YouTube, the video network owned by Google, has more than two billion monthly users (nearly half of all people on the Internet) and every day, people watch hundreds of millions of hours on YouTube and they generate billions of views.</p
What’s more amazing is that 92% of Internet users watch some form of video content every day. So there’s no reason your business should invest in YouTube as part of your social media strategy.
Video creation is getting easier and cheaper. This means that there’s a huge opportunity for your business on YouTube.
If you’ve been debating getting started on YouTube, or maybe you’ve experimented a bit and still haven’t found instead, this post is for you. Throughout this post, we’ll dive into:
- The basics of setting up your account
- How to create a YouTube channel
- How to create the perfect channel art
- Top tips for optimizing your channel.
Ready to get started? Let’s go.
How to create a YouTube channel (if you have a Google account)
If you have a Google account, you can view, share and comment on YouTube content. However, Google accounts do not automatically create YouTube channels. However, setting up a new channel is a simple and quick process.
1. Go to YouTube and sign in
Go to YouTube.com and click ‘sign in’ in the top right corner of the page:
Then Sign in using the Google account you want your channel to be associated with:
2. Go to your YouTube settings
In the upper right corner of the screen, click your profile icon, then click “Create a channel”.
3. Create Your Channel
Next, you’ll have the option to create a personal channel or create a channel with a company name or other name. For this example, we’ll choose the “Use custom name” option, which is recommended for small businesses and brands:
Next, you’ll name your channel.
Note: As you will see in the settings in this step, create a new channel name will also create a new google account with your own youtube settings and history. This account is nested within your main Google account and can be fully managed from your Google settings. It’s quite useful as you can use this new account to like and comment on other YouTube videos and engage YouTube as your brand.
After this step, you will have the opportunity to further customize your channel . You’ll see options to:
- Upload a profile picture
- Add a description of your channel
- Add links to your sites – this can include custom links to a website or blog, as well as social links to Instagram or Twitter
Congratulations! You’ve just created a new YouTube channel! 🎉
Next, let’s fill in all the information and create some channel art to make your page look amazing (click here to proceed to the next section).
How to create a YouTube channel channel if you don’t already have a Google account
If you don’t already have a Google account set up, you’ll need to create one before you can start using YouTube. To do this, simply follow the steps below:
- Go to YouTube.com
- Click ‘Sign In’
- Now choose the option to create a Google account
- Follow the steps to create your Google account
Now, you are set up with a Google account and can follow the steps above to create a YouTube channel.
How to Create YouTube Channel Art
YouTube channel art is essentially YouTube’s version of the Facebook cover photo. Channel art is featured prominently on your YouTube channel, which means it’s absolutely vital for any YouTube channel to use custom art to share your personality or more about your brand with your audience.
Here’s an example from Buffer’s YouTube Channel Image:
Our channel art serves multiple purposes, but currently acts as a promotional tool for our homepage feature.
Here are a couple other examples for inspiration:
Ali Abdaal uses his channel art to introduce himself and his channel.
Skillshare uses their channel art to showcase murals for a series that is also in their pinned video. Channel art reinforces your brand, showcasing great branding art and design.
Okay, now that you have some options in mind for what your channel art could be, here’s what you need to know to create your optimal YouTube channel layout.
The Perfect Sizes for YouTube Channel Layout
The best place to start with channel layout is with an image size optimal to work on multiple devices. For best results, YouTube recommends uploading a single image that is 2560 x 1440 pixels.
- Minimum width: 1235 x 338 pixels. This is the “safe area”, where text and logos are guaranteed not to cut off when displayed on different devices.
- Max width: 2560 X 423 px. This means that the “safe area” is always visible; the areas on either side of the channel art are visible based on the size of the viewer’s browser.
- File size: 6 MB or less is recommended.
It’s interesting Noticing that YouTube is available on a ton of different devices, from as small as an iPhone to as large as a 60-inch TV. On TVs, channel art appears in the background behind your YouTube channel content. On desktop and mobile devices, it appears as a banner at the top. Test your channel art on different devices to make sure it doesn’t get pixelated when it grows up.
Tools and tips for creating YouTube channel art
In the past, YouTube provided a channel art template to help you figure out the perfect layout for your channel art and how it will look across all platforms. Here’s a preview of the template:
You can absolutely use the ideal dimensions we mentioned above to create your channel design from scratch using a tool like Figma or Photoshop.
Today, the easiest way to get your channel art up and running is to access a free image creator like Canva or Adobe Express. These tools have ready-made YouTube templates that you can quickly customize to your liking.
Here is an example of a channel art template within Canva:
Top Image Tips YouTube Channel Art</h3
Here are some tips for getting the most out of your YouTube channel art:
1. Make sure text and logos are within the “safe” area: The text and logo safe area is the 1235 x 338 pixel space in the center of the YouTube channel art template (see the previous template). This is the area that will be displayed on YouTube when your channel is viewed on desktop screens.
Traditionally, parts outside of the safe area risk being covered or unreadable due to overlaid social links or images Profile. .
