But there are always debates on the need for an intro. Do you really need one? What kind of intro should you use? How do you design an intro that adds value to your channel? Let’s answer all these questions in this blog. 

Do You Really Need a YouTube Intro? 

Short answer – yes. Having a YouTube intro can significantly boost engagement on your channel. When you have a well-designed intro, that is. We’ll list down some of the benefits of adding a YouTube intro to your videos and then you can decide for yourself. 

• Intros help make a memorable first impression. And for a visiting viewer, the first impression might often be the last. Your intro can be that factor that impresses them and convinces them to consider hitting that subscribe button. 
• A well-designed intro shows how professional you are. Viewers make a subliminal judgment about a channel and the creator, or the brand behind the channel from the intro alone. With consistent-looking thumbnails to create an aesthetic YouTube feed, intros that build familiarity, and an outro that creates an air of suspense you show your viewers how organized you are. And you are showing them that you are sure about what you are doing. That’s a trait that your potential customers might look for in order to trust you. 
• An intro helps in branding. Even personal YouTube channels need to think about branding for the long-term growth and progress of the channel. 
• The intro can give a quick peek into your personality or your brand’s unique personality. This way people will instantly understand whether your videos are relevant to them. This helps in bringing genuinely interested subscribers who tend to stick on for a longer duration. 

7 Useful Tips for a Killer YouTube Intro 

1. Plan the optimal length for your intro 

Some channels have intro videos that span for 10 seconds or more and some do not have an intro at all. So, what is the ideal length for a YouTube intro? 

A YouTube intro is meant to quickly familiarize your audience with your channel, your style, and the kind of value you offer. Put in simple words, it is about creating a strong first impression. And you do not get a lot of time to make a first impression. So, keep your intro short and catchy. 

A good 3-7 second intro works in most cases. But of course, you are the best judge of the content you offer. And once your channel picks up pace, your subscribers will be. 

Ted Talk videos are long and informative, but the intro remains crisp and exciting. 

Short intros like these are often enough for branding. Nearly 47% of marketers consider short-form videos as the better option to go viral. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Reels – there are short-form videos everywhere. During times like these when customers like quick and crisp videos, your YouTube intro cannot be too long. Otherwise, your viewers might end up skipping the intro or sometimes the video itself. 

You can always do A/B testing by creating two versions of your intro each of different lengths. And then you can observe how each video performs and where the viewership drops. These results will help you better gauge the right length for your intro. Because what works for one channel might not always work for another. 

2. Optimize the intro to suit your brand

Did you know that 68% of YouTube viewers use the platform to make purchase decisions? So, if you are a marketer or entrepreneur using your YouTube channel as an extension of your social media marketing plan, then your intro will be a good place to go strong with your brand. 

With all that said, you should also know that even as an individual YouTube creator, you should still think about branding. Yes, we keep saying that often because branding brings consistency. Consistency breeds familiarity. And familiarity builds a connection between you and your audience. That’s exactly what you need to grow your channel and maintain your viewership. 

The intro video of the YouTube channel, Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell has always grabbed attention. It has evolved over the years but you will see that the channel keeps two things constant:

• The intro uses plenty of colors that align with the colorful themes used in the channel’s animated videos. 
• It conveys that the channel is about educational content from various niches. 

Kimp Tip: Are you a content creator on YouTube looking for ways to build a brand out of your channel? The Kimp team can help you with that. When you choose a Kimp Graphics + Video subscription, you get both graphic designs and video designs at a fixed monthly rate. You can give your dedicated team the raw footage you have for your videos and they will edit them to your liking. And they will also help you create catchy thumbnails for the videos, add captions, create a YouTube intro, social media images, and Story videos to bring more traffic to your YouTube channel. 

In short, one subscription can take care of all types of designs you need to promote and grow your channel. 

3. Using logo animations as the YouTube intro

One of the easiest intro ideas that work for nearly every channel in every niche is logo animation. Of course, there are many ways to use logo animations in marketing. But using them as the YouTube intro is one of the most effective ways to obtain brand recall. 

