So, here are our tips and tricks on styling your Youtube channel for success:

• Choose a channel name; your company name works best. Now, choose your channel icon by going to youtube.com/account and clicking edit. Your channel icon needs to be a square, high-resolution 800×800 pixels image that is recognisable when displayed at smaller resolutions (try not to use text).

• Customise your channel banner. You want to upload a large image (2560×1440 pixels) with the most important visual elements located in the centre (1546×423 pixels area). Make sure the channel art is not just your conventional brand logo but rather reflects the personality of your business.

• Once you’ve styled your channel, you want to let viewers know what your company does. Head to the top right of the channel art section and click “edit links”. Make sure to include your website and social media links, newsletter signup form and any promotional campaigns on offer.

• Now it’s time to upload a channel trailer. A channel trailer is a short video that will play whenever an unsubscribed viewer visits your channel. This is your chance to engage with potential clients, so be creative and don’t forget to ask to subscribe.

• To thoroughly brand your page, add a watermark of your logo by heading to www.youtube.com/branding. Your logo will appear in the lower right corner of your videos as a clickable link leading back to your channel. The image should be a PNG or a Gif under one megabyte, preferably with a transparent background.

• Create custom thumbnails so viewers are more likely to click on your videos. To upload a custom thumbnail, click the “edit” button for the corresponding video in the Video Manager section.

• Finally, when uploading videos, please try and use a 16:9 aspect ratio as it’s the format most used in YouTube players and previews.

I hope this has shed light on how to effectively use Youtube to benefit your business. Youtube is a great platform to build your brand and advertise—but more on that later.

Surge Media is offering a free consultation with one of our Senior Directors to come out and meet with you or your marketing department. We’ll provide you with one-on-one advice on how to craft a video, whether it be motion-graphics, animation or professional footage. If you’re interested, contact us on 07 3137 1171