Tag: youtube branding

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MARKETING SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS & TRICKS YOUTUBE

YouTube Channel Art Size

YouTube Channel Art Size 1

Presentation is everything, and your channel art can play a huge role in how potential new viewers perceive your channel.

If you are running a channel aimed at businesses, having unprofessional-looking channel art could put your target audience off. Similarly, if you are running a comedy channel, your channel shouldn’t look too formal.

On a more fundamental level, having your art be too small will affect the quality it displays at, making it blurry and generally giving the impression that you perhaps don’t care about your channel. There are other factors to consider, such as the placement of your art within the overall image, and how it will display on various different platforms. Remember, YouTube can be watched on a plethora of devices these days, from desktop computers to television sets to mobile phones.

YouTube Channel Art Size

So what should your YouTube channel art size be? Well, there are a few figures to take into account here;

  • 2560 x 1440 is the recommended dimensions of your YouTube channel art. Remember; YouTube makes these recommendations for a reason, and you really should treat this as an ideal size.
  • 2048 x 1152 is the minimum resolution you should make your channel art image. Below this size and YouTube will not allow you to upload it. The aspect ratio must be 16:9.
  • 1546 x 423 is the safe zone for any critical parts of your channel art if you are using the recommended YouTube channel art size. If you are using the minimum size, the safe zone would be 1235 x 338. What this means is that anything you want viewers to be able to see, you should keep within an imaginary rectangle of this size that is centered within the overall channel art image. Anything outside of this safe zone may get cut off or hidden on various devices. That is not to say you shouldn’t put any effort into the rest of the channel art, but don’t put anything outside of that area if it is vital that it be seen, such as social media info, or schedules.
  • 6MB is the maximum file size your channel art can be. Anything larger and YouTube won’t accept it. You can, however, upload smaller channel art images.

If you need some examples of what a YouTube channel banner can look like I have pulled together a list of some of the best, worst and weirdest youtube channel banners in my blog.

The part that can be tricky to wrap your mind around is the different platforms, and how the sizes apply to each. So let’s take a look at that.

How Channel Art Displays on Different Devices

For the rest of the article, we’re going to assume we are working with the recommended YouTube channel art size. If your channel art is a different size, you will have to scale the dimensions we discuss to suit.

The first device we are going to talk about is TV. Televisions—or, more accurately, devices that use the YouTube app designed for televisions—are the only ones where the full 2560×1440 will show. Televisions tend to have a lower pixel density due to being much larger screens, which may explain why YouTube treats it more as a background than a header on this platform.

For every other device, there is one crucial number to remember; 423. This is the height of the displayed area of your channel art regardless of the platform it is being shown on. The width, on the other hand, depends on the device. The maximum width that will be displayed on desktops is the full 2560, whereas the maximum on a tablet, like an iPad, is 1855. For mobile phones, it is 1546. It is also worth noting that the desktop size is scalable, and can be anywhere between the maximum 2560 and the minimum 1546.

And this is the reason there is a safe zone of 1546 x 423, because that area of the channel art will be shown regardless of the device, so it is the only part of the channel art you can guarantee will be seen no matter what platform the channel is being viewed on. You can, of course, put whatever you want outside of that safe zone, but be aware that some people may not see it. And, given that mobile phones are among the most popular devices to view YouTube on, there is a very good chance anyone looking at your channel will only be seeing that minimum safe zone.

YouTube Channel Art Size 1

What Should I Put in my Channel Art’s Safe Zone?

Now you know which part of your channel art can be relied on to always show, what should you put in there? The answer to that is one that deserves a post of its own, as there are many ways to play the channel art game. You could have a humorous slogan, a matter of fact statement about what the channel does, an upload schedule, or really anything.

One solid piece of advice for what you should be showing in the safe zone of your channel art is information that accurately conveys what your channel is about. At the top of the post, we mentioned a formal, business-orientated channel having unprofessional channel art not being a great idea, and that about sums up this advice. Try to accurately represent your channel at every level, not just in any words that are said in the channel art, but in the tone of the image.

It’s not uncommon to see social media information in YouTube channel art, but don’t assume it’s right for your channel art automatically. Remember, there are no links in your channel art. If you are going to include your Twitter or Instagram, you will have to write out username on that platform in the channel art. If it is a long and complicated handle, it may not be the best fit. You can always link to them in the header links that YouTube lets you place on your channel page.

How to Set YouTube Channel Art?

