Precise Time-Stamping on YouTube: A Practical Approach

How to Add Timestamps on YouTube Video Link?

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is a well-known fact that internet users have a short interest span, about just eight seconds. This attention span applies to all internet platforms including YouTube. YouTube is the second largest and most visited search engine after Google. It provides users with information through engaging and eye-catchy videos. However, certain videos are longer where only a particular section of the video holds the important information. Viewers tend to skip the long videos and if you do not want this to happen to you, you can link to that specific part on your video adding value for your channel viewers with a link known as the YouTube Timestamp link.

When you have a Timestamp link on your video, you can help your viewers directly reach the specific time in the video. This helps avoid the viewers from losing interest or to search for the key part in your video themselves.

Here in this article, we will explain Timestamp links, how to add Timestamp to YouTube video links, and what are the benefits of Timestamp.

• Part 1: YouTube Timestamp Links Introduction
• Part 2: Adding a Timestamp to YouTube Video Link on Desktop
• Part 3: How to Share Specific Parts of YouTube Video
• part 4: Getting YouTube Timestamp Link on Mobile
• Part 5: FAQ About YouTube Timestamps

Part 1: What is YouTube Timestamp Links

In this fast-paced world where viewers have limited time at hand, YouTube Timestamp links are extremely helpful. These links are anchor text or video hyperlinks found either in the description beneath the video or at the video link end.

The Timestamps links allow you to put a link to a key moment in your YouTube video allowing the viewers and subscribers to view the video at the precise time specified. Your YouTube video maybe half an hour long or maybe your users do not have the time now or forget to later watch your video, but when you add Timestamp to the YouTube link, you provide them ways to get to the content quickly enhancing the user experience.

In addition to this, you can even provide a reference in minutes and hours where necessary. The YouTube Timestamp link acts as a guide that directs viewers to the part of the video, which is most relevant to them without having to watch the entire video.

Part 2: How to Add a Timestamp to YouTube Video Link on Desktop?

In the following section, I will show you how to add timestamp to YouTube video link in several ways.

Use YouTube’s Share Feature

Using YouTube’s share feature is the simplest way to add Timestamp to YouTube videos. Here are easy steps to follow to do this.

1. Open the YouTube video on your desktop that you want to share.
2. Play the video or navigate the timeline and stop at the key moment you wish to apply the timestamp to.
3. Now click on the Share button, a pop-up will appear. Under the URL, you will see a small box indicating Start at. The Timestamp is generated automatically, but you can adjust it.

1. Copy the updated URL with Timestamp to share the video or click on the social sharing icons to do so.
2. When your viewers click on this URL, the video will begin at the specified Timestamp.

Use the Browser URL to add Timestamp manually

You can add Timestamp manually as well. Follow the step-by-step guide below to add a Timestamp manually.

1. Open your YouTube video in a browser on your desktop and then find the URL in the browser’s address bar.
2. Enter the specific time you want the viewers to watch the video from at the end of the video URL.

You can add time manually in two ways depending on the URL.

?t=As or

&t=As

“youtu.be/” Format

If your YouTube video link is a youtu.be format, then just add ?t=As at the end of the video link. The A denotes the seconds at which you want the viewer to watch your video. The time can also be specified in minutes and seconds and when you want to do that just add ?t=AmBs. For instance, ?t=2m40s.

“youtube.com/” Format

When your YouTube video link has a youtube.com format, the adjustment starts with an ampersand. &t=As or &t=AmBs is what you can use. If you are looking to add the Timestamp at 2m40s, just add “&t=2m40s at the end of the video URL.

Whenever anybody uses the URL with Timestamp, the video will start from the specified time.

However, when adding a Timestamp manually, always leave include whole numbers. For example, if the time starts at 4m, use 4 and not 04.

Copy video URL at current time

You can use YouTube’s built-in feature to share the key parts of your YouTube video. Follow the steps here.

1. Visit YouTube and open the video you want to add Timestamp link to.
2. Play the video or navigate the timeline to reach the specific part you like to use in Timestamp.
3. Now either press Ctrl + click or right-click anywhere on the video. A pop-up opens where you can see various texts, click on the Copy video URL at current time and share the link.

1. Anyone who clicks on this link will be instantly transported to the exact segment of your YouTube video.

Part 3: How to Share Specific Parts of Videos with Vibby and Get YouTube Link with Timestamp

The above-mentioned methods to add and send YouTube link with timestamp are quick and easy, but they have a few limitations. If you need more control and share highlighted parts of YouTube video without cutting the video, you need to use a third-party tool known as Vibby.

Vibby allows you to not only share specific parts of videos from YouTube but other platforms as well like Vimeo and Twitch. With the tool, you can clip multiple sections of the video and share them with others.

1. To get started, signup either with mail, Google, Twitter, Facebook, or Twitch account.
2. Once signed in, go to Create vib at the top left corner and then paste the URL of the YouTube video you would like to share and then click on the Start button.

1. Your video will load in the Vibby editor, now click on Highlight the parts to share.
2. Here you will see the Start highlight button, jump 5-sec option, option to switch between HD and SD video quality, and volume control button. Navigate to the part you want to share and click on Start highlight.

1. When you reach the end of the part, click on Finish highlight. Repeat the process to highlight multiple parts of the video. All the highlighted parts will appear in a list on the right side of the screen.
2. Add a description to each part and format it, you have the option to preview before hitting the Save vib button.
3. Name the vib and assign a category and then publish it to Vibby or make it a private vib.
4. You get a dedicated link to your vib with the ability to embed it on your website or blog.

In this way, you can share the highlights of the YouTube video or Vimeo video easily.

Part 4: How to Get YouTube Timestamp Link on iPhone and Android?

Linking to specific YouTube Timestamp Link is straightforward on both iPhone and Android.

1. Go to YouTube and select the video you want to share.
2. Move through the progress bar of the video to reach the key part and click on the Share button.
3. A pop-up menu appears, highlight the URL and click on the Copy button.
4. Paste the URL and manually add the Timestamp using the steps mentioned in add a Timestamp manually.

Part 5: Is Timestamp Beneficial for your Video?

Timestamping your YouTube videos may decrease the watch time, but it enhances the user experience, and they want to see more of your videos. Apart from this, adding Timestamps to your videos make your videos discoverable through Google search. YouTube and Google will reward you for the videos in form of a high search engine ranking.

Bonus: How to Add YouTube Timestamp Link in YouTube Video Description

Adding a YouTube Timestamp link in your video description is easy. Here are the steps to do so.

1. Go to your YouTube channel and select the video you want to add Timestamp to and then navigate to the description below it.
2. Edit the description by clicking on the Edit Video button.
3. You are redirected to the Video Details page. Here write 0:00 at the first part of the timecode, and then continue with the time of the key part of the video you want to add the Timestamp to in 2:40 format. You can add more Timestamp as well and then click on the Save button.

1. Reload the video page and you will see auto-generated Timestamp Links at the specific time you provided in the description.

Note: You need to add at least three timestamps which are 10 seconds or longer in order to add timestamps successfully.

Conclusion

As much as possible YouTubers want to make videos short and to the point. However, if a video needs to be longer, you can still help users navigate through to find what is important to them by adding Timestamp to YouTube link or Timestamp the YouTube descriptions. This can help your viewers jump straight to the interesting part in the video, rather than viewing the entire video saving their time and boost user experience.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is a well-known fact that internet users have a short interest span, about just eight seconds. This attention span applies to all internet platforms including YouTube. YouTube is the second largest and most visited search engine after Google. It provides users with information through engaging and eye-catchy videos. However, certain videos are longer where only a particular section of the video holds the important information. Viewers tend to skip the long videos and if you do not want this to happen to you, you can link to that specific part on your video adding value for your channel viewers with a link known as the YouTube Timestamp link.

