After getting an idea of the content your YouTube channel will provide, as well as after choosing a name, you should then move toward signup. Signing up for a YouTube channel is relatively easy, a process identical to signing up for any social networking website. However, if you plan on optimizing your YouTube channel for the future, there are a couple of points to consider.

What to Include in Sign Up

The signup process for a YouTube channel has changed over the years. Now, Google requires some form of a Google account when creating a YouTube channel. In the past, creating a YouTube account didn’t guarantee a Google account, this is still the case for older YouTube accounts. However, this new requirement is in your favour. Aside from being eligible to use Google services, it is also great to be able to have a dedicated email for your YouTube channel. This is the perfect start for having your personal life and your YouTube life somewhat separate.

An Email for the Future

With the age of text messaging and instant messaging, it may seem like emailing is a dying species. However, it is more important than you think. Email is the service that powers much of the websites that we use. When ever you click sign up, you are asked to provide an email address. As your audience grows, they may want to contact you outside of social networking. For this reason, a public (and separate) email for YouTube, and related social networks, will be the contact information that the public will use to get in touch with you.

Aspects of a Good Channel

The most important aspect of a channel is the design. There are a ton of websites online that offer free YouTube channel designs. If you want something more personal, try a service that personalizes channels for a fee. There are two different types of YouTube channels, beginner and partnered channels. Partnered channels share revenue regularly with YouTube. These channels have a linked bar at the top and customizable boxes in the middle and on the side. A design service will be ideal for creating a functional and attractive partnered channel once you reach that point.

What to Include in a Channel

Because of YouTube’s uniqueness, when compared to Facebook or Twitter, it can sometimes be difficult to remember that the site is still a social network. This means YouTube gives you a section for your profile. This is a section that most visitors don’t pay too much attention to, however you should prepare it with care for those that do. It’s recommended to show “Latest Activity”, the number of subscribers and a website link. Opting to show when you last logged in will allow your subscribers to know when you are keeping up with the channel.

In addition, making sure you have a website linked will be an indirect “call of action” for your visitors to check out other places you are online.  You also have a section that allows you to add a personal message. This is the perfect section to show your email, links to other websites, and more. Aside from this, the rest is up to you. YouTube allows you to move and opt out of certain aspects of your channel, this can help keep your channel less cluttered. Preferably, you should have a section for comments and recommended channels.

As you can see, a good profile can take some time to create, however once you get a idea of how to customize a channel, it’ll feel like a breeze to update. Just remember, visitors already have a short attention span. When you top off with having an unpredictable channel design every week, some users will begin to forget about you. Remember to keep updates to about twice a year, it’ll keep your channel fresh but memorable.