Setting the art for your channel is extremely easy. Firstly, make sure you are logged in to YouTube and head over to your channel. You should see a “customize channel” button in the top right-hand side, just under the channel art. If you are on a phone or tablet, you are looking for a little cogwheel icon instead, but the location should be roughly the same.

Once you have clicked that you should be presented with a screen that looks like your channel with the exception that hovering over different elements of your channel page reveals a little pencil edit icon. Clicking on one of those icons will allow you to edit the element in question, so head on up to the channel art and click on the edit icon in the top right-hand corner of it.

From here, you can choose to upload a new image, select one your previous headers in “Your photos”, or choose something from the gallery that YouTube offers. Once you’ve chosen an image—assuming it is not too small in dimensions or too large in file size—you can then crop it to suit, click done, and that’s all there is to it.

How do I Change my Channel’s Icon?

Since your channel is tied to a Google account, you have to go there to change your channel icon. It can help to understand why this process is the way it is if you think of the channel icon as more like a user profile picture.

Fortunately, getting to the right place to change this icon is not that difficult. If you are logged in, you should be able to go to your channel hover over the channel icon, which will reveal a little camera icon. Clicking that will take you where you need to go, allowing you to upload a new image. If it doesn’t show up straight away, don’t worry. Sometimes it can take a little time to update on other services, and YouTube technically counts as a different service to Google.

Branding

It can be easy to overlook branding on YouTube, particularly if you are not the kind of YouTuber that thinks in terms of marketing.

It is worth wrapping your mind around the concept of branding; however, as it can make a significant impact on your channel.

If possible, try to incorporate a consistent theme to your online presence. It may be a logo or icon, but a colour scheme works surprisingly well, too.

The goal is to have viewers associate your branding with good content so that, when they see it in other places, they recognise it almost immediately as something they will like. It is much easier to pick up on a particular combination of colours that you are familiar with than it is to remember the name or recognise the face of someone you are not familiar with.

Once your branding is established in the mind of a viewer, it will draw their attention in thumbnails, and any other places your branding appears. And, as many of you will know, getting a viewers attention is a significant part of the battle. Once you have them looking at your thumbnail and title, you are well on your way to getting a view.

And, of course, your channel art is one of the primary places to show that branding. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the centrepiece of your channel art—though it certainly can be if you prefer—but it should be incorporated. From there, you can go on to include it in other places, but the main area you should try and tie in is your thumbnail because that is the spot where your branding will be recognised the most, and where you will be able to attract the attention of those who are familiar with you.

It’s worth noting that branding sentiment can work against you if your content is good. Viewers will associate your branding with the experience they had watching your content. And, if the experience was bad, that is the emotion that your branding will conjure up. As always, good content is fundamental to success on YouTube.

Other Uses for Channel Art

Your YouTube channel art doesn’t have to be a one-trick pony. In fact, as mentioned in the branding talk above, it would actually be better if it wasn’t just used on your channel page. Using your channel art in other places helps with that branding, but it also allows you to focus extra time or money on making one good piece of channel art without worrying about having to do the same for other places.

Some of those other places include the header image on social media sites, artwork for things like stickers, and even overlays for streams. Of course, a purpose-made YouTube channel art image won’t necessarily drop into all of these roles without any effort. In the case of social media headers, you should be able to get away with just cropping the image to suit, but there may be a bit more work involved with something like a stream overlay.

Conclusions

The ideal YouTube channel art size can be seen as something of a misnomer, given that YouTube has a minimum size and will not allow you to upload channel art that is smaller than that. Still, the difference between the minimum size and the recommended size is enough that you could see significant degradation of your channel art if it is stretched to fit wider screens. For that reason, we would always recommend uploading your channel art at the recommended 2560×1440 resolution.

You can, of course, create a larger channel art image; however, the cropping process that your image goes through after upload will produce an image of the size YouTube wants regardless of what size it was going in, so you none of that extra resolution will make it to your channel page. That being said, it can’t hurt to have a higher resolution version of your channel art available. It could come in handy for things like printing on merchandise. And, of course, with screen resolutions continually increasing, the day will come when YouTube decide to increase their recommended channel art sizes.

Now, if you’re ready to get making your channel art, there are plenty of tools to help you make excellent channel art, not to mention services to make your life easier, and resources to help you learn.

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SEO TIPS & TRICKS YOUTUBE

YouTube Channel Banner Ideas

YouTube Channel Banner Ideas 6

When it comes to your YouTube channel banner, you can take a great deal of guidance directly from any marketing 101 advice available on the Internet.

