YouTube may not be a new player in the social media game. But it has worked. As video becomes more important and popular on social media, it pays to develop a YouTube marketing strategy—and then some.
Part discovery engine, part social platform , YouTube advertises over 2 billion monthly active users. And as the second largest search engine in the world, it’s a vital platform for connecting with new audiences, increasing brand awareness, and more.
Reading: How to create a youtube channel.
If you’ve always wondered how to start a YouTube channel If you haven’t jumped in yet, this is your sign to get started. Use this step-by-step guide to get up and running in minutes.
How to create a YouTube channel in 5 steps
Whether you need the 101 level breakdown or just a refresher, you can jump straight to the section you need most.
So here’s everything you need to start learning how to created a YouTube channel:
- Sign in to Google
- Create a new YouTube channel
- Customize your channel’s layout strong>
- Customize your channel’s branding
- Customize your channel’s basic information
- How to create a YouTube channel that is discoverable
1. Sign in to a Google account
Before you start a YouTube channel, you must sign in to Google.
If you already have a Google account you want to use for your channel, you will be prompted to sign in.
I recommend creating a new, dedicated account specifically for your YouTube channel. This way you can share it with multiple people. This will also limit any security issues related to your personal account.
After creating a Google account, go to YouTube and click Sign in.
2. Create a new YouTube channel
Go to the YouTube home page. Click on the avatar icon in the top right corner of the screen. Then select Create Channel from the drop-down menu.
The following screen will then prompt you to create a channel name.
Now you can stop here. Or you can create two channels: one for your Google account and a separate one for your brand. To do this, go to your Settings Create a new channel> This window will prompt you to do so.
If you’re not a YouTuber, it makes the most sense to assign your YouTube channel to a branded account, and you can add multiple managers.
Pro Tip: Make your account extra secure by setting up 2-Step Verification. Go to your Google Account > in the navigation pane, click Security > click 2-Step Verification > click Get started under the Sign in to Google section and follow the steps.
Voila – your account is created and safe! Now you’re ready for the fun part.
3. Customize your channel’s layout
To get started, click the Customize My Channel button at the top of the screen.
From here you will be taken to the YouTube Studio where you will see options for customizing your channel including layout, branding and Basic Information.
Let’s start very simply with your layout. So you can organize what content people see first.Let’s go through each of these elements:
Video Spotlights
This is the first piece of content to appear on your channel. There are two types you can add. A channel trailer will play for people who aren’t subscribed to your channel.
A hip video will be for your Subscribers played , but only for those who haven’t seen it yet.
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Featured Sections
Select up to 12 from Hot Spots appearing on your channel. These organize the content your visitors see first.
By default, this is a Short Videos section and a Videos section. However, click the + ADD SECTION button to choose from more.
The playlists and sections you choose depend on how you use your channel. If you go live frequently, the Live Now, Past Live Streams, and Upcoming Live Streams sections would be winners.
For example, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a playlist full of relaxing live streams, which is their channel known for.
Once you’ve customized your layout, click the Publish button in the upper-right corner. Or continue to the next step: Branding.
Pro Tip: If you don’t plan to upload frequently, select The section Feature Channels can make your channel look more active. This also positions you as an industry leader and shows your affection to other YouTube creators.
4. Customize your channel’s branding
There are three areas where you can customize your channel’s branding:
- Image (aka Profile picture) appears on your channel, next to your videos and comments you write.
- Banner picture is the large graphic at the top of your YouTube channel.
- Video Watermark appears in the bottom right corner of your videos. You can choose when and how long it is displayed.
These visuals should match your branding. For example, notice how all of Headspace’s visuals share consistent designs, colors, and shapes.
Resources like Canva help you create images in the right size is a matter of minutes with templates custom made for YouTube. Before creating images, confirm YouTube image dimensions:
- Profile image: 800 x 800 pixels
- Channel Banner:2048 x 1152 pixels minimum, but mobile and web safe area without cropping is 1546 x 423 pixels
YouTube will show you such a preview can see if something is cropped in different views.
