Are you looking to create a YouTube account for an OSU department, college or school? Follow these best practices to help launch and grow your page.

New page? Register your OSU YouTube account to get connected with resources.

• YouTube Channel Set Up

  Name and profile:

  • To be affiliated with Oklahoma State University, add "OSU” or “Oklahoma State University" in your YouTube channel name. Create a custom YouTube handle with “OSU” or “okstate” in it.

  • Use an OSU-branded wordmark for your profile picture. If you need a custom OSU social avatar, email sociallyorange@okstate.edu.

   

  Example:

  Page name: OSU Alumni Association

  Page handle: @OSUAlumniAssociation

   

  Account security:

  • Start by creating a “brand account” with an email that multiple people can access, like a service account or custom Gmail.

  • If you opt to use a Gmail account, make sure the password is strong and two-factor authentication is turned on.

  • Follow YouTube’s latest guidelines for creating a business channel that can have more than one manager or owner.

  • For account safety and to ensure page health, give multiple people full access to your YouTube channel. If you need someone to add to your page, email sociallyorange@okstate.edu and we’ll work with you. To add a channel manager, follow the instructions to change channel owners and managers.

  Channel description:

  • The first few words of your channel description are the most important, as YouTube shows only the first 40-100 characters in the preview text snippet next to your channel in search results, depending on the device. Communicate your channel purpose immediately, without duplicating your page name.

  • Add other relevant social media and web links to your page.

  • Spell out “Oklahoma State University” at least once in your channel description.

• Search Engine Optimization

  Titles:

  Strong SEO helps your videos get discovered. Use clear, keyword-rich titles that reflect what your audience might search for.

   

  Example:

  “Campus Tour of Oklahoma State University” rather than “Come Explore!”

   

  YouTube video titles have a character limit of 100 characters, but for optimal visibility in search results and thumbnails, it's recommended to keep titles under 70 characters.

  
  Video Descriptions:

  Create a video description template with all your videos that include links and hashtags relevant to your account. On the top of the template, write a custom, brief summary for each video with keywords and phrases that users might use to search for your video online.

   

  View description example here.

   

• Creating Content that Stands Out

  The first shot of your video is the most important. Most YouTube users decide whether to continue watching a video within the first 3-8 seconds. If they're not captivated during this initial period, they will likely scroll past or click away. Creating engaging content in the beginning is crucial for retaining viewers.

   

  Avoid using title slides or stock videos – especially at the beginning of your video. The more interesting shots and sounds you can incorporate, the better your chance of retaining viewers.

• Engaging Thumbnails

  Thumbnails are a major factor that drives click-through-rate, an important metric that YouTube uses to determine if they offer videos to a wider audience.
  
  Thumbnails should feature compelling photography and people when possible, but custom graphic thumbnails can work as well if they have interesting elements. Editing graphics and image thumbnails with large, relevant statements and words can also drive views and help users understand quickly what your video is about. FollowOSU’s brand guidelines when creating thumbnails.
  
  The title and thumbnail should feature different statements/words that work together.

• Playlists

  Categorizing your videos into relevant “buckets” of topics and content helps users find the information they want and ensures your page stays organized.

   

  Consider which playlists users will look for the most, and organize your homepage with those playlists on top so they are easy to find.

• Posting and Promoting

  The first 48 hours after posting matter the most. Promoting your video as it uploads helps get more views and engagement.

  • YouTube posts (formally known as community posts) can help drive attention to your content. Posts can include images, gifs, links or just text.

  • Promoting on other platforms (i.e., Facebook post with a link to watch on YouTube)

  When uploading, don’t select “Made for kids.” Even if your content is appropriate for a younger audience, this option is intended for channels that are making content only for kids. Using this feature will keep your video from being found by adults.

• YouTube Shorts vs. Long-Form Content

  YouTube Shorts are vertical videos under three minutes long, ideal for trends, event teasers and mobile engagement. Long-form content (over three minutes) allows for deeper storytelling. Shorts are also useful to hook viewers to guide them to long-form videos for more context.
  
  Shorts can link to more content inside the YouTube app, whether it’s a link to a long-form video, another Short or a livestream. Doing this helps convert Shorts views into engagement and additional views on other content.

   

  When uploading a long-form video, consider editing a quick, vertical teaser for YouTube Shorts to further promote your longer piece.

• Adding Channel Keywords

  Adding channel keywords can be a quick way to help YouTube start to figure out what you post and what your target audience is. 

   

  Some sample keywords to get you started should be: Oklahoma State University, okstate, OSU Cowboys.
  
  

  To add channel keywords to your account, start by going to “YouTube Studio” -> “Settings” -> “Channel” -> “Basic info”

• Using YouTube's Features 

  YouTube rewards videos that use their platform features. New tools and options roll out consistently, but these are key:

  Timestamping:

  Timestamping breaks your video into sections, letting you highlight key points for users to jump to. YouTube users have come to expect these features in professional YouTube content. Utilizing timestamps helps retain viewers by helping them find the sections of content they are looking for, instead of clicking away to a different video.

   

  Most videos should have at least three timestamps, with section titles that preview the information covered.

   

  End Screens:

  End screens should be added to the last 5–20 seconds of a video. End screens are a templated final frame of each of your videos. They can feature additional content from your channel, or encourage users to like and subscribe.

• Engaging with your Audience

  Managing a YouTube channel doesn’t end at upload. Replying to comments and interacting with users through things like polls and questions is important to engage your audience. Customer service is a vital aspect of social media.

• Accessibility

  YouTube auto-generates captions for videos. After upload, watch your video and edit any errors in the captioning process. You can also upload your own captions instead of relying on YouTube.

• Using YouTube Studio Analytics to Inform your Content

  YouTube Studio Analytics provides valuable data and graphs to help you understand your audience and optimize your content strategy. By analyzing key metrics like views, watch time, and engagement, you can identify key factors like when people are clicking away, how they found your video and much more.
  
  Analyzing this data can inform you on how to improve your YouTube channel and reach a wider audience more effectively.