Take care to ensure that any important information such as branding, copy, taglines, and key images are contained within the safe space so they are always displayed as part of your channel design on all devices.
2. Consider your channel links: YouTube allows you to add links to your channel, and these are displayed in the bottom right corner, overlaid on top of your channel art. For example, check out the bottom right of the channel art below:
When creating channel art, it’s important to think about space that these links take up, and make sure nothing important (like logos) takes up that space within your design.
How to Add Art to Your YouTube Channel
If you’re just If you’re setting up your YouTube channel, you’ll see the channel art space (along with the rest of your channel.) To add art to your YouTube channel and make other customizations, click the Customize Channel button in the top right .
Once you’ve clicked this link, you’ll go to another editor screen where you can You can click on the different parts of your profile to make changes.
There should be a blue button in the center to “Add Channel Art”.
After this, you will see a popup window that gives you the option to upload your own custom channel art. If you want, you can also choose to use one of YouTube’s “Gallery” templates or choose to upload one of your Google photos.
Setting de la crop
Once you’ve uploaded your channel art, YouTube will show you a preview of how it looks on TV, desktop, and mobile.
At this point, you may want to adjust the cropping of your image to make sure everything is ok. aligned correctly. The crop tool can be accessed by clicking “Adjust Crop”.
This crop screen is very useful for checking how your design will look on various platforms. The light section in the middle of the grid shows the content that will be displayed on mobile and desktop devices and the rest of the image shows the image that will be displayed on TVs.
Once you’re happy with the look of your cover art, click “Select” and your channel art will be added to your channel and it will be saved.
Changing Your Current Channel Skin
If you already have a channel skin and want to update it, go to your channel’s home page. From here, move your mouse over the cover and you’ll notice a small edit button appear in the top right corner:
Once you’ve clicked on this icon, you can update your channel art.
This YouTube video also explains how to add and edit your channel art :
How to add your channel icon (profile picture)
Each channel also has space for a profile picture/icon. This icon appears next to your videos and channel on all YouTube pages. The key here is to select something that will look good at very small resolutions; many brands choose to use their logo here.
Your channel icon must be 800 x 800 pixels and one of the following formats: JPG, GIF, BMP, or PNG file ( no animated GIFs).
To update your channel icon, go to your channel home page and hover your mouse over your current channel icon until you see the edit icon appear. Click on that icon and you can upload a new profile icon.
Five Ways to Improve Your YouTube Channel
Here are five ways to get the most out of your channel:
1. Optimize your description
YouTube gives you a space on your channel to write a little about your brand and the content you share on YouTube. The description is limited to 1000 characters, so you have a little room to get creative here.
The copy in your channel description won’t just appear on your channel page. It is indexed by search engines and may also appear on YouTube in suggested channel categories and search results. A good tactic is to include some relevant keywords and CTAs within the first few lines of your description.
And be especially careful with the first 100-150 characters. Depending on where the description appears, the remaining text may be truncated.
Here is an example of a great description for a Vox YouTube channel:
2. Add links to your channel
We briefly touched on channel links earlier in this post. You can have up to five links appear in your channel banner. The first link will appear expanded (see screenshot below) and the remaining links will appear as icons.
I’d love to share with you how to add these links in four super-quick steps:
1. Click the “Customize Channel” button on your channel’s home page.
2. Then click the gear icon in the upper right corner, just below the cover.
3. You’ll see a Settings light box appear of the Chanel. Here you need to enable the option labeled “Customize your channel layout”:
3. Now that you’ve enabled customizations on your channel, you’re back at the your channel’s home page and you’ll see an “Edit Links” option in the front page settings menu.
4. Click on the “Edit Links” option and you will be taken to the “About” section of your channel. Here you will have the option to add links and choose how many to display on your cover:
3. Add a Channel Trailer
As soon as visitors land on your channel, you’ll want to give them an idea of the type of content your channel covers and why they’ll want to subscribe and watch your videos. channel is the perfect way to do this.
A short and to the point channel trailer can be a great way to introduce your content to people. A channel trailer should grab attention as soon as it starts and also represent the type of content you create on YouTube.
It’s also important to think about the description you add to this video, as it occupies a place featured on your channel home page.
(These trailers only appear for people who are not yet subscribed to your channel.)
Here you can see where this trailer appears on the channel. home page of your channel. Notice how the video is on the left and the title and description appear on the right. That’s a lot of prime real estate!
4. Add your contact details (email address)
If you use YouTube as a business or as a creator, it can be great to have your contact details handy to anyone who is interested in your work. YouTube has a section on each channel’s profile for you to include your contact details for business inquiries.
This can be found in the “About” section of your channel. To find it, go to your channel’s home page, click “About” in the navigation, and then scroll down to “Details.” Here you will see the option to share your email address:
I pass on to you
Thanks for reading. It’s been a lot of fun digging into how to create a YouTube channel, and I hope you’ve picked up a tip or two from this post.If you create or already have a YouTube channel of your own, I’d love to hear from you and learn from your experience on Twitter @buffer?
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