When you have a Timestamp link on your video, you can help your viewers directly reach the specific time in the video. This helps avoid the viewers from losing interest or to search for the key part in your video themselves.

Here in this article, we will explain Timestamp links, how to add Timestamp to YouTube video links, and what are the benefits of Timestamp.

• Part 1: YouTube Timestamp Links Introduction
• Part 2: Adding a Timestamp to YouTube Video Link on Desktop
• Part 3: How to Share Specific Parts of YouTube Video
• part 4: Getting YouTube Timestamp Link on Mobile
• Part 5: FAQ About YouTube Timestamps

Part 1: What is YouTube Timestamp Links

In this fast-paced world where viewers have limited time at hand, YouTube Timestamp links are extremely helpful. These links are anchor text or video hyperlinks found either in the description beneath the video or at the video link end.

The Timestamps links allow you to put a link to a key moment in your YouTube video allowing the viewers and subscribers to view the video at the precise time specified. Your YouTube video maybe half an hour long or maybe your users do not have the time now or forget to later watch your video, but when you add Timestamp to the YouTube link, you provide them ways to get to the content quickly enhancing the user experience.

In addition to this, you can even provide a reference in minutes and hours where necessary. The YouTube Timestamp link acts as a guide that directs viewers to the part of the video, which is most relevant to them without having to watch the entire video.

Part 2: How to Add a Timestamp to YouTube Video Link on Desktop?

In the following section, I will show you how to add timestamp to YouTube video link in several ways.

Use YouTube’s Share Feature

Using YouTube’s share feature is the simplest way to add Timestamp to YouTube videos. Here are easy steps to follow to do this.

1. Open the YouTube video on your desktop that you want to share.
2. Play the video or navigate the timeline and stop at the key moment you wish to apply the timestamp to.
3. Now click on the Share button, a pop-up will appear. Under the URL, you will see a small box indicating Start at. The Timestamp is generated automatically, but you can adjust it.

1. Copy the updated URL with Timestamp to share the video or click on the social sharing icons to do so.
2. When your viewers click on this URL, the video will begin at the specified Timestamp.

Use the Browser URL to add Timestamp manually

You can add Timestamp manually as well. Follow the step-by-step guide below to add a Timestamp manually.

1. Open your YouTube video in a browser on your desktop and then find the URL in the browser’s address bar.
2. Enter the specific time you want the viewers to watch the video from at the end of the video URL.

You can add time manually in two ways depending on the URL.

?t=As or

&t=As

“youtu.be/” Format

If your YouTube video link is a youtu.be format, then just add ?t=As at the end of the video link. The A denotes the seconds at which you want the viewer to watch your video. The time can also be specified in minutes and seconds and when you want to do that just add ?t=AmBs. For instance, ?t=2m40s.

“youtube.com/” Format

When your YouTube video link has a youtube.com format, the adjustment starts with an ampersand. &t=As or &t=AmBs is what you can use. If you are looking to add the Timestamp at 2m40s, just add “&t=2m40s at the end of the video URL.

Whenever anybody uses the URL with Timestamp, the video will start from the specified time.

However, when adding a Timestamp manually, always leave include whole numbers. For example, if the time starts at 4m, use 4 and not 04.

Copy video URL at current time

You can use YouTube’s built-in feature to share the key parts of your YouTube video. Follow the steps here.

1. Visit YouTube and open the video you want to add Timestamp link to.
2. Play the video or navigate the timeline to reach the specific part you like to use in Timestamp.
3. Now either press Ctrl + click or right-click anywhere on the video. A pop-up opens where you can see various texts, click on the Copy video URL at current time and share the link.

1. Anyone who clicks on this link will be instantly transported to the exact segment of your YouTube video.

Part 3: How to Share Specific Parts of Videos with Vibby and Get YouTube Link with Timestamp

The above-mentioned methods to add and send YouTube link with timestamp are quick and easy, but they have a few limitations. If you need more control and share highlighted parts of YouTube video without cutting the video, you need to use a third-party tool known as Vibby.

Vibby allows you to not only share specific parts of videos from YouTube but other platforms as well like Vimeo and Twitch. With the tool, you can clip multiple sections of the video and share them with others.

1. To get started, signup either with mail, Google, Twitter, Facebook, or Twitch account.
2. Once signed in, go to Create vib at the top left corner and then paste the URL of the YouTube video you would like to share and then click on the Start button.

1. Your video will load in the Vibby editor, now click on Highlight the parts to share.
2. Here you will see the Start highlight button, jump 5-sec option, option to switch between HD and SD video quality, and volume control button. Navigate to the part you want to share and click on Start highlight.

1. When you reach the end of the part, click on Finish highlight. Repeat the process to highlight multiple parts of the video. All the highlighted parts will appear in a list on the right side of the screen.
2. Add a description to each part and format it, you have the option to preview before hitting the Save vib button.
3. Name the vib and assign a category and then publish it to Vibby or make it a private vib.
4. You get a dedicated link to your vib with the ability to embed it on your website or blog.

In this way, you can share the highlights of the YouTube video or Vimeo video easily.

Part 4: How to Get YouTube Timestamp Link on iPhone and Android?

Linking to specific YouTube Timestamp Link is straightforward on both iPhone and Android.

1. Go to YouTube and select the video you want to share.
2. Move through the progress bar of the video to reach the key part and click on the Share button.
3. A pop-up menu appears, highlight the URL and click on the Copy button.
4. Paste the URL and manually add the Timestamp using the steps mentioned in add a Timestamp manually.

Part 5: Is Timestamp Beneficial for your Video?

Timestamping your YouTube videos may decrease the watch time, but it enhances the user experience, and they want to see more of your videos. Apart from this, adding Timestamps to your videos make your videos discoverable through Google search. YouTube and Google will reward you for the videos in form of a high search engine ranking.

Bonus: How to Add YouTube Timestamp Link in YouTube Video Description

Adding a YouTube Timestamp link in your video description is easy. Here are the steps to do so.

1. Go to your YouTube channel and select the video you want to add Timestamp to and then navigate to the description below it.
2. Edit the description by clicking on the Edit Video button.
3. You are redirected to the Video Details page. Here write 0:00 at the first part of the timecode, and then continue with the time of the key part of the video you want to add the Timestamp to in 2:40 format. You can add more Timestamp as well and then click on the Save button.

1. Reload the video page and you will see auto-generated Timestamp Links at the specific time you provided in the description.

Note: You need to add at least three timestamps which are 10 seconds or longer in order to add timestamps successfully.

Conclusion

As much as possible YouTubers want to make videos short and to the point. However, if a video needs to be longer, you can still help users navigate through to find what is important to them by adding Timestamp to YouTube link or Timestamp the YouTube descriptions. This can help your viewers jump straight to the interesting part in the video, rather than viewing the entire video saving their time and boost user experience.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is a well-known fact that internet users have a short interest span, about just eight seconds. This attention span applies to all internet platforms including YouTube. YouTube is the second largest and most visited search engine after Google. It provides users with information through engaging and eye-catchy videos. However, certain videos are longer where only a particular section of the video holds the important information. Viewers tend to skip the long videos and if you do not want this to happen to you, you can link to that specific part on your video adding value for your channel viewers with a link known as the YouTube Timestamp link.

