Image by Tymon Oziemblewski from Pixabay

When running a YouTube channel, there are many steps to laying the foundation for success. It takes a lot of planning, research, and commitment to make a thriving channel. Amazing content is just one piece of a bigger picture.

With more than 31 million YouTube channels out there, branding is extremely important. Since there are so many channels competing for viewers' attention, your branding strategy can make you stand out from the crowd.

Avoiding these five branding mistakes on your YouTube channel can help you dramatically enhance your marketing efforts and grow your community.

Not branding every part of your channel

Branding and personalizing the look of your channel helps grab visitor's attention and quickly show them what your channel is about. To attract more viewers and enhance your channel's professionalism, you have to pay close attention to banners, thumbnails, video intros, and end screens.

Implement a clear and compelling channel art that represents your brand well.

You don't have to break the bank to refine your channel's identity. There is plenty of budget-friendly software out there that can help you create the designs you need quickly and easily.

Easy-to-use intro maker for YouTube can turn your logo into a video without expensive software or prior experience. You can also add text in a few clicks, or choose hundreds of intro templates created by some of the world's best animation designers.

For a more branded look, create your end screen using your brand colors or a photo.

Not having custom& consistent thumbnails

Think of thumbnails as the billboards to your channel and your videos. They should catch the viewer's interest, tell a story, and make people click. Custom and consistent thumbnails add personality and provide a cohesive look to your channel.

A video thumbnail with your logo and specific design also helps distinguish your brand among millions of others.

Thumbnail is a vital element for a video you’re going to post on YouTube. Without an engaging and attractive thumbnail, there are very fewer chances that your video will become successful among the massive competition. You don’t have to rely on design software for generating thumbnails of your videos. Thumbnail maker for android users is the perfect solution to create eye-catching thumbnails just in a few minutes. This app offers a wide range of thumbnail templates that people can use without any hassle. It’s a much better option for everyone as it saves your time, efforts, and money.

When selecting a scene that brings out the best in the video, make sure it lets the viewer know what they can expect if they opt to watch it. Think about telling a story in a single snapshot. It can be the end result of a how-to project or an exciting moment in your video.

Adding a short line of text, big and bold (since it will be tiny on many devices), explaining what your video is about can make it stand out and gain more views. Enclosing your text in a solid color shape boosts visibility even more.

Neglecting monitoring your brand online

Finding out what your brand image looks like can help you make improvements and further grow your channel. If you fail to monitor your brand online actively, you will miss what people are saying and thinking about your brand, which matters a lot.

There are free tools out there that can help you track any conversations of your brand online. The Brand Grader gives you a quick overview of how your brand is performing online.

This tool allows you to assess what's working for you and where you need to put more effort. Brand sentiments are especially important.

If people are speaking about your brand negatively, you have to invest in improving your reputation.

Not providing a channel trailer for new viewers

A channel trailer is an opportunity to give a preview of your channel offerings to all unsubscribed visitors to your channel. It can help you get your brand noticed, and when created properly, the trailer can hook your viewers and turn them into subscribers.

Keep it short and to the point, while engagingly explaining your cause. A compelling YouTube trailer includes a warm welcome, and if you are making an appearance, you need to look approachable and likable.

Make sure to introduce yourself and the channel, inform your viewers on the type of content you create, and how often you post it. The trick is to make the first few seconds spellbinding so your viewers stick around for the rest of the video.

A captivating trailer reveals just the right amount of juicy information to get viewers interested, but still leaves them hungry for more!

If you have a tagline, include it in the trailer as it helps with brand awareness.

Inconsistent brand communication

A successful brand is instantly recognizable and distinguishable in peoples' minds. To achieve this, your entire team (if you have one) must have clear brand guidelines making your style and tone of voice consistent.

When done properly, your viewers will be able to immediately recognize your brand by the colors, font, and tone of voice.

When it comes to visual communication, your logo, color scheme, images, and typography needs to be consistent across your channel to create instant recognition. Make sure to stay consistent in terms of how often the videos are uploaded and their style.

If you manage to maintain a unified voice in all areas of communication, your channel will resonate with your audience more, building loyalty in the long run.