YouTube Banners: Tips, Tools, and Ideas

YouTube Banners: Tips, Tools, and Ideas

YouTube Banners: Tips, Tools, and Ideas

Whether you are just starting on YouTube or have been creating videos for some time, your channel's overall appearance and branding can make a big difference in how your audience perceives you.

As the main visual element of your channel, your YouTube banner is a powerful tool for conveying personality and professionalism to viewers and it can be used to attract new followers who have interest in your content.

At first glance, it's easy to create YouTube banners. But if you want to stand out from the crowd and wow your audience, there are some tips and tricks to consider when thinking about your YouTube channel design.

This guide will help you understand the importance of a well-designed YouTube banner and provide tips and tools to make your banners.

The guide will also give you creative ideas for showcasing your unique brand to earn more YouTube subscribers.

What Makes a Good YouTube Banner?

You want your YouTube banner to grab viewers' attention and make them want to watch more of your content. Here are some essential qualities for designing a good YouTube banner.

Eye-catching Visual. Ensure you include an eye-catching visual in your banner, such as an interesting image or a short animation. This feature will help draw people's attention and inspire curiosity about your channel if they haven't seen it before.

Clear Message. Your YouTube banner should communicate the main message of your channel — what topics do you cover? What type of videos do you create? Remember that viewers will often only have a few seconds to read the text in your banner, so make sure it is concise and easy to understand.

Strong Call to Action. Encourage people to engage with and follow your channel by including a solid call to action in your banner. This can be as simple as "Subscribe to our channel" or "Watch now." You could also include an incentive for viewers, such as offering a discount on products or services when they subscribe.

Sephora is a great example of a company that has a good YouTube banner. Just take a look:


The above-mentioned banner is eye-catching, creating, and unique. Moreover, it has clickable links to other social media profiles in the right bottom corner and it includes a text slogan that describes the company and its views.

Wouldn't it be great if you could create a similar YouTube banner that grabs the attention of your audience? Keep on reading the post to make it happen with ease!

How to Create Stunning YouTube Banners

Now that you understand the basics of an effective YouTube banner, here are five helpful tips to help you create a unique yet professional banner that will draw viewers to your channel.

1. Draw Inspiration from Niche Pros

When you become a YouTuber, you must first decide on the niche or the kind of videos you wish to specialize in. For example, you can venture into travel videos if you love adventure. On the other hand, if cooking is your forte, you can focus on kitchen-related videos.

Check out this example:


Once you have identified your niche, browse the channels of other YouTubers in the same genre and note what attracts viewers to their channel. This step will help give you ideas on how to create outstanding banner design that appeals to your target audience, just like one influencer did it below:


Or draw inspiration from the luxury fashion brand Gucci. Its YouTube banner is simple yet descriptive as it includes company's products:


2. Know YouTube Banner Sizes

The correct size depends on the device you use to watch your videos.

The ideal size is 2560 x 1440 pixels, which works for most devices and looks great on large monitors or TVs. It would help if you also considered designing a banner that fits desktop and mobile devices, as viewers may switch back and forth while browsing YouTube.

Here's the cheat sheet on YouTube banner sizes:

3. Decide on The Right Message

Your YouTube banner should reflect the message you want to send about your channel. Consider what kind of content you are creating — is it informative? Fun? Inspirational? Your banner should convey these qualities to let people know what they can expect from watching your videos.

For instance, suppose you are a lifestyle vlogger who shares tips on fashion, beauty, and fitness. You can use a banner that showcases your style and encourages viewers to follow you for more helpful advice. The banner may include a photo of you and a message that reads, “Stay stylish with me!”.

4. Use Graphic Design Tools

Creating a professional-looking banner can be straightforward. Many free and user-friendly graphic design tools are available online to help you create stunning banners quickly. Canva is a popular option, providing templates and easy-to-use editing features for designing custom graphics.

Let's take a look at the library of YouTube banner templates it offers:

While at this, remember that the ideal banner size should not exceed 4MB to prevent loading issues. This means you may have to compress larger images or use smaller graphics for your banner.

5. Add Social Media Icons

Adding social media icons is an effective way to promote other channels, such as Twitter and Instagram, where you can further engage with viewers and build relationships with potential followers.

This step is critical, especially with many businesses turning to YouTube marketing to reach more prospects. These icons will link people to your other channels and allow them to access your content in one place easily.

Pamela Reif knows this secret, so she makes the most out of the section and includes various social media icons for quick access. What is more, she has a separate landing page where interested visitors or followers can find even more clickable links that might bring value.

After clicking on the list, users get redirected to the landing page where Pamela promotes her digital downloads like her fitness app, recipe e-books, and sports calendar. That's a smart trick that helps to convert interested subscribers into paying customers and therefore monetize her following and make money on YouTube.

Five Cool YouTube Banners for Inspiration

As you plan to create a stunning banner for your channel, here are five creative examples that leading YouTubers have designed.

Jillian Harris

The renowned interior designer and lifestyle YouTuber Jillian Harris use a simple, chic, attractive banner showcasing her brand. It features an image of her name and the date she started her brand.

This type of banner is simple yet eye-catching. You can quickly identify who it is for and the kind of content that she offers.

The Fab Five

The Fab Five, a group of YouTubers focusing on lifestyle topics, used their banner to showcase the faces of each member in an artistic design. They also included their slogan to capture more attention from potential viewers.

This type of banner is ideal for upcoming channels or groups looking to boost brand recognition. It not only looks attractive but helps build credibility by displaying familiar faces.

Matt D'Avella

Matt D'Avella, a leading minimalist filmmaker on YouTube, uses his photo as his banner image with two simple words: "Minimalism & Film." His photo conveys the message of his channel in a straightforward yet powerful way.

This type of banner works for individual content creators who produce videos on various topics. It is simple and draws attention to the profile photo, which helps personalize the channel further.

Lauren Gores Ireland

The travel vlogger Lauren Gores Ireland uses her banner to showcase an image from one of her travels with a message about following her journey around the world. This attractive banner encourages viewers to follow her channel for more amazing stories.

This type of banner will draw potential viewers interested in learning more about exploring different cultures.

NormanFaitDesVideos

The French YouTuber NormanFaitDesVideos used his banner to depict the story behind his channel. It includes an image of himself and a message about creating content for everyone.

This type of banner is ideal for YouTubers who want to build a connection with their followers by showcasing their personalities.

Conclusion

Creating your own YouTube banner can be fun and exciting, especially when you know what elements should be included and how each element works together. With the right design tools and inspiration from leading YouTubers, you can easily create a stunning banner that speaks volumes about your brand and encourages people to subscribe. Keep it simple yet attractive so viewers will have no trouble recognizing your channel at one glance.