26 – Learn from your most popular videos

If you want more YouYube views, it helps to know what has worked in the past. Use successful videos as inspiration for similar content and build a reputation for viral videos that people love to watch.

#27 – Avoid too many ads

Ads can be a good thing to let you make money on YouTube and fund great content, but don’t go overboard. You get several options on what type of ads you are OK with permitting on your videos.

While it might be tempting to go all out and try to maximize your earnings, keep your viewers in mind. You will get more views on YouTube if your subscribers think that you aren’t just in it for the money.

#28 – Be transparent with your audience

If you do want to make money with your videos, just make sure you are honest about it. For example, if you are being paid to review a product, mention that in the video. It doesn’t mean you can’t give your genuine opinion!

This doesn’t end with just money issues. You can gain a lot of trust by telling people what is going on behind the scenes and making them feel a part of your channels. Loyalty brings more YouTube views back to your channel then trying to outsmart the audience.

Want more help? Need more hands on assistance? Get in touch we do YouTube Coaching >>

Other Useful Unknown YouTube Tips Blog Posts

Make a Sponsored YouTube Video Without Getting in Trouble

For many YouTubers, getting the chance to review or get a free product in a Sponsored YouTube Video and maybe even get paid from a third party sounds too good to pass up! In the past few years we have seen YouTubers become influencers with hundreds of thousands to millions of subscribers in their respective spaces such as technology, gaming, beauty and more. Advertisers and companies are attracted to YouTubers now as they captivate an audience (Subscribers) they want to target. There are a few things you should consider before taking a product placement or engaging in a sponsored video!

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Emma Blackery and Luke Cutforth’s Oreo Licking Race – YouTube 2014

1. Promotion Aligns with Audience – Sponsored YouTube Video Integration

Make sure the Sponsored YouTube Video product aligns correctly with your audience. The first thing you should do when getting involved with some sort of a sponsored video is to make sure it aligns with the interests of your audience. Let’s say you’re a beauty YouTuber and you get a vacuum cleaner to review. This does not align well with the interests of your audience as they are only interested in seeing beauty related videos. Therefore if accepting a product placement or speaking about a product make sure it holds the interest of your audience as it is better for the advertiser involved and you as the video will still receive good feedback from viewers.

2. Promotion Disclosure – Be open about Sponsored YouTube Video

Disclose that you got the Sponsored YouTube Video product for free or are getting paid by the company. This is one of the major guidelines. You must disclosed that the video is sponsored by a company or you got the product for free to review at the start of the video. You may not know but this is actually law. YouTube paid promotions are covered by a law called the FTC act and Lanham act which covers the promotion itself and false advertising. The FTC guidelines state that you must make the relationship to the company known to the viewers and make the disclosure clear and conspicuous. What they mean by clear and conspicuous is by telling the viewers straight up in a simple fashion without any confusion or misleading words, it also means that this disclosure should be at the start of the video and not at the end where nearly most of the audience drop off. So something simple like “This is a paid review” “Company X was kind enough to send me this product to review for free”

3. Be Honest – Sponsored YouTube Video Etiquette

Be completely brutally honest, don’t get blinded by money. This Sponsored YouTube Video guideline is purely to help you retain your audience. Disclose in the video that even though you got the product for free that you will be objective with your criticisms and unbiased. If you seem too promotion orientated, telling your subscribers that the product is amazing in a bid to promote it for more $$ but the product is really sub par and not at all as advertised, you are going to get really bad feedback from your viewers which may result in a bad reputation on your part and losing the trust you have built up with your audience.

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4. Read the Contracts and Agreements – Sponsored YouTube Video Rules

Read the Sponsored YouTube Video contractual agreement thoroughly before entering into the promotion. If you are offered a sponsorship with a company, they will more than likely provide a contract. Be sure that you read the contract thoroughly and make sure all the guidelines of the contract comply with firstly your ethics and obviously FTC Guidelines. For example that you are allowed to disclose you are getting paid for this sponsored video and you can express your unbiased opinion

Have YouTubers Gotten In Trouble With the FTC?

Yes, In 2016 Warner brothers contacted a few large youtubers including the one and only pewdiepie to promote their game, the shadows of mordor. They paid these youtubers to review the game on their YouTube but they provided strict guidelines for the reviews of the game so that the youtubers couldn’t talk about any glitches or bugs in the game, talk negatively about the games such as aspects of it you didn’t like and pushing a call to action where you got your viewers to go to the site to sign up for the game. The FTC and Warner Bros did reach a settlement on the issue but the FTC Advised that “Consumers have the right to know if reviewers are providing their own opinions or paid sales pitches. Companies like Warner Brothers need to be straight with consumers in their online ad campaigns.”

What are the consequences for not disclosing product placements or sponsored videos. When the FTC receives complaints or manually reviews your video, if it finds a reason that your video is violating the law, you may get a warning to remove the video or change the content but if this is not met you could get a fine of up to $16,000 per violation of the FTC law.