You want something eye-catching yet not overpowering—something that conveys the purpose of your channel in the purest, most digestible form possible, and gets the message across quickly.

Your YouTube banner tells new visitors to your channel what you are about, and in more ways than you might think. It can give subtle cues to your potential viewers that you might not have intended to give.

The banner on your channel is unlikely to be the first impression someone gets of your channel, but that doesn’t make it unimportant.

We’re going go into detail about some YouTube channel banner ideas, explaining why they work, and who they can work for. But first, let’s talk a little about why banners are so important.

YouTube Channel Banner Ideas 7

Why are YouTube Banners Important?

A common—and incorrect—way to think of a YouTube banner is like a storefront. If you were running a brick and mortar store, you would want the sign out front to draw in passing shoppers where they would hopefully spend money on your products and services.

That is not what a YouTube banner is. Your channel is not a storefront in that sense, as very few people will come across it organically. You could funnel people to your channel page from other sources, such as your website, but then, if you can do that, you have already grabbed that person’s attention in some way.

In truth, hardly any of the visitors to your channel will arrive there not knowing anything about you. If someone is looking at your channel page, they will almost certainly have seen at least one of your videos already. In fact, the typical behaviour of a YouTube viewer is to subscribe to channels they are interested in from the video itself.

A good deal of your subscribers might never see your channel page at all! And for those who visit your channel that are already subscribed, the banner is less critical, since they are already on board.

For the most part, non-subscribers who visit your channel are people who have seen one or two of your videos and are on the fence about whether to subscribe to your channel or not. These are the people your banner is really for since they are the ones who could potentially hit subscribe—or not—based on what they see when they land on your channel.

Do Dislikes Matter on YouTube? 2

Dos and Don’ts

As with many creative endeavours, there isn’t really a hard list of things you must do to succeed.

We could lay out a comprehensive set of rules that would be true for 99% of YouTubers out there, and there would undoubtedly be someone who breaks all of them and is a wild success. Bear that in mind when reading these dos and don’ts.

Professional Quality

One of the first things that will strike new visitors to your channel is how professional your channel banner looks. Does it look like it was made by a graphics designer who takes pride in their work? Or does it look like five minutes spent in Microsoft Paint?

Having a professional banner shows that you care about your channel, which tells potential subscribers that you take things seriously.

Nobody wants to subscribe to a channel in the hope of future content, only for that content never to come, or for the channel to get shut down by YouTube because of unnecessary community guideline strikes. It is a subtle cue, but if your banner suggests you might be a bit frivolous with your channel, they might decide against clicking that subscribe button.

Information

If a non-subscriber visits your channel page while deciding whether or not to subscribe, one of the first things they are going to want to know is information about your channel.

We would recommend an accurate and up to date “about” page for this reason, but before they get to that point, they will see your channel banner.

Having relevant information in your channel banner is a great way to get the essential details across to potential subscribers quickly. For example, do you have a regular upload schedule? Many viewers like to know that they are subscribing to a channel that puts out new content on a regular basis. It can also help to state—in as concise a way possible—what kind of content your channel produces.

One of the main things potential subscribers will be looking for is the assurance that there will be more of the type of content that brought them there in the first place.

YouTube Channel Banner Ideas 9

Branding

Establishing an identity on YouTube is an essential step towards success, as it puts you or your organisation in people’s minds. This is especially important if you are running more than just a YouTube channel. If you have developed branding, it should be clear for all to see on your channel page, which means in your YouTube banner.

This does not simply mean having any logos or icons in the banner.

Make full use of any colour schemes that are part of your branding. If you have a website that has been styled in red and white, consider making your banner red and white also.

Of course, the logos and icons should be incorporated, but don’t stop at that. These subtle visual cues can be very effective, and help to establish your brand so that it can be recognised in other places, and hopefully associated with some good YouTube content.

Represent Your Niche

One thing that can be overlooked surprisingly often is the inclusion of themes that are relevant to a channel’s niche in the channel banner. This may come in the form of a game controller motif on a channel about gaming, or dumbells in the banner of a fitness channel.

Things like this offer quick visual cues that reassure viewers as to what the channel is about. To that end, you should avoid including anything that might confuse the issue, and this is where things can get a little nuanced.

As an example, say you are running a YouTube channel about programming video games. You could include the game controller motif we mentioned above, but that might confuse some people, leading them to think the channel is about gaming. Think carefully about the themes you include in your banner, even if they seem relevant, and try to avoid incorporating things purely because they “look cool” unless they fit with the content you produce.

