How to Create a Professional YouTube Channel for Your Business | Step-by-Step Guide

For businesses of any kind, being on YouTube has become a game-changer. The platform is the second most prominent search engine out there after Google and boasts 2.7 billion active users. We’re certainly big fans of the platform here, at Yum Yum Videos! After all, 62% of search results on Google include videos, and 80% of those are hosted on YouTube.

But with hours worth of video being uploaded to this video platform every minute and professional-level productions being shared every day, you need to know how to create a professional YouTube channel that stands out and catches viewers’ attention.

So, I decided to develop this guide to help you build your online presence on this platform. From how to set up a YouTube channel and personalize it according to your brand to what to do afterward to obtain consistent results, I’ll tackle every step you have to go through to get started on YouTube on the right foot 😉.

Let’s go!

1. Create A YouTube Business Account

In order to join YouTube, you will need a Google account. I know you probably already have your own personal account, but in my experience, it’s always better to create a new one specifically for your company. That way, you can keep everything business-related in one place and avoid mixing it with personal mail and even with spam, for example.

So, once you have your business’ Google account set up, go to YouTube’s homepage. On the avatar icon in the top-right corner of the screen, you’ll see the option “Create a channel” in the drop-down bar:

Some benefits of Brand Accounts include:

• A Brand Account establishes a distinct online presence for your business that is separate from your profile. 
• Multiple users can manage a Brand Account using their own Google Accounts, so there’s no need to share login information. 
• You can grant other users access to your channel depending on their roles, like strict access to upload videos without deleting already existing ones, for example.
• Access to unique YouTube analytics that you don’t have access to with a personal account.

So, after creating the first channel related to your Google Account, you’ll have to create a new YouTube account. Click the profile photo and go to “Settings.” There, click “Create a New Channel” once again, and fill it in with your business’ name.

Now, when you check your Google Account, there should be two accounts listed. Now, select the first channel you created, go to “Settings,” “View Advanced Settings.“

Finally, click “Move channel to a brand account,” and click on “Replace.”

Congratulations! Now, you have your YouTube Brand Account—But we’re just getting started 😉. Stay tuned to learn how to set up a YouTube channel that perfectly represents your brand and draws customers in.

How to Check If Your YouTube Channel Is a Brand Account—And Change it, If Not

After all this process, you can verify that you have a Brand Account by clicking “Settings,” and then “Permissions.” There, you should see a message stating “Keep managing permissions in your Brand Account”.

Brand accounts are a new, recent development of Google, so if you previously had a business account, you may not have one. Another way to check whether that’s your case is by visiting Brand Account.

2. Establish Your YouTube Channel Voice and Branding

On YouTube, first impressions are fundamental because users have many, many options to choose from when they’re looking for a video. So, if you want to stand out and attract your target audience, you need to establish elements that help visually define your channel and align with your branding.

In simple words, you need to learn how to start a YouTube channel that will make viewers interested in your content at a glance. To archive that, you have to edit your channel’s creatives. Go to the “Customize Channel” option on your channel’s sidebar, or just click on your icon.

You’ll find that there are two types of profile images: the channel icon and the banner.

• The Channel icon represents your YouTube account avatar. It’s a small 800×800 pixels image, so it should be a simple and easy-to-recognize picture. You can use your business logo or anything with your brand’s colors that’ll make you identifiable.

• Your Channel banner is an image that’ll appear at the top of your channel. The YouTube banner size should be 2,560×1440 pixels. You can use it to grab your viewer’s attention, show a creative side to your brand, or simply convey any message you want. Because it’s bigger than your icon, you’ve more freedom to personalize your banner according to your business’s needs.

• It’s also fundamental to include a trailer. Create a video that introduces first-time viewers to your channel and outlines the type of content they can expect from you. It should be less than a minute long—just a brief sample of the kind of content you’ll be sharing or what your business is about.

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3. Fill In the “About” Section of your YouTube Account

In order to continue personalizing your channel, it’s time to fill in the “About” section. The goal here should be to explain to visitors what your business does within 5000 characters. Some YouTube description ideas are introducing your channel’s mission, writing about what content you’ll be uploading, or just putting up a welcome message.

This is the place to include relevant links to your social media accounts and other channels where you’d like the traffic you’ve gained from YouTube to land. That way, these visitors can become long-term followers of your brand.

You can add up to five links to your social platforms, with customizable hyperlink texts of up to 30 characters. YouTube will add these links to your channel banner, making them more accessible to viewers.

