Many YouTubers wonder how YouTube channel branding works. YouTube is the world’s largest video-sharing platform, which means the competition to make your channel stand out is tremendous. Is YouTube channel branding important? It definitely is. YouTube allows you to create a unique identity for yourself through your channel. You can showcase your skills and follow your passion with millions of users watching your video content. To do so, you will have to learn what goes into customizing your YT channel.
Besides your high-quality video content, there are a few other factors that help channel branding on YouTube. Your YouTube channel branding sets you apart from the rest of the channels.
Your channel branding must have:
- A clear representation of the type of video content you upload on your channel.
- A simple and unique logo that your users can remember.
- Something that attracts users to subscribe to your channel.
How YouTube channel branding works?
There are 4 things that go into creating an identity for your YouTube channel:
Profile icon
Your profile picture is directly a portrayal of you. It is a signature image that will appear almost everywhere on your channel. According to YouTube Help, your profile icon must follow its community guidelines. The guidelines state that your profile icon should be in a JPG, GIF, BMP, and PNG format. It should be 800 px by 800 px and less than 4 MB.
How to change your YouTube profile icon?
- Click on your profile icon.
- Select “Your Channel”
- Tap on “Customize Channel,” then click on “branding” under Channel Customization.
- Click on the “change” option under the profile picture and save.
Channel art
Channel art is a banner image that appears on the homepage of your YouTube channel. The recommended banner is 3048 x 1152 with an aspect ratio of 16:9. The image file should be less than 6 MB. As a creator, you can showcase an image of any upcoming videos and build hype through your channel art.
How to change your YouTube channel art?
- Click on your profile icon.
- Select “Your Channel”
- Tap on “Customize Channel,” then click on “branding” under Channel Customization.
- Click on the “change” option under the banner image and save.
Video watermark
Your channel’s video watermark adds to your brand identity while encouraging users to subscribe to your YouTube channel. The watermark appears on the right-hand cover of your video. You can customize it to appear either at the start, end, or during the entire video. Your watermark image file must be 150 x 150 px and less than 1 MB in size.
How to change your YouTube video watermark?
- Click on your profile icon.
- Select “Your Channel”
- Tap on “Customize Channel,” then click on “branding” under Channel Customization.
- Then, click on the “change” option under the video watermark.
- Select “display time” and click on save.
Channel trailer
A channel trailer is a preview of viewers who haven’t subscribed to your channel yet to make them do so. You can choose your best-performing video from your YouTube channel.
How to change your YouTube channel trailer?
- Click on your profile icon.
- Select “Your Channel”
- Tap on “Customize Channel,” then click on “layout” under Channel Customization.
- Then, click on the “Add” option under the video spotlight and save.
YouTube channel branding plays an important role in bringing in more views on your channel. YouTubers usually struggle to garner views on their videos and try increasing their views by creating high-quality video content or using online platforms to promote their videos online. You can go for either one of the options or both.