Do you want to take your YouTube channel to the top, attract more views, subscriptions and increase engagement? Then you need a good banner!
To stand out in any social network, one must take care of the visual identity of their brand. Even on YouTube. After all, this platform brings together who watch videos on the web.
And for you to work on your brand and optimize the results of your channel, nothing better than perfecting the banner design for YouTube. In addition to making the look more attractive, the cover also serves to strengthen and recognize the brand. And so, you will be more remembered by the audience.
Do you want to know how to create a banner and highlight your channel on the largest video platform on the Internet? Keep reading this post and take a look at our tips.
Take a look at what you will learn:
What is a banner?
First of all, you need to understand what a banner is.
The YouTube banner or cover is that rectangular image that is at the top of each .
To give you an example, take a look at the banner that we at use on our channel. It contains our logo in the center, a text that summarizes our objective with YouTube videos and links to our website, blog and social networks.
This space allows you to add an image that represents your channel, so users can easily identify it.
What is a YouTube banner for?
The visual identity of your brand’s channels is one of the most important aspects of a marketing strategy. . After all, an image is capable of transmitting messages, stimulating emotions, causing sensations and even rescuing memories.
And this is even more important in the virtual world. When we surf the internet, vision is the most important sense. In other words, it is through images that we are guided in the digital environment.
But the Internet is an extremely competitive space, with dozens of brands and competing for the user’s attention. The volume of information is gigantic!
In this sense, whoever manages to make a good impression and draw the attention of Internet users takes the lead. As a result, it attracts more visits, views and to channel.
Therefore, it is very important to include a banner on your YouTube channel to expose your brand and strengthen your visual identity on the network.
Through the banner, whoever visits your channel will be able to learn more about your brand, the objectives, the type of content you produce and much more. And if the design is attractive, you have a great chance that this user will come back to watch other videos.
But, for this to happen, it is essential that the design and art chosen is of quality, conveys relevant information and is aligned with the objectives of your business.
What makes a good YouTube banner?
As we explained at the beginning of this text, the YouTube cover should reflect the visual identity of your channel and, therefore, of your brand. It serves to convey the values and positioning of the page, as well as being a reference for the public.
But what makes a really good YouTube banner? There are some aspects that help in the success of this element and we list them below:
a) Responsive dimensions
The first point to consider when creating a YouTube cover is the size of the image. This is because the illustration will display in different dimensions depending on the device the user uses to access your channel.
For example, a banner will display differently when viewed on a computer, mobile phone, tablet, or Smart TV.
The dimensions suggested by Google for a channel cover are:
- Recommended: 2560 x 1440 pixels
- Minimum for upload: 2048 x 1152 pixels
- Minimum “safe area”, which ensures that text and logos will not be cut off on any device: 1546 x 423 pixels
- Maximum width: 2560 x 423 pixels
- File size: 4 MB or less
You are probably thinking that the recommended resolution is too high, right?
But don’t get confused. Your banner can be displayed on monitors larger than 30″. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the design and art are of quality on screens of different sizes.
To make your job easier, Google offers a number of templates to help you create a responsive banner. To access, .
b) Smart and balanced design
Do you remember the “security area” that we mentioned in the previous point? When creating your art, it is important to keep this space in mind.
Your banner is the best opportunity to promote your brand among the people who access your channel. If the most important information of the art is put in the wrong place, it can harm the understanding of the message.
Thus, it places the most relevant information in the center of the image. In this way, you avoid cutting part of the logo, the company name or some text.
A tip is to start inserting the most relevant elements for the banner in the center and go towards the “safety area” of the image.
Here are some tips to help you make sure you don’t go wrong with your banner design:
- The banner should clearly show the public what your business does;
- Use high-resolution images to prevent your banner from looking pixelated;
- Incorporate visual elements associated with your brand into the banner, such as colors, fonts, or .
c) Relevant information
The banner has the function of being one more element of communication between your brand and the public that accesses the channel. In this way, you take advantage of this space to insert relevant information for your business and the audience.