YouTube Channel Banner Ideas

We promised you some ideas, so let’s get into those now. Here we will show a few different common styles of channel banner, highlighting the common themes in these styles and giving a few examples along the way.

The Informative Banner

You don’t want your banner to be a wall of text, but carefully dropping relevant information in there is a great way to give new viewers all they need in one quick glance.

YouTube Channel Banner Ideas

The most obvious information to slot in here is the upload schedule, as it is something that viewers generally want to know, and can be conveyed clearly and concisely. One example of this is popular vlogger, David Dobrik.

David’s banner clearly states that he puts out new videos a few times a week, what days he puts those videos out, and even manages to fit his social media in there. All of this without making the banner look cluttered.

YouTube Channel Banner Ideas 1

Another excellent example of this is gaming YouTuber, Barbara, whose banner not only conveys the upload schedule, the time of day, the type of videos but even incorporates art themes from the game she plays most.

While this may not mean much to many viewers, the viewers who know the game and want to see that type of content will recognise it instantly.

Note that in both of these examples, the YouTuber themselves are the brand, and they have made sure they appear in their banner.

The Straight to the Point Banner

If your channel has a specific aim in mind and a no-frills approach to getting there, you may want to take a similar tact with your channel banner. A good example of this is Mango Street, a YouTube channel that offers photography and video tutorials.

YouTube Channel Banner Ideas 2

In Mango Street’s banner, you see a nicely shot photograph of the YouTubers themselves, illustrating what it is they do on the channel. You get their logo, and you get the tagline; “Photography + filmmaking tutorials that don’t waste your time”. And, in perfect keeping with that ethos, the banner doesn’t waste your time either.

While it may not set out the upload schedule for you, it does tell you everything you need to know about the content of the channel, as well as fitting in the branding and even an example of their work in the form of that photograph.

The Quirky Banner

Even a banner that seemingly contains no useful information at all tells viewers something about your channel. For example, incredibly popular YouTuber, MrBeast, has a channel banner that is plain white text on a featureless black background, with the text simply reading, “subscribe with notifications or i will take all your cookies”.

YouTube Channel Banner Ideas 3

Of course, there is a call to action in there, demanding that people subscribe to the channel, but it is clearly a tongue in cheek statement.

This banner says a lot about the tone you can expect from the channel, which is playful, and a little cheeky. Granted, it tells you nothing about the type of content you will get, but it tells you how that content will be delivered.

A banner like this is ideal for a channel where the YouTuber’s personality is a significant factor in their success. With channels like that, people tend to subscribe for the YouTuber more than the content, and would likely watch a video from them regardless of what the video is about.

The Plug Banner

We don’t have an example of this because, by its very nature, these banners change often. The plug banner is a banner that includes information about upcoming events that the YouTuber will be involved in. The most obvious examples of this are musicians or comedians who have live shows coming up.

This kind of banner should include any branding—such as a band logo or a headshot—as well as the dates of the event that you are promoting. Sometimes the channel exists purely as a promotional tool, such as would be the case for an established band who just need somewhere to upload videos. In those cases, it will likely not be a great example of how to put your banner together.

YouTube Channel Banner Ideas 4

If you are a YouTuber, however, you should include some hint as to what it is you do. If Eminem is promoting a tour, he can just have his face and some dates on the channel banner, and that would be enough. But if you are an up and coming comedian, you should give some indication of that in the banner, so new viewers know what they are getting from your channel.

Don’t Do This!

When looking for the key to success on any platform, it is natural to look at other people who have been successful there and try to emulate what they do. And, on YouTube, it doesn’t get more successful than PewDiePie. Having broken countless YouTube records, and currently being the most-subscribed individual on the platform, PewDiePie is easily the most successful YouTuber in history.

But…

PewDiePie’s immense success allows him something of a free pass when it comes to how he runs his channel. We’re not saying he doesn’t have to work at his content, but he could probably upload twenty minutes of a blank screen with no audio and still get millions of views.

YouTube Channel Banner Ideas 5

This translates to his channel banner as well. Other than a slight nod to the black and red wavey lines that are associated with PewDiePie, there is nothing in his banner that tells new viewers anything about the channel or type of content you would find on there.

However, this can work for PewDiePie because, at this point, the chances of someone being on YouTube and not knowing who he is are pretty slim. But you shouldn’t do this when you’re just starting out.