When you have a Timestamp link on your video, you can help your viewers directly reach the specific time in the video. This helps avoid the viewers from losing interest or to search for the key part in your video themselves.

Here in this article, we will explain Timestamp links, how to add Timestamp to YouTube video links, and what are the benefits of Timestamp.

• Part 1: YouTube Timestamp Links Introduction
• Part 2: Adding a Timestamp to YouTube Video Link on Desktop
• Part 3: How to Share Specific Parts of YouTube Video
• part 4: Getting YouTube Timestamp Link on Mobile
• Part 5: FAQ About YouTube Timestamps

Part 1: What is YouTube Timestamp Links

In this fast-paced world where viewers have limited time at hand, YouTube Timestamp links are extremely helpful. These links are anchor text or video hyperlinks found either in the description beneath the video or at the video link end.

The Timestamps links allow you to put a link to a key moment in your YouTube video allowing the viewers and subscribers to view the video at the precise time specified. Your YouTube video maybe half an hour long or maybe your users do not have the time now or forget to later watch your video, but when you add Timestamp to the YouTube link, you provide them ways to get to the content quickly enhancing the user experience.

In addition to this, you can even provide a reference in minutes and hours where necessary. The YouTube Timestamp link acts as a guide that directs viewers to the part of the video, which is most relevant to them without having to watch the entire video.

Part 2: How to Add a Timestamp to YouTube Video Link on Desktop?

In the following section, I will show you how to add timestamp to YouTube video link in several ways.

Use YouTube’s Share Feature

Using YouTube’s share feature is the simplest way to add Timestamp to YouTube videos. Here are easy steps to follow to do this.

1. Open the YouTube video on your desktop that you want to share.
2. Play the video or navigate the timeline and stop at the key moment you wish to apply the timestamp to.
3. Now click on the Share button, a pop-up will appear. Under the URL, you will see a small box indicating Start at. The Timestamp is generated automatically, but you can adjust it.

1. Copy the updated URL with Timestamp to share the video or click on the social sharing icons to do so.
2. When your viewers click on this URL, the video will begin at the specified Timestamp.

Use the Browser URL to add Timestamp manually

You can add Timestamp manually as well. Follow the step-by-step guide below to add a Timestamp manually.

1. Open your YouTube video in a browser on your desktop and then find the URL in the browser’s address bar.
2. Enter the specific time you want the viewers to watch the video from at the end of the video URL.

You can add time manually in two ways depending on the URL.

?t=As or

&t=As

“youtu.be/” Format

If your YouTube video link is a youtu.be format, then just add ?t=As at the end of the video link. The A denotes the seconds at which you want the viewer to watch your video. The time can also be specified in minutes and seconds and when you want to do that just add ?t=AmBs. For instance, ?t=2m40s.

“youtube.com/” Format

When your YouTube video link has a youtube.com format, the adjustment starts with an ampersand. &t=As or &t=AmBs is what you can use. If you are looking to add the Timestamp at 2m40s, just add “&t=2m40s at the end of the video URL.

Whenever anybody uses the URL with Timestamp, the video will start from the specified time.

However, when adding a Timestamp manually, always leave include whole numbers. For example, if the time starts at 4m, use 4 and not 04.

Copy video URL at current time

You can use YouTube’s built-in feature to share the key parts of your YouTube video. Follow the steps here.

1. Visit YouTube and open the video you want to add Timestamp link to.
2. Play the video or navigate the timeline to reach the specific part you like to use in Timestamp.
3. Now either press Ctrl + click or right-click anywhere on the video. A pop-up opens where you can see various texts, click on the Copy video URL at current time and share the link.

1. Anyone who clicks on this link will be instantly transported to the exact segment of your YouTube video.

Part 3: How to Share Specific Parts of Videos with Vibby and Get YouTube Link with Timestamp

The above-mentioned methods to add and send YouTube link with timestamp are quick and easy, but they have a few limitations. If you need more control and share highlighted parts of YouTube video without cutting the video, you need to use a third-party tool known as Vibby.

Vibby allows you to not only share specific parts of videos from YouTube but other platforms as well like Vimeo and Twitch. With the tool, you can clip multiple sections of the video and share them with others.

1. To get started, signup either with mail, Google, Twitter, Facebook, or Twitch account.
2. Once signed in, go to Create vib at the top left corner and then paste the URL of the YouTube video you would like to share and then click on the Start button.

1. Your video will load in the Vibby editor, now click on Highlight the parts to share.
2. Here you will see the Start highlight button, jump 5-sec option, option to switch between HD and SD video quality, and volume control button. Navigate to the part you want to share and click on Start highlight.

1. When you reach the end of the part, click on Finish highlight. Repeat the process to highlight multiple parts of the video. All the highlighted parts will appear in a list on the right side of the screen.
2. Add a description to each part and format it, you have the option to preview before hitting the Save vib button.
3. Name the vib and assign a category and then publish it to Vibby or make it a private vib.
4. You get a dedicated link to your vib with the ability to embed it on your website or blog.

In this way, you can share the highlights of the YouTube video or Vimeo video easily.

Part 4: How to Get YouTube Timestamp Link on iPhone and Android?

Linking to specific YouTube Timestamp Link is straightforward on both iPhone and Android.

1. Go to YouTube and select the video you want to share.
2. Move through the progress bar of the video to reach the key part and click on the Share button.
3. A pop-up menu appears, highlight the URL and click on the Copy button.
4. Paste the URL and manually add the Timestamp using the steps mentioned in add a Timestamp manually.

Part 5: Is Timestamp Beneficial for your Video?

Timestamping your YouTube videos may decrease the watch time, but it enhances the user experience, and they want to see more of your videos. Apart from this, adding Timestamps to your videos make your videos discoverable through Google search. YouTube and Google will reward you for the videos in form of a high search engine ranking.

Bonus: How to Add YouTube Timestamp Link in YouTube Video Description

Adding a YouTube Timestamp link in your video description is easy. Here are the steps to do so.

1. Go to your YouTube channel and select the video you want to add Timestamp to and then navigate to the description below it.
2. Edit the description by clicking on the Edit Video button.
3. You are redirected to the Video Details page. Here write 0:00 at the first part of the timecode, and then continue with the time of the key part of the video you want to add the Timestamp to in 2:40 format. You can add more Timestamp as well and then click on the Save button.

1. Reload the video page and you will see auto-generated Timestamp Links at the specific time you provided in the description.

Note: You need to add at least three timestamps which are 10 seconds or longer in order to add timestamps successfully.

Conclusion

As much as possible YouTubers want to make videos short and to the point. However, if a video needs to be longer, you can still help users navigate through to find what is important to them by adding Timestamp to YouTube link or Timestamp the YouTube descriptions. This can help your viewers jump straight to the interesting part in the video, rather than viewing the entire video saving their time and boost user experience.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

It is a well-known fact that internet users have a short interest span, about just eight seconds. This attention span applies to all internet platforms including YouTube. YouTube is the second largest and most visited search engine after Google. It provides users with information through engaging and eye-catchy videos. However, certain videos are longer where only a particular section of the video holds the important information. Viewers tend to skip the long videos and if you do not want this to happen to you, you can link to that specific part on your video adding value for your channel viewers with a link known as the YouTube Timestamp link.

When you have a Timestamp link on your video, you can help your viewers directly reach the specific time in the video. This helps avoid the viewers from losing interest or to search for the key part in your video themselves.

Here in this article, we will explain Timestamp links, how to add Timestamp to YouTube video links, and what are the benefits of Timestamp.

