A new YouTube Layout is on the verge of being rolled out. Over the last year there have been some major changes but this one seems to be a real game changer in my opinion. YouTube is allowing video creators more control over the features and content that is displayed on their channel home page but this seems to be at the expense of personalisation. Any changes to social media sites are usually met with a lot of criticism and this one is no different but personally I think Google is moving in the right direction. It is improving the user experience and, trying to increase the amount of time spent on the site. They also want to create a consistent experience across different devices and for mobile in particular. The new YouTube layout is being rolled out on 22nd February from what I hear but this is unconfirmed.
**UPDATE** The new design was rolled out to some of the bigger channels on 22nd Feb and it looks as if it will be rolled out to other users bit by bit.
Here are some of the changes being implemented and what you may need to consider for your channel:
Welcome Video for Non-Subscribers
You can add a video to your home page specifically for the purpose of welcoming non-subscribers. It sits above the fold and this is your chance to introduce your channel as well as feature some of your content. A welcome video is not compulsory, as you can choose to feature your latest video instead or not have one at all. Some of the beta tester channels (see below for a list of links) that have access to the new design are not using a welcome video and this may be because they haven’t made one yet. Like the example below, I would advise having a welcome video as well as testing different strategies relating to your video description. Placing a link first is usually recommended but this is unlikely to be suitable in this instance.
New Banner Across the Top
The new YouTube layout has a big banner across the top of the channel home page where you can add your branding. You can add your website and social media icon links to the banner as highlighted in red. On the far left (also highlighted in red) is your profile icon that is used when you post comments for example. If you need a template and guidelines for your artwork you can get one here.
Featured Channels
There is a Featured Channels list on your home page where you can list the channels of your choice. The subscribe button is prominent and this is an opportunity to push your other channels or to promote channels that belong to partners and/or friends.
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Lots of Customisation Options
You can customise your content in a number of different ways: Apart from being able to show your content horizontally or vertically, you can list videos according to those that have the most likes or views. You can also display your playlists and recent uploads too. A display by tags system is also being introduced, so you can display your content based on the tags for your videos. YouTube no longer allows you to see the tags that a video has but from what I can see, if a channel owner decides to display videos for a certain tag in this new layout, you can see all the videos that contain this tag.
Want to see the New YouTube Layout?
These channels have been given beta access to the new layout so you can see some of the above features in action:
iJustine
DeStorm
EpicMealTime
SORTED
MysteryGuitarMan
LOUD
Geek & Sundry
What do You Think?
What do you think of these changes? Do you like/dislike them? How will you use them for your channel?
Thanks for reading and one last thing…
I run a LinkedIn group for YouTube. If you want to find out how to make YouTube work for you this is a pretty good place to start… click on the link to access and join the group ==> YouTube Marketing Professionals
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