Is your brand on YouTube? If so, are you engaging your audience where it’s needed most? Whether you use an intro maker or work with video production professionals, creating a carefully crafted intro video can take your message to the next level.
We’ve talked about this a lot, so you may be aware that video is a powerful marketing tool. It sets the tone, helps create excitement for the content you’ve created, and builds brand recognition with your audience. And it has the highest ROI of all marketing content and is shown to increase engagement compared to text alone.
But if you’re pumping out great content with little engagement, it might have to do with how you introduce your video. Jumping right into a tutorial or even a video made for entertainment without telling your audience what to expect and why they should care will create confusion and lead many to just click away wondering “what am I even watching…?”
Here’s how to create an engaging YouTube intro video to keep your audience engaged.
What is a YouTube Intro Video?
First, let’s start with what an intro is and why you need one. A YouTube video intro is a short video clip at the beginning of your content that introduces your company or brand. It’s the first thing your audience will see and can create brand awareness if you have consistent intro videos across your content or even social media channels.
YouTube intro videos are used for all types of video content and their purpose is to grab the attention of the viewer and keep them watching. You can use a YouTube intro video as a teaser for vlogs, to introduce a new video series, or as a promo for your business.
What to Include in Your YouTube Intro Video
Your video intro needs to be eye-catching and engaging. It should be an intro to your brand and showcase the type of content you want to be known for. Are you trying to educate your audience or is your content made for entertainment?
For a brand to become recognizable, a person needs to be exposed to it at least 5-7 times. Using the same intro video on all your YouTube content will help them remember your company and know that the content they’re enjoying is coming from the same place.
No matter what type of video you create, you’ll want to include these five things:
- Logo - make your logo stand out with logo animation. Keep it on the screen for your entire intro or even your entire YouTube video.
- YouTube channel name - make it easy for engaged viewers to remember you and subscribe to your channel.
- Brand color schemes and fonts
- Music or sound effects - Your intro should stand out even when someone watches on mute, but adding sound effects or music helps create brand recognition when they are listening.
- Tagline - a strong tagline triggers immediate brand recognition, like Nike’s “Just Do It.”
How to Create a Video Intro for YouTube
Before you get started, you need to understand the goal of your intro video and who your target audience is. Write a short script if you plan to do a voiceover or include text in your intro. Introduce yourself with a quick hello or your brand with your logo and tagline. Be sure to tell them what the video is about and why they should pay attention.
Remember that your YouTube video intro should only be about 10 seconds long. This is enough time to tell the viewer what the video is about, but short enough that they don’t get bored and lose interest. Most viewers will only wait about eight seconds before they decide if they want to keep watching. There’s a lot to pack into a short amount of time so you need to make every second count.
The easiest way to create a video intro for YouTube is by using an intro video maker. Many of the most popular options have templates available for different industries that are easy to customize with your brand colors, fonts, and logos. Templates save time and can even help you brainstorm the style you want for your intro video.
YouTube Intro Maker: 4 Popular Choices
Whether you’re a famous YouTube star or a brand-new business owner, creating a YouTube intro video can be intimidating. Fortunately, there are many easy-to-use online intro makers that make adding an intro to your YouTube channel fun and easy. Below are some of the most popular paid and free intro makers available. Consider the pricing compared to what features you need in your intro templates to choose the right one for your business.
1. Canva
Canva is an easy-to-use content-maker tool that can be used for just about any print or video content. Their intro maker for YouTube is free and easy to use. Choose from thousands of templates, customize them with your branding, and click to download. The intro maker is free to use. But you will need to pay if you use some of the Pro features like premium stock video, music, and photos. For consistent branding, create additional intro videos for your other social media platforms.
2. Animaker
If you’re looking for an animated video intro for your YouTube channel, Animaker is the video intro maker for you. It’s free to use and has the world’s largest animation library. Create fun avatars and text animation to bring your brand to life. Animaker allows you to create custom video transitions, add sound effects, and record a voiceover. The free version does limit your videos to two minutes and you can only download five per month. Your videos will also have a watermark until you upgrade to the paid subscription.
3. Videobolt
Videobolt is another popular intro creator website that focuses only on video-creating tools. To create a new intro, choose from over 3,000 intro video templates and customization options to fully customize your design in minutes. Video Bolt allows you to create and download videos in any format, even full HD, for one fee. Stock photos and videos are included with no complicated licensing requirements.
4. Renderforest
For an eye catching logo reveal you can use in your intro or outro, try Renderforest. You can choose from thousands of templates, add your logo, and create a unique animated brand experience you can use across multiple channels. Start with their free version to access thousands of templates and a limited amount of stock images. When you’re ready to uplevel your intro videos, upgrade to the Pro version which includes unlimited HD1080 videos and their full catalog of stock photos, footage, and music.
How to Add an Intro Video to YouTube
To add your intro video to YouTube, download the video from your intro maker. Open YouTube and decide if you want your intro video to be a trailer for your channel or to be an intro video for each video.
For a trailer, select “Your Channel” and “Customize.” Under layout, you can add a channel trailer for people who haven’t subscribed or a different video for returning subscribers.
To add an intro video that will show at the beginning of all your content, go to the content section of your YouTube dashboard and select which videos you want to add your intro to.
Intro Maker Alternative: Work With a Professional to Create an Unforgettable YouTube Intro Video
For a high-quality, professional intro, consider working with a video producer. Levitate Media will oversee your entire video production process including creating an engaging YouTube intro video that showcases the purpose of the video and aligns with your brand. Contact us today to get started with your next video project.