• Part 1: YouTube Timestamp Links Introduction
• Part 2: Adding a Timestamp to YouTube Video Link on Desktop
• Part 3: How to Share Specific Parts of YouTube Video
• part 4: Getting YouTube Timestamp Link on Mobile
• Part 5: FAQ About YouTube Timestamps

Part 1: What is YouTube Timestamp Links

In this fast-paced world where viewers have limited time at hand, YouTube Timestamp links are extremely helpful. These links are anchor text or video hyperlinks found either in the description beneath the video or at the video link end.

The Timestamps links allow you to put a link to a key moment in your YouTube video allowing the viewers and subscribers to view the video at the precise time specified. Your YouTube video maybe half an hour long or maybe your users do not have the time now or forget to later watch your video, but when you add Timestamp to the YouTube link, you provide them ways to get to the content quickly enhancing the user experience.

In addition to this, you can even provide a reference in minutes and hours where necessary. The YouTube Timestamp link acts as a guide that directs viewers to the part of the video, which is most relevant to them without having to watch the entire video.

Part 2: How to Add a Timestamp to YouTube Video Link on Desktop?

In the following section, I will show you how to add timestamp to YouTube video link in several ways.

Use YouTube’s Share Feature

Using YouTube’s share feature is the simplest way to add Timestamp to YouTube videos. Here are easy steps to follow to do this.

1. Open the YouTube video on your desktop that you want to share.
2. Play the video or navigate the timeline and stop at the key moment you wish to apply the timestamp to.
3. Now click on the Share button, a pop-up will appear. Under the URL, you will see a small box indicating Start at. The Timestamp is generated automatically, but you can adjust it.

1. Copy the updated URL with Timestamp to share the video or click on the social sharing icons to do so.
2. When your viewers click on this URL, the video will begin at the specified Timestamp.

Use the Browser URL to add Timestamp manually

You can add Timestamp manually as well. Follow the step-by-step guide below to add a Timestamp manually.

1. Open your YouTube video in a browser on your desktop and then find the URL in the browser’s address bar.
2. Enter the specific time you want the viewers to watch the video from at the end of the video URL.

You can add time manually in two ways depending on the URL.

?t=As or

&t=As

“youtu.be/” Format

If your YouTube video link is a youtu.be format, then just add ?t=As at the end of the video link. The A denotes the seconds at which you want the viewer to watch your video. The time can also be specified in minutes and seconds and when you want to do that just add ?t=AmBs. For instance, ?t=2m40s.

“youtube.com/” Format

When your YouTube video link has a youtube.com format, the adjustment starts with an ampersand. &t=As or &t=AmBs is what you can use. If you are looking to add the Timestamp at 2m40s, just add “&t=2m40s at the end of the video URL.

Whenever anybody uses the URL with Timestamp, the video will start from the specified time.

However, when adding a Timestamp manually, always leave include whole numbers. For example, if the time starts at 4m, use 4 and not 04.

Copy video URL at current time

You can use YouTube’s built-in feature to share the key parts of your YouTube video. Follow the steps here.

1. Visit YouTube and open the video you want to add Timestamp link to.
2. Play the video or navigate the timeline to reach the specific part you like to use in Timestamp.
3. Now either press Ctrl + click or right-click anywhere on the video. A pop-up opens where you can see various texts, click on the Copy video URL at current time and share the link.

1. Anyone who clicks on this link will be instantly transported to the exact segment of your YouTube video.

Part 3: How to Share Specific Parts of Videos with Vibby and Get YouTube Link with Timestamp

The above-mentioned methods to add and send YouTube link with timestamp are quick and easy, but they have a few limitations. If you need more control and share highlighted parts of YouTube video without cutting the video, you need to use a third-party tool known as Vibby.

Vibby allows you to not only share specific parts of videos from YouTube but other platforms as well like Vimeo and Twitch. With the tool, you can clip multiple sections of the video and share them with others.

1. To get started, signup either with mail, Google, Twitter, Facebook, or Twitch account.
2. Once signed in, go to Create vib at the top left corner and then paste the URL of the YouTube video you would like to share and then click on the Start button.

1. Your video will load in the Vibby editor, now click on Highlight the parts to share.
2. Here you will see the Start highlight button, jump 5-sec option, option to switch between HD and SD video quality, and volume control button. Navigate to the part you want to share and click on Start highlight.

1. When you reach the end of the part, click on Finish highlight. Repeat the process to highlight multiple parts of the video. All the highlighted parts will appear in a list on the right side of the screen.
2. Add a description to each part and format it, you have the option to preview before hitting the Save vib button.
3. Name the vib and assign a category and then publish it to Vibby or make it a private vib.
4. You get a dedicated link to your vib with the ability to embed it on your website or blog.

In this way, you can share the highlights of the YouTube video or Vimeo video easily.

Part 4: How to Get YouTube Timestamp Link on iPhone and Android?

Linking to specific YouTube Timestamp Link is straightforward on both iPhone and Android.

1. Go to YouTube and select the video you want to share.
2. Move through the progress bar of the video to reach the key part and click on the Share button.
3. A pop-up menu appears, highlight the URL and click on the Copy button.
4. Paste the URL and manually add the Timestamp using the steps mentioned in add a Timestamp manually.

Part 5: Is Timestamp Beneficial for your Video?

Timestamping your YouTube videos may decrease the watch time, but it enhances the user experience, and they want to see more of your videos. Apart from this, adding Timestamps to your videos make your videos discoverable through Google search. YouTube and Google will reward you for the videos in form of a high search engine ranking.

Bonus: How to Add YouTube Timestamp Link in YouTube Video Description

Adding a YouTube Timestamp link in your video description is easy. Here are the steps to do so.

1. Go to your YouTube channel and select the video you want to add Timestamp to and then navigate to the description below it.
2. Edit the description by clicking on the Edit Video button.
3. You are redirected to the Video Details page. Here write 0:00 at the first part of the timecode, and then continue with the time of the key part of the video you want to add the Timestamp to in 2:40 format. You can add more Timestamp as well and then click on the Save button.

1. Reload the video page and you will see auto-generated Timestamp Links at the specific time you provided in the description.

Note: You need to add at least three timestamps which are 10 seconds or longer in order to add timestamps successfully.

Conclusion

As much as possible YouTubers want to make videos short and to the point. However, if a video needs to be longer, you can still help users navigate through to find what is important to them by adding Timestamp to YouTube link or Timestamp the YouTube descriptions. This can help your viewers jump straight to the interesting part in the video, rather than viewing the entire video saving their time and boost user experience.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Channel Branding Mastery: Securing a Loyal YouTube Subscriber Base

How to Brand Your YouTube Channel to Get More Subscribers

Shanoon Cox

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Epic Meal Time. Michelle Phan. Peter McKinnon. When you think of each of these YouTube creators, what comes to mind? The feelings and thoughts you have are vastly different because each one of these channels has its own unique branding.

Epic Meal Time’s YouTube brand is in-your-face and intense. It pumps you full of adrenaline and increases your heart rate.

Michelle Phan’s YouTube brand is calm, whimsical, and aspirational.

The color palette she chose is pleasing to the eyes and doesn’t evoke any of the stress we get from Epic Meal Time.

They have different branding because they want to reflect different feelings for different audiences.

Bad Branding Causes Mistrust

When a branding element does not align with the message or the tone does not match with the material, then the audience is not going to trust what you offer. Without trust, you won’t be able to get the advocacy that is essential for a YouTube channel to grow.

Imagine Michelle Phan using the aggressive colors of Epic Meal Time or vice versa. Pretty weird, huh?

What is YouTube Branding?

