The Branding Edge: Design Strategies for Game-Changing Banners

Gaming videos have become increasingly popular on YouTube, especially among young people. It is not uncommon for older folk to enjoy this type of content, especially if they want to unwind after a long day. However, the industry is becoming pretty crowded, making it harder for content creators to stand out from the crowd.

An excellent way to get your target audience to notice you would be to design a killer YouTube banner that will immediately cause anyone scrolling past to click on your video. Stick around to learn how to create a great gaming YouTube banner with templates.

Imagine a scenario where you want to open a brick-and-mortar store. One of the most important things you need to get out of the way is the business name. Once you have settled on a fitting name, you will then move on to create a sign to place outside your shop.

For example, a banner for your YouTube gaming channel plays a similar role to signage for a brick-and-mortar shop.

An excellent banner helps you make a solid first impression on your viewers, some of who is viewing your content for the first time.
Secondly, a well-designed banner reflects positively on your brand and helps you grow your audience at a steady rate.
Thirdly, you can use your banner to give your viewers a rough idea of what your video is about without them clicking to watch. A suitable banner can cause anticipation to build within your viewers. Once the video is over, they won’t resist visiting your channel to see what else you offer.

We can liken a banner for your YouTube video to a book cover to a novel you have been dying to read. Therefore, it would be wise to get the size right if you want to create an excellent first impression for yourself. Ideally, the best size for a YouTube banner is 2560*1440 pixels or an aspect ratio of 16:9.

We urge you not to upload a banner smaller than 2048*1152 pixels, or else the image will appear cropped. Keep your banner within 1235*338 pixels and centered on the screen to be on the safe side.

This YouTube banner dimension is ideal for viewing on any device since your audience might use their smartphones or laptop to watch your videos on YouTube. Lastly, ensure you keep the file to a maximum of 6MB. We believe this file size is pretty generous.

Below are some tips that will help you create beautiful YouTube banners.

Simplicity is key: Contrary to popular belief, a simple banner looks more polished than a complex one. If your YouTube banner has too many elements, your viewers using their mobile phones might have a challenge viewing the image.

Ensure the graphics are high-quality : Nothing is as frustrating to your viewers as seeing a blurry or pixelated YouTube banner. However, high-quality graphics with a resolution of at least 1920*1080 pixels make your work look polished and attract more viewers to your channel.

Leverage the grid system: Some of your viewers might watch your videos from their smartphones, and others on their laptops or tablets. The grid system allows you to ensure the full banner will be visible no matter what device your audience will use to watch your gaming videos.

Add a CTA: At the end of the day, you are trying to grow your audience on your YouTube channel. You might also have other social media platforms where you post content. Since your banner is one of the first things your audience will see, you could include a short, easy-to-read, and understandable call to action. For instance, you could encourage them to “Subscribe Now!”

Incorporate your unique color scheme: By now, you already have a theme for your YouTube channel that your existing subscribers associate with you. As you design your YouTube banner, ensure you incorporate your theme colors, so new visitors know what colors to look out for as they scroll on the platform.

Why Use Templates To Create Gaming YouTube Banners?

First and foremost, a gaming youtube banner template takes the tedium out of creating a design from scratch. They are also systematized, meaning you can download a template specifically for YouTube that comes in the correct dimensions. Most importantly, templates designed for gaming YouTube banners are optimized to help you generate more organic traffic to your channel.

You probably have other expenses breathing down your neck. No need to add your YouTube banner to the list. A youtube gaming channel banner template a budget-friendly way to create stunning designs for your banner that actually look good. If you are lucky, you might find free programs to help you create gorgeous YouTube banners for your gaming channel.

Make YouTube Gaming Banners With Templates in Filmora

Now that you understand why a gaming channel banner template is essential for your YouTube channel, you might wonder where you can find some good ones to incorporate into your videos. Don’t worry because Filmora is precisely what you need.

Wondershare Filmora has a fantastic template feature that helps you make creative videos effortlessly. You can use the preset templates in the platform, saving you lots of time you would have spent designing your template from scratch. We guarantee you cannot exhaust the 1000+ templates this platform offers, meaning you are spoilt for choice!

If you want to customize your video, you can replace the stock videos that come with the preset templates with footage from your internal storage. In addition, Wondershare Filmora lets you share your favorite templates with other content creators who would also like to try making their own cool videos.

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Below is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to make a gaming YouTuber banner template with Wondershare Filmora.

Step 1. After creating a project with Filmora, click on the “File” tab, wait for a drop-down menu to appear, and select “Project Settings.”

Step 2. Once a dialogue box appears, go to the “Resolution” tab and adjust the resolution to 2560*1140.

Step 3. Upload your footage or photo from your internal storage by clicking on the logo below.

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Step 4. Click on the “Template” tab at the top of the page and click “Game.” Browse the available templates till you see one you like.

Step 5. Drag and drop the template you have chosen to the timeline as shown below.

Step 6. Replace the sample footage in the template by dragging and dropping your own footage into the timeline.

Step 7. Customize the footage and change the settings until you are happy with the outcome. Edit the text using the tools provided in the platform.

Step 8. Take a screenshot of the final result.

Step 9. Specify the snapshot format and choose the storage location before saving a copy to your device.

Step 10. Once the snapshot appears in the Media Panel, right-click on it to open. Select “Reveal in Explorer” to locate the picture in your internal storage. You can now use the photo as your YouTube gaming banner.

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Wondershare Filmora is not the only platform you can use to create banner templates for your YouTube channel. Here is a list of 5 more websites you can try and a detailed breakdown of the remarkable features you are bound to enjoy.

1. Canva

The first alternative to Filmora on our list is Canva, which has thousands of professional, ready-made designs to wow your audience. You can work alone or with a dedicated team to ensure you design only the best banner for your channel to attract the masses to the kind of content you create.

2. PosterMyWall

We couldn’t forget to include PosterMyWall to our list, which has pre-made templates you can customize to suit your needs. With PosterMyWall, you can save the time you could have used to design a banner from scratch to think of more content for your channel. The developers suggest various templates you might like, not to mention that you can sign up for free!

3. Freepik

Another suitable alternative to Filmora is Freepik. We guarantee you cannot exhaust all the numerous templates this platform offers. Each template is unique, with different color combinations and fonts to cater to the theme colors on your YouTube channel. You could opt for the free version or sign up for a Premium account and get 30% off.

4. Pickmaker

The fourth alternative on our list is Pickmaker, a sure way to take your gaming channel to the next level. The templates are arranged in broad categories to help you pick the best one based on the type of content you post. In addition, you don’t have to part with your precious monies to start designing YouTube banners with Pickmaker.

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5. Placeit

Last but definitely not least is Placeit, which contains picturesque templates fitting for a gaming YouTube channel. We guarantee your audience won’t resist clicking on your videos once you use any of the templates within this platform. All you need to do is create a free account to enjoy the perks. Placeit makes your work easier by allowing you to indicate your favorite templates for use later.

Conclusion

Gaming content is far from boring, and neither should your banner. Remember, your audience will judge you based on your banner, the first content they interact with before they click to watch your video.

The better you can design your banner, the higher your chances of growing an audience that supports you by watching your content regularly. Once you have created an enticing banner, all that’s left is to ensure you have the content to match.