What should you put in your YouTube description?

Are you typing in a description for your YouTube videos? If not, you definitely should be. Why? Because it’s important for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It helps your videos get in front of your target audience. As an added bonus, you can also add important links and information to your description. So what should you put in your YouTube description? Keep reading to find out and I’ll also show you the easy way to add all the information you want to put in your description and never have to think about it again.

What should you put in your YouTube description

The #1 thing

The first 2 sentences in your description should be relevant to your video. These sentences are important for SEO. Because of this, you should create sentences that include the keywords that your target audience is searching for. For example, if I was creating a video on branding specifically for YouTube, I would write something like:

Are you an entrepreneur who wants to attract their target audience on YouTube? Check out this video on how to brand your YouTube channel to look like the AUTHORITY in your niche.

This sentence has all the keywords I need. I’m targeting entrepreneurs and the video is about ‘how to brand your YouTube channel’. You can get even more specific than this depending on your audience and what your goals are. For example, if I’m targeting female entrepreneurs, I would add that instead of just entrepreneurs.

Utilize the default

After the first 2 sentences, you should put in other information that is helpful to your audience or links that you want your audience to click on. Here is a list of items that you can add to your description.

Links to your opt-in or freebie
Affiliate links
A link to your Facebook group
Subscribe link
Email newsletter link
Links to your social media channels
An about you section

If you’re going to reuse the same information in your description, then you should create a default description. This will automatically add the information to your video every time you upload a new video. This is what I do for my videos and also my clients’ videos. The first 2 sentences are the only sentences that change in the description.

Here’s an example of my default description:

This is where I type my first 2 sentences when I upload my video, after this, my default description is below.

——————————————

S U B S C R I B E

http://bit.ly/paigon-natlane-yt

——————————————

S T A Y I N T O U C H

B L O G | http://natashalanedesignco.com/blog

I N S T A G R A M | https://www.instagram.com/paigondavis

T W I T T E R | https://twitter.com/paigondavis

F A C E B O O K | https://www.facebook.com/natashalanedesignco

——————————————

F R E E R E S O U R C E S

FREE EMAIL COURSE – BRAND YOUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL | http://bit.ly/BrandYouTube

Get access to the FREE Resource Library | http://bit.ly/natlanelib

——————————————

M Y P R O C E S S

Check out my design process | http://bit.ly/brandwebprocess

Check out my client homework | http://bit.ly/clienthw

——————————————

M Y F A V O R I T E T O O L S X R E S O U R C E S

http://bit.ly/2natlane-resources

——————————————

A B O U T

I’m Paigon. I help vloggers and entrepreneurs elevate their video content through design and editing so they stand out online and become THE authority in their field.

Note: This is exactly how my description looks. I didn’t want a plain looking description, so if you want to add a little style to your description, go for it.

How to create a default description

First open a Google doc, Word doc, Evernote, or whatever you use to create text that you can copy and paste. I use Google. Once you type and style everything you want in your description follow the directions below.

Log in to your YouTube channel.
Go to creator studio, under your icon.
On the left-hand side, go to ‘channel’.
Go to upload defaults.
Go to the description.
Copy and paste your description from your document and paste it into your description.
Save and you’re done.

Now this description will be added to every video you upload. You will only have to add the 2 sentences that include your keywords for SEO.

I don’t have time for this…

Don’t have time for this, I’ve got you covered. Here’s why and what you should put in your YouTube description.

If you’re not adding a description to your YouTube videos, you should because it’s great for SEO.
The first 2 sentences should have keywords related to your videos.
The rest of the description should have links that you want your audience to click on.
You can create a default description so that it’ll automatically upload with a new video.

Do you add a description to all your YouTube videos? Drop a link to your YouTube channel in the comments below and I’ll check it out.

-Paigon

YouTube

5 reasons a youtuber needs a graphic and web designer

April 30, 2018June 13, 2018

If you want to be legit on YouTube, it’s not about filming and uploading anymore. With all the competition, users are looking for high-quality content to consume. Everyone knows that audio and video quality are important. In fact, it’s easier than ever to record high-quality content with just your phone. So what’s the next step? Design. To look professional, you need a brand and a website. Here are 5 reasons a Youtuber needs a graphic and web designer.

