Fun fact: YouTube is the second most visited website in the world, after YouTube’s parent company, Google.
Fun tip: Your brand should have a presence there.
The opportunity to reach your audience on YouTube is huge. It is the most popular social platform among US adults, with around 75% of Americans using the social video site, compared to 69% using Facebook.
More than half of these users visit YouTube every day. Wouldn’t it be nice if they had a look at your content while they were there?
Fortunately, creating a YouTube account is not difficult. Create successful The YouTube channel is a little more challenging… but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered there too.
How to create a new YouTube channel in 5 simple steps
Creating a successful YouTube channel starts with doing. a Youtube channel. Here’s how to create your account.
Step 1: Create a Google account
If you’re using Gmail, Google Maps, or Google Play, you probably already have a Google account… so proceed to the next step.
If you’re starting from scratch, head here to sign up for a new Google account.
The name and email address will not be publicly linked to your brand, so don’t worry about keeping them in the message. It’s just the key to getting into the YouTube door.
Step 2: Create a YouTube account
With your Google account, you automatically create a personal YouTube account. However, to use YouTube for your business, you must create a Brand Account.
Go to your YouTube account page, click Create ChannelClick and then enter a name for your Brand Account. You are in it!
When you create a YouTube Brand Account, you can grant admin access to multiple people and customize the name and appearance to match your brand.
Another great thing about Brand Accounts: it gives you access to YouTube Analytics, which provides very useful information about who’s watching your videos and what content is popular. (Learn more in our post on how to use YouTube for marketing.)
Step 3: Customize your YouTube channel
Time to make this sweet new social media profile your own.
In your channel control panel customize channel. Review the three tabs — Order, branding and Basic information — to enter information that will help optimize your channel for viewer discovery.
When filling out this information, use descriptive keywords to help your account appear in searches.
Keywords can include your channel’s topics, your industry, questions your content can answer, or featured products.
Under branding, you will have the opportunity to upload your channel art and icons to give your channel a unique look. Ideally, an account that aligns with your overall brand and visually connects this YouTube account with your other social media platforms and web presence.
We have some templates for YouTube channel art here to get you started.
Step 4: Upload your first YouTube video
This is exciting. You are on the verge of becoming a YouTube content creator! I am not crying, you are crying.
To promote your first video to the world Create Press the button in the upper right corner and follow the instructions.
Step 5: Make your YouTube channel discoverable
It’s like an old saying: if you have great content on YouTube but no one sees it… what’s the point?
To get views and subscribers, you’ll want to optimize your channel and videos to be discoverable. If you want to dive deep, we have a complete guide to promoting your YouTube channel. In the meantime, here’s the 30-second synopsis:
Optimize video titles
Use short and descriptive titles with Google-friendly keywords. Titles are the first thing users see, but they also help the search engine understand what your videos are about. So make sure all of your titles are compelling and engaging, but also clear and include keywords.
Optimize your YouTube description
Here, too, it is important to be clear, concise, and descriptive. Make sure to frontload your keywords and add links to other playlists.
Another good trick to use in video descriptions? Create a timestamped “table of contents” to help viewers find what they’re looking for.
For more specific tips, check out our complete guide to writing a winning YouTube description.
Add tags (in moderation)
While it’s tempting to load this section with clickbait tags, make sure you only include tags that are relevant to your content. Be honest and choose quality over quantity. The goal is to reach audiences who are genuinely interested in content like yours.
Tags also help YouTube’s algorithm understand what your content is about. Make sure to add a category or two to help the search engine get your videos in front of the right audience.
cross promotion
Include a link to your YouTube channel on your other social profiles, website, and email signature to let your existing fans know you’ve built a video empire.
Understand the algorithm
If you haven’t already, now is the time to familiarize yourself with the YouTube algorithm. This AI determines not only search results, but also suggestions for the all-important “what’s next” sidebar.
9 tips for starting a YouTube channel
1. Use eye-catching channel art and thumbnails
Your channel art and thumbnails are your billboards, so make an impression!
An effective thumbnail is clear and accurate and works with the video’s title. But it also needs to stand out.
Thumbnails are how viewers decide what to watch when browsing search results. This means you don’t just have to convey what your video is about. You also need to stand out from the competition.
And most of the competition is… loud.