If you need ideas for banners or you are like me and just want to start with a template, check out placeit – they have a wide selection of templates on their website for banners, intros, end cards and more

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HOW TO GET MORE VIEWS ON YOUTUBE MARKETING TIPS & TRICKS YOUTUBE

Do You Need A YouTube Intro and Outro?

Do You Need A YouTube Intro and Outro? 3

There are plenty of tips and tricks on growing your YouTube channel, and all too many of them are subjective. That trick works well for this kind of channel, and this tip is better for that kind of channel. Unfortunately, there aren’t many hard certainties when talking about succeeding on YouTube. At least, not once you get beyond things like “don’t steal content”.

When it comes to intros and outros, the answer is a little more reliable—though still not absolute.

So, do you need a YouTube intro and outro? Yes! If you want to grow your channel and your brand on YouTube, you should consider an intro and an outro an essential part of your process. Just make sure it’s not too long and adds value to the video.

As always, we’re not going to leave it there. Let’s take a deeper dive and get into why these things are important, as well as how best to craft them to help your channel grow.

Do You Need A YouTube Intro and Outro?

Why Are YouTube Intros and Outros Important?

There are different reasons for the importance of intros than there are for outros, so we’re going to take a look at both individually.

YouTube Video Intros

The primary reason an intro is important is new-viewer retention. If you are attempting to grow your channel, you will naturally be working to bring new viewers in all the time. Getting a viewer to your video is only half of the battle, of course—you want them to watch the video. And, all being well, subscribe to your channel.

Neither of which is likely to happen if you lose their interest in the first twenty seconds.

Your existing subscribers will have a certain amount of forgiveness about your not getting to the point in your video because they know what to expect from you. After all, they have already subscribed. But new viewers can have a tendency to click away very quickly if they get the sense that your video isn’t going to give them what they came for.

With an intro, you can quickly establish who you are and what the video is about, so new viewers will be more willing to keep watching.

YouTube Video Outros – End Cards – End Screens

As much as we hate to admit it, being reminded to click like, check out other videos and do all those other things that help the channel out, works. Viewers simply don’t think about those things a lot of the time, but a gentle reminder from you will help. Need proof?

Next time you go to the cinema, take a look around when the pre-roll ads inevitably ask the audience to turn their phones off. We all know that you’re not supposed to have your phone on—or at least have it on silent—when at the movies, but look at how many people are turning their phones off during that announcement. Reminding people works.

And it’s not like you saying “if you enjoyed this why not hit like and subscribe?” will make someone like and subscribe if they didn’t want to in the first place. Be a little wary of asking people to like and subscribe at the start of the video, however. Some YouTuber’s swear by it, but many viewers find it a little presumptive.

Beyond that, your outro is the perfect place to handle any channel housekeeping, such as thanking Patreons and recommending some of your other videos, but we’ll get more into how to put an outro together later in the post.

Do You Need A YouTube Intro and Outro? 1

Should I Always Use Intros and Outros?

There will always be fringe cases where it is not appropriate to use intros and/or outros. However, these are so few and far between relative to the times when you should use them that we’re comfortable saying yes, you should always use them. In the interests of covering all the bases, however, here are some situations where intros and outros might not fit.

  • Extremely short videos
  • Videos where intros and outros would not fit stylistically
  • “Member-only” videos
  • Meme videos

As with most things, try to use your judgement. There are times when a “members-only” video warrants an intro, or where meme videos could benefit from an outro.

How Big a Difference Do Intros and Outros Make?

Hard statistics are difficult to come by; however, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence from YouTubers who have conducted their own tests. One such example is Real Men Real Style, who noted that engagement on their videos dropped by as much as 70% when they didn’t add a call to action in their videos.

Another thing to factor in is the kind of video you are making, and the viewing habits of people watching it. For example, an intensive video—such as a tutorial—will likely be a very active viewing experience. That is, it is more likely that the viewer will have sought that video (or one like it) out. For those videos, your likelihood of increased engagement will hinge on the quality of your video. But for a more casual viewing experience, the intro and outro are more crucial.

What do we mean by casual? If your video is more along the lines of entertainment, which can include things like history videos, punditry, and anything where the viewer might be just sitting back and enjoying the content like they would a TV show, then there is more of a chance they came across your video by happenstance.

Perhaps it was a recommended video in their feed, or maybe your video auto-played at the end of a different video. Perhaps they arrived at your video through social media and had no idea what they were watching at the time. In all of these cases, it is far more likely that the viewer will not be aware of you or your channel, or the kind of content you make.