4. Understand Your YouTube Channel Audience

As I’ve mentioned, YouTube is a powerful inbound tool, but there are tons of competitors constantly uploading content that works against yours. To appeal to your viewers, you need to know how to create a YouTube channel that catches the attention of your target audience.

As a business, you’ll probably want to talk a lot about your products and how they can change people’s lives. But YouTube is all about entertainment! So, a word of advice: don’t just create content about your brand. Find what your target audience is interested in, and target that. 

You can share educational or explainer videos,  inform your audience about recent events in the industry, or teach them the ins and outs of a certain event. Or even share amusing behind-the-scenes footage that reveals a new, easily relatable side of your brand. 

The goal is to post videos that tackle your viewers’ pain points and address their unique interests. Besides entertaining your audience, you’ll be showcasing your brand authority on subjects related to your industry, increasing the chances they will want to look into your company.

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5. Set Up Featured Channels and Start Building a Community

It’s easy to forget that YouTube is a social network, and that’s why an important aspect of your video marketing strategy should be to build a community around your channel.

A great way to do so is to change your privacy settings and set your subscriptions and “liked” videos to ‘public’. That way, these videos will appear on your channel, showing your viewers content from other creators that you’re interested in and find relevant. You can also create a YouTube playlist of attractive content you’d recommend to your viewers.

Of course, you shouldn’t guide your customers to your direct competitors. Instead, try to find creators that complement the content you’re publishing without reaching for your same audience. 

For example, we’re a video animation company, right? So, leading our viewers to other marketing companies isn’t something we want. Instead, it’d be better to share awesome videos created by brands like Apple or subscribe to educational channels related to video production. The goal is to show you have an eye open to what’s happening around you.

Also, avoid linking to any material that could be controversial or unrelated to your business, and keep your channel strictly professional. If you want to “like” the most recent Harry Styles video (hey, I’m not judging!), it’s better to use a personal account. Unless your business is in the music industry, of course!

6. Optimize Your YouTube Channel for Search 

We can’t forget about SEO techniques, especially on a guide on how to create a professional YouTube channel for business! Did you know that YouTube has become one of the most used search engines out there? To take advantage of that, you need to make sure to post search-optimized videos.

When you’re uploading a new video, YouTube asks you to fill in a title, description, and tags. These elements are crucial for making your video easily discoverable, so don’t take them lightly. Make sure to include keywords related to the content in each one of them—without stuffing, of course. And don’t forget to say your target keyword in your video!

One of the best tips for video SEO is to add captions and transcripts to your content. Besides making them more accessible, it allows the crawl bot to properly assess the content inside. That way, there are more chances that when users search for something you’ve addressed in the piece, your video will appear.

7. Analyze Your Results

This can’t be a good guide on how to start a YouTube channel for businesses if I don’t give you some insight into how to track and analyze metrics. Once you’ve set up your channel and got the hang of posting content consistently, it’s time to look back and see what’s working—and what isn’t.

And while your first instinct is probably to immediately search “How does YouTube count views”, there are other valuable metrics you should pay attention to. After all, YouTube doesn’t only provide analytics for all of your videos, but also your channel as a whole. It provides data on the people who are watching your content, which pieces are performing better and why, and even how visitors get to your channel.

Some valuable metrics to keep in mind are:

• Audience retention: This metric allows you to learn which moments of your video were especially effective in holding your viewer’s attention. With this data, you can optimize your future content, delivering key pieces of information on those moments to improve engagement.

How to find it: Go to Analytics, Overview, and click on the video you want to see and gain insight from.

• Impressions Click-Through-Rate: This metric tells you how many people saw your video’s thumbnail and decided to watch the video. It’s great to measure the effectiveness of your visual elements and titles, and to figure out what your audience is most interested in!

How to find it: Go to Analytics, Reach, and there you’ll find a tab with the name “Impressions Click-Through-Rate.”

• How viewers found your content: It tells you where your viewers came from, be it YouTube’s search engine, other videos, outside sources, or even playlists, giving you valuable insight into the distribution channels that are most effective in reaching your audience. 

How to find it: Once again, go to Analytics, Reach, and then scroll down to find your traffic sources.

YouTube Channel For Business: What Videos You Can Use

Understanding how to create a professional YouTube channel—but it’s just the beginning! Now, you need to start publishing content, and that’s when things get real.

All the optimizing you do to your channel is just to complement the quality content you’re going to share—after all, viewers are here to watch your videos, not to read your content. Because of that, it’s important to give as much time, if not more, to your video planning. While this idea may seem overwhelming, the prospect of it may become easier if you know some go-to video formats that you can follow.