You might think that branding simply comes together while making videos, but that’s not true. Branding takes a bit of preparation and foresight.

YouTube branding is the idea your viewers have in mind and the emotion they get when they think about your channel.

Here are notable elements of your channel’s branding:

- Channel name

- Channel art

- Video thumbnail

- Video title

- Icon

- Watermark

- Catchphrase

- Style of video

How to Start Branding Your YouTube Channel?

Before you start designing thumbnails and coming up with a catchphrase, the first step in branding is understanding the purpose of your channel. Once you have a purpose, you will know how you want your viewers to feel.

Here is a quick exercise to find your channel’s purpose:

Draw a 3 circle Venn diagram.

In circle 1, write down everything you consider yourself an expert in.

- What do your friends know you for?

- What can you give advice on?

- What did you go to school to learn?

In circle 2, write down all the topics you are passionate about.

- What can you talk effortlessly about for hours?

- At a party, where do you lead conversations towards?

In circle 3, write down everything that people will pay for that you can supply. Here is where you find the demand of the audience.

- Can you give me travel advice?

- Can you make people forget about their stressful day?

- Do you have experience in a specialized field?

Understanding what people will pay money for will help guide you in creating content that has true value.

In the center, come up with all the ideas that can be associated with all three circles. This will be the ideal purpose for your YouTube channel as it harnesses your expertise, your passion, and the demand of a viewership.

Examples:

Epic Meal Time

Expertise = Eating

Passion = Fast Food Culture

Demand = Unique Meals

PURPOSE: Showcase a unique combination of fast food people won’t make at home.

Michelle Phan

Expertise = Beauty Products

Passion = Makeup and Fashion

Demand = Beauty School

PURPOSE: Give people more confidence in beauty products.

How Is Your Channel Different From the Others?

Now that you have your purpose, it’s time to separate you from others with similar purposes. YouTube is a crowded space for content creators. If your channel is mimicking another more successful channel, you will be in the shadows.

Good branding allows you to differentiate from others .

Pick a Unique and Memorable Name

If your name is Michelle Phan, and you are not the Michelle Phan, I’m sorry, but you will need to pick another name for your YouTube channel:

If you do have to pick another name or if your channel is an ensemble with multiple members, make sure the name you choose is original, memorable, and short (4 words max).

Picking an Icon

Not every YouTuber needs to design an original logo for their brand. In fact, if the channel is about you — the YouTuber — you are the brand, so using a high-quality picture of yourself as the icon is okay.

However, if your channel has a specific theme or topic and you want your branding to convey it so it sticks in the viewers’ heads, especially if it’s their first time viewing your channel. A clear logo will help in amplifying your message:

Create Video Thumbnails That Stand Out

The power of good branding is that your viewers will be able to spot your brand in a crowded space. On YouTube, the crowded space is the suggested video section.

Epic Meal Time thumbnails standing out amongst other loud thumbnails.

Once you have the feeling you want to evoke, test out different thumbnails. Go incognito, search up your videos, and see how the visuals appear beside your competitions. Do they all have the same style or is your far more impressive?

Good branding doesn’t happen in the first try so keep experimenting.

Designing Your Icon, Thumbnail, and Channel Art

There is a lot to consider when designing all the visual elements for your channel. I won’t get into all of it, but here are some tips that you should always keep in mind.

- Less is more: Don’t clutter your icons, thumbnails, or banner.

- Have a single focus: A channel and a video can have a lot of different topics, but the image can’t show everything a video can. Pick one important area and highlight that in the image.

- Quality matters: Your audience is savvier than ever. If they see a pixelated image, they will judge your channel poorly. That’s bad branding. Always use high-quality pictures.

- Make sure the color pops and the text is visible: Use eye-catching colors and visible text. This is a billboard, you have milliseconds to get people’s attention as they scroll past.

Want more resources for creating your channel’s visual elements? Yes? Well, we made this for you:

- How to Make YouTube Video Thumbnail

- How to Make YouTube Icons

- Free Youtube Banners

How to Make Your Visuals Consistent?

When a viewer finds your video and considers it pretty interesting, they will then go into your channel page to learn more. Here is where they make their decision: subscribe or not subscribe?

Consistent branding affirms the viewer that they are in the right place. Peter McKinnon’s brand is built upon his amazing photography, it only makes sense that his visual elements are awesome.

Peter McKinnon is best known for his photography and cinematography, and his branding amplifies that.

But Branding Is Not Designing, It’s A Feeling

Don’t get too caught up with a design.

Look at PewDiePie’s branding. You can argue that it is inconsistent and the design is not professional, but actually, his branding is spot on, because he is making you feel a certain way.

PewDiePie’s brand highlights its upbeat and unpredictable personality.

PewDiePie wants you to laugh. He is not branding his expertise like Peter McKinnon is, he’s branding his personality.

Consistent branding is about making the elements of your channel: channel art, logo, thumbnails, titles, etc. all harmonize together to evoke a sensation.

The humor in PewDiePie’s brand is consistent, even though his thumbnails don’t look like Philip DeFranco’s. It is up to you how you define consistency, and that will happen over time.

Philip DeFranco supplies commentary on current events with a satirical flair. Like a news broadcast, his branding and video format are consistent, while the daily news is different.

Inserting A Watermark

The main point of a watermark is to let the viewers know when they are watching your video that it is in fact your video.

Let’s be honest, YouTube content can all look the same, especially if you are making content that is quite general (like beauty or tech), so a watermark helps differentiate, so when viewers are ready to subscribe, they have an extra branding element connecting them to your channel.

Improvement Pill is a YouTube channel focused on inspiring and motivating its viewer to live a better life.

Above we see an example of a watermark from the YouTube channel Improvement Pill. You can see the watermark in the lower right-hand corner.

Improvement Pill is not the only channel that uses whiteboard animation to illustrate their story, and because of that, they need to set themselves apart. A watermark helps do that.

When a viewer lands on their video, the watermark gives the viewer another way to get more familiar with the channel, and if they are to scroll over the watermark a subscription button pops up.

Want to set up your subscription watermark? Here is a quick tutorial:

Coming Up With A Catchphrase

A catchphrase can be your greeting or sign off, but it doesn’t have to be an original line, it can simply be the way you say “hello.”

Check out some of the popular YouTuber’s catchphrases:

When coming up with a catchphrase that is connected to your channel’s branding remember how you want the viewer to feel. Do you want to leave them with a smile? Or do you want them to take action?

Final Thoughts On YouTube Branding

As you build and grow your YouTube channel, you can expand your purpose while still sticking within the overall theme. You might have started a channel that focused on the topic of nutrition, but as you grow, you will discover that your audience may also be interested in fitness tips or workout accessories as well. Take it slowly and grow with purpose.

Your branding doesn’t dictate the content you create, but it does affect how you go about making it.

Got more questions about branding your YouTube channel? Let us know in the comments below.

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Epic Meal Time. Michelle Phan. Peter McKinnon. When you think of each of these YouTube creators, what comes to mind? The feelings and thoughts you have are vastly different because each one of these channels has its own unique branding.

Epic Meal Time’s YouTube brand is in-your-face and intense. It pumps you full of adrenaline and increases your heart rate.

Michelle Phan’s YouTube brand is calm, whimsical, and aspirational.

The color palette she chose is pleasing to the eyes and doesn’t evoke any of the stress we get from Epic Meal Time.

They have different branding because they want to reflect different feelings for different audiences.

Bad Branding Causes Mistrust

When a branding element does not align with the message or the tone does not match with the material, then the audience is not going to trust what you offer. Without trust, you won’t be able to get the advocacy that is essential for a YouTube channel to grow.