By introducing your video at the start, you ensure that they at least know about your channel once they’re there. And, by placing an outro at the end, you can break the chain of auto-play, and divert your new viewer to more of your content.

Do You Need A YouTube Intro and Outro? 2

Making a Good Intro for your YouTube Video

The first rule of making a good YouTube intro is not outstaying your welcome. There is no universal length of time that applies to every video but finding the sweet spot between getting enough information across in a short enough period so that your viewers don’t get annoyed or bored is key. As a general rule, fifteen seconds is a popular length for an intro.

It’s not just about getting all the information you want to get in there, however. You have to do it in a way that engages your audience. If your video kicks off with you jabbering at high speed trying to squeeze everything in like a pharmaceuticals disclaimer, it won’t go down well. But, if you take too much time, you risk your viewers clicking past the intro to get to the content. Or worse; clicking away from the video altogether.

A good way to structure your introduction is to set out what the video is about first then introduce yourself and your channel, then get into the content. This way, the viewer knows right at the top if the video is what they’re looking for, and are more likely to hang around through the rest of intro to get to the content.

One thing we can give you as a hard rule that should always be applied is this; never take longer than you have to get to the content. Be concise.

If you have branding on your channel—and, to be clear, you should have branding on your channel—make sure it features in your intro. The main point of branding is recognition. If your viewer takes nothing else away from your video, they should at least have seen your branding.

Making a Good Outro for Your YouTube Video

Outros are a different ballgame altogether. If a viewer is watching your outro, it means they have already viewed your whole video and are somewhat invested in you. While you should never waffle in your videos, you don’t need to have quite the same urgency about getting your information across in an outro as you do in an intro.

The outro is an obvious place to wrap things up, thank people, politely suggest that they like and subscribe if they liked the content and the rest. But the most practical use of your outro is to direct your viewers to more content on your channel related to what they have just watched.

This is also where end screens come in. The beauty of end screens is that they can be dynamic. You can link to a specific video or playlist, of course, but you can also have it show your latest video or the most recommended video for whoever the viewer at the time. And you can have multiple video links in your end screen.

The critical component here is that you have a call to action in your outro. That call to action could simply be liking and subscribing, or checking out another video, or even visiting your website. If you have a viewer who has watched all of your video, they are more likely to be interested in what else you have to offer. Not having a call to action, in this case, is a wasted opportunity.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are a lot of commonly asked questions around this topic, so we’ve done our best to answer some of the more frequently asked of those questions. If there’s something we missed, leave a comment below.

How do you make an intros and outros on YouTube?

Depending on your skill level, there are multiple options.

I am not skilled in design but I was about to make professional looking intro, outros and channel banner branding with PlaceIt – I was amazed how many templates they offered for cheap or even free. It’s something simple that can really level up your channel branding.

If you are a little savvier, you might want to create your own from scratch.

How do you make a YouTube intro for your phone?

While the level of control you have over your intro may be reduced when compared to intros made on a computer, there are phone apps that do a very respectable job.

One such app is Intro Maker, though there are other options available.

What should I say in my YouTube intro?

The most effective use of your intro would be to state concisely what the video is about, introduce yourself and your channel, and make sure any channel branding is shown.

How long is a YouTube outro?

When talking about an outro where you are signing off, the length is entirely up to you. Though we would always recommend being clear and to the point.

If talking about the length of time your end screen is shown, 10-15 seconds is the typical amount of time to show it before ending the video.

Conclusions

Having an intro and outro on your YouTube video may not be a necessity—channels can succeed without them—but we strongly feel you will be making life harder for yourself if you decide to not use them. They provide a great way to establish your branding, convey important information, hook your viewer at the start and direct them to more of your content at the end.

They are particularly useful for channels that get a lot of new traffic, as they play a crucial role in converting unique views into long term subscribers, and establishing your brand with that viewer.

Animated content for your intros and outros can be made with little-to-no experience in animation software, thanks to a wide selection of apps and web services. Be sure to make use of your end screen to drive your viewers to more content on your channel, not to mention providing them with a simple, one-click method of subscribing to your channel if they haven’t already.

If you need help with your graphics, branding, subtitles or anything else to level up your YouTube videos, I have a long list tools I used to grow my channel from 0 to 2 Million views in less than 2 years – check out my resources page.

And, remember, use this time wisely. Get the information you need to get across in as short time as you can, but do so clearly and concisely. You don’t want your viewers to feel like your wasting their time before they even get into the meat of your video.