There are many types of videos available to boost your YouTube metrics, from explainers describing what your product or service is about to compelling testimonials featuring former clients and their experiences. Let’s go over some of them.

1. Explainer Videos for YouTube

Explainer videos are short, engaging pieces that aim to describe what a product, service, or concept is about. As simple as it seems, breaking down how your product works can be challenging, especially if what you’re offering is a service with no tangible product to display. In those cases, an animated explainer is key.

Explainers use visuals, text, and a voiceover to introduce something new or complicated to your audience in a simple and clear manner, while keeping them entertained and engaged. If you don’t believe me how engaging they can be, take a look at this example:

Animation is great for making complex concepts easy to understand because it allows you to represent things that would be impossible to do in real life. Like this Evivo explainer, where the viewers can get inside the baby’s body to see how their product can benefit an infant’s health—something that would be impossible in live action.

It’s impossible to feel tempted to buy or even connect with a brand you don’t understand. Explainer videos demonstrate how your product or service works, showcasing its benefits and displaying how it solves a specific problem that your target audience may have. This makes them a valuable video format to have in your professional YouTube channel.

2. Product Videos for YouTube

Product videos showcase your product or service in action. (Who would’ve guessed that!)

Jokes aside, these videos often feature a detailed demonstration of your product in action, highlighting the features and benefits it has to offer in real-time. That way, viewers can visualize directly how your product works to solve their needs or improve their lives. 

Product videos can be done in a variety of styles, from simple demonstrations to more polished, high-production content. We recommend opting for longer pieces that start by addressing the customer’s pain points directly, like this piece we made for Bulls Bikes. 

By compelling the viewers directly at the beginning, you can emphasize each and every feature your product has to offer, how to use it, and why it works in a way that resonates with them, which can do wonders to improve your conversions.

Moreover, product videos offer existing customers a chance to learn how your product or service works in more detail, leaving a positive impression on your existing customers.

3. Testimonials From Your Customers for YouTube

Testimonial videos feature real customers sharing their positive experiences with your product or service. Because of that, they are very effective content for building credibility among potential customers, as people tend to trust their peer’s opinions much more than what a brand has to say about them.

The reason for this is that testimonial videos offer social proof. According to this psychological phenomenon, people often try to figure out what is acceptable in a situation by copying the behavior of others. In marketing, providing social proof about how others have found value in a product or service can influence viewers’ purchase decisions.

Nowadays, testimonials have found a new shape in user-generated content. As the name indicates, these types of videos are created by your customers expressing their genuine perspective and experience with your brand. According to Adweek, 85% of people consider UGC to be much more influential than traditional advertising, which is why they’re a type of video worth considering.

However, for your videos to seem authentic, sharing real-life experiences is key. Take a look at how we did that in this McKesson video. Each client will have the unique elements they wish to highlight about your experience with you, be it the quick way you work or how swift your process was. 

So, let your customers speak about their stories how they want to, and avoid giving them any pointers. This will allow you to provide authentic and convincing social proof that builds trust among viewers.

4. Educational Animated Videos for YouTube

Many users go to YouTube to learn more about a product or service, which is why, education videos couldn’t be missing from this list. This type of video uses compelling visuals and storytelling to teach your audience about a specific topic or subject.

According to YouTube, the top four content categories users watch are comedy, music, entertainment, and “how to.” This means that sharing educational content can be a great way to attract potential customers, teach them about your product, and build a positive impression of your brand.

Whether it’s a step-by-step tutorial, a breakdown of industry trends, or a “how it works,” educational videos aim to convey valuable information in an engaging and fun way. After all, simply because it’s educational doesn’t mean it has to be boring! Take a look at this example.

Educational video production often goes hand-in-hand with animation, as this tool helps break down a concept in an easy way, while keeping a visual appeal that makes viewers unable to look away. That, combined with a compelling voiceover, will make it impossible for your customers to look away! 

5. Whiteboard Videos For Your Brand for YouTube

Last but not least, we couldn’t leave the good old whiteboard aside.

Whiteboard videos are explainer videos with graphics that look as though they were hand-drawn on a whiteboard. They can be easily tailored to fit a variety of content types, including brand narratives and instructional materials. These videos create an engaging and interactive storytelling experience by bringing still images to life thanks to digital animation techniques or time-lapse photography. 

Whiteboards often include a compelling voiceover or narration along with hand-drawn images. Because of that, an expert whiteboard animation company advice is to script plan adequately for these types of videos.

Properly planning the structure of your video, including a hook, solution, and CTA, accompanied with the image you’re going to feature at each step, will allow you to save development times and create a swift but direct video easy for viewers to consume.