Some use their logo animation as the closure clip or the outro. That’s a good idea too. But the first few seconds in any video matter the most. And it is during these first few seconds that your viewers are the most attentive. Naturally, the intro will be a great spot to place your logo animation. And thus engrave your brand identity strongly in your viewers’ minds. 

So do you have an animated version of your logo? If not, now is a good time to book a call with the Kimp team and create one for your brand. 

4. Pay attention to the entertainment aspect 

There is a subtle excitement in hearing your favorite jingle and knowing that your favorite TV show is on air. We are used to that. The majority of your audience is used to that. Your YouTube intro is going to mimic something like that. With catchy audio, some cool animations, and other little details you need to create something entertaining. That’s your own version of a memorable jingle for your customers to remember your YouTube channel better. 

If that does not convince you, hear this: According to Google, the two top reasons why most people watch YouTube is “to relax” and “to feel entertained”. So, yes, while your intro can be many things, it should be entertaining too. 

The variety series Good Mythical Morning is known to be fun and comical. And its intro video perfectly captures that. It is a great example of a simple and entertaining YouTube intro. 

5. Include movement 

To get the ball rolling, you need to incorporate plenty of movement. A simple static image will work as a thumbnail but for the intro, you need something dynamic and energetic. Lively music, relevant eye-catching animations, and bright statement colors can all pull your users back to the screen even if they have been distractedly scrolling through videos. 

All the movement and music will get your viewers excited. And this is one way to let them know that there is something exciting in store for them.

If you do not know what kind of movement to add or if you wish to create the briefest intro possible, then animated typography works. We spoke about logo animations a while ago. If you want to use your logo animation towards the end, then you can also come up with a brief copy for your intro. This copy could be a simple list of topics that you cover in your channel. Or a tagline you have for your channel. Any text that will make a strong positive impression of your brand will work. 

Once you have this text ready, you can use animated typography to bring this copy to life. And with some good music that goes well with the animation style and the colors and visual themes of this typography, you have a fool-proof intro for your channel. 

6. Make the most of character animations 

If you look at all of the intro video examples we stated so far, you will notice that each one is of a different kind. You can choose from animations, animated text, static image loops, logo animations, and a whole lot of other formats. The choice here really depends on what you think will best suit the kind of content you create and the mood you have set for your channel. 

Do you want users to look at your channel as a reliable source of information or one that never fails to entertain? Based on this you can set the theme. And if you do not find suitable animations to capture this you can always use character animations. This starts by coming up with a custom character that will act as your brand’s mascot. And then you can use an animated version of this character as your intro. 

With this there are two benefits:

• Since you use your custom character, there is no risk of your intro looking similar to what’s already out there. 
• And with your character optimized to suit your brand’s personality, you also achieve strong branding. 

7. Stay authentic 

For each social media platform, you should have a different approach. On LinkedIn it’s more formal, on Facebook and Instagram it’s more casual, on Twitter it is conversational and on YouTube, it is a bit of everything. But the one thing that will set you apart is your authenticity. 

If you try to mimic the YouTube intros of famous channels or use an idea that works for your competitor, it will do more harm than good. You do not want your customers to think of a competing brand or a competitor channel when they watch your video, do you? 

That’s why when it comes to YouTube intro, you should be extra careful about the images, illustrations, video clips, and audio you use. All of them need to be unique. Stay away from stock elements for the intro. Instead, get a custom intro video created for your brand. As we discussed earlier, even a simple logo animation will do. 

And when you choose music, stay away from tracks that are very commonly used. And even tracks that are trending on social media in Reels. Instead, go with a tune that is easy to remember and somehow captures the vibe in your channel. Be very careful about the licensing terms of audio tracks so that you do not violate any copyright terms. 

Create Memorable YouTube Intros With Kimp

A great intro warrants a great first impression. Who doesn’t want that for their YouTube channel, right? So, why dispute the effectiveness? Create one that strengthens your brand and excites your viewers every time they watch it. It is going to add so much value to your videos. Do it right and your viewers will start looking forward to your intro. Whether you want to create one from scratch or edit an existing one, the Kimp Video subscription has you covered. 

Sign up for your free trial today.