Your intro is the first thing a new viewer will see. Make it count.

Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube

Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.

1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search

I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.

Within 12 months I tripled the size of my channel and very quickly learnt the power of thumbnails, click through rate and proper search optimization. Best of all, they are FREE!

2. Adobe Creative Suite helps me craft amazing looking thumbnails and eye-catching videos

I have been making youtube videos on and off since 2013.

When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.

Big mistake!

I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.

That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.

Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.

3. Rev.com helps people read my videos

You can’t always listen to a video.

Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.

This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.

Rev.com can help you translate your videos, transcribe your videos, add subtitles and even convert those subtitles into other languages – all from just $1.50 per minute.

A GREAT way to find an audience and keep them hooked no matter where they are watching your content.

4. PlaceIT can help you STAND OUT on YouTube

I SUCK at making anything flashy or arty.

I have every intention in the world to make something that looks cool but im about as artistic as a dropped ice-cream cone on the web windy day.

That is why I could not live on YouTube without someone like PlaceIT. They offer custom YouTube Banners, Avatars, YouTube Video Intros and YouTube End Screen Templates that are easy to edit with simple click, upload wizard to help you make amazing professional graphics in minutes.

Best of all, some of their templates are FREE! or you can pay a small fee if you want to go for their slightly more premium designs (pst – I always used the free ones).

5. StoryBlocks helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways

I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.

And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.

I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.

I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the StoryBlocks website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.

They have a wide library of videos, graphics, images and even a video maker tool and it wont break the bank with plans starting from as little as £8.25 ($9) per month.

Categories
TIPS & TRICKS VIDEO WEB DESIGN

How To Build Your YouTube Brand – 28 YouTube Branding Tips

How To Build Your YouTube Brand - 28 YouTube Branding Tips

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

build your youtube brand, branding, graphic design, youtube branding, grow your youtube brand, online brand, online branding, youtube brand, branding on youtube, youtube training, youtube coaching, youtube, alan spicer, smm, social media marketingYouTube 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

  1. How many videos will you produce each week?
  2. 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:

  1. Mention a suggested video during your video
  2. Include a call to action button as an annotation, or at the end
  3. 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?

build your youtube brand, branding, graphic design, youtube branding, grow your youtube brand, online brand, online branding, youtube brand, branding on youtube, youtube training, youtube coaching, youtube, alan spicer, smm, social media marketingFunny 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

build your youtube brand, branding, graphic design, youtube branding, grow your youtube brand, online brand, online branding, youtube brand, branding on youtube, youtube training, youtube coaching, youtube, alan spicer, smm, social media marketingHow 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 >>

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Categories
SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS & TRICKS VIDEO YOUTUBE

YouTube 101 – How to Grow a YouTube Channel

YouTube 101 - How to Grow a YouTube Channel

HOW DO I START AND GROW A YOUTUBE CHANNEL?

YouTube is a beast in the social media world and it’s not just all pranks and cute kitten videos. Countless hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute! Not all of it will go viral, in fact not all of it will be seen at all. So this is where I can hopefully nudge you in the right direction to Grow a YouTube Channel.

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PICK A NAME FOR YOUR CHANNEL OR VIDEOS

So many YouTubers start uploading videos to an account before they have done their legwork to Grow a YouTube Channel and it can be a real pain to change later. A good example of this is “NicePeter” who started a project with his friend “EpicLLOYD” recording parody rap videos. But when their videos started to get popular people were looking for “Epic Rap Battles of History” and found them on a Nice Peter’s YouTube channel instead, which could confuse people. They have since opened a new channel to match their branding and boast over 12 million subscribers.

Picking a name at this stage can help you match social media accounts together helping people find you. For example, if your YouTube account is MrHairyBrit, you could grab your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Snapchat accounts with the same username to help people find you should they want to see more of your work.

BRANDING AND CHANNEL DESIGN

You don’t have to be a web designer or a branding graphic designer to Grow a YouTube Channel and make your channel stand out. YouTube channels, as with most other social media profiles, have a header banner and a YouTube channel avatar. These banners and avatars are a way to let your audience know who you are, what you do, and a way to establish a recognised look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3DyqS3f4_o

The header banner needs to be 2560w x 1440h pixels as this is then used and scaled down for mobile devices such as phones, tablets and notebook laptops. As for the avatar or profile image I personally use and image that is 275w x 275h and I try and match the colours to the header banner so people are used to my avatar and my channel colours when they try to find my videos.