5 reasons a Youtuber needs a graphic and web designer

It’s time to look professional. I’m not talking about wearing a suit and tie. I’m talking about looking like a legit business, or an authority in whatever content you’re creating. It has to look like you have a production team producing your video, even though it’s just one person. Besides saving you time and energy to focus on creating your videos, here are the ways that a designer can help elevate your YouTube channel.

01. Logo and branding

One of the first things you must have to look professional is a logo. Your logo will be everywhere and help with brand recognition. You’ll use your logo on your YouTube channel in the channel art, your YouTube video, on your website, media kit (if you plan to apply to affiliates), business card (if you plan to network), and so on.

Besides your logo, you also need a graphic designer to research and develop your brand. Why is branding important? You can think of it as creating a signature style for your channel and other assets. It keeps everything consistent. You’ll use the same fonts, colors, imagery, and so on. Sounds boring, right? Well, this helps with brand recognition. If you keep using the same style, people will start to know you for it. Not only that, but it saves you time in content creation. You’ll never have to guess which font and colors to use because it’s already decided.

02. Title graphics and channel art

A graphic designer can design your channel, title, and thumbnail graphics for your videos. If you already have an established brand, this will help with brand recognition. For your YouTube channel, the cover art is the main graphic on the page. It should showcase the important details of your channel.

Another thing you might not think about is the branding watermark on the bottom right side of the video. This graphic is usually the logo, but it could be a submark or an icon that’s relevant to your brand.

Thumbnails are the first thing people see when they’re browsing videos. Great thumbnails will obviously get more click-throughs. Not only that, but some people will also use title graphics in their videos to showcase what the video is about. Check out this video from Jenn Im for an example of cool title graphics. You’ll see that her thumbnail video and title graphics are completely different. Read More “5 reasons a youtuber needs a graphic and web designer”

Business · YouTube

5 easy tips for creating captivating YouTube thumbnails

July 2, 2018August 21, 2018

If you’re a business owner, you might think that creating captivating YouTube thumbnails is hard, but it’s actually really easy. All you have to do is think of thumbnails as book covers. The only difference is that on YouTube, you are judging a book by its cover. If you’re just starting off making YouTube videos, the thing that will get viewers to click on your videos (besides SEO), is your thumbnail. Here are 5 easy tips for creating captivating YouTube thumbnails.

5 tips for creating captivating YouTube thumbnails

If your video is showing up on searches, you want to be the video that viewers click on. If the title and content are the same, hopefully, your content matches the title, the best way to stand out is your thumbnail. As a beginner starting off on YouTube it’s important to focus on the design of your thumbnail. Let’s get started.

01 Put a face on it

It’s time to start posing because faces are the way to getting noticed. No, really. A thumbnail with your face on it is more likely to get clicked on than a thumbnail without a face. That’s probably why you see all those goofy and extreme facial expressions on YouTube thumbnails. Am I telling you to go that extreme? No, but if you’re making videos showing your face anyway, then you might as well put it on your thumbnail.

The easiest way to get your image is to make a still image from your video content. Sometimes this doesn’t always work, especially if you care about the way you look. I’m not going to lie, I definitely care about how I look, so when I’m editing videos, I try to pick a video that makes you look good. If you’re editing your own videos, there will be more times when you pause your video and you’re making an ugly face than a flattering one.

Because I know that image is important, I tell my clients to pose at the beginning of their video. Hit record and pose for 5 seconds, then do another pose, and another. It feels dumb, but you’ll have thumbnail choices that you won’t hate. If that’s too embarrassing or you want to have more control of your image, I have a client that takes selfies instead and gives those to me for her thumbnail options.

02 Text is everything

When you’re starting off with vlogging, having text on your thumbnails is really important. Why? Because no one will click on a video if they don’t know what it’s about. Here are some tips on creating the title for you YouTube thumbnail:

Make sure the title is relevant to your YouTube video.
Your thumbnail title doesn’t have to match the YouTube title.
Try to make it short and catchy. Most people are skimming thumbnails.

