How to customize your YouTube channel - 17 FREE backgrounds

1. Log into your YouTube account. Click the yellow "Edit Channel" button.

2. Set up your channel information - website URL, profile picture (88x88) and description.

3. Within Channel Design scroll down to Advanced Design Customization. Set background, link and border colors. If #ffffff means nothing to you, click on the blue pick link to choose your colors. You can hide features like the video log by unchecking the box.

4. Now the fun part - just under the Advanced Design Customization heading, YouTube allows you to BROWSE to your background image. Just save out one of the free YouTube backgrounds below into a folder on your system, then click browse and locate the file.

5. Click update channel.

You can see my old background here (Plain vanilla gray - get it below). I made my file 2000 pixels wide by 2000 pixels tall. My background is not set to repeat. This is how my latest background looks on my YouTube channel. Download it below - Halloween.

Click on the link below, then do a right click "Save image as".

1. Click here to view and save Twilight YouTube background from Style Campaign.com

Click on the link below, then do a right click "Save image as".

1. Click here to view and save BLUE YouTube background from Style Campaign.com

2. Click here to view and save WHITE YouTube background from Style Campaign.com

3. Click here to view and save PINK YouTube background from Style Campaign.com

Click on the link below, then do a right click "Save image as".

1. Click here to view and save Free Halloween YouTube background from Style Campaign.com

As the page grows longer you will see the bottom paint drips ect..

Click on the link below, then do a right click "Save image as".

1. Click here to view and save FASHION RED YouTube background from Style Campaign.com

2. Click here to view and save TIFFANY BLUE YouTube background from Style Campaign.com

3. Click here to view and save GREEN YouTube background from Style Campaign.com

4. Click here to view and save PLUM YouTube background from Style Campaign.com

5. Click here to view and save SKY BLUE YouTube background from Style Campaign.com

Click on the link below, then do a right click "Save image as".

1. Click here to view and save LEAFY YouTube background from Style Campaign.com

Click on the link below, then do a right click "Save image as".

1. Click here to view Camouflage

Click on the link below, then do a right click "Save image as".

1. Click here to view and download Minimal business gray

Click on the link below, then do a right click "Save image as".

1. Click here to view Animal print

Click on the link below, then do a right click "Save image as".

1. Click here to view Green daisy

Click on the link below, then do a right click "Save image as".

1. Click here to view Retro pink wallpaper

Click on the link below, then do a right click "Save image as".

1. Click here to view Cherry Blossom

View and save this FREE commemorative Obama inauguration Twitter background. Space to customize with slogans and photos. Feel free to RT. Any problems my Twitter id is @stylecampaign.

The settings I used for the colors are:

Background: #3868a7
Text: #424242
Links: #2575ad
Sidebar: #F8F8F8
Sidebar border: #F8F8F8

To view and download CLICK HERE

1. Barack Obama Twitter background (how it looks on my twitter page below):

{Download}


Click here (right click save picture as) for Obama background.

Before you would paste in a link like this:

http://stylecampaign.com/downloads/YouTube/StyleCampaign_gray.gif

The file was stored on my web server...

Now you have to save out my backgrounds below to a folder on your computer. This is easy, just click on the "Click Here" links below, then do a right click with your mouse and select "Save Image As". Then place the background into a folder on your system.

When you are back in YouTube click the browse button and go find that background in your folder...easy.

It still works you just have to have the file stored locally.

I tested this again today (Sep 22nd) with a reader who was having problems setting it up and it all works fine.

Any questions feel free to email me...

Download 6 FREE YouTube channel backgrounds
Click here to download a zip file, containing 6 Free YouTube backgrounds.

Alternatively click on each of the links below, then do a right click "Save image as".

1. Click here to view Minimal business gray

2. Click here to view Retro pink wallpaper

3. Click here to view Camouflage

4. Click here to view Animal print

5. Click here to view Cherry Blossom

6. Click here to view Green daisy

Make sure your background is NOT SET TO REPEAT. Select the No dial!

Inspiration - 5 cool customized channels
Check out these YouTube channels, I don't need to mention copyright do I?

1. AskTheDecorator - Meghan's popular design show - View background only

2. Obama- Barack Obama's official channel - Obama's YouTube background

3. Royal Channel - good enough for the Queen... Her Majestys background

4. Nylon Magazine - Fashion mag - Youtube background image

5. Threadbanger - Embellish yourself & your home - YouTube background

You may have noticed some sites have an extra banner on their user page like this:



Also a large banner on their Channel like this:



In order to get these additional branding privileges - and advertising revenue - you need to partner with YouTube. If you have enough hits and post fairly regularly you can apply here to become a partner. You need to set up a Google Adsense account first. YouTube places ads on your site, you get revenue every-time someone clicks an ad.

Click here to find out how to animate your YouTube partner banner or profile picture, like this one.

We're all agreed that online video works, period. Yet many of us are still hesitant to buy a camcorder. We're either too shy to get in front of one or scared off by contradictory reviews and intimidating technology.

To help you out, I approached businesses currently using online video to great effect. Among them 37signals, Blendtec of "Will It Blend?" fame and Gary Vaynerchuk. I asked them, "Which camcorder are you using?"

Starting with the cheapest:
1. Dressed Up!
{Flip Ultra camcorder} Price - $149 for 60mins

Michael Weintraub owner of Dressed Up!, used a Flip camcorder to increase his email click through rate from 17% to consistently getting over 50%. We sent out email newsletters with links to YouTube, rather than trying to embed the videos in the newsletter.