YOUTUBE CAMERA, YOUTUBE AUDIO, AND YOUTUBE VIDEO IDEAS

You don’t have to be rich to get into vlogging and Grow a YouTube Channel. YouTube is a great tool for any new curious vlogger who wants to find an audience on the internet. I personally started with a webcam that cost me £15. This had 720p video format and a fairly good microphone. The core thing to remember with videos is that even if your video quality is great, if you cannot hear the video properly a viewer will very quickly tune out.

After a lot of testing I found that my webcam microphone was great depending on distance and that assuming I wasn’t in a dark room then the video quality wasn’t so much of an issue. I have since moved onto a £35 Logitech c920 1080p Full HD webcam to film my vlogs and have a pretty reliable set up.

“Ok, so I have a camera and I have a microphone… But what do I make videos about?”

A very good question. Now when you started this journey you may have had an initial thought of what the channel would be for, whether it’s business, hobby, factual or just weird. Now why not open a notebook and throw words/questions at the page that would describe that topic? For example, if you want to make a video diary then these could be, “Where do I live? What’s my job? Do I have any pets? What did I think about the football game this weekend?” Already you have a few topics for a video. If it’s business based, then why not explain who you are, what you sell, any examples, or your work, etc.

HOW DO I GET YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS? HOW DO I GET YOUTUBE VIEWERS?

It’s time to build an audience. You have some videos recorded and you are ready to get them seen, but for that you need subscribers and random viewers. There are 7 important tips to help you boost your YouTube subscribers and boost your YouTube channel video views.

– Make videos:

Sounds obvious, but you need to keep feeding your channel with new content so people can find you.

– Make videos regularly – schedule:

As you start to get random views you need to start building the routine for a viewer. Why not upload a video on a set day? This could be daily, weekly or monthly but try to stick to it that way people know when to expect a new video from you

– Let your viewers know when you will make a video and how to subscribe:

Tell your viewers when you will be uploading your videos. That way they will come back but also make sure you ask them to subscribe that way when you do upload a new video, YouTube will send them an email to tell them you have a new video for them.

– Share videos with your social media:

You’ve made a video so make sure people know it exists! Share it with friends, family and your social media accounts otherwise you may have well put a sign post in the middle of a field that no-one ever walks in.

– Share videos on related sites:

This is a good tip for expanding your audience. Your social media is full of people who have seen you before and expect videos from you while other sites are full of people that have yet to find you so this could be a way to spark their interest.

– Stick to it

Rome wasn’t built in a day and a loyal YouTube viewer and YouTube subscriber base isn’t either. The more videos you publish, the more chances people will have to find you and share your content. And then the more subscribers you have, the more they can share, so make sure you stick around for the long haul.

Grow a YouTube Channel, Buy YouTube Subscribers, YouTube Consultancy, youtube 101, youtube tips

SHOULD I BUY YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS? SHOULD I BUY YOUTUBE VIEWS?

It can be very tempting to take short cuts in social media. Everyone has seen them and no doubt you may have had an email or a social media message offering you the chance to “Buy Active YouTube Subscribers” or “Buy Fake Twitter Followers,” etc. Although these offers can look nice and the subscriber count may go up, these are indeed inactive user accounts and in the long run will either get removed by the YouTube subscribers account checker looking for fake YouTube accounts, or in the worst case scenario, could get your account banned entirely due to YouTube community standard breaches.

Also with YouTube subscribers it is QUALITY over QUANTITY! You want active YouTube subscribers to watch your videos so they can share them with friends, like your videos and comment on them. YouTube comments, YouTube likes, and YouTube subscribers are the most powerful and effective ways to help your channel get seen, shared, and grow.

AND FINALLY….

YouTube is not a get rich quick scheme! YouTube should be a place for you to share your opinions, have a laugh and to expand a business or social media reach. If you are looking to join YouTube wondering, “How do I make a viral YouTube video?” rather than How to Grow a YouTube Channel then you are looking at this in the wrong light entirely.

YouTube is a social media platform and is there for you to make friends, build connections and have fun, so make sure you don’t forget the fun!

I wish you all the luck in the world 🙂

And remember – If you would like to see what I did with all these Grow a YouTube Channel tips then check out my videos at www.YouTube.com/MrHairyBrit – www.Twitter.com/MrHairyBrit – www.MrHairyBrit.com – https://www.facebook.com/MrHairyBrit

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