There is no one right way to approach YouTube images – just choose images that reflect your brand.
5. Customize your channel’s basic information
Customizing this information will help your channel make a stronger impression. It’s also your ticket to driving channel visitors to your website, other social profiles, and more.
Let’s go through all the basic channel info that you can customize:
- Name: This should be your channel, brand, or you represent .
- Name: A short and simple, but memorable and searchable version of your name. This will also appear in your public URL.
- Description: You can add a little personality to your channel description with up to 1,000 characters.You can also add multiple language versions of your description. Add popular search terms relevant to your channel and content.
- Channel URL: Your channel’s web address as seen with your user ID.
- Links: Add links to direct visitors to your website and social channels.
- Links on banners: Select up to five links to display in the lower-right corner of your banner Banner. Just make sure these links don’t obscure important information or text in your cover art.
- Contact Information: Add a publicly available email address so people can contact you for business or press inquiries.
Once you click publish, congratulations – your channel is officially set up and you can add videos.
How to make your YouTube channel discoverable
Now that you know how to create a YouTube channel, it’s time to make yourself discoverable. This is an ongoing process of optimizing your channel and content.
Let’s share some tips on how to get new viewers and traffic to your channel. And if you want to dive deeper, check out these resources after reading this article:
- YouTube SEO
- YouTube Hashtags
- 16 Ways to Promote Your YouTube Channel to Get More Views
- YouTube Analytics
- YouTube Descriptions
Post videos regularly
An active channel means more opportunities to engage and grow your audience.
If you’re not ready to create new videos for YouTube, start with what you have. For example, when I was managing social media for the Shedd Aquarium, we repurposed a video from a viral tweet onto YouTube, where it also got impressive views.
Then we created a whole playlist based on the successful, viral videos.
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Start building your library with Videos that performed well on other channels. For example, successful Reels and TikTok videos can be uploaded as YouTube shorts.
Optimize your videos
Think Remember: YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world.
Keywords are really crucial when it comes to finding YouTube. Use them in your video titles, descriptions, and chapter titles. Explore common search terms with YouTube’s built-in keyword and search tool. Find it in YouTube Studio > Analytics > Research to explore.
Use the right tags too. YouTube tags — not to be confused with YouTube hashtags — help YouTube’s algorithm determine what your video is about, and therefore how it is ranked in search and who to display it to.
Create eye-catching thumbnails
Video thumbnails attract interest and help you stand out in search results – 90% of the best-performing videos have custom ones Thumbnails.
Using bold thumbnails with text (think about the titles or themes of your videos) and a person will help draw attention irritate. Unbounce uses all these tricks and also shows which videos are in another language.
Use playlists to categorize your videos
Playlists organize your content and make it easier for visitors to find and devour the content that interests them – just remember to update it.
It also helps you keep the Extend the life of older videos by pairing them with more updated content.
If you’re not sure how to do this, read our article on Creating a YouTube playlist .
Cross-Promote Your YouTube content on other channels
You have an existing audience on your other channels Share your YouTube content on your social channels and on channels outside of social channels, such as your website, Your blog and B. in email newsletters.
This can help drive your existing audience to your burgeoning YouTube channel.
Keep an eye on your analytics
From average view time to followers gained, YouTube analytics give you a deeper understanding of which videos are working and which aren’t.
The Analytics tab in YouTube Studio is an analytics gold mine The YouTube report from Sprout Social offers a more customized look at how your content is performing.
Start your free Sprout Trial
Represent your knowledge about creating a YouTube channel to the test
Learning to create a YouTube channel is just step one. Mastering YouTube takes time.
If you follow the tips in this guide, your channel will be up and running in no time.
Once you’ve created a YouTube channel and your videos running, your next step is to spread the word. After building your channel, read our article on Promoting Your YouTube Channel to increase awareness and increase views.
YouTube Channel FAQs
Yes, creating a YouTube channel is free. All you need is a Google account.
To monetize your YouTube account, you must join the YouTube Affiliate Program. Learn more about how to monetize your YouTube account here.
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