9 Simple Tips For Making A YouTube Channel Art That Stands Out
YOUTUBE CHANNEL BRANDING
3 min read
Meaning
Channel art is the visual design that represents your YouTube channel. It includes the banner at the top and the profile picture.
Importance
Channel art is crucial because it’s the first thing viewers see, making a strong impression. It helps showcase your channel’s identity, branding, and content, attracting more subscribers and making your channel memorable.
Best Strategies & Tips (Step-By-Step)
(1) Image Requirements: YouTube recommends that you use a 2560x1440-pixel image for your channel art. The minimum dimensions are 2048x1152 pixels. It’s important that the image you upload follows these requirements. Otherwise, your channel art may not display properly across all devices (desktop, mobile, TV, etc.).
(2) Representation:
(A) Topic Of Your Channel: Your channel art should visually convey the main theme or subject of your YouTube channel. This helps viewers quickly understand what type of content they can expect to find on your channel.
(B) What Makes Your Channel Unique: Your channel art should also showcase the unique aspect or personality of your channel. This could be your branding, style, or any special features that set your content apart from others, giving viewers a reason to subscribe and engage with your videos.
(3) Types:
(A) Creator Shot: This is an image of you, the creator of the YouTube channel. This works well for personal brands and vlogs.
(B) Representative Shot: This is where you use an image that represents what your channel is all about. A picture is worth a thousand words, so using a representative image can boost your channel’s brand without needing a lot of text to do it.
(C) Logo: This is simply where you make your logo the focal point of your channel art.
(D) Image Collage: You don’t need to limit yourself to one image. Many YouTube channels represent their channel with a collage of images that let you know the topics that channel tends to cover.
(4) Tagline:
(A) Importance: Your tagline is a short, crisp description of your channel’s value proposition. It’s a fantastic way to highlight what makes your channel unique in a few short words.
(B) Visibility: You may want to consider putting your tagline in your channel art. That way, new visitors to your channel can see it right away and instantly understand what you’re all about.
(5) Channel Art Links:
(A) Introduction: Channel art links are links to external websites. These links are placed on the lower right-hand corner of your YouTube banner.
(B) Overlay: These links aren’t part of your channel art image itself. Instead, they’re overlaid on top of your channel art.
(C) Consideration In Design: As these links are displayed on top of your channel art, it’s important to keep these in mind as you create your channel art.
(D) Use A Subscribe CTA (Call To Action): Consider adding a visual (like an arrow) that draws attention to your channel art links. That, combined with a CTA, can encourage people to subscribe.
(6) Publish Schedule (Optional): If you follow a regular upload schedule, consider featuring that schedule in your channel art. This can let new visitors and existing subscribers know when to expect new videos.
(7) Boost Credibility: Consider adding “Featured on…” logos to your channel art if you have been featured on a well-known news site or blog. These can help boost your channel’s credibility.
(8) Look Professional: A professional channel art design helps establish your channel as one people should subscribe to and follow. On the flipside, a poorly designed YouTube banner can send potential subscribers away.
(9) Utilize AI Tools: Use AI-powered tools to create visually appealing and engaging YouTube channel art that reflects your brand and attracts viewers. Some of the best AI tools are as follows:
(A) Canva
(B) Adobe Express
(C) Pixlr
(D) Fotor