Need Advice On Thumbnails & Channel Name

JPSRose

JPSRose

Active Member
Hey guys, I could really do with some advice on this as I'm struggling with forming a brand that gels together well.

The reason why I've not given myself a better name is because I don't really know what I should be calling myself (my current channel name is just my real name.) My channel covers wildlife, camping/survival, walking, events like airshows, carshows etc, and history information. I also upload 360/VR content as well. Trying to get this to gel well is quite difficult, and having my real name on there isn't helping me to create an easily recognized identity.

I've been uploading videos fairly infrequently since November and in that time I've already changed my logo and general branding from a 'traditional' vibe to a more modern look. If I change my channel's name I'm going to have to change the logo again, but its probably something thats going to need to happen if I want to get any bigger.

Growth of my channel is going quite slow despite some really great words of encouragement from people who have sat down and watched my content, so I don't think the stuff I'm producing is the issue, but rather the name/branding. I'm also not uploading videos as often as I should, but as my stuff is predominately outdoorsy, I've been waiting for the weather to get warmer. I've been saving up for a decent action camera too so starting next month I'll hopefully be uploading some really high quality POV videos of hillwalking and camping.

For a channel name, I'm thinking something like "Essex Explorer", as I guess this is loose enough to cover all bases, but if anyone else has any ideas I'd be really grateful for any input.


Also, I'm experimenting with new thumbnails. I like them, but my wife says she thinks they look daft. Would love a third opinion: channel/UC-NfTsu7OXLBFTZyU7jzKiQ
 
I dont think Essex Explorer fits YouTube. (I am from Essex)
Your channel also spreads across a wide range of topics. You may want to consider focusing on a single niche.
What are your most popular videos? Perhaps you could focus on that topic and re-brand accordingly? (This is what I did)
 
Hi, I've moved your thread to the review / feedback forum. :)

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To answer your question, the problem with "Essex explorer" is that right off the bat, you're limiting yourself to a geographical location and perhaps one type of content. "Essex" won't mean anything to anyone outside of the UK and so growing would be quite a challenge IMHO. Kind of like if you came across a channel called "North Carolina explorer" - Unless you were planning on moving to or visiting North Carolina, you'd probably not bother clicking.
 
Have you had a look at what works on youtube??

all my own opinion, so don't worry too much

BUT

i think that the thumbnails and look of the channel is the wrong kind of modern, it looks more like a gaming channel to me, if i were you i would go VERY basic, bush craft channels tend to have a picture of a primitive hut or a fire or something built/made within a bush craft video.

As for the name of the channel, again because of the way algorithm works, i would personally go with

primitive (something here)
(Something here) Bush craft
(something here) Survival

a name that youtube would find, think of what people are searching for when they want to find your content

Primitive Bushcraft? Essex Bushcraft?? Bushcraft cooking??

I'de go along the lines of that, again just MY opinion

p.s. you also asked about the thumbnail, your thumbnail should be V basic and a picture of the finished result of THAT episode

also watched some of your videos, they're brilliant, but the branding is wrong again my opinion

<3 <3 <3 good luck
 
EVO said:
I dont think Essex Explorer fits YouTube. (I am from Essex)
Your channel also spreads across a wide range of topics. You may want to consider focusing on a single niche.
What are your most popular videos? Perhaps you could focus on that topic and re-brand accordingly? (This is what I did)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice mate, good to meet another Essex boy on here. I'm really curious as to what your channel is now! I think I'm just going to leave the channel name as it is for now and see how it goes, mainly because I don't know exactly what the main content will be by the end of the year. I'm thinking about maybe giving it until the autumn and then I'll see what I both enjoyed making and what is most popular.


Crown said:
To answer your question, the problem with "Essex explorer" is that right off the bat, you're limiting yourself to a geographical location and perhaps one type of content. "Essex" won't mean anything to anyone outside of the UK and so growing would be quite a challenge IMHO. Kind of like if you came across a channel called "North Carolina explorer" - Unless you were planning on moving to or visiting North Carolina, you'd probably not bother clicking.
Click to expand...

I think you're right on making it local. Whilst most of the content I'll make will be local, it might look kind of odd when I suddenly start making videos elsewhere across the country or further afield. Suggestion noted, thank you.


Calixo said:
Have you had a look at what works on youtube??

all my own opinion, so don't worry too much

BUT

i think that the thumbnails and look of the channel is the wrong kind of modern, it looks more like a gaming channel to me, if i were you i would go VERY basic, bush craft channels tend to have a picture of a primitive hut or a fire or something built/made within a bush craft video.

As for the name of the channel, again because of the way algorithm works, i would personally go with

primitive (something here)
(Something here) Bush craft
(something here) Survival

a name that youtube would find, think of what people are searching for when they want to find your content

Primitive Bushcraft? Essex Bushcraft?? Bushcraft cooking??

I'de go along the lines of that, again just MY opinion

p.s. you also asked about the thumbnail, your thumbnail should be V basic and a picture of the finished result of THAT episode

also watched some of your videos, they're brilliant, but the branding is wrong again my opinion

<3 <3 <3 good luck
Click to expand...

Suggestions noted Calixo, and you make a good case. I still don't know what exactly I should call the channel, but I agree with you on the logo and thumbnails. The point behind the gamer-like logos and thumbnails was because originally I thought the VR content would be both more popular and more appealing to youngsters than I first thought. It seems however that uptake of the VR content is slow, and not the marketing tool I thought it might be.

I noticed that most of the comments were coming from guys probably mid-twenties and up, so I've basically done away with the logo altogether, chucked a photo of myself on and I've started using just an image and clear font for thumbnails in future. I might go back through and remake the old thumbnails so its uniform, but I think it looks much better the way it is now, so thank you for your input.
 
DiscoverMore934 said:
I really like the ones with the blue border, but it doesn't match the banner and you could improve your channel layout.
Click to expand...

I literally just changed my background image and logo yesterday, lol. I'm going to go back retrospectively and change the old thumbnails to be like the last two I've made, but thank you for your comment!

Maybe in time once I have a better understanding for what I'm going to make I'll go back to a logo again, but as it was I didn't feel like it was making an awful lot of sense to have videos with logos and media company style branding - but without a channel name (as in my name instead of a 'brand' sounding name.)
 
Hey man, i'm assuming i'm a bit late to the party and you've changed a few things around. But i took a look at your channel and the banner. I don't think there is anything wrong with it. It looks very exploitative and self explanatory. My opinion is to stick with what you have now.

Best of luck mate!
 
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