According to YouTube’s Channel Re-Design Beta Blog, TODAY, September 30th, is the day YouTube will officially begin switching all user channels over to channel design 2.0. If you are still using the old version, be ready to accept change, because while not all channels will switch over instantly, YouTube says the full migration will be complete within the next two weeks. YouTube partners will be the last to “get the swap” (ouch! sounds like it hurts) and that occurs on October 14th.
YouTube Secret Weapon customers, clients, and blog readers may recall that this official, site-wide conversion was to have taken place back on July 15th, but it was postponed. SO, while the YouTube channel redesign team slowly whittled away at the remaining items on their to-do list, I went off and enjoyed the rest of my summer. 
(And by that I mean I took a break from the blog, and Paul and I halted development of YouTube Secret Weapon 2.0; however, it was not a YouTube-less summer for me. I continued coaching private clients one-on-one, some of whom I will showcase in future case studies. Yeah, I learned a bunch of killer new YouTube marketing tricks.)
While I’m not 100% in love with the new channel design layout, I have been figuring out ways to make the most out it. I promise to blog about some of the beneficial features in the future. In the meantime, I want to say something to those of you who have used (or hope to use) custom background images on your channel...
Customized YouTube Channel Backgrounds
With this official switch to the new design layout, any background images or custom color scheme settings you used on your previous YouTube channel will be lost or not work properly.
Actually, let me take a step back a moment and say: If you have not customized your YouTube channel, you definitely want to reconsider. It is wise to keep your branding consistent across all of your online properties. By making good use of a custom background image, you can modify your channel to look like an extension of your existing site(s) and/or profiles.
At the very least, you’ll want to choose a suitable color-scheme. But with the wealth of branding elements you can have put into a custom channel background image, it’s the way to go.
So with the new official design switch on the horizon, I went out and found a fantastic graphic designer to customize some new channel background images for both my YouTube Secret Weapon partner, Paul Colligan, as well as for one of my current clients, Mike Fry. (I also have one being created for the official YouTube Secret Weapon channel. Coming soon.)
FIRST, check out these absolutely STELLAR YouTube channel background designs by Kurt Austin of Catalyst Digital:
1. Fancy Fortune Cookies’ YouTube Channel – For my client Mike Fry’s custom fortune cookie company by the same name. WARNING: Do not view on an empty stomach!
http://youtube.com/user/fancyfortunecookies
Note that this channel is currently being used to feature videos sent in for a contest promotion that Fancy Fortune Cookies is running. This is a great way for you to think about using YouTube to promote your company, products, or services. Think about it: Mike hasn’t created any videos, but he has dozens being created about his product! That’s a lot of content.
The parts I especially like about this background image are the call-out arrows used to gain more channel subscribers (and who doesn’t want those?).
The one on the top-left, practically the first thing the eye catches:
And here’s a close up of the area just beneath the fold, heading the new profile information section:
What a difference a custom background image made for Fancy Fortune Cookies’ YouTube Channel, huh? (And yeah, those cookies are covered in white chocolate, and one has sprinkles!) Okay…where was I? Oh yeah, next example:
2. Paul Colligan’s New Media Training YouTube Channel Designer Kurt also designed this special custom background for my YouTube Secret Weapon partner and New Media expert, Paul Colligan. This color scheme and message are consistent with Paul’s branding:
http://youtube.com/user/colligan
Since the above image won’t let you see the lower half of Paul’s channel, check out what the actual image from the designer’s site looks like:
3. Secrets of Goal Setting YouTube Channel This design is also for my client Mike Fry. Note that this channel will not be developed until later this year. For now though, it’s got the branding in place:
http://youtube.com/user/secretsofgoalsetting
Here’s that image straight from the designer’s site:
So those are three examples that I’ve had Kurt do thus far. And the YouTube Secret Weapon channel is still in the works (mainly because Paul and I are working on a logo for the 2.0 version — on it’s way soon).