Imagine Michelle Phan using the aggressive colors of Epic Meal Time or vice versa. Pretty weird, huh?

What is YouTube Branding?

You might think that branding simply comes together while making videos, but that’s not true. Branding takes a bit of preparation and foresight.

YouTube branding is the idea your viewers have in mind and the emotion they get when they think about your channel.

Here are notable elements of your channel’s branding:

- Channel name

- Channel art

- Video thumbnail

- Video title

- Icon

- Watermark

- Catchphrase

- Style of video

How to Start Branding Your YouTube Channel?

Before you start designing thumbnails and coming up with a catchphrase, the first step in branding is understanding the purpose of your channel. Once you have a purpose, you will know how you want your viewers to feel.

Here is a quick exercise to find your channel’s purpose:

Draw a 3 circle Venn diagram.

In circle 1, write down everything you consider yourself an expert in.

- What do your friends know you for?

- What can you give advice on?

- What did you go to school to learn?

In circle 2, write down all the topics you are passionate about.

- What can you talk effortlessly about for hours?

- At a party, where do you lead conversations towards?

In circle 3, write down everything that people will pay for that you can supply. Here is where you find the demand of the audience.

- Can you give me travel advice?

- Can you make people forget about their stressful day?

- Do you have experience in a specialized field?

Understanding what people will pay money for will help guide you in creating content that has true value.

In the center, come up with all the ideas that can be associated with all three circles. This will be the ideal purpose for your YouTube channel as it harnesses your expertise, your passion, and the demand of a viewership.

Examples:

Epic Meal Time

Expertise = Eating

Passion = Fast Food Culture

Demand = Unique Meals

PURPOSE: Showcase a unique combination of fast food people won’t make at home.

Michelle Phan

Expertise = Beauty Products

Passion = Makeup and Fashion

Demand = Beauty School

PURPOSE: Give people more confidence in beauty products.

How Is Your Channel Different From the Others?

Now that you have your purpose, it’s time to separate you from others with similar purposes. YouTube is a crowded space for content creators. If your channel is mimicking another more successful channel, you will be in the shadows.

Good branding allows you to differentiate from others .

Pick a Unique and Memorable Name

If your name is Michelle Phan, and you are not the Michelle Phan, I’m sorry, but you will need to pick another name for your YouTube channel:

If you do have to pick another name or if your channel is an ensemble with multiple members, make sure the name you choose is original, memorable, and short (4 words max).

Picking an Icon

Not every YouTuber needs to design an original logo for their brand. In fact, if the channel is about you — the YouTuber — you are the brand, so using a high-quality picture of yourself as the icon is okay.

However, if your channel has a specific theme or topic and you want your branding to convey it so it sticks in the viewers’ heads, especially if it’s their first time viewing your channel. A clear logo will help in amplifying your message:

Create Video Thumbnails That Stand Out

The power of good branding is that your viewers will be able to spot your brand in a crowded space. On YouTube, the crowded space is the suggested video section.

Epic Meal Time thumbnails standing out amongst other loud thumbnails.

Once you have the feeling you want to evoke, test out different thumbnails. Go incognito, search up your videos, and see how the visuals appear beside your competitions. Do they all have the same style or is your far more impressive?

Good branding doesn’t happen in the first try so keep experimenting.

Designing Your Icon, Thumbnail, and Channel Art

There is a lot to consider when designing all the visual elements for your channel. I won’t get into all of it, but here are some tips that you should always keep in mind.

- Less is more: Don’t clutter your icons, thumbnails, or banner.

- Have a single focus: A channel and a video can have a lot of different topics, but the image can’t show everything a video can. Pick one important area and highlight that in the image.

- Quality matters: Your audience is savvier than ever. If they see a pixelated image, they will judge your channel poorly. That’s bad branding. Always use high-quality pictures.

- Make sure the color pops and the text is visible: Use eye-catching colors and visible text. This is a billboard, you have milliseconds to get people’s attention as they scroll past.

Want more resources for creating your channel’s visual elements? Yes? Well, we made this for you:

- How to Make YouTube Video Thumbnail

- How to Make YouTube Icons

- Free Youtube Banners

How to Make Your Visuals Consistent?

When a viewer finds your video and considers it pretty interesting, they will then go into your channel page to learn more. Here is where they make their decision: subscribe or not subscribe?

Consistent branding affirms the viewer that they are in the right place. Peter McKinnon’s brand is built upon his amazing photography, it only makes sense that his visual elements are awesome.

Peter McKinnon is best known for his photography and cinematography, and his branding amplifies that.

But Branding Is Not Designing, It’s A Feeling

Don’t get too caught up with a design.

Look at PewDiePie’s branding. You can argue that it is inconsistent and the design is not professional, but actually, his branding is spot on, because he is making you feel a certain way.

PewDiePie’s brand highlights its upbeat and unpredictable personality.

PewDiePie wants you to laugh. He is not branding his expertise like Peter McKinnon is, he’s branding his personality.

Consistent branding is about making the elements of your channel: channel art, logo, thumbnails, titles, etc. all harmonize together to evoke a sensation.

The humor in PewDiePie’s brand is consistent, even though his thumbnails don’t look like Philip DeFranco’s. It is up to you how you define consistency, and that will happen over time.

Philip DeFranco supplies commentary on current events with a satirical flair. Like a news broadcast, his branding and video format are consistent, while the daily news is different.

Inserting A Watermark

The main point of a watermark is to let the viewers know when they are watching your video that it is in fact your video.

Let’s be honest, YouTube content can all look the same, especially if you are making content that is quite general (like beauty or tech), so a watermark helps differentiate, so when viewers are ready to subscribe, they have an extra branding element connecting them to your channel.

Improvement Pill is a YouTube channel focused on inspiring and motivating its viewer to live a better life.

Above we see an example of a watermark from the YouTube channel Improvement Pill. You can see the watermark in the lower right-hand corner.

Improvement Pill is not the only channel that uses whiteboard animation to illustrate their story, and because of that, they need to set themselves apart. A watermark helps do that.

When a viewer lands on their video, the watermark gives the viewer another way to get more familiar with the channel, and if they are to scroll over the watermark a subscription button pops up.

Want to set up your subscription watermark? Here is a quick tutorial:

Coming Up With A Catchphrase

A catchphrase can be your greeting or sign off, but it doesn’t have to be an original line, it can simply be the way you say “hello.”

Check out some of the popular YouTuber’s catchphrases:

When coming up with a catchphrase that is connected to your channel’s branding remember how you want the viewer to feel. Do you want to leave them with a smile? Or do you want them to take action?

Final Thoughts On YouTube Branding

As you build and grow your YouTube channel, you can expand your purpose while still sticking within the overall theme. You might have started a channel that focused on the topic of nutrition, but as you grow, you will discover that your audience may also be interested in fitness tips or workout accessories as well. Take it slowly and grow with purpose.

Your branding doesn’t dictate the content you create, but it does affect how you go about making it.

Got more questions about branding your YouTube channel? Let us know in the comments below.

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Epic Meal Time. Michelle Phan. Peter McKinnon. When you think of each of these YouTube creators, what comes to mind? The feelings and thoughts you have are vastly different because each one of these channels has its own unique branding.

Epic Meal Time’s YouTube brand is in-your-face and intense. It pumps you full of adrenaline and increases your heart rate.

Michelle Phan’s YouTube brand is calm, whimsical, and aspirational.

The color palette she chose is pleasing to the eyes and doesn’t evoke any of the stress we get from Epic Meal Time.

