Even in B2B, video marketing is the future. But if you’re already pumping out hours of video content, you know there’s more you could be doing with it. Whether it’s a recorded webinar, podcast, or digital event, diversifying your video marketing strategy to include YouTube is essential.

You just need to know how to do it. In today’s article, we’ll share step-by-step details for how to easily format your video content for YouTube—including, all the right size requirements, how to set up and run your YouTube channel, and more.

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The standard YouTube aspect ratio for a computer is 16:9. If your video has a different aspect ratio, the YouTube video player will automatically change to the ideal size to match your video and the viewer’s device.

Let’s take a look at some of the best aspect ratios for YouTube video uploads, including the top use cases and pros and cons for each.

The 16:9 aspect ratio is the top-used aspect ratio on YouTube for a reason. Widely used in filmmaking, broadcast television, and online streaming platforms, it’s the standard aspect ratio for HD and Full HD content on most TVs, monitors, and devices.

Pros:

• Provides a cinematic and immersive viewing experience.
• Compatible with a wide range of devices, smartphones, and platforms.

Cons:

• Can be challenging to edit when adapting content for other aspect ratios.
• May not always be the best choice for social media or mobile viewing.

Otherwise known as the square video format ratio, the 1:1 aspect ratio is the ideal size for your YouTube profile picture and is often used for showcasing products or screen recordings.

Pros:

• Creates a balanced and symmetrical appearance.
• Works well for mobile viewing as it occupies more screen space.

Cons:

• May require extra effort in framing shots.

This aspect ratio was commonly used in older TV sets and some digital cameras. However, it can stil be suitable for certain types of artistic or nostalgic videos where a vintage look is desired.

Pros:

• Works well for displaying standard definition content.
• Can evoke a sense of nostalgia or classic filmmaking.

Cons:

• Not optimal for modern widescreen displays.
• May result in letterboxing (black bars on the sides) when viewed on newer devices.

Tailored for vertical videos commonly seen on platforms like Instagram Stories and TikTok.

Often used for quick, engaging content that targets mobile users.

Pros:

• Maximizes screen space on mobile devices held in portrait orientation.
• Ideal for capturing attention quickly in a fast-paced social media feed.

Cons:

• Can limit the viewing experience on larger screens or traditional formats.
• Not suitable for content that requires a wider field of view or detailed landscape shots.

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The best video format for YouTube is .MP4 because it offers high-quality video compression, compatibility with a range of different devices, and efficient streaming.

However, YouTube lets you upload a range of video formats, including:

• .MOV: A multimedia container format developed by Apple, commonly used for storing video and audio data.
• .MPEG-1: A standard digital video format that offers relatively low-quality compression suitable for VCDs or online streaming.
• .MPEG-2: An older digital video format known for its high-quality compression, commonly used for DVDs and digital broadcasting.
• .MPEG4: A versatile and widely supported video format known for its high compression efficiency and compatibility with various devices and platforms.
• .MP4: An extremely popular and widely used digital multimedia format that offers high-quality video compression and compatibility across different devices and platforms.
• .MPG: A common file extension for MPEG video files, suitable for sharing videos online or storing high-quality video content.
• .AVI: Audio Video Interleave format, developed by Microsoft, is known for its high-quality video and audio playback compatibility across different platforms and devices.
• .WMV: Windows Media Video format, developed by Microsoft, known for its efficient compression and playback on Windows systems.
• .MPEGPS: A video format specifically designed for MPEG Program Streams, commonly used for DVDs and digital broadcasting.
• .FLV: Flash Video format, known for its small file size and high-quality video playback, popular for online streaming and web video content.

Note: For the complete list of acceptable formats, see YouTube’s supported file formats list.

Here’s a short but powerful list of guidelines to help you optimize your YouTube uploads for maximum reach:

• Add keyword-driven titles and descriptions: Use relevant keywords in your video titles and descriptions for better search visibility. One easy way to do this is to simply head to the YouTube search bar to try out related keywords prospects are searching for.
• Use quality YouTube video thumbnails: Create visually appealing thumbnails that accurately represent your video content. Remember, the main goal is to entice viewers to click.
• Repurpose your content: Reformat and share your existing video content across different platforms to reach a wider audience.
• Collaborate with influencers: Partner with influencers in your niche to leverage their audience and boost your video's reach. For example, with its audio and video podcast Cisco Champion Radio, Cisco connects with top experts in tech to discuss trending topics, boosting brand authority and reach.
• Launch a Content Series: With a repeatable series, you can build anticipation and attract a loyal audience to your YouTube channel by consistently addressing topics that matter to your viewers. Just make sure you develop a clear and recognizable premise, and that it’s led by peers in order to increase relevance to your audience.

For example, at Goldcast, our Coffee Corner series is the ultimate webinar series where marketers gather to spill the beans on the latest trends and happenings in the world of marketing.

The benefits of video marketing are only limited by your imagination. With the right set of tools, it’s easy to publish a steady stream of video content perfectly optimized for YouTube.

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As video marketing continues to play an increasingly important role in B2B marketing, events are the key to unlocking engaging, successful videos at scale.

“We identify the most engaging bits through Content Lab and we host them onto our YouTube channel, which serves as an evergreen resource enhancing ongoing engagement and SEO opportunities. Since our platform is so visual, we're really leaning into YouTube to help showcase the power behind our solutions,” explains Head of Marketing & Growth, Kelly Cheng.

With the power of video repurposing, you can seamlessly convert your event footage into multi-modal video content that wins views, clicks, and pipeline.

To recap, let’s take a look at some of the top frequently asked questions about YouTube videos.

To resize YouTube videos, you can adjust the dimensions before uploading or use the Edit Video feature on YouTube to trim or crop the video to the desired size.

YouTube takes a long time to upload videos due to factors like file size, internet connection speed, server load, and processing time for quality checks and video optimization.

Your video resolution may look low-quality on YouTube due to insufficient video resolution settings during upload, slow internet speed affecting playback, or compression artifacts from video encoding.

Ready to level up your video marketing? With Goldcast, you get professional-grade video production tools to ensure high-quality videos, plus a wide range of audience engagement tools, and live captioning and translation tools to help you save time and resources.

Try the freemium version of Content Lab today, or book a demo of Goldcast