Use the cover of your YouTube channel to inform your audience about something , promotions, new product announcements and other news. In this way, in addition to strengthening the brand, the banner will offer more value to your subscribers, bringing your brand closer to the public.
How to create a banner for YouTube?
Well, you have already understood that a cover is very important for your YouTube channel and what its most important elements are.
But how to create a banner for YouTube?
We know that not everyone has advanced design knowledge to create amazing art. And that is why we have separated some of the services and programs that can help you create banners easily:
1. Photoshop
Okay, the it’s not the easiest program to use. But there are dozens of free tutorials on the Internet that teach its basic functions. And because it has more robust features, it allows you to create more sophisticated and engaging artwork, fully customized for your business.
For those who are not so proficient with the tool, it is very easy to find some templates on the Internet. That way, all you have to do is insert your brand text, logo, and background images directly into the program, without the need to spend hours crafting a layout.
To use Photoshop, you must purchase a license on the Photoshop website. . However, it is possible to download a free 30-day trial.
2. Canvas
The next service on our list is the famous for those who want to produce images and art without spending a lot or racking their brains over complex menus.
This is a free and very intuitive tool that offers a vast library of templates and various editing features. You can upload a photo or image, crop, use filters, and add text, all within the browser.
To facilitate the process, you can invite members of your team. This action also simplifies the process of creating and sharing art.
3. Photojet
Our third suggestion is the another 100% online tool, like Canva.
Fotojet offers several tools to create covers for YouTube, Facebook and even Twitter. All in a very intuitive way, with templates, effects and adjustment options.
The service offers a free plan, with access to the most basic tools and options for editing and customization. To access all the resources offered by the program, you need to purchase a subscription, with prices starting at $3.33 per month.
4. Banner snack
To close our list, we present another online tool for you to create a banner for YouTube. Is he .
This service is very similar to the previous ones, presenting dozens of templates ready for you to choose and customize. You just have to choose a background image and use its various resources, such as editing tools, text insertion and filters.
In addition, Bannersnack also allows you to create , Twitter covers and even Instagram posts. The service offers a free version, with access to more limited resources and more complete payment plans, with prices starting at 7 dollars per month.
How to add a banner to your YouTube channel?
After creating your cover, it’s time to embed the image on your YouTube channel. To do so, you need to follow some very simple steps. Notice!
a) From the computer
1. Enter the YouTube website and sign in to your account. Click on your photo thumbnail in the top right corner and select the “Your Channel” option.
2. If this is the first time you are inserting a banner, click on “Customize Channel” and then on the “Add design to channel” button. If you have already changed the cover image before, click on the current banner.
3. On the screen that opens, click on the pencil icon located in the upper right corner of the banner and select “Modify channel design”.
4. You can choose an image saved on your computer or select from the options available by YouTube in the Gallery tab.
5. After selecting an image, click “Adjust Crop” to crop the image.
6. To confirm the choice of the new image, click select.
How to insert social media links on YouTube cover?
You may have already noticed that, in your favorite YouTube channels, there is a space with links that lead to websites and social networks. This feature is very useful for engaging the community and increasing the number of hits on other brand communication channels.
To take advantage of this feature, plan carefully which channels you want to target your YouTube audience to. Inserting links in your YouTube banner can only be done from a computer. Follow the steps below:
1. Sign in to your YouTube account and access your channel. Then click on “Customize channel” and on the “About” tab.
2. At the bottom of the screen, you will see a section called “Links”. Click the pencil icon to insert, edit or remove any link:
3. Select the “Add” option and enter the address you want to direct users to.
4. Click “Done” to save the changes.
Inspirational YouTube Banner Examples
Now that you know how to create an amazing cover for your video channel, how about learning about some of the most interesting arts on the internet?
We have separated six incredible examples for you to be inspired by…
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