They have different branding because they want to reflect different feelings for different audiences.

Bad Branding Causes Mistrust

When a branding element does not align with the message or the tone does not match with the material, then the audience is not going to trust what you offer. Without trust, you won’t be able to get the advocacy that is essential for a YouTube channel to grow.

Imagine Michelle Phan using the aggressive colors of Epic Meal Time or vice versa. Pretty weird, huh?

What is YouTube Branding?

You might think that branding simply comes together while making videos, but that’s not true. Branding takes a bit of preparation and foresight.

YouTube branding is the idea your viewers have in mind and the emotion they get when they think about your channel.

Here are notable elements of your channel’s branding:

- Channel name

- Channel art

- Video thumbnail

- Video title

- Icon

- Watermark

- Catchphrase

- Style of video

How to Start Branding Your YouTube Channel?

Before you start designing thumbnails and coming up with a catchphrase, the first step in branding is understanding the purpose of your channel. Once you have a purpose, you will know how you want your viewers to feel.

Here is a quick exercise to find your channel’s purpose:

Draw a 3 circle Venn diagram.

In circle 1, write down everything you consider yourself an expert in.

- What do your friends know you for?

- What can you give advice on?

- What did you go to school to learn?

In circle 2, write down all the topics you are passionate about.

- What can you talk effortlessly about for hours?

- At a party, where do you lead conversations towards?

In circle 3, write down everything that people will pay for that you can supply. Here is where you find the demand of the audience.

- Can you give me travel advice?

- Can you make people forget about their stressful day?

- Do you have experience in a specialized field?

Understanding what people will pay money for will help guide you in creating content that has true value.

In the center, come up with all the ideas that can be associated with all three circles. This will be the ideal purpose for your YouTube channel as it harnesses your expertise, your passion, and the demand of a viewership.

Examples:

Epic Meal Time

Expertise = Eating

Passion = Fast Food Culture

Demand = Unique Meals

PURPOSE: Showcase a unique combination of fast food people won’t make at home.

Michelle Phan

Expertise = Beauty Products

Passion = Makeup and Fashion

Demand = Beauty School

PURPOSE: Give people more confidence in beauty products.

How Is Your Channel Different From the Others?

Now that you have your purpose, it’s time to separate you from others with similar purposes. YouTube is a crowded space for content creators. If your channel is mimicking another more successful channel, you will be in the shadows.

Good branding allows you to differentiate from others .

Pick a Unique and Memorable Name

If your name is Michelle Phan, and you are not the Michelle Phan, I’m sorry, but you will need to pick another name for your YouTube channel:

If you do have to pick another name or if your channel is an ensemble with multiple members, make sure the name you choose is original, memorable, and short (4 words max).

Picking an Icon

Not every YouTuber needs to design an original logo for their brand. In fact, if the channel is about you — the YouTuber — you are the brand, so using a high-quality picture of yourself as the icon is okay.

However, if your channel has a specific theme or topic and you want your branding to convey it so it sticks in the viewers’ heads, especially if it’s their first time viewing your channel. A clear logo will help in amplifying your message:

Create Video Thumbnails That Stand Out

The power of good branding is that your viewers will be able to spot your brand in a crowded space. On YouTube, the crowded space is the suggested video section.

Epic Meal Time thumbnails standing out amongst other loud thumbnails.

Once you have the feeling you want to evoke, test out different thumbnails. Go incognito, search up your videos, and see how the visuals appear beside your competitions. Do they all have the same style or is your far more impressive?

Good branding doesn’t happen in the first try so keep experimenting.

Designing Your Icon, Thumbnail, and Channel Art

There is a lot to consider when designing all the visual elements for your channel. I won’t get into all of it, but here are some tips that you should always keep in mind.

- Less is more: Don’t clutter your icons, thumbnails, or banner.

- Have a single focus: A channel and a video can have a lot of different topics, but the image can’t show everything a video can. Pick one important area and highlight that in the image.

- Quality matters: Your audience is savvier than ever. If they see a pixelated image, they will judge your channel poorly. That’s bad branding. Always use high-quality pictures.

- Make sure the color pops and the text is visible: Use eye-catching colors and visible text. This is a billboard, you have milliseconds to get people’s attention as they scroll past.

Want more resources for creating your channel’s visual elements? Yes? Well, we made this for you:

- How to Make YouTube Video Thumbnail

- How to Make YouTube Icons

- Free Youtube Banners

How to Make Your Visuals Consistent?

When a viewer finds your video and considers it pretty interesting, they will then go into your channel page to learn more. Here is where they make their decision: subscribe or not subscribe?

Consistent branding affirms the viewer that they are in the right place. Peter McKinnon’s brand is built upon his amazing photography, it only makes sense that his visual elements are awesome.

Peter McKinnon is best known for his photography and cinematography, and his branding amplifies that.

But Branding Is Not Designing, It’s A Feeling

Don’t get too caught up with a design.

Look at PewDiePie’s branding. You can argue that it is inconsistent and the design is not professional, but actually, his branding is spot on, because he is making you feel a certain way.

PewDiePie’s brand highlights its upbeat and unpredictable personality.

PewDiePie wants you to laugh. He is not branding his expertise like Peter McKinnon is, he’s branding his personality.

Consistent branding is about making the elements of your channel: channel art, logo, thumbnails, titles, etc. all harmonize together to evoke a sensation.

The humor in PewDiePie’s brand is consistent, even though his thumbnails don’t look like Philip DeFranco’s. It is up to you how you define consistency, and that will happen over time.

Philip DeFranco supplies commentary on current events with a satirical flair. Like a news broadcast, his branding and video format are consistent, while the daily news is different.

Inserting A Watermark

The main point of a watermark is to let the viewers know when they are watching your video that it is in fact your video.

Let’s be honest, YouTube content can all look the same, especially if you are making content that is quite general (like beauty or tech), so a watermark helps differentiate, so when viewers are ready to subscribe, they have an extra branding element connecting them to your channel.

Improvement Pill is a YouTube channel focused on inspiring and motivating its viewer to live a better life.

Above we see an example of a watermark from the YouTube channel Improvement Pill. You can see the watermark in the lower right-hand corner.

Improvement Pill is not the only channel that uses whiteboard animation to illustrate their story, and because of that, they need to set themselves apart. A watermark helps do that.

When a viewer lands on their video, the watermark gives the viewer another way to get more familiar with the channel, and if they are to scroll over the watermark a subscription button pops up.

Want to set up your subscription watermark? Here is a quick tutorial:

Coming Up With A Catchphrase

A catchphrase can be your greeting or sign off, but it doesn’t have to be an original line, it can simply be the way you say “hello.”

Check out some of the popular YouTuber’s catchphrases:

When coming up with a catchphrase that is connected to your channel’s branding remember how you want the viewer to feel. Do you want to leave them with a smile? Or do you want them to take action?

Final Thoughts On YouTube Branding

As you build and grow your YouTube channel, you can expand your purpose while still sticking within the overall theme. You might have started a channel that focused on the topic of nutrition, but as you grow, you will discover that your audience may also be interested in fitness tips or workout accessories as well. Take it slowly and grow with purpose.

Your branding doesn’t dictate the content you create, but it does affect how you go about making it.

Got more questions about branding your YouTube channel? Let us know in the comments below.

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Epic Meal Time. Michelle Phan. Peter McKinnon. When you think of each of these YouTube creators, what comes to mind? The feelings and thoughts you have are vastly different because each one of these channels has its own unique branding.

