Fun fact: YouTube is the second-about visited website in the earth behind Google—YouTube's parent company.

Fun suggestion: Your brand should have a presence there.

The opportunity to attain your audience on YouTube is massive. It's the near popular social platform amidst U.S. adults, and nearly 75% of Americans use the social video site, compared to the 69% who utilise Facebook.

More than half of those users visit YouTube every single twenty-four hour period. Wouldn't information technology be prissy if they took a look at your content while they were there?

Luckily, creating a YouTube business relationship isn't hard. Creating a successful YouTube channel is a lilliputian more than work… but don't worry, we've got y'all covered there, too.

Bonus: Download the free 30-twenty-four hours programme to grow your YouTube following fast , a daily workbook of challenges that will help yous kickstart your Youtube channel growth and rail your success. Get real results subsequently one month.

How to create a new YouTube channel in 5 elementary steps

Making a successful YouTube channel starts with making a YouTube channel. Here's how to build your business relationship.

Step 1: Create a Google account

If you lot utilise Gmail, Google Maps, or Google Play, y'all probably already have a Google account… so skip ahead to the adjacent step.

If y'all're starting from scratch, head here to sign up for a new Google account.

create Google account page

The name and electronic mail accost won't be publicly linked to your brand, so don't worry about keeping those on-message. This is just your key to arrive the YouTube door.

Stride 2: Create a YouTube account

With your Google business relationship, you're automatically set upward with a personal YouTube account. But to use YouTube for your business, yous'll want to set up a Brand Business relationship.

Just get to your YouTube account page, click Create a Channel, and then enter a name for your Brand Account. You're in!

When y'all create a YouTube Brand Account, yous can requite multiple people admin admission and customize the name and appearance to match your brand.

Another cool thing about Brand Accounts: they let y'all to access YouTube Analytics, which offers super helpful insight almost who'south watching your videos and what content is popular. (Learn more in our mail on how to apply YouTube for marketing.)

YouTube account page create a channel

create a Brand Account

Step 3: Customize your YouTube channel

Time to make this sweet new social media profile your own.

In your channel dashboard, click Customize channel. Become through the iii tabs — Layout, Branding and Basic Info — to enter information that will assist optimize your channel for audience discovery.

channel customization layout branding and basic info

When filling out this information, apply descriptive keywords that will aid your account appear in searches.

Keywords can include your channel'south topics, your manufacture, questions your content can answer or products featured.

Under Branding, you lot'll have the opportunity to upload your channel art and icons to requite your channel a unique expect. Ane that, ideally, aligns with your overall make and visually connects this YouTube account with your other social media platforms and web presence.

branding profile picture and banner image

Nosotros've got some templates for YouTube channel art correct here to become yous started.

Footstep four: Upload your get-go YouTube video

Well, this is exciting. You're on the cusp of becoming a YouTube content creator! I'one thousand not crying, you're crying.

To put your first video out into the world, hit the Create button in the elevation-correct corner and follow the instructions.

upload YouTube video

Step v: Brand your YouTube aqueduct discoverable

Like the old saying goes: If you take astonishing content on YouTube but nobody sees it… what's the point?

To go views and subscribers, you'll want to optimize your aqueduct and videos for discovery. Nosotros've got a complete guide to promoting your YouTube aqueduct if you want to dive in deep. In the concurrently, here'south the 30-second rundown:

Optimize video titles

Use concise, descriptive titles that include Google-friendly keywords. Titles are the start thing users run into, only they too help the search engine sympathise what your videos are about. Then make sure all your titles are punchy and intriguing, only also clear and include keywords.

Optimize your YouTube description

Information technology's important to be clear, curtailed and descriptive here, too. Make sure to front-load your keywords and add links to other playlists.

Some other skillful trick to utilise in video descriptions? Create a "table of contents" with timestamps to help viewers find what they're looking for.

For more than specific tips, bank check out our complete guide to writing a winning YouTube description.

Add tags (in moderation)

While information technology can be tempting to load up this department with clickbaity tags, brand sure to simply include tags that are relevant to your content. Be honest, and choose quality over quantity. The goal is to accomplish viewers who are actually interested in content like yours.

Tags too assist YouTube's algorithm understand what your content is nigh. Make certain to add a category or two to help the search engine put your videos in front of the right audience.

Cross-promote

Add a link to your YouTube channel on your other social profiles, website and email signature to allow your existing fans know you're starting a video empire.

Understand the algorithm

If you lot haven't already, now is the time to familiarize yourself with the YouTube algorithm. This AI determines non only search results, but recommendations for the all-important "what's up adjacent" sidebar, too.

9 tips for starting a YouTube channel

1. Apply centre-communicable aqueduct art and thumbnails

Your aqueduct art and thumbnails are your billboards, and then make an impression!

An effective thumbnail is clear and accurate, and works in tandem with the video's title. But it also needs to stand up out.

eye-catching thumbnails

Thumbnails are the way viewers determine what to lookout when they're skimming through search results. This means you don't but need to communicate what your video is almost. Y'all need to stand out from the contest, likewise.

And a lot of the contest is… loud.

Evaluate what anybody else is doing, and attempt to swerve. For example, cull a distinct color palette, or go full-on minimalist to stand out in a bounding main of neon colors and Impact font.

