You can’t!
Sorry.
When it comes to setting up your YouTube Channel for the first time, you have to be very careful. Because you are (almost completely) stuck with your username, consider carefully how your Channel will be used before deciding how to brand it.
Tim Schmoyer of ReelSEO realized this his username wasn’t really effective:
As Tim says, there’s now way to change your username without creating a whole new account, which means you would lose your uploads, views, subscribers and friends. However, if you become a Partner Channel, you can create a vanity URl that redirects to your existing Channel/username.
The YouTube Partner Program is set aside for large brands and power-users who want to generate revenue from their existing audience. Anyone can apply, but unless your videos are attracting hundreds of thousands of views, don’t get your hopes up at the prospect of getting in.
So how do you get started with YouTube in a way that won’t get you in the same situation as poor Tim?
Choose your username wisely!
Pick a username that people can remember easily. Try not to include any numbers or characters.
Pick a username that will reproduce on print and on video. Keep it short.
Pick a username that matches your brand identity or business/organization name. You can see from Tim’s example that http://www.youtube.com/schmoyertim communicates better than http://www.youtube.com/godrox. Using your brand or business name is always a good way to go.
What if I can’t get the username I want?
If the username you want is being used by an active account, you’re out of luck, unless you can prove copyright infringement or impersonation. YouTube can and has released inactive or dormant accounts to users who can prove trademark rights. When I first started at BCforward, youtube.com/bcforward had been registered but was not in use. I filed a claim and, a few weeks later, got access to the username. Check YouTube’s Policy Guidelines for more info.
If you absolutely can’t get ahold of your brand username, be creative. Try adding something geo-specific, like “Indy,” to the end of the username you want. Or, you can bypass brand identity altogether and focus on keywords. For example, if you own a landscaping business and someone has your exact name already, try something like “IndyLandscaping” or “IndyLawnCare.”
Know when to walk away.
If you have a Channel that has a few videos, but not many views, start over. Download your videos, register a new account with a username that makes sense, and re-subscribe to the accounts you were following. You might even alert previous friends ahead of time to make sure that they friend your new channel.
With the investment you’re going to make in YouTube (producing content and marketing your channel), follow these tips to ensure that you don’t regret your username later on!
About Steven Shattuck