Become an AUTHORITY in your niche and get more subscribers now! Stand out online and learn how to brand your YouTube channel in this 5-day email course. You'll also be subscribed to 'On Wednesday, We Go Rogue' and get access to the Go Rogue Library.

When you make it to the big time, you won’t have to worry about it. That’s why you see big accounts sometimes don’t have text on their thumbnails because people already know who they are. Read More “5 easy tips for creating captivating YouTube thumbnails”

Branding · YouTube

Why building a brand is just as important as creating videos

January 17, 2022January 11, 2022

Are you a content creator who doesn’t have a brand? Well, building a brand is just as important as creating videos. Why is building a brand important? Creating videos for YouTube is part of branding and having a brand helps you create content. Keep watching to find out why building a brand is important, how branding can help you create better videos, and where you should start on your branding journey.

YouTube

How long should your YouTube video be?

July 30, 2018September 17, 2018

How long should your YouTube video be? When you’re thinking about the length of your videos, you have a lot of factors to consider. Is it a live video or edited content? Are you a beginner or a veteran video blogger? Who’s your audience? Because of all these factors, the answer will be different for each person. That’s why this post is dedicated for entrepreneurs and vloggers who are just getting started on YouTube.

How long should your YouTube video be?

What does your audience want?

The number one thing to consider is your audience. Why is your audience watching you on YouTube? This may depend on your content, but if you don’t have an audience, you have to think about who you want to watch your videos.

You don’t want to build a list of random subscribers because that would be useless to you. If you’re an entrepreneur, you’re basically on YouTube to market and make money, so you should keep who your target audience is in mind. Everyone else who subscribes is a bonus or a future client because you never know.

Let’s say your target audience is entrepreneurs who are moms. They have busy lives because they’re balancing their business, their family, and their personal lives. If they’re going on YouTube, they’re searching for the shortest video that can help them. I’m the same. If I go on YouTube to search for something, I always choose the shortest video.

If you’re a beginner creating content, basically you should be asking ‘Does my target audience have time for this?’ If you don’t know, then research other YouTube videos (competitors in your niche, because every genre is different) and see what they’re doing. While you’re researching, check how many subscribers they have. If it’s a big number, check how many videos they’ve created and then look through their middle videos because we all know the first videos we create are not great and with their newer videos, they can get away with creating longer content if they have a huge following of loyal fans.

Get more confident on YouTube

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YouTube

Why you should create a script for your YouTube videos

July 23, 2018September 17, 2018

Should you create a script for your YouTube videos? The short answer is yes. The long answer is also yes. If you’re not creating scripts for your YouTube videos, then you’re not being efficient. If you think about it, every content has a script. TV shows, movies, news programs, interviews, radio shows and blog posts have scripts. This blog post has a script too. The script for this post is the outline I create before I start the rough draft.

I’m not telling you to write out a whole play. Just at least have an outline of what you’re going to talk about in your video. Here are the reasons why you should create a script for your YouTube video and how you’ll create awesome YouTube videos every time.

Why you should create a script for your YouTube videos

Saves time and energy

For me, this is the number 1 reason you should create a script for your YouTube video. You save so much time and energy. This is why I create an outline for everything I do. Whether that’s writing a blog or giving a presentation, I have one prepared in advance.

For a script, I would recommend having a template so that you can use it over and over again. We’ll go over this rinse and repeat method later because you’re not creating a template with the same exact words, unless you have some signature line you want to use over and over again, like ‘This is Paigon signing off with the Natasha Lane Design Co. daily report. Until the next time’. Cue cheesy wink and finger-pointing. That would be hella awesome!

When you create a template for your script, you’ll just create an outline of what you need for your video, but you’ll still have to think of new content every time.

Building a brand

When you create a script, you’re actually helping to form your brand (Ah, everything relates back to branding *wink wink*). By creating a script, especially if you have a template, you’re creating consistency in your video. Even though the content is different in every video, you’re still keeping elements of your video consistent.