Experiment with our channel art templates here.

2. Choose the perfect channel icon

A aqueduct icon is like a logo for your YouTube presence. It should match your brand and complement your channel banner.

When picking an icon, follow YouTube's recommended image dimensions to avoid whatsoever stretching. Preview your aqueduct on multiple devices to bank check everything looks good.

YouTuber J.J. McCullough uses a cartoon caricature of himself every bit his logo to represent both his fine art and his personality.

J.J. McCullough cartoon caricature channel icon

iii. Create playlists

Organizing and creating video playlists on YouTube is the all-time way to keep your viewer on your page.

Not merely practice YouTube playlists organize your related content in one neat-and-tidy list, they also motorcar-play. Once one video ends, the next begins… and and then on. This minimizes the chances that a viewer will motility on to another channel.

Fiscal counsellor Max Mitchell, for instance, adds all of his TFSA videos to one playlist, so viewers can just sit back and learn about revenue enhancement-gratuitous savings accounts for hours on end.

Max Mitchell TFSA essentials playlist

4. Create a channel trailer

When someone first comes across your channel, a channel trailer is a way for them to go a sneak peek at your content. Better make it count.

Just like the Hollywood hotshots get you hooked to come across Avengers: Tokyo Drift, you can requite your audience a taste that leaves them wanting more than.

Assume the viewer is a perfect stranger, and then introduce yourself and tell them exactly why they should subscribe. Keep information technology curt, sweet and snappy: let 'em know what your content is like and when they can expect new uploads, like Yoga with Adriene does on her channel.

5. Create slap-up content, consistently

This is going to sound very obvious, but we're going to say it anyway: Viewers want to watch good videos.

Only what makes a good YouTube video is a little different than, say, what makes a video that would wind a foreign film festival.

According to Search Engine Journal, successful YouTube videos have attending-grabbing intros and great branding, background music, and clear sound.

Bonus: Download the free 30-day plan to grow your YouTube following fast , a daily workbook of challenges that will assistance you kickstart your Youtube channel growth and rail your success. Get real results after one month.

Get the costless guide correct now!

Calls to action are important too. Whether your goal is to drive your audience to your website, increase your subscriber count or spark a conversation in the comments, the correct CTA tin can aid make that happen.

Like with all social media content, there'due south no perfect formula for a successful YouTube video. Some brands thrive with slick, highly produced content, while others gain traction by beingness raw, unfiltered and authentic.

Vanity Off-white's YouTube channel is an inspiring one. Information technology goes beyond what you might read in the magazine'due south profiles and features videos of actors sharing everything they do in a day or taking a lie detector exam.

Explore some ideas of engaging content from other social media platforms to inspire your experimentation.

half-dozen. Schedule your videos

Give your videos the best chance to make it big by posting them at the right time: when people are online and gear up to watch them.

Your channel analytics volition tell y'all if at that place's a day of the week or specific time that tends to become high viewership or appointment.

Once you lot've got that intel, you can publish regularly within this time frame, with the help of scheduling tools like Hootsuite.

Learn more about how to schedule YouTube videos.

7. Empathize your audition

It's difficult to make compelling content if you don't know who y'all're making information technology for, so make sure you've got a good sense of your audition persona before you lot dive in.

Who are they? What do they like? (Why won't they call me?!)

Once you lot've got a few videos under your belt, see whether or not you're striking the mark past diving into your YouTube Analytics. Cold hard numbers will tell you if, how and when your work of art is making an impact.

channel analytics overivew

8. Experiment with YouTube advertising

If yous're not getting the reach you want with good ol' fashioned organic content, it might exist fourth dimension to toss a few bucks behind a promo campaign.

YouTube ads are available in these four categories:

  • Skippable in-stream ads
  • Not-skippable in-stream ads (including bumper ads)
  • Video discovery ads (formerly known every bit in-display ads)
  • Non-video ads (i.e., overlays and banners)

For more info on YouTube'southward ad formats and how to use them, check out our detailed guide to YouTube advertising.

9. Ask viewers to subscribe

When someone subscribes to your channel (and hits that bell push), they become an alarm when y'all put a new video out into the world — and so growing your subscriber base is the best mode to boost your organic reach.

At that place's a reason why "Don't forget to subscribe" is the sign-off of choice for YouTubers big and small.

Of course, growing your subscriber count is easier said than done. For that reason, nosotros have a full guide on how to get more YouTube subscribers.

Once you hit one,000 subscribers and four,000 lookout hours inside the yr, you'll be able to register as a YouTube partner and monetize your channel. Acquire more about YouTube'south Partner Program here.

channel monetization YouTube partner program

This is only the tip of the iceberg for creating a successful YouTube channel. If you're interested in learning more than, bank check out our blog post about how to become more views on YouTube, 23 smart ways to promote your YouTube channel, and how to become a YouTube marketing primary.

With Hootsuite, you can hands upload, schedule, and promote your YouTube channel and videos beyond multiple social networks from one dashboard. Attempt it free today.

Get Started

Grow your YouTube channel fast with Hootsuite. Easily moderate comments, schedule video, and publish to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Try it for Gratuitous