Now for some cool news…
Get Your Own Customized Channel Background Design — At a Discount
The good news is that Kurt Austin at Catalyst Digital has decided to offer a special discount to any of my YouTube Secret Weapon customers, clients, and/or blog readers. You can have a custom channel background designed by Kurt — specially catered to you and your online brand, products, or services — all by mentioning you read about him from my blog.
And for a limited time (which all depends on how quickly orders come in ) Kurt is offering a 50% off discount off of his regular $200 rate.
That means you can have your own customized YouTube
channel background designed for only $100!
Now there are plenty of free channel background layout design sites out there, but none of these are going to offer you something customized. They will all be generic, and likely also being used by other channels around YouTube.
To be unique, and to get your logo, name, product name, business name, even your website or blog domain onto your background…and to keep the color scheme and images consistent with your existing online branding, unless you are a whiz at Photoshop, you are going to have to hire a designer to do this for you.
So here again is the full deal:
- 50% off! A custom YouTube channel background for only $100 by mentioning this blog. (Normally $200.)
- Three (3) rounds of revisions, based on your feedback. Any revisions beyond that will entail a small fee.
- Contact Kurt Austin at ka.design(at)catalystdigital.com or check out his work at Catalyst Digital’s portfolio page.
And I’ll be back soon with more on the upcoming release of YouTube Secret Weapon 2.0.
Have fun with the new look of your YouTube channel!
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Julie,
Great post! Creating a custom YouTube channel is very important, plus it looks 100 times better! With YouTube owning the Video market it’s vital you keep on top of the new trends and functions, which you always seem to be right on top of things here in your YouTube blog. Well done!
Jared
Online Marketing Rules
Awesome stuff! Will definitely utilise these bad boys to promote my site. Roll on launch day.
http://www.fitnessequipmentbox.com
I love the new youtube layout. Thanks for the great ideas on how to customize it. That is something that I need to do really soon.
The thing I like the most about the new channels is you can keep your visitors there watching all of your videos without leaving your channel. What I don’t like is people leaves less comments as they have to click for the comment box to appear.
I liked the fortune cookies and the Indiana Jones designs but the one from Paul’s channel seems to be full of stuff, you don’t know where to look first (and the top arrow is not even pointing to the Subscribe section). The video preview is full of boxes and text and it doesn’t help the eye to concentrate on the subscribe and play buttons, the two more important buttons on every youtube page, I think.
@Nicolas - Thanks for the feedback on the designs. We are actually in the process of revising Paul’s design for the very reasons you mention. (We just noticed the misaligned top arrow last night, and that’s being fixed first.)
BTW, I agree with you on the annoying aspects of the new channels. I hope that, in time, they iron them out.
All my best, and thanks for stopping by to comment.
~Julie Perry
Hi Julie,
Thank you so much for keeping me updated on YouTube. I use my own background & it brands me very well.
The branding of one’s self is so important in the online marketing world
BTW, how much does this designer charge?
Simon
@Simon - Thanks for stopping by.
Kurt normally charges $200 for design work like this, but he is offering anyone who mentions have read about him on this blog a discount of 50% off: So it’s only $100. (I’ve forfeited my referral fee, too, so as to make this special offer.)
That $100 fee includes up to three revisions if you are not happy with what he comes up with. He’s also great about listening to what you want your design to say and how you want it to match your brand, and then incorporating that into your design. I think it’s definitely worth contacting him.
Many thanks for your comments,
~Julie
Brilliant post, I am looking forward to getting my own branded YouTUbe channel… very exciting…
Thank you for keeping us up to date.
Gail
Thanks for sharing Julie. Will direct my team to your page. Youtube is such an awesome place to brand one’s self and business and not a lot of people do Youtube. Keep up the great work.
Susan
Authentic Designer Handbags
Julie thanks for the heads up about the changes taking place on YouTube. You Rock!
Can you make more than one Channel Per your YouTube Account?
(It would be nice to Brand yourself for different subjects)
Or do you need to open up a 2nd account to have a different themed channel?
chDOVP I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!
Thanks for taking the time to create this. The internet game changes so fast and every tool in one’s arsenal to win customer share is very indispensable.
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