How To Stand Out And Build A Remarkable Brand On YouTube

Special thanks to video editor and brand designer Paigon Davis of Natasha Lane Design Co. for the following guest contribution.

Want to know how to stand out and build a remarkable brand on YouTube?

It used to be easy to stand out on YouTube. You just had to create high-quality content and that was it. But now that any phone or webcam can film high-quality videos and more people are creating high-quality content, how can you stand out in an oversaturated market? 

Before you can stand out and build a remarkable brand on YouTube, you have to start thinking about your brand. If you don’t know why branding is important, then you should watch …

You need to start with some form of foundation. Your foundation doesn’t have to be totally set in stone because your brand can evolve as you grow your audience.

Branding, it’s all about making your mark

Let’s start with basic branding or your brand identity. Those are your logo, your brand colors, your brand fonts, your voice (the way you talk and write), the images you use, the icons you use, and even the way your website is designed. Once you have all these brand elements, start using them on your YouTube channel.

Start thinking of your YouTube channel as an extension of your business. It’s the ABC (broadcasting station) of your business or the television show for your business. That means it has to be branded to fit your business. All broadcasting stations, television shows, movies, and radio stations have an established brand. 

The first thing you need to update is your channel art. The YouTube channel art is the banner on your YouTube channel. It’s the first thing people see when they click on your channel, so it’s important. Make sure you use your brand colors, fonts, and voice when you’re designing your channel art. 

Related: Design Your Branded YouTube Channel Art

Branding should extend to your videos and thumbnails. If you’re using text graphics in your videos, then make sure you’re using your brand fonts and colors. You want to keep consistent throughout your YouTube channel because you’re trying to build recognition. For example, if you consistently brand your YouTube thumbnails, then your audience should be able to recognize your thumbnail without reading it. Like ‘Oh, that’s Paigon’s thumbnail, she must have uploaded a new video. Let me check it out’. Goals, right!

If you consistently brand your YouTube thumbnails, then your audience should be able to recognize your thumbnail without reading it.

Amp up your brand

Branding is not all about your logos and colors. We’re going to start taking it to the next level. Branding can also be the systems and processes you have in your business and your personal brand. Don’t worry, I’m not going to get super nerdy on you when I talk about your systems and processes. Since we’re talking about YouTube, I’m going to focus on the way you format your videos. 

Follow a script format

You probably don’t think about it, but all television shows and radio shows have a script. Even LIVE shows follow some type of script. A script doesn’t have to be word for word, it can be an outline. BUT, there’s always a beginning, middle, and end. If you consistently follow a script format, then your audience will always know what to expect. 

You might think that it’s boring, but think about your favorite shows. They all follow the same format over and over even though the content is the same.

A good example is ‘Elementary’…

First, there’s the crime, then the opening and commercial. Then the show starts and we start piecing together the clues and try to solve the case with Sherlock and Watson. We finally solve the case (I’m right like 89% of the time) and then we have the closing credits. Even though you know the format of the show, you’ll still keep watching because the actual episode is new every time. If you need a YouTube script template, you can grab one here.

Develop A Distinct Editing Style

Your editing style is also a part of your brand. For example, the videos I create use mostly jump cuts instead of fancy transitions. That’s because I want to have a one on one conversation with my audience so it’ll be weird to have sparkly, glittery transitions randomly throughout my video. BUT those transitions would work for a beauty channel.

Build Your Personal Brand

Let’s talk about personal branding. You might be thinking, ‘I’m a business, I don’t need a personal brand’. Let me tell you, if you’re a small business or entrepreneur who doesn’t have millions of dollars to spend on marketing and advertising, then you should consider personal branding.

Personal branding is great because it lets your audience know the face behind the business. People fall for other people. That’s why we love celebrities, athletes, television personalities, comedians, authors, fictional characters, and YouTube stars. People relate to people more than they relate to corporations. That’s why big corporations like Nike and Disney get celebrities, athletes, comedians, and so on to market their brand.

Personal branding is great because it lets your audience know the face behind the business. People fall for other people.

With that in mind, personal branding is a great way to stand out and build a remarkable brand on YouTube. If you’re a service-based business, personal branding is really easy. You just have to be a better version of yourself. I’m not talking about getting all dolled up for YouTube, you just have to speak and act the way you would with your actual clients.

The point of your YouTube videos is to attract your target audience and get clients. You don’t want to create a whole different persona. If you have one on one calls with your clients, you don’t want them to think, ‘Paigon is so different in real life than her videos. This was not what I was expecting’.  So dress and act the way you would in front of your clients.

I don’t have time for this, just tell me the secret to how you build a remarkable brand on YouTube

If you want to stand out from your competitors and build a remarkable brand on YouTube, then you need to be consistent. That’s right, CONSISTENCY is the secret to building a remarkable brand on YouTube. It’s how you build a recognizable brand. If your audience keeps seeing your brand elements over and over again, then eventually they’ll start recognizing and associating your business with that brand. 

So remember to:

• Use your brand fonts, colors, and voice consistently.
• Consistently use the same script format so your audience knows what to expect.
• Show up on YouTube the same as you would show up in front of your clients.

Who are some of your favorite brands on YouTube channel? Let me know in the comments below.