Do you know there are 10 things you need to sort out for your Youtube channel to actually
be discovered? Yes, 10! And I'm covering all of them today so watch this video and check
if you're not overlooking some important things and not attracting new followers!
Hi, my name is Natalia and welcome to my youtube channel where I share super actionable
ideas on content creation for entrepreneurs and creators. You know we're all about optimising here
and squeezing as much as we can from each platform and today we're talking Youtube!
I know, so meta. Having a properly optimized Youtube channel is absolutely crucial for reaching
your audience and turning them into subscribers. If you don't do it properly and thoroughly,
you're missing potential subscribers and the opportunity for them to become
paying clients as well. By the end of this video, you'll know how to choose a profile picture
and design channel art, how to populate your about tab so that it works for you,
how to use trailers or featured videos to introduce yourself to the audience,
how to use links, playlists, tags and sooooo much more. This is what we're discussing today.
Let's dive right into it! 1. Channel Name
The first thing you want to start off with is, of course, choosing your channel name. One thing
to note is that the NAME is different from the URL which some people confuse. Unlike the URL, you can
actually edit your name, however, I do recommend choosing a name you want to stick with straight
away. This way, the channel can gain recognition overtime and, as I always say, it's crucial that
your brand is consistent. Go for a simple option of your name and surname if you're creating a
personal brand or your business name for increased searchability (is that a word? searchability? yes?
no? ok, it's a word now.) If it's appropriate, you can also pick a name that people can search for
or one that will let them quickly identify what your content is going to be about.
2. Channel Art
As with any graphic design for your business, your channel art should be in line with your brand. The
same rules as with video thumbnails apply here - first and foremost, it needs to grab attention.
Whether you decide to design it in Canva with a ready template or yourself in another application,
make sure is sized to the optimal 2560 x 1440 pixels. This way, it displays properly on a
variety of devices so phones, ipads, laptops but also TVs. Remember there is also a safe space
so make sure to include any relevant information within that frame. Otherwise it will be cut off.
****You can include your tagline and how often you post videos so say
new video every Friday at 9am pst. But the possibilities are really endless.
If you choose, this can be a place to promote your course with a banner or you can add info
on your freebie - especially with a Call to Action to download it. Don't worry if you have nothing to
sell or promote in this way - a CTA to subscribe is a great way to go. Remember that youtube gives
you an option to share your links - more on that later on so watch the video to the very end.
3. Choose a Profile Picture
Pick a clean image. You don't want a messy, cluttered photo here because the space you've
got is really small on the screen. I always advise to keep your profile pictures consistent across
all platforms so that your followers can easily identify your brand and recognize
you. If you're a personal brand rather than a brick and mortar business let's say,
pick a profile photo with your face because our brains pick out faces faster than logos.
To add or change your profile pic, click your profile photo on the YouTube home page and
select My Channel from the drop-down menu. On the next page, click Customize Channel. Next,
hover over your profile photo, click the pencil icon, and click Edit in the box that appears.
4. Featured video or channel trailer
Just like in real life, introducing yourself is really important on Youtube. Luckily,
it's really easy to do here with the channel trailer. When planning out your script,
try to keep it short and sweet and very much to the point. As with any video on Youtube,
grab your viewers' attention within the first few seconds with what we call a hook. This can be a
variety of things, whether something entertaining, emotional or super educational. The most important
thing is always bringing value. Remember that most people watching your trailer don't know
you so explain what you do on the channel and what they can expect if they stick around for awhile.
Instead of recording a trailer, you can also choose a featured video for your channel.
It can be your best piece of content or something that showcases what you do very well. Again,
you want to convince the viewers to stay with you and subscribe. For best results, combine
the words with a graphic prompt on the screen. You'll see it in action in just a moment...
Whether you're uploading a trailer or featuring a video, put the description box to good use.
I have a video coming up on how to optimize each video before publishing it, so hit that subscribe
button & the notification bell to be the first one to know when it's out! See what I did there?
So to reiterate, cover what your channel is all about in the description box and include
links leading to your website and socials to prompt the audience to keep in touch.
5. Playlists
Playlists are another useful feature to help users find content from you that they're really
interested in. Once you have enough videos, it might become a bit tough to navigate so
take advantage of playlists. For example, if you go to the playlists tab on my channel,
you'll see various topics like Youtube Tips or Favorite Tools which makes it easier to
binge watch a whole series and get educated on a particular subject. Do the same for
your content right after you publish your first video and then gradually organize
videos within topical playlists. What's great about them is that they're searchable as well!
6. About tab
Even though it's not as conspicuous as say Instagram Bio (by the way, check out this
video to revamp yours!), About tab on Youtube should still be updated so that it represents
who you are. In the description, include a short intro on who you are and how you help
your audience. This is the place to insert all the relevant links as well. You can add
up to five so choose the most important ones for your business like your website and any socials.
A great feature of these links is that they appear on your channel art in the bottom right corner.
That's why including a CTA on your banner as I mentioned before can be so useful!
If you exceed the five link limit, you can still add some to your description,
but they won't be clickable. However, if the link you want to include here is a clean and short
url, interested people might still be encouraged to follow the link manually,
especially with an attractive call to action. So, let's say you're building
a Facebook group - include a CTA and the link in your description as well.
There is also an option to add contact details so a business email is a good idea. This way,
people who might want to collaborate with you will have an easier access to your details
straight from youtube. I'd say try and not use an email address that's connected to your youtube
channel itself - you might open yourself up to hackers. ***whispers*** Two factor authentication.
7. Links to other channels
If that's not your only channel, you can link your other one here as well. Moreover, if you're
working with partners or regular collaborators, this might be a great way to support them, too.
Community is very important on Youtube so if you draw a lot of inspiration from
other creators on the platform, include them here. Don't think of them as competition.
A simple energy shift can turn them into potential collaborators and then,
magic can happen. But hey, that's a subject for another video.
8. Video Description Template
And while we're still on the subject of descriptions and links,
you can set up a video description template which will be applied to each of your videos.
Of course, some elements of it will be unique to the video,
but you still want to make your life easier by having a short description of you
and your channel, all the links to your social, subscription prompts etc. More on how you should
structure your description in the upcoming video which I mentioned before so stay tuned for that.
9. Channel Keywords:
You can include relevant keywords in each of your videos to help people find them while
they're searching Youtube. I should probably say you must include them because that's
how important they are. But did you know that adding keywords to your channel is necessary,
too? They have the exact same effect as with individual videos and get your
channel discovered with a simple search. Add valuable tags that are relevant to
your channel which will help Google and Youtube index your channel properly.
10. Video watermark
And last but not least, a tiny detail that is often skipped because it is, in fact,
quite tiny - add your channel video watermark. You can do it through your channel settings.
When viewers click on the watermark, it opens up and allows them to subscribe to your channel from
within the video itself so quite a cool feature. And again, because it's really
really small with just 150 by 150 pixels, you need to be quite bold with it and it should
really stand out. Have the goal of the watermark in mind. Since it gets people to subscribe,
you can include your logo with SUBSCRIBE above or a simple subscribe button which is native to the
platform. You can later see how it's performing in your channel analytics so check back after
you set it up and see if it's working. If not - experiment with different options and colors.
Once you have all these 10 points checked,
have a look at this Youtube playlist where I share useful tips on how to grow your channel
and get more subscribers. I've also already recorded the video just for you
on what to do before you publish each video so subscribe now and hit that notification bell
to stay informed when I release it soon. Like this video if you enjoyed it and comment below if you
have any more tips on how to optimise the channel. Have a great day and I'll see you next time 🙂