When you create consistency within your script, your audience will know what to expect when you release your videos. It’s kind of like watching those Marvel superhero movies. First, something bad will happen, maybe a villain origin story or a revenge plot, then the superhero (a male lead) will be born or face some adversity to ‘supposedly’ become stronger, and then the superhero beats the villain.

*Warning, useless rambling that has nothing to do with the blog post* Can we take a moment to realize that all the superheroes are men and that the character, Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson is only a normal woman. If a normal woman can keep up with superheroes, then how awesome would a female superhero be. If I had my way though, I would create a female super villain character with awesome character development. Maybe like a female version of Lex Luthor.

*Getting back on track*

Every television show, live or scripted, follows a format, and we the viewers expect it. It’s part of the brand created for that show. As someone who’s creating video content consistently, you should treat your channel like a real television station. This alone will help you stand out from other channels who are creating random things and don’t have any type of format.

How to create a script for your YouTube videos

When you’re thinking about creating a script or template for your script, you need to keep it simple. All you have to do is think of the important aspects you want to add to every video. Don’t think about the actual content, but make sure you have a beginning, middle, and end. If you create content without a beginning, middle, and end, you still have content, but it’s probably bad content. Here’s what you need to know to create a script for your YouTube videos.

Get more confident on YouTube

Get Your YouTube Script Template for Free!

Grab your script here!

Multimedia · YouTube

How to record better YouTube videos

August 13, 2018September 17, 2018

As a video editor, it’s my job to make you look good. That makes sense right? I mean, your success equals my success too. Because I get the raw footage of your videos, I see your best and your worst (don’t worry, your secrets are safe with me). I know how nerve-wracking it can be to be in front of a camera, so I think being prepared and knowing what to do on camera will definitely help make your videos look better and the editing process easier. If you want to learn how to record better YouTube videos, here are the 5 mistakes you’re making when recording a video.

How to record better YouTube videos

01 Slow it down

Talking too fast. This is a nervous habit. I’m guilty of this too! When you talk too fast, you tend to run your words together. It’s also not flattering to your audience. If you edit your own videos, you’ll also see that it’s hard to edit out mistakes because words will get cut off or force you to keep parts that should have been edited out.

If you’re nervous, stop and take a breath. Those pauses will be edited out anyway. If you’re still nervous, just stop recording and do a dry run. Usually, if I’m nervous, it’s because I’m not prepared so I like to practice and be aware of myself. When I say practice, don’t just read through what you want to say. You have to practice like it’s real. If you practice at 50%, then the real performance will be 50%. Always practice at 100% so you’ll do it naturally at 100%.

02 And cut

Just like talking too fast, you need to take a break between thoughts. I have a client who goes from one thought to another without pausing. When you keep plowing through your thoughts, you’re bound to make mistakes and get flustered. You might think that you’re doing a good job because you know your subject and you’re finishing your video quickly, but it doesn’t look good on camera.

It’s kind of like singing. Professional singers don’t just randomly take breaths during a song. If they did, they would destroy the rhythm of the song. Same thing for acting. You don’t see them taking random breaths during a scene. It would be distracting. Well, that’s exactly what happens when you plow through your words.

When you keep talking without pausing, you start randomly taking breaths, or worse, swallow because your mouth is dry, and keep going. When it comes to editing, it’s hard to edit out these random breaths and swallows if you keep talking without a break. Instead of being like the energizer bunny (do you remember him, he just keeps going and going), take a breath, regroup, and then finish your thoughts. It’s all about looking natural on camera.

03 Being too perfect

No one likes making mistakes. We all want to put our best face forward. No one wants to show their worst side, but in this case, do it. I’m here to edit them out. Even celebrities make mistakes. Do you think they can act out their character perfectly on screen? No, they get to have do-overs. That’s how we get to watch awesome bloopers.

Your main focus should be knowing your subject and being natural. Even though your audience will likely fall in love with you because they want to emulate you or you’re helping them with your content, they still want you to be human just like them. Read More “How to record better YouTube videos”

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