First impressions are everything on YouTube. A compelling trailer is one of the most effective ways to engage new viewers and make them loyal subscribers to your channel.
This article will guide you on crafting a captivating trailer that draws viewers in.
What is a YouTube channel trailer?
A YouTube channel trailer is a video designed to give viewers a quick overview of your channel. When activated, it appears at the top of your channel page and autoplays for visitors who haven’t subscribed.
The trailer is vital because if you’re investing effort in promote your YouTube channel, you need a strategy to convert that traffic into subscriptions.
Here’s what your trailer should include to instantly hook viewers:
- A concise introduction of your brand and target audience (e.g., bloggers, hikers, gamers).
- An overview of the video content you create.
- A highlight reel showcasing your best content.
- Your video upload schedule.
- A strong call to action (CTA) encouraging viewers to subscribe.
Check out this straightforward YouTube channel trailer template from Biteable:
How to create a YouTube channel trailer
How can you create a YouTube channel trailer that incorporates all the above elements in an engaging way? Let’s find out.
1. See it from your viewers’ perspective
When creating your trailer, assume the viewer knows nothing about you. Ask yourself:
- What does the viewer want to know about my channel immediately?
- What’s the most critical information to convey in the first few seconds?
- How do I want the viewer to feel after watching my trailer?
- Why should they come back to my channel?
- What tone should I use—playful, humorous, serious, informative?
- What color schemes and fonts align with my brand?
Viewers should know they’ve found the right channel within the first 5-10 seconds, based solely on the information you provide.
Understanding your audience’s needs—not just your assumptions—is crucial for achieving your video marketing goals, whether it’s community building or make money on YouTube. This understanding enables you to deliver valuable content.
2. Structure a compelling script
If your trailer involves speaking, prepare a script or outline your talking points.
Structure your video with a clear beginning, middle, and end, conveying a compelling message. The more concise and impactful your trailer, the more effectively it will attract views and subscribers.
From visuals and text to music and sound effects, every element should clearly communicate your channel’s message while aligning with your brand identity.
Here’s a great example of a well-scripted channel trailer:
Important Note: Using a script or outline is crucial even if you’re not someone who usually plans out their videos.
You have a lot to cover in a limited time (around a minute). A script helps you avoid filler words like “um” and ensures you hit all the key points concisely.
3. Utilize captions and clips
Enhance your trailer’s appeal by combining short scenes, sounds, text (music, voiceover, or both). Add a brief title on the first screen or list key topics covered in the video.
Consider using captions for those watching without sound. They might be listening to music or turned off by the autoplay.
Here’s an example of a captioned YouTube channel trailer:
4. Incorporate music and high-quality graphics
Animated graphics paired with the right music are incredibly engaging. Stunning visuals captivate viewers, while music sets the tone and energy.
Ensure your music and graphics are consistent with your message, channel, and brand. A cohesive brand image boosts brand awareness, making your company and its product memorable.
There’s an abundance of graphic design software available to help you maintain consistent, high-quality visuals.
Engaging the senses in your trailer can emotionally resonate with viewers, encouraging them to subscribe.
While not a channel trailer, Asana’s use of unique illustrations is a great example:
Expert video strategists emphasize the importance of keeping visuals dynamic to maintain viewer attention.
This is especially crucial considering the often “busy” nature of YouTube channel homepages. Buttons, playlists, video thumbnails, and even the option to leave your channel compete for attention.
Fast-moving footage can increase engagement, but it’s not suitable for all channels, like a meditation channel. However, you can still use text, appealing images, and short scenes to grab attention.
5. Keep it concise
The primary goal of a YouTube channel trailer is to quickly pitch your brand and content to new viewers.
Unlike explainer videos (better suited within your channel), your trailer should instantly grab attention and convey essential information within seconds, allowing viewers to decide if your channel is right for them.
Realistically, how likely is someone to watch a five or ten-minute video before deciding if they’re in the right place?