Epic Meal Time’s YouTube brand is in-your-face and intense. It pumps you full of adrenaline and increases your heart rate.

Michelle Phan’s YouTube brand is calm, whimsical, and aspirational.

The color palette she chose is pleasing to the eyes and doesn’t evoke any of the stress we get from Epic Meal Time.

They have different branding because they want to reflect different feelings for different audiences.

Bad Branding Causes Mistrust

When a branding element does not align with the message or the tone does not match with the material, then the audience is not going to trust what you offer. Without trust, you won’t be able to get the advocacy that is essential for a YouTube channel to grow.

Imagine Michelle Phan using the aggressive colors of Epic Meal Time or vice versa. Pretty weird, huh?

What is YouTube Branding?

You might think that branding simply comes together while making videos, but that’s not true. Branding takes a bit of preparation and foresight.

YouTube branding is the idea your viewers have in mind and the emotion they get when they think about your channel.

Here are notable elements of your channel’s branding:

- Channel name

- Channel art

- Video thumbnail

- Video title

- Icon

- Watermark

- Catchphrase

- Style of video

How to Start Branding Your YouTube Channel?

Before you start designing thumbnails and coming up with a catchphrase, the first step in branding is understanding the purpose of your channel. Once you have a purpose, you will know how you want your viewers to feel.

Here is a quick exercise to find your channel’s purpose:

Draw a 3 circle Venn diagram.

In circle 1, write down everything you consider yourself an expert in.

- What do your friends know you for?

- What can you give advice on?

- What did you go to school to learn?

In circle 2, write down all the topics you are passionate about.

- What can you talk effortlessly about for hours?

- At a party, where do you lead conversations towards?

In circle 3, write down everything that people will pay for that you can supply. Here is where you find the demand of the audience.

- Can you give me travel advice?

- Can you make people forget about their stressful day?

- Do you have experience in a specialized field?

Understanding what people will pay money for will help guide you in creating content that has true value.

In the center, come up with all the ideas that can be associated with all three circles. This will be the ideal purpose for your YouTube channel as it harnesses your expertise, your passion, and the demand of a viewership.

Examples:

Epic Meal Time

Expertise = Eating

Passion = Fast Food Culture

Demand = Unique Meals

PURPOSE: Showcase a unique combination of fast food people won’t make at home.

Michelle Phan

Expertise = Beauty Products

Passion = Makeup and Fashion

Demand = Beauty School

PURPOSE: Give people more confidence in beauty products.

How Is Your Channel Different From the Others?

Now that you have your purpose, it’s time to separate you from others with similar purposes. YouTube is a crowded space for content creators. If your channel is mimicking another more successful channel, you will be in the shadows.

Good branding allows you to differentiate from others .

Pick a Unique and Memorable Name

If your name is Michelle Phan, and you are not the Michelle Phan, I’m sorry, but you will need to pick another name for your YouTube channel:

If you do have to pick another name or if your channel is an ensemble with multiple members, make sure the name you choose is original, memorable, and short (4 words max).

Picking an Icon

Not every YouTuber needs to design an original logo for their brand. In fact, if the channel is about you — the YouTuber — you are the brand, so using a high-quality picture of yourself as the icon is okay.

However, if your channel has a specific theme or topic and you want your branding to convey it so it sticks in the viewers’ heads, especially if it’s their first time viewing your channel. A clear logo will help in amplifying your message:

Create Video Thumbnails That Stand Out

The power of good branding is that your viewers will be able to spot your brand in a crowded space. On YouTube, the crowded space is the suggested video section.

Epic Meal Time thumbnails standing out amongst other loud thumbnails.

Once you have the feeling you want to evoke, test out different thumbnails. Go incognito, search up your videos, and see how the visuals appear beside your competitions. Do they all have the same style or is your far more impressive?

Good branding doesn’t happen in the first try so keep experimenting.

Designing Your Icon, Thumbnail, and Channel Art

There is a lot to consider when designing all the visual elements for your channel. I won’t get into all of it, but here are some tips that you should always keep in mind.

- Less is more: Don’t clutter your icons, thumbnails, or banner.

- Have a single focus: A channel and a video can have a lot of different topics, but the image can’t show everything a video can. Pick one important area and highlight that in the image.

- Quality matters: Your audience is savvier than ever. If they see a pixelated image, they will judge your channel poorly. That’s bad branding. Always use high-quality pictures.

- Make sure the color pops and the text is visible: Use eye-catching colors and visible text. This is a billboard, you have milliseconds to get people’s attention as they scroll past.

Want more resources for creating your channel’s visual elements? Yes? Well, we made this for you:

- How to Make YouTube Video Thumbnail

- How to Make YouTube Icons

- Free Youtube Banners

How to Make Your Visuals Consistent?

When a viewer finds your video and considers it pretty interesting, they will then go into your channel page to learn more. Here is where they make their decision: subscribe or not subscribe?

Consistent branding affirms the viewer that they are in the right place. Peter McKinnon’s brand is built upon his amazing photography, it only makes sense that his visual elements are awesome.

Peter McKinnon is best known for his photography and cinematography, and his branding amplifies that.

But Branding Is Not Designing, It’s A Feeling

Don’t get too caught up with a design.

Look at PewDiePie’s branding. You can argue that it is inconsistent and the design is not professional, but actually, his branding is spot on, because he is making you feel a certain way.

PewDiePie’s brand highlights its upbeat and unpredictable personality.

PewDiePie wants you to laugh. He is not branding his expertise like Peter McKinnon is, he’s branding his personality.

Consistent branding is about making the elements of your channel: channel art, logo, thumbnails, titles, etc. all harmonize together to evoke a sensation.

The humor in PewDiePie’s brand is consistent, even though his thumbnails don’t look like Philip DeFranco’s. It is up to you how you define consistency, and that will happen over time.

Philip DeFranco supplies commentary on current events with a satirical flair. Like a news broadcast, his branding and video format are consistent, while the daily news is different.

Inserting A Watermark

The main point of a watermark is to let the viewers know when they are watching your video that it is in fact your video.

Let’s be honest, YouTube content can all look the same, especially if you are making content that is quite general (like beauty or tech), so a watermark helps differentiate, so when viewers are ready to subscribe, they have an extra branding element connecting them to your channel.

Improvement Pill is a YouTube channel focused on inspiring and motivating its viewer to live a better life.

Above we see an example of a watermark from the YouTube channel Improvement Pill. You can see the watermark in the lower right-hand corner.

Improvement Pill is not the only channel that uses whiteboard animation to illustrate their story, and because of that, they need to set themselves apart. A watermark helps do that.

When a viewer lands on their video, the watermark gives the viewer another way to get more familiar with the channel, and if they are to scroll over the watermark a subscription button pops up.

Want to set up your subscription watermark? Here is a quick tutorial:

Coming Up With A Catchphrase

A catchphrase can be your greeting or sign off, but it doesn’t have to be an original line, it can simply be the way you say “hello.”

Check out some of the popular YouTuber’s catchphrases:

When coming up with a catchphrase that is connected to your channel’s branding remember how you want the viewer to feel. Do you want to leave them with a smile? Or do you want them to take action?

Final Thoughts On YouTube Branding

As you build and grow your YouTube channel, you can expand your purpose while still sticking within the overall theme. You might have started a channel that focused on the topic of nutrition, but as you grow, you will discover that your audience may also be interested in fitness tips or workout accessories as well. Take it slowly and grow with purpose.

Your branding doesn’t dictate the content you create, but it does affect how you go about making it.

Got more questions about branding your YouTube channel? Let us know in the comments below.

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox