It is no doubt that YouTube is a force to be reckoned with. A recent 2021 video marketing survey even found that 71% of people picked the platform as their favorite for watching videos.
One of the reasons why people prefer watching and posting video content on YouTube is the personalization options the platform provides. One of which, for creators, is the YouTube banner.
If you’re trying to grow your business using YouTube, then keeping your channel updated and presentable is important.
The banner allows you to establish a distinct identity for your business’s YouTube channel and helps your audience connect with you.
In this post, we’ll share some of the best YouTube banner ideas from the most popular channels on the platform. We’ll also share tips on how you can make a banner and what you need to keep in mind before you take the plunge.
Let’s begin.
How to make a YouTube banner
Now you might be wondering how to bring your YouTube banner idea to life. Something that will attract viewers to your channel and give it some uniqueness of its own.
Well, if you feel that creating one from scratch might be a lot of hard work, then you can always try out some free resources to create your YouTube banner.
Here are some great options to try:
Canva: Canva offers a variety of cool channel art templates for your YouTube channel. Choose from millions of free stock videos, photos, images, GIFs, and illustrations.
You can also create your own banner or utilize its stock photography or library for the purpose.
Credits: Canva
Snappa: Use Snappa to create customized templates, graphics, and text to create on-brand channel art. You can also access 5,000,000+ high-resolution, royalty-free stock photos from their library.
Credits: Snappa
Fotor: Fotor’s template library covers nearly all themes and styles, from gaming YouTube banners, black YouTube banners, to other cool YouTube banners with the option to customize.
Credits: Fotor
YouTube banner dimensions
A YouTube banner size will vary according to the device on which the viewer is using it. Thus, there would be different YouTube banner dimensions for a TV, laptop, or mobile phone.
The recommended YouTube banner size is 2560 x 1440 pixels.
The minimum width required for upload is 2048 x 1152 px, and the maximum is 2560 x 423 px.
The safe area for text and logos is 1546 x 423 pixels, and the file size should be 4 MB or smaller.
So, keep in mind the screen on which your YouTube channel will be displayed to create a YouTube banner of an ideal resolution and of great quality.
What makes a great YouTube banner?
Your YouTube banner plays a massive role in attracting subscribers and views to your channels.
Here are some tips to spice it up!
Select a layout that works best for your YouTube banner
You should select a YouTube banner template with a layout that complements your banner’s overall vibe and creates the intended effect on the viewer.
Some basic banner layouts you can choose from are the following:
- Centered title layout
A centered title layout emphasizes your font by putting it in the center of your banner. The symmetrical layout makes the title bold and thus it stands out.
- Asymmetrical layout
An asymmetrical layout gives the banner a funky vibe. You can place the title on any side of the banner and accompany it with an image at some place it fits the best.
- Sectioned layout
Suppose you want to play with multiple images and fonts. In that case, you can try doing so by sectioning your banner into several parts. But make sure that the sections are of equal widths to give the banner a clean look.
Consider the color and use eye-catching hues
While crafting your banner, choose a color that really grabs the viewer’s attention. Depending upon the purpose of your channel and your type of audience, you can choose bright or contrasting colors or go with a bright font on a dark background while experimenting with hues.
Consider text style and font pairing
With color also comes text style and font pairing to consider. You can space out the letters, use all-caps, color-code while thinking about the size and angles. For your font pairings, the primary font for the main headline should be a little different than the secondary text font.
A call to action
Your YouTube banner doesn’t have to include title only, but you can also add some text information about the channel, telling viewers what it is about while also encouraging them to subscribe through a CTA.
The banner should look good in relation to your channel icon
Your banner should be in sync with your brand, theme, or channel icon. You can add your photos in different layouts and add collages. If your channel icon is simple, you can make your banner a little fancy or vice versa.
Use impactful imagery
When the viewers take a first look at your banner, they should get an idea of what your channel is about. One way to do it is through powerful imagery, as photos/illustrations are more simulating and compelling than text.
How to use banner space for updates
Just like CTAs, you can also include any social media updates on your banner.
If you have any announcements to make, your banner is a great place to do so due to regular traffic from your viewers.
Is it the first anniversary of your channel? A giveaway announcement? Put it up on your banner!
YouTube banner template
Your YouTube banner template should be designed in a way that it nicely accommodates the color and text you are going for and ensures that the banner uses the correct dimensions.
Update your banner from time to time
To grow your YouTube family, you need to update your YouTube channel art from time to time.
Your banner should reflect the content you’re creating, and if that’s evolving, then the banner should evolve too.
Add brand tagline or slogan
A tagline refers to your elevator pitch. It needs to be catchy and easy to remember.
Adding your brand tagline or slogan to your YouTube banner can actually help your audience quickly identify with your channel.
Keep mobile in mind (Text/images/design should be mobile friendly)
As mentioned earlier, selecting the size of your banner largely depends on the device where the YouTube channel is being viewed.
Thus, ensure that apart from the banner dimensions, everything constituting it is mobile optimized, and your banner size is in the safe zone.
5 best YouTube banner ideas
If you’re looking for some inspiring ideas for your YouTube banner, take a look at the following examples of these 5 successful YouTube channel art:
Good Mythical Morning
Have a look at Rhett and Link’s eye-catching banner, which uses some impressive photo manipulation. It also lists the program’s schedule for its subscribers.
Tasty
One of the most followed food channels, “Tasty,” includes important announcements on its YouTube banner for its followers about new episodes.
Donal Skehan
Donal Skehan is a food writer and TV presenter. Look at how he has added a link to his new cookbook and mentioned a discount code on the banner, using it effectively to get the word out to the audience.
NPR Music
The official YouTube channel for NPR Music features Tiny Desk Concerts, live shows, documentaries, and more, with this brightly colored banner.
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
This channel explains science using animated videos.
The illustration style is unique to the channel, and the “Quality>Quantity” phrase on the banner sets the viewers’ expectations that Kurzgesagt’s content will be well-researched and top quality.
Read more: 20 Tips on How to Get More Views on YouTube
Nike
Nike, one of the most renowned sports brands just features its famous tagline “JUST DO IT” on the YouTube banner.
It doesn’t need anything else. People can easily recognize what this is referring to.
That’s all
Now, since you have some great YouTube banner ideas, do you want help creating compelling videos to attract new viewers and keep your subscribers engaged?
We’ll help you create a stunning visual story to promote your brand, new product, or service. So, get in touch!