Setting Up Your YouTube Channel

When it comes to social media marketing, YouTube dominates the video hosting platforms with over 2.5 billion unique users and is the second largest search engine next to Google. Some statistics state that in the United States, 62% of internet users access YouTube daily.

YouTube has the advantage of being owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., so when anyone searches the Google search engine, YouTube videos show up prominently in the results. With that kind of potential exposure, integrating YouTube into your social media marketing mix makes sense, particularly if you regularly produce videos.

Set Up Your YouTube Presence

If you have a Google account, you already have access to YouTube with the ability to set up your own YouTube channel. Treat your YouTube channel as you would any social media account by filling in all of your company information to start. YouTube will automatically fill in your Google account name, so if you’re creating a channel for your business, you’ll need to create a new brand account.

Select the channel name and handle as well as a picture that will become the account’s profile image. You can also add a banner at the top of the channel page. A YouTube cover banner is larger than other social network banners (2048 x 1152 pixels) because YouTube is often available on smart TVs so it could be viewed on a larger television screen.

Include a brief description for your YouTube channel and add links to your other social networks. Add videos strategically, starting with an introduction or “trailer” video that gives some background about you and your company, products, or services. You can designate this video as the first thing a new visitor sees to provide them with a brief overview.

At the set-up stage or after you’ve published your channel, you can add a watermark to your videos. This is a small 100x100 pixel graphic that will appear on the bottom right corner of the videos you upload. The watermark is an easy way to brand your videos.

Verify Your YouTube Channel

To verify your channel, you need to enter a phone number. YouTube will then send a verification code by text or a voice call to your phone number. Once you’ve verified your account, you are able to:

  • Upload videos longer than 15 minutes
  • Add custom thumbnails
  • Broadcast YouTube Live streams

Having a verified account can help create a positive first impression when someone visits your channel.

Upload Videos to Your Channel

If you’re like most small business owners, making videos is not a core part of your business or your job. However, by now you know that videos are an important type of content that can potentially get more attention than static images.

If you’ve produced videos for commercials, product demonstrations, event coverage, or other business-related activities, all of those can be uploaded to your YouTube channel to promote what you do.

If you are already producing Reels for Instagram or making TikTok videos, upload them to your YouTube channel. If the video is 60 seconds or less in length, YouTube automatically places them in the YouTube Shorts section of your channel.

The more videos you upload to YouTube on a regular basis, the better chances you have of building a following for your channel.

YouTube Features and Tools

YouTube, like other popular social networks, regularly expands their offerings with new features and tools including:

  • YouTube Shorts – This feature launched in 2022 to showcase short-form videos like other popular platforms such as Instagram Stories. You can either upload short videos to your channel or create YouTube Shorts using the YouTube app.
  • YouTube Creator Studio – This is a built-in video editor that offers basic editing tools to trim and make cuts, as well as add music from their audio library. You can also add subtitles to your videos rather than relying on auto-captioning, which is often inaccurate. For more robust video editing features, use third-party tools such as Premiere Pro or iMovie and then upload the videos to your channel.
  • YouTube Create - If you’re an Android user, YouTube Create is a new video production app that lets you edit both long-form and short-form videos for free on your mobile device. Tools include filters, effects, transitions, and royalty-free music. There is no specific date for the iOS version to become available.

Apply to the YouTube Partner Program

If producing and publishing videos regularly is a key part of your business or marketing efforts and you’ve amassed a large following, you may qualify for the YouTube Partner Program. This program gives creators on the platform enhanced access to YouTube resources and monetization features.

Partners also get access to YouTube’s Creator Support teams. If you are producing videos regularly and are interested in revenue sharing from ads on your videos, you can apply to become a YouTube Partner if you fit their criteria. Your channel must have over 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 “valid public watch hours” in the last 12 months, and 10 million “valid public Short views” in the last 90 days.

Once you set up your channel, you can begin to incorporate additional features to take full advantage of what YouTube can offer your business.