Among this channel art is your profile picture — that is how YouTube users will identify the creator of a video when browsing video content. You will see this picture appear under YouTube videos on the play page, as shown below.
In case your YouTube channel is linked to a Brand Account, as is the example we used in the previous step, you will need to update this picture in the “About” section of your Google account. Note that this rule also applies to your channel name when utilizing a Brand Account.
If you click on “change” under your profile icon, you may see this message:
Click on “edit,” and you will be taken to the page shown below, where you could edit your Brand Account info, including your profile picture (which will be displayed on your YouTube channel).
We recommend selecting a picture with dimensions of 800 x 800 pixels for this profile picture when you start to create a channel on Youtube.
6. Add a banner picture.
Next, it is time to add your banner picture. Back on your channel customization dashboard, along the top, you will see your newly added profile picture on the top left corner. As far as that gray background surrounding it’s concerned, you could (and should) change it to something more, well, you. Here is how.
Hover your cursor over this gray background to reveal a small pencil icon on the top right corner. Click on this icon and choose “Edit channel art” when this option appears, as shown below.
One of the trickiest elements of channel art is making a responsive banner that matches dimensions for various user experiences such as desktop, mobile, or TV. Fortunately, Google has this handy picture that represents the best dimension for each viewing platform …
Source: Google
… as well as this concise video explainer:
As you could see from the resources above, the minimum dimensions for your YouTube banner picture are 1546 x 423 — this size prevents related text and pictures contained in your banner picture from leaking off of somebody’s screen — whether that screen is a desktop, laptop, or mobile device. The maximum width for your banner picture is 2560 x 423, and your picture’s file size should not exceed 6MB.
7. Add videos and optimize them for search.
Optimizing your channel for discoverability is just the start. When you begin adding videos, you will want to optimize them for search, which in turn helps users uncover your video.
However, this goes beyond giving your videos accurate, clear, and concise titles — although that’s necessary. Below, we describe a few of the most necessary things to optimize on YouTube.
Title
Once we search for videos, one of the first issues that our eyes are drawn to is the title. That is usually what determines whether or not the viewer will click to watch your video, so the title shouldn’t only be compelling, but also, clear and concise.
Description
This needs to be limited to 1,000 characters — and keep in mind that your viewer came here to watch a video, not to read lots of text. Plus, YouTube only shows the first two or three lines of text, which comes to about 100 characters, so front-load the description with the most important info.
Tags
Utilizing tags does not just let viewers know what your video is about — they inform YouTube, too, which uses tags “to know the content and context of your video,” according to Backlinko. That way, YouTube could associate your video with similar videos, which could broaden your content’s reach. However, approach with caution — just as with your title, do not use misleading tags because they may get you more views — actually, Google may penalize you for that.
Category
Selecting a category is another method to group your video with similar content on YouTube — however, which may not be as simple as it sounds. YouTube’s Creator Academy suggests that marketers “think about what’s working well for each category” you are considering by answering questions like:
- Who’re the top creators within the category? What are they known for, and what do they do well?
- Are there any patterns between the audiences of similar channels within a given category?
- Do the videos inside a similar category have share qualities like production value, length, or format?
That is it — you have officially not only to create a channel on Youtube, however, now also know how to optimize its content for discoverability.