While there’s no “perfect” length, aim for 30 to 90 seconds.
This duration is sufficient to introduce yourself, your content, and your upload schedule.
Remember, brevity is key for YouTube channel trailers.
6. Showcase highlights
YouTube advises, “Show, don’t tell.” Besides sharing information, show a highlight reel that entices viewers to watch your channel’s videos.
Use actual highlights from your videos to avoid unsubscribes later when content doesn’t meet expectations.
If you’re worried about balancing information and highlights, don’t be. You can do both simultaneously. Will Smith’s YouTube channel trailer is essentially one big highlight reel.
As a small business, you might not have such extravagant highlights, but you can use short scenes to convey the essence of your videos. Are they funny, educational, serious, relaxing, entertaining, actionable?
Highlight options for your business include:
- Bloopers and humorous clips
- Clips showcasing your unique approach to providing information
- Clips of industry influencer interviews
If you already have published videos, choose your best clips for the highlight reel.
Use your trailer to showcase what viewers can expect and look forward to.
This brings us to our next, concise tip:
7. Have a stockpile of videos
You can’t showcase highlights without existing videos. You don’t need to have them all published, but have enough to support your trailer’s claims.
SearchLab’s YouTube channel homepage immediately conveys, through video thumbnails, that viewers can expect to learn about local SEO and be entertained.
SearchLab’s YouTube channel homepage
Note that video thumbnails are a valuable YouTube SEO tactic.
8. Take viewers on a journey
Humans connect with other humans. Showcasing your personality on camera fosters stronger connections with new audiences.
That’s where storytelling comes in. The best channel trailers take viewers on a journey.
Don’t just inform; take them on a journey and show your story.
This includes your channel’s origin, the topics you cover, and everything in between. Stories have the power to captivate.
Storytelling also offers these benefits:
- It evokes emotion;
- It conveys your personality;
- It keeps viewers engaged and wanting more;
- It makes your content memorable.
Sharing personal stories in a fun, relatable way builds familiarity, leading to more subscribers.
Here’s a YouTube channel trailer that takes viewers on an exciting journey:
9. Conclude with a subscribe CTA
By now, viewers should have ample reasons to subscribe. However, a clear call to action is still necessary.
Here are some common subscribe pitches:
- “Make sure to hit the subscribe button”
- “If that sounds good, subscribe to my channel right now”
- “Go ahead and subscribe right now so you don’t miss anything”
- “And now, it’s time to subscribe!”
The phrasing doesn’t matter as much as making it explicit and on-brand.
Tools for Creating Awesome YouTube Channel Trailers
Creating a captivating trailer takes effort, but don’t lose sleep! Numerous tools are available. Here are three favorites:
10. Biteable
Biteable is an affordable tool for creating stunning YouTube trailers. It offers hundreds of fully customizable templates, allowing you to add a personal touch with your images, music, text, and footage.
11. InVideo
InVideo is a user-friendly online tool for easy YouTube video editing and creation. It provides numerous templates, stock audio, images, GIFs, and more.
Even beginners can create professional-quality videos with InVideo. From adding subtitles and voiceovers to incorporating various other features, you can produce any type of channel trailer.
12. Wondershare Filmora
Wondershare Filmora is a powerful—and free—video editing tool for PCs and Macs. Its simplicity and ease of use make it perfect for beginners with limited editing experience.
For even more options, most YouTube editing software listed here work for both trailer creation and video editing.
Start creating your subscriber-generating YouTube channel trailer
A YouTube channel is a fantastic way to promote your business. Use these eight tips and three tools to craft an awesome YouTube channel trailer that can build a brand with a loyal following:
- See it from your viewers’ perspective
- Structure a compelling script
- Use captions and clips
- Incorporate music and high-quality graphics
- Keep it concise
- Showcase highlights
- Have a stockpile of videos
- Take viewers on a journey
- Conclude with a subscribe CTA
- Biteable
- InVideo
- Wondershare Filmora