In this Thermo Fisher video, for instance, we’re able to combine visual and audible storytelling to explain something as intricate as a rare type of cancer. The way illustrations come to life, can capture the audience’s attention and leave a memorable impression in their minds, making it a very helpful format for conveying important healt-related messages!

Yum Yum Videos Can Help Your Business: Why Get a Quote Today? 

An important aspect of learning how to create a professional YouTube channel that’s successful lies in creating quality content that your followers consider attractive regularly. After all, YouTube offers a unique opportunity to share longer videos with your audience, but this also means that you must be able to maintain their attention for longer periods.

If video production isn’t your expertise, you should consider hiring a professional video production agency like us. In our explainer video company, we have more than a decade of experience helping brands from all kinds of industries produce the content they need for their YouTube business account. 

No matter your niche or the complexity of your topic, we can create an excellent animation video to effectively convey your message and help you connect with your target audience, thanks to the three pillars we’ve found to guide our work:

• Your needs go first. We’re focused on creating unique and successful videos catered to your brand’s audience that effectively boost your YouTube stats.
• For us, there are no two businesses alike. With extreme attention to detail, we’re committed to creating videos filled with your unique individuality to help you start after you’ve learned how to create a professional YouTube channel that embodies the voice and personality of your brand.
• No one knows your brand better than you do. Your opinions are fundamental for us during the production process, so we have several steps set up to incorporate your feedback regarding the video and the image you want to portray while you start a YouTube channel.

This philosophy has allowed us to work with Fortune 500 companies like Amazon, Google, McKesson, FOX, Roblox, Walmart, and more!

In the last 12 years, we’ve created nearly a thousand videos for small and big companies, learning more about these experiences, and refining our craft. If you are not sure, read what our previous customers have said about working with us:

Finding the right video production agency to boost your new YouTube for business account can be hard, but here at YumYum Videos, we’re committed to walking alongside you every step of the video production process. If you still have any doubts about our work or would like to learn more about what we can do for you, get in touch! We’d love to learn more about your project and how a video can help you take your first steps on YouTube 😊

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Youtube Channels

Although we’ve covered several topics regarding how to create a professional YouTube channel, you may still have some doubts. After all, finding success on YouTube is no easy affair, and as this environment gets more and more competitive every day, it may feel like you and your brand are being left behind.

While I can’t assure you of online success, I can do my best to answer any doubts that you have. So, let’s go over the answers to some frequently asked questions on how to make a YouTube channel.

1. Is a YouTube channel for a business free?

Yes, you can create a YouTube channel for your business for free. The “only thing you need to start a YouTube channel is an existing Google account, which is also free. Nevertheless, you can opt for a paid business Google account, which offers several benefits, like increasing storage space and setting your business in local listings easily, even without a website.

The problem is that if tomorrow, you wish to create a new professional account, you cannot transfer your YouTube channel if they’re not associated Brand Accounts.

2. Should a business have a YouTube channel?

Yes, your business should definitely have a YouTube channel. While learning how to create a professional YouTube channel can feel like a lot of trouble, the increased exposure to potential customers looking to learn more about your industry sector or your product can be an increased opportunity to increase conversions and foster brand loyalty.

3. What equipment do you need to start a YouTube channel?

While professional video production is in no way easy—we dedicate our lives to it, after all—there’s some basic “set up YouTube account” equipment I can recommend to you. You can start with a camera-equipped gadget (like your smartphone), Internet connectivity, and easy-to-use video editing software. 

In the beginning, don’t beat yourself up if you can’t edit visually impactful videos as professional production companies do. Research easy-to-imitate YouTube content ideas, and start slowly!

4. Is it possible to restore a deleted video or YouTube channel?

Sadly, once a channel or video is deleted, it cannot be recovered. The video will no longer be accessible on YouTube, and neither its title nor its URL will be searchable or visible. Because of that, if there’s a video you’d like to remove from your YouTube for business, it’s better to change the privacy settings to make it ‘Unlisted’, which means visitors won’t be able to see it or find it through the search bar.

Wrapping Up

Creating a professional YouTube channel for your business isn’t rocket science—it’s just a ton of work!

I’m just kidding 😜. Even though you need to make an effort to build an effective presence on YouTube, the results are worth it. Besides bringing in a big flow of traffic, video content allows you to reach your audience in an interesting and engaging way—after all, if there weren’t any benefits, you wouldn’t have so many channels to compete with out there!

I hope that this guide helped you understand how to create a YouTube channel that stands out from the rest. Now, the next step is to start posting content and keep a constant eye on your metrics to develop videos that your audience is looking for.

Good luck!