Lesson 2
Learning Intention.
In this lesson we will be learning about branding a YouTube channel. We are learning this because successful participation in communities relies on understanding systems of communication.
We will also be exploring some of your ideas for the YouTube style channel that you will be making.
Success Criteria:
By the end of the lesson you will know more about branding and branding strategies for YouTube. You will be able to identify elements of branding such as Channel Art, profile icons and channel trailers. You will be able to create Channel Art using Photoshop.
Remember – because of our deal with Adobe, you can download Photoshop for 12 months for only $11.00. Contact Mrs Ortlipp to organize this. If you need her email address, message me!
Have a word document open, or a notepad. When you hear good ideas, or if inspiration suddenly strikes you, jot them down for later use!
When you see this image it means that there are questions that you must answer and send to me!
Customize your channel
On YouTube, you have the opportunity to broadcast yourself—your interests, passions, personality, and more. The videos you produce will, of course, cover these things and in doing so, you can create a “brand” for your channel that your audience will recognize.
Your channel brand is the set of unique characteristics that separates your channel from the rest and communicates your key messages and content strategy.
It’s a good idea to make your branding:
* clear and representative so that people who find your channel will instantly understand what your videos are all about.
* as simple as possible. Think of logos or branding of products you like—they’re likely a singular image that sticks in your brain.
* something you’re proud of. Remember—your channel branding will become an extension of you, especially if you star in your channel.
Your branded content should appear in 4 main places. Remember to keep each of these elements consistent with the others so that your channel looks like one cohesive brand.
Vocabulary List
More good words to know!
Add the key terms in yellow below to your vocabularly list from lesson 1.
1. Channel icon is your signature image or logo that represents your channel. It appears in many places—on your channel page, when you comment, and on the bottom right of videos in most playback modes. It’s best to upload a square or round image.
2. Channel art is a larger banner space for you to show what your channel’s about. A lot of creators include their upload schedule here.
3. Channel description in the “About” tab gives viewers an overview of what they can expect from your channel. It could describe the types of content you will produce, include your upload schedule, and note who is starring in your videos. You can also include links to your website, contact info and/or social media accounts.
4. Channel trailer is a quick video that lives on your channel page and displays to unsubscribed viewers. You can use it to give your audience a preview of what to expect on your channel and encourage them to subscribe. Note: your channel trailer may evolve as your channel grows.
Have a look at the screen grab below of Ryan Higa’s YouTube channel.
Using the free Windows snipping tool (or other screen grabbing tool) answer the following questions by pasting them into your word document:
What is the name of Ryan’s channel?
How many subscribers does he have?
Where is the trailer?
Screen grab the channel art.
Screen grab the channel icon.
Based on what you have seen of Ryan’s channel in class, write a channel description for him.
In the example below, I really like the simplicity of this ABOUT information. The branding on this Channel is really effective. We can see links to other social media platforms, engaging channel art and a great profile icon.
BRANDING BASICS
Camille mentioned that Channel Art was a really important part of branding her YouTube presence.
The following tutorial gives you the knowledge that you will need to succesfully create Channel Art for your assessment.
Refer back to this video once you are ready to start branding your channel.
HOW TO MAKE CHANNEL ART
In your word or text document answer the following questions.
Why is Branding important?
What is Channel Art?
How is a channel icon different to a channel trailer?
What is the purpose of a channel trailer?
In the thumbnail below – what branding strategies can you see being used?
Finally – enjoy watching Harry Potter spit some fire!
Dont forget to upload the word document to OneDrive!
Extension Task:
For those who want more!
Complete the YouTube Creator Academy course “Branding”
Do the Exam. Send your results to me!
For this task you will need to sign in to an existing google account or make a new google account.
See the Extension Task instructions from Lesson 1 if you have not yet created an account.
Click in the link or image below to access the course.
https://creatoracademy.youtube.com/page/lesson/brand-identity
