A golden rule for any social media- consistency is key. It’s typically in reference to a regular posting schedule. But even within that temporal consistency, a true mark of professionalism is that the reliably posted content is visually consistent. This essay will outline and explain how to achieve visual consistency on YouTube through ready-made, branded graphic assets.
We’re prioritizing efficiency. This essay is oriented for Communications/ Marketing Staff that’s been tasked with developing a YouTube presence. That’s why this essay will begin with the least labor intensive assets, yet comparably yield the most utility. Each section also offers degrees of investment that can be chosen based on your capacity.
Intro Bumper
Your intro bumper is the image that plays towards the beginning of each video. Depending on your resources, there’s some flexibility in what works for you. However, the fundamental necessity of this asset is a full screen, still image. That image can be an actual digital picture, or digitally designed graphic. If a picture is used, it is still highly recommended that it receive some degree of editing. This editing is necessary because the image will have text applied on top of it, and a limited color scheme in a background image allows for better legibility. A solution to incorporating a picture is to either adjust tints and hues to match your branded colors, or frame the image with solid colors and use that area to apply text.
To spend minimal time on this asset, create a full screen image as described above, add text that names your channel and list relevant social accounts to follow. This minimal approach has limited information in service of utility. By not including the name of the video itself, we can use this image on every video moving forward.
The effort can be turned up a notch by leaving some of the area for text empty, and adding the name of the given video when assembling the video. This adjustment means that instead of doing the same still image in every video, we’re now doing a slightly different still image in every video. Other examples include adding a unique still image in each graphic. This method comes with the added bonus of then being able to use individual intros as the video’s Thumbnail.
The next two increments of detailing mirror the first two, but instead of still images, we’ll be working with animated sequences. In practice that means using the same animated sequence at the beginning of each video, or an individualized animated sequence per given video. Really, as this essay is motivated by visual consistency, there shouldn’t be too much variation if the sequences are individualized. Customization should be motivated by necessary information, like video title, episode number, featured guest, etc. And to be clear about “animated”- it could be as simple as text fading in on screen one by one. Embellishments could be considered colors radiating from that text, or sparkles raining from the corners. Make things move.
And finally, this intro bumper can have its mileage maximized by using its basics for an outro bumper. This outro can be any degree of complexity separate from the complexity of the intro. The intro could be animated, and the outro could be a still image version. The outro should include the information that sends your audience where they should go next, like other videos to watch or relevant social media accounts.
Suffice to say- working on an intro bumper yields the biggest bang for your buck when it can be repurposed as a template for your thumbnails and the basis of an outro bumper. However, do not underestimate this effort. These tips cannot be cited as justification for expecting immediate turnaround on three major assets. If you want to get the most out of their mileage, you need to be realistic with its development.
Specs:
Aspect Ratio - 16:9
Dimensions - 1920 x 1080
Header
All your videos link back to your Channel Page. On your channel page, the most prominently displayed image is the Header. Its prominence is why creating one is so high on this list. This graphic should be visually similar to the Intro Bumper. That’s so if somebody has seen one of your videos but not yet visited your Channel Page, they can recognize your aesthetic consistently. This would be a good place to identify your other social media handles because you may have followers from other platforms finally finding you on YouTube, but can recognize the user name.
You can add professionalism by creating a template for your Header, and then update the graphic regularly to include upcoming event information, seasonal decorations, or recent post references.
Specs:
Aspect Ratio - 16:9
Dimensions - 2560 x 1440
Avatar
Perhaps even more visible than the Header, the Avatar/Profile Photo is a necessary asset. It’s essentially your channel’s face. Use the same background color as the intro and header. Use your company logo or a variation specially made for YouTube. If this Channel needs to represent only an aspect of your company as opposed to its entirety, it might be wise to use a specific variation of your logo. It is not recommended that you use an image of your narrator, especially in a professional setting where the on-screen ‘talent’ could potentially part with the business. Make clear the channel is about the channel, not necessarily the person relaying the information. It’s smart to include some form of this Avatar in your Header image.
Specs:
Aspect Ratio - 16:9
Dimensions - 2560 x 1440
Action Buttons
These Buttons are a set of still images that function to motivate specific actions. Traditionally, YouTubers have treated those core actions as Like, Comment, and Subscribe. But two new actions are getting more and more common- Notify and Share. Notify is telling your audience to specifically request that they receive an alert whenever your channel posts a new video. Notify also functions to remind dedicated viewers to check that they are still subscribed (many YouTubers say with certainty that sometimes subscribers are incorrectly unsubscribed) because to select ‘Notify’ they should visit your channel page anyway. Share is an action that should be directed at your most dedicated viewers, and is currently more common on personal YouTube pages. In this context, Sharing is asking your viewers to directly link your video on one of their personal accounts on a platform other than YouTube (tweeting it, instagram direct message, even through a text). It’s a strong reflection of your content for your audience to share your content independently. Moreover, instagram’s algorithm is highly favorable when it recognizes your content pulls people in from other platforms (this is why you yourself should always try to announce a new video and share the link on any other available platforms you operate).
The lowest effort application of Action Buttons would be to include them in the Intro and Outro, totally built in so they don’t have to be considered again. However, it would be more professional to have these set aside as an independent set. When these Action Buttons exist independently, they can be brought in during the middle of the video as a casual reminder of their specific actions. They can come in at the bottom of the screen, and don’t even have to be acknowledged by the narrator. Instead, utilize the sound effect of a clicked mouse, typing sounds, or a text alert ding to discreetly announce their presence. It is ideal to have these Action Buttons as a preexisting animation with a transparent background. That way, the same sounds and effects can be repurposed and brought on at the start, middle, and end of your video with a subtle harmony.
The basic Buttons and their symbols are as follows:
Like - Thumbs Up
Comment - Speech Bubble
Subscribe - Envelope
Notify - Bell
Share - Paper Airplane
Follow - Silhouette & Plus Sign (often interchangeable with Subscribe)
Social - the logo of each respective Social Platform
Chyron
Chyron is a fancy word for that bottom bar that runs blurbs throughout a news program. Like the design principles of the Intro Bumper, adding a region of solid color allows for text to be added as necessary. This comes in handy when identifying an interview subject, naming a location, or citing a content source. They can also function to accentuate Action Buttons by popping up to contain them.
Thumbnails
The idea of a Thumbnail template was mentioned in the section on Intro Bumpers. Thumbnails are crucial, and require this specific mention. If we were to skip the creation of an Intro Bumper, creating a Thumbnail Template should still be considered. Not only can it be used as a ‘cover page’ to all your videos, but the image itself can be used as an announcement on other social media accounts to alert your audiences of new content.
We’ll close on this idea of creating YouTube-based content for platforms other than YouTube. It’s a microcosm of the idea that even if you put all your energy into preempting quality, it needs to be continually supported. As this essay was made for Marketing Teams, all colleagues must recognize it is a team effort. Your quality will have to be maintained. Comment sections need to be monitored. Thumbnails need to keep getting made. Your header will have to be updated. YouTube isn’t a ‘set it and forget it’ platform where views will just rack up so long as you post. If you worked so hard to set yourself up for success, continually nurture that work with a ready adaptability.
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