YouTube just released an exciting new tool called End Screens. This Youtube tool will make your videos look more professional, and keep viewers watching.
They are YouTube’s answer to the question, “Why don’t my annotations work on mobile?” And YouTube’s response to the fact that Interactive Cards are not reaching the conversion numbers that were expected when the tool was first released. Now Youtube has created a way to incorporate annotation-like elements, while also give you ultimate control of where your viewer goes next.
End screens are mini icons or mini screens that you can place in the last 5 to 20 seconds of your video. The screens will consist of a call to action—Watch our next video! Visit our website! Or Check out our homes! Just to name a few. You can add up to 4 end screens to drive your viewer’s next actions.
End Screen options include:
- A link to another video
- A link to your other playlist
- A subscribe button
- A YouTube channel button
- An outside YouTube link.
You can add any combination of these elements barring one rule, you must add a video or playlist as one of your End Screens.
End Screens drive the viewer to react to your video; they are a gateway from the video to your website, product landing page, or another video. You choose where to direct the viewer next.
This feature is fresh, and should be a better use of the Youtube overlay options. Annotations as they exist now do not work on mobile devices. Because it can be used for mobile viewers unlike the older, and it is more easily added into video, End Screens are a much better option moving forward. Mobile use when watching videos is extremely high, and not slowing down anytime soon. Using these End Screens as a “mobile friendly” video marketing strategy should help increase mobile conversions.
Your end screen’s performance can even be tracked through YouTube’s analytics section. Watching these analytics overtime will show you what your audience engages with most—is it another video? Is it a link to your product? Use these CTA’s to optimize your end screens.
Now we’ll go through the adding an end screen process. We’re going to keep it simple for now, and just show you how to add a video end screen. There’s a few more complex elements that we’ll cover in further posts.
Here’s how to add an End Screen:
Choose a video from your video list. Click the edit button, selecting “End screen & Annotations.”
Explore the new layout. Your YouTube video will appear on the screen at the 20-seconds-from-the-end mark. This is where you can start adding screens, but you can add them as late a 5 seconds from the end. You’ll find a grid overlaying your video. This is where you can put the End Screens.
Start adding End Screens by clicking the add element button. You can add up to four different End Screens from videos and playlists, to a subscribe button, a channel button, or an outside of YouTube link. The only note here is that you must add a video or playlist as one of your End Screens. You can’t just add an outside link or subscribe button.
Add a video or playlist. After clicking this option you have several choices: most recent upload, best for viewer, or choose a video or playlist. You can let YouTube choose your best video for the viewer through “best for viewer” or choose something yourself from your videos. This depends on where you want to drive your audience.
Edit the video end screen’s placement. You can move the End Screen around or make it bigger or smaller. Once you position it, keep adding End Screens to fill out those final seconds of your video. And don’t forget to take some time to position your End Screens well! They need to look like they were designed to go together.
Share videos featuring your new End Screens with your audience, and see more traffic driven to your YouTube videos and websites! This feature works on every device: desktop, tablets, mobile phones, etc. Since “mobile friendliness” is crucial for your brands’ content now, and is only going to increase in the next few years, utilizing this End Screen strategy will continue to help drive traffic to your videos and websites.
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