The YouTube banner on your channel page acts as a prominent billboard for your brand. It’s the initial visual that greets visitors, making it valuable space for brand promotion. Creating an appealing and captivating banner is essential to capture your audience’s attention. Discover the key elements of an eye-catching banner and find free YouTube banner templates to kickstart your design process.
What is a YouTube banner?
YouTube banners can effectively and efficiently share your brand’s message with A YouTube banner is a prominent image spanning the top of a channel page, offering one of the initial visual experiences for viewers.
It combines an eye-catching design with the inclusion of website and social media links in the bottom right corner.
Beyond its aesthetic appeal, a YouTube banner plays a crucial role in introducing your channel and brand.
It presents opportunities to strategically promote products or services, provide channel details, maintain brand consistency across platforms, and incorporate compelling calls-to-action (CTAs).
With its ability to effortlessly convey your brand’s message, a well-crafted YouTube banner effectively engages new viewers to your channel, with minimal effort on your end.
Unlocking the Ideal YouTube Banner Dimensions for Your Channel
Understanding the appropriate dimensions for your YouTube banner is essential before diving into its creation. Incorrect sizing can result in issues such as unreadable text or important elements being cut off. To ensure your banner appears correctly across devices like desktop computers, mobile devices, and smart TVs, adhere to the following YouTube banner dimensions:
- Minimum upload dimension: 2,048 x 1152 px with a 16:9 aspect ratio
- Minimum safe area for text and logos: 1,235 x 338 px
- Maximum width: 2,560 x 423 px
- File size: 6MB or smaller
If you’re unsure about image width and height, no worries! You can simply start by customizing one of our pre-designed YouTube banner templates, already formatted with the correct dimensions. In the next section, we’ve broken down the process into eight straightforward steps, empowering you to create your very own professional YouTube banner.
How to Easily Upload or Change Your YouTube Banner
After designing your stunning YouTube banner, it’s time to upload it to your channel page. If you’ve used Hootsuite’s YouTube banner templates, resizing won’t be necessary as they are already optimized.
Here’s how to upload or change your YouTube banner on desktop:
- Sign in to your YouTube Studio account.
- Navigate to “Customization” on the left menu and select “Branding.”
- Click on “Upload” under “Banner Image” and choose the image you want as your YouTube banner.
- If needed, preview and crop the image, then select “Done.”
- Click “Publish.”
If you prefer uploading your YouTube banner using a mobile device, follow these steps:
- Open the YouTube app or YouTube Studio app.
- Tap your profile picture in the top right corner.
- Select “Edit channel” (If using the YouTube app, tap “Your Channel” first, then “Edit channel” or the pencil icon).
- Edit your banner image by tapping the camera icon in the upper right corner of the banner.
- Choose the image you want as your new YouTube banner.
- Select “Save.”
And that’s it! You now have a beautiful and branded graphic displayed prominently on your YouTube channel.
8 Essential Tips for YouTube Banners
1. Align Your Design with Goals
When creating your YouTube banner, let your goals guide the design process. Consider if you need specific calls-to-action (CTAs) to support your social media objectives or encourage channel subscriptions. Alternatively, you can create a banner that reflects your brand’s personality, which is also an excellent option. For instance, Popsugar Fitness promotes their video series Dance Fitsugar and Class Fitsugar through their YouTube banner. @1bike1world showcases a children’s book about Nala the cat and her travel adventures.
You can also use your YouTube banner to inform viewers about your channel’s content and frequency of uploads. Chad and Claire’s channel banner clearly communicates the topics of their YouTube videos and the upload schedule.
Ensure that your YouTube banner is designed to support your specific goal.
2. Optimize for Desktop and Mobile (Stay within the “Safe Area”)
With 22% of YouTube viewers watching content on mobile devices, it’s crucial to optimize your banner for various screen sizes. Although the standard YouTube banner size is 2,560 x 1,440 px, most users will see a smaller area.
Include the most important information within the “safe area” of 1,546 x 423 px. This ensures that your text and crucial graphics are visible, regardless of the device used to view your profile. Additionally, double-check that your text remains readable on smaller devices like phones.
3. Highlight Your Logo
Start off by making it clear who you are. New visitors to your page should immediately recognize your brand.
Place your logo in a prominent spot, preferably against a contrasting color that makes it stand out. Ensure that the logo remains within the “safe area” of the banner. Look to the Elle YouTube channel as an example, where the black logo is placed against a lighter background to create a visually appealing contrast. Elle’s banner also features the 2022 Women in Hollywood Honorees, serving as a promotional element for the magazine’s new content.
If you’re unsure about the logo placement, our templates offer helpful suggestions.
By following these tips, you can create a compelling YouTube banner that effectively supports your goals, engages your audience, and provides a clear representation of your brand.
4. Maintain Consistent Brand Colors and Fonts
It’s essential to ensure that your YouTube banner aligns with your brand’s overall online presence. Consistency in brand colors and fonts allows viewers to easily recognize your brand and establishes a cohesive identity.
This principle applies even if your YouTube presence is more relaxed or unconventional compared to your other social channels. People who specifically seek to follow your brand are more likely to click the follow button when they identify the “right” version of you on YouTube.
5. Create a Clear Focal Point
Similar to a billboard ad, simplicity is key to effectively delivering your message. Avoid overcrowding your YouTube channel art and instead utilize the limited space to highlight what you want viewers to focus on regarding your brand. Make your message obvious by using a single image, a logo against a clean background, and, if applicable, a concise tagline. Take inspiration from Blogilates, a fitness channel that uses a simple yet impactful YouTube banner, with a clear focus and a tagline stating “Find the joy in fitness.”
6. Incorporate Links to Your Social Media and Website
Take advantage of the option to include links to your other social platforms and website within your YouTube banner. These links will be displayed in the bottom right corner. It’s a great opportunity because if someone has visited your YouTube page, they are likely interested in exploring your other online presence. Design your YouTube channel art with an unobstructed bottom right corner, allowing the background color to enhance the visibility of your icons.
7. Pin an Important Video Below Your YouTube Banner
Utilize the feature of pinning a video at the top of your channel page, directly beneath your YouTube banner. This video, known as a channel trailer, can showcase your best work, latest content, or most viewed video. For added impact, create a trailer that introduces your channel’s content and piques viewers’ curiosity. Similar to movie trailers, it can provide an overview of what you cover in your videos.
As an example, Shopify chose to feature an explainer video that covers the basics of how their eCommerce platform works. By sharing helpful content, viewers are more likely to return and subscribe for additional tips on using Shopify.
8. Incorporate Calls to Action (CTAs)
Regardless of the approach you take, it’s important to consider that your YouTube page already contains various elements. To effectively prompt viewers to take action, such as subscribing, following you on other social channels, or watching your videos, avoid overwhelming them with your banner.
You have the option to include a CTA directly within your YouTube banner. Additionally, you can modify the site links in the bottom right corner to feature a CTA that aligns with your goals.
Once you’ve designed a branded YouTube banner, the next step in your YouTube journey is ensuring that your content is equally engaging. For comprehensive guidance on crafting a successful YouTube strategy, be sure to explore our complete guide.