Evaluate what everyone is doing and try to stay out of the way. For example, choose a different color palette or go completely minimalist to stand out in a sea of neon colors and Impact fonts.
Try our channel art templates here.
2. Choose the perfect channel icon
The channel icon is like a logo for your YouTube presence. It should match your brand and complement your channel banner.
When choosing an icon, follow YouTube’s recommended image sizes to avoid any stretching. Preview your channel on multiple devices to check everything looks good.
YouTuber JJ McCullough uses his own cartoon as his logo to represent both his art and personality.
3. Create playlists
Organizing and creating video playlists on YouTube is the best way to keep your audience on your page.
YouTube playlists not only organize your related content in a neat and tidy list, but also play automatically. When one video ends, the next starts…etc. This minimizes the chances of a viewer switching to another channel.
For example, financial advisor Max Mitchell adds all of his TFSA videos to a single playlist so viewers can sit back and learn about tax-free savings accounts for hours.
4. Create a channel trailer
When someone first encounters your channel, a channel trailer is a way for them to browse your content. You better say.
Just like Hollywood hits make you addicted to seeing Avengers: Tokyo DriftYou can give your audience a taste that makes them want more.
Assume the audience is a total stranger, so introduce yourself and tell them exactly why they should subscribe. Be short, sweet, and quick: let them know how your content is doing and when they can expect new uploads, as Yoga with Adriene did on her channel.
5. Consistently create great content
This will sound obvious, but we’ll say it anyway: Viewers want to watch good videos.
But what makes a YouTube video good is a little different than what would make a video, for example, blow up a foreign film festival.
According to Search Engine Journal, successful YouTube videos have eye-catching intros and great branding, background music, and clear sound.
Calls to action are also important. Whether your goal is to attract your audience to your website, increase your subscriber count, or start a conversation in the comments, the right CTA can help you make it happen.
As with all social media content, there is no perfect formula for a successful YouTube video. Some brands are successful with slick, highly produced content, while others are gaining traction as raw, unfiltered and authentic.
Vanity Fair’s YouTube channel is an inspiring one. It goes beyond what you can read in the magazine’s profiles and includes videos of players sharing everything they do in a day or taking a polygraph test.
Discover engaging content ideas from other social media platforms to inspire your experiment.
6. Schedule your videos
Give your videos the best chance to grow by posting them at the right time, when people are online and ready to watch.
Your channel analytics will tell you if there is a day of the week or a certain time that tends to get high views or engagement.
Once you have this intelligence, you can broadcast regularly within this time frame with the help of scheduling tools like Moyens I/O.
Learn more about how to schedule YouTube videos.
7. Understand your audience
Creating engaging content is difficult if you don’t know who you’re doing it for, so make sure you have a good understanding of your target audience before getting into it.
Who are they? What do they like? (Why don’t they call me?!)
Once you have several videos, dive into YouTube Analytics to see if you hit the mark. Cool fixed numbers will tell you if, how and when your artwork is making an impact.
8. Experiment with YouTube advertising
If you’re not getting the reach you want with old-fashioned organic content, it may be time to throw a few bucks behind a promotional campaign.
YouTube ads are served in these four categories:
- Skippable in-stream ads
- Non-skippable in-stream ads (including bumper ads)
- Video discovery ads (formerly display ads)
- Non-video ads (ex: overlays and banners)
For more information on YouTube’s ad formats and how to use them, check out our in-depth guide to YouTube advertising.
9. Ask viewers to subscribe
When someone subscribes to your channel (and hits that bell button), they get an alert whenever you post a new video to the world. Therefore, growing your subscriber base is the best way to increase your organic reach.
There’s a reason why the phrase “don’t forget to subscribe” is the choice of YouTubers big and small.
Of course, increasing your subscriber count is easier said than done. That’s why we have a complete guide on how to get more YouTube subscribers.
Once you reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of views during the year, you can sign up as a YouTube partner and monetize your channel. You can learn more about YouTube’s Partner Program here.
This is just the tip of the iceberg for building a successful YouTube channel. If you want to learn more, check out our blog post on how to get more views on YouTube, 23 smart ways to promote your YouTube channel, and how to become a YouTube marketing expert.
With Moyens I/O, you can easily upload, schedule and promote your YouTube channel and videos across multiple social networks from a single control panel. Try it for free today.