The Flip is easy to use, for many people like Michael the quality is, "good enough". Creating a web video needn't be a time drain or this big production. I know Michael spends around 30mins total on his segments, including the upload. To view one of Michael's YouTube videos filmed on the Flip click here.

2. Michael katz
{Aiptek HD - 1080P High Definition Camcorder} Price -$199

Michael Katz of Blue Penguin Development, writes one of my favorite email marketing newsletters. I've always liked that you can listen to it via podcast as well as read it.

Last month he added a new online video section titled, "How I Bake The Cake".
Michael tells me, "I'm using my kids' AIPTEK HD video camera. I think it's way overkill for my purposes but fairly easy to use. I tried using one of those cheap web cams several months ago but the quality was terrible. I also think there's a lot to be gained by doing some simple editing, improving the lighting, etc. This was very much a beginner's effort so nowhere to go but up!"
Watch one of Michael's video's on YouTube here.

3. Gale Tattersall
{Panasonic HDC-SD9 Camcorder } Price- $799.95 (Amazon are selling for it $519.99)

Gale Tattersall, director of photography for Fox TV's show 'House' calls this camcorder mind-blowing.
"I put what I had shot on the studio monitors, and the engineers were amazed. You could shoot a TV show with it--without a doubt."
To watch some footage Gale shoot around Santa Monica, and listen to his review click here.

4. Wine Country Media
{Canon GL2 } price - $1,999

Peter Hansen of Wine Country Media makes online videos for the real estate market. He uses,
"A simple "pro-sumer" Canon GL2 camera. The equal camera in the Sony line is the VX2100. Canons have better color, contrast, and work best with flowers and outdoors - natural light. Sony's are better in low light, but are not as vibrant or crisp. Canon GL2 - $2,500 total delivered. Sony VX2100 $2,600 delivered. Although internet deals are abundant above is the final packaged price with extras thrown in. - Peter Hansen.
View a selection of Peter's real estate tour video's here.

5. Will It Blend
{PANASONIC DVX 100B, not HD} Price - $2,995

Blendtec's "Will it Blend" YouTube video series increased their sales by 500% taking them to approx 40 million in 2007. Between YouTube and the Will it Blend Website, the video series has accumulated over 100 million hits and a bunch of awards.

Kels Goodman, Blendtec's video producer told me they use two camcorders: PANASONIC DVX 100B (not HD) $2,995, and the JVC GY-HD100U the upgrade of which is the JVC GY-HD110U $6,000. (Amazon sell it for $4,041)

Kels had these two tips:

1. Spend the extra money on an HD camera, it keeps the option of traditional broadcast delivery open. Three weeks after the launch of Blentec's first online video they appeared on the Today Show. They have also appeared on Jay Leno and the History Chanel.

2. Purchase the rights to any music you use before your videos become popular. When Kels first edited together the videos, he grabbed a theme tune from his music library. As they were about to be featured on the today show, Blentec had no choice but to pay an inflated price for the rights to their lead music.

To view an iPhone being blended click here.

6. Ask The Decorator
{Canon XH-A1 } Price - $3,299.88

Early last year, Meghan Carter began posting interior design videos on YouTube under the name AskTheDecorator. The hits started to appear overnight, her most watched video to date is, "How to make a Bow" at 94,116 views. Meghan shares advertising revenue with YouTube.

Meghan's videographer, Brent Walter, tells me they use a Canon XH-A1, check out one of Meghan's and Brent's shows here.

Interested in making money with how-to-videos? Check out Metacafe, ExpertVillage and Howcast.

7. Gary Vaynerchuk
{Sony HDR-FX1 and shoot in 1080i} Price - $3,699 (Rent for $200 a day)

Gary is the host of Wine library TV, his video blog is so popular he's been on Ellen DeGeneres and Conan O'Brien. He shots with a Sony HDR-FX1 and uses a Sony ECM-MSD1 microphone. He then imports the footage to iMovie 6 HD on a Mac for editing and to add titles.

After the editing is finished, they export the file out using the 3ivx codec. Screen size 640×360 encode at 24 fps at a data rate of 1000KB/s. The audio format the video is encoded is AAC with a sample rate of 48,000 kHz and a bit rate of of 128 KB/s.

After the file has encoded it is then uploaded to Viddler and converted to a flash file. Using the embed code that is provided by Viddler it's then placed into their Wordpress blog.

Watch an episode of Wine Library TV here.

8. 37signals
{Panasonic HVX200, using P2 Cards} Price - $5,995 (rent for $350 a day)

What could be more powerful than online video testimonials available for your prospective clients to view? My favorite are 37signals, Basecamp customer videos. Filmed by Chicago based Coudal Partners.
Steve Delahoyde of Coudal Partners told me, "I shot them all on a Panasonic HVX200, using P2 Cards. It's a great camera and, in my opinion, you can't ever go wrong with Panasonic's. Sony's pro-sumer line of cameras are nice, but I've never found them to be of the same quality as Panasonic."
If the price is too steep, consider renting a camcorder for the day. This one runs for around $350. To find a location near you click here.

Watch the Basecamp customer videos here.

If you have a link to some of your own online video, share it with us by leaving a reply below or emailing me (Anna Yeaman) Don't forget to include which camcorder you used...