YouTube banners are one of the most underrated things in gaming. Imagine putting your blood, sweat, and tears into a video that you spent hours upon hours on only to have it be completely blocked by an awful banner. I get it though; making a banner can be hard especially if you’re not an artist. So here are 10 tips on how to use a YouTube banner maker for gaming channels.
#10: Choose an Interesting Image
This part is pretty self-explanatory but it’s the most important step of this whole process. The image you choose can make or break your banner and either attract viewers or scare them away; it depends on what kind of image you pick. If you make a banner with an anime girl on it, chances are people will hit that [X] button faster than Sonic can run.
First thing’s first, get rid of that anime girl or whatever else you might have and choose something interesting to work with. Maybe turn that image into a meme? Use popular characters from your favorite games? Maybe even use your face? Or adjust your Twitter header for YouTube? The possibilities are endless with a YouTube banner image maker so go out there and have fun with it.
#9: Combine Text With the Image
Remember when I said combine text with the image you choose? Now what if I were to tell you that banner could have been so much better if only the creator put just a little more effort into it with the banner maker for YouTube? Well by putting some text over the image, your banners are ten times more likely to get noticed which will boost views.
If you need a wide variety of customization options for your YouTube banner, check out Venngage.
#8: The Appropriate Size
YouTube recommends banners to be 728×90 pixels but I recommend going with a bit bigger banner. Maybe even go with something around 970×250 pixels or 1400×400 pixels because if the picture takes up too much of the banner, it can be hard for people to read your text. But if you’re using a free YouTube banner maker for a meme banner, it’s okay for the picture to take up most of the banner space because no one really cares about what text says.
#7: Make Sure Your Banner is Clear at Different Sizes
Here’s where you can have some fun with a free banner maker for YouTube! For example, if you’re making a 999×120 banner, then you should take that image and resize it for different resolutions. You can have 999×120 or 1920×1080 banners if your picture is clear enough at both sizes. If the banner works well on various resolutions, chances are your banner will be noticed more because it looks good on every platform!
#6: Make Sure It Looks Good at 100% Zoom Level
This is similar to point 7 but it’s on a smaller scale. By “100% zoom level”, I’m referring to that magnifying glass on the bottom right of every YouTube video. It enlarges the video so people can see it better on their big computer screens. If your banner looks terrible at 100%, then chances are people won’t click on it because their curiosity will get the best of them.
#5: Use Colors That Look Good on Every Screen
This is more of a tip than a “step” but if your banner doesn’t look good at different resolutions and with 100% zoom, then your banner will fail. Like I said earlier, your banner needs to look smooth and good on every screen. If the colors are blurred or off, then it might turn people away because then they probably won’t click on it.
Source: Venngage
#4: It Deserves Attention; Don’t Let It Be Ignored!
Remember when I told you banners with anime girls wouldn’t get attention? Well I’m going to tell you why. If your banner is just a bunch of text with no image, then people won’t click on it. They will assume that there’s nothing that interests them and then they’ll just move along. By putting an interesting image that people can work with, your banner gets more views because now the viewers have something to work with.
#3: Keep it Simple and Clean
Just like the point above, if you keep your banner simple and clean then people will be more inclined to view it. Some YouTube banners I see are so messy and unorganized that they just look terrible. They might even put me off from clicking on their channel by seeing such a mess. So keep your banner clean and simple so you won’t scare anyone away.
#2: Make it Catchy!
This is where you can have some fun! By making it catchy, I’m referring to the text on top of the picture. This is actually pretty simple. Just look at all those funny memes that are all over the internet. These people took some random pictures, added text to them, and made it their own with a YouTube banner maker free of charge.
#1: Get Feedback!
This is probably the most important step in making YouTube banners. If you get feedback, then I guarantee your banner will be better than what it is now. Feedback is always important for anything on the internet because if you don’t know what people think about your banner then how are you going to improve? You can ask friends or family or just post it on the YouTube community because chances are people will tell you what to do to make it better!
In Summary
The world of YouTube has become a very competitive and crowded place. With millions of people vying for attention, it is more important than ever to stand out from the crowd. One way that you can do this is with your banner or thumbnail image on your channel page. With these ten tips, you’ll be able to make an eye-catching banner that will grab attention and draw in viewers.