Why should I use YouTube cards and end screens in my video?
“YouTube is a video sharing service where users can watch, like, share, comment and upload their own videos.” Truth is, YouTube today is one of the most effective platforms existed. YT has over a billion users, and creator number of private or professional channels are increasing every day, there are three hundred hours of content upload on YT every minute! So the question is, how to have your highlight moment, to be special? The secret is in keeping the audience watch more of your content. Do not let them “walk away”, give them directions right to your channel! YouTube cards and end screens as a part of YT SEO optimization can help you with that.
The first thing to understand is that the YouTube algorithm is the computerized system that determines which videos people see when they’re on the site. Nothing is coincidence, so take the controller in your hands.
YouTube cards are actually notifications inside your video, which you can set up to help you to promote your brand. One video can contain 5 cards. There are different types of cards you can use, not only for promotion, then for getting information from an audience, link for your website, fan fonding or donations. The most often used are cards for another video or playlist. Adding card is not enough, what you have to pay attention is which videos to add and at what time. Easiest would be to just put it anywhere and set up your top 5 videos, but if you want your channel to growth, you need to think more strategic, because if you are promoting your most viewed videos, and they are not your latest videos, that will increase views on channel, but won’t “bring it to the next level”.
Use your top videos or playlist from last week, just be careful, a video is not marked as top one only because of a number of views, go throw you analytics and find also videos with best average watch time, or CTR, it depends on what is your goal for the channel. Minutes where you should put your first card is after your average view duration. That way you keep your audience long enough on your video to increase average view duration also, and redirect them on your next video where you can do the same. Pay atenttion what is happening in the video during your card apperance, if the second of video is very interesting or intense, do not breke it with cards, use them on “boring” parts of video, to keep their attention, or interested them for something more. Connect cards you suggest with current video topic — make auidence research simplier, and you performance better.
Example how YT video cards effect on increasing a channel where I implement it. This is video gaming channel, with over 1, 300, 000 subscribers.
Here you can see YT cards analytics for 30 days, from September 13 to October 13, when there was no special strategy for YT cards. Cards were in videos, and they had some audience reaction, but nothing significant, almost above 0% all the time.
Here you can see analytics for the only month after using cards optimization strategy, now increase is significant. In one moment it increases to 300% more than usual. It is over 150% almost all the time. Ups and downs depend of course about days in week, content, but important is that it continues to grow. Card clicks increase from 3, 300 to almost 6 000, which is an increase for almost 50%. Card teaser clicks also almost doubled, from 23 000 to 43 000.
Important tip, you can add a poll as your card, and find out some information directly from your audience, just make a call for action!
Here you can find how to add cards if haven’t used it before, it is very easy — YT Cards.
YouTube End screens are similar information as cards, only it appears when the video is finished, in last 5–20 seconds. You can choose to put certain video, or playlist. Options to put our most recent upload (YT automatically features it), best for a viewer (YT choose the video from your channel based on viewers preferences) or you can choose a video you want to show them. They can point viewers to other videos, playlists, channels on YouTube, your website or call for subscribing.
Same as for cards, try to connect your video topic with featured end screen. You can choose 1–4 end screens, and put them in position and size you want, so you do not cover the whole screen with it, because there are important announcements you can say in last seconds of video. Be careful with end screens, because YouTube doesn’t always put what you choose and end screens may be skipped, for example when your video is playing in background mode.
Cards will always be shown where you put them, so you can be sure for using them.
In my example, I am putting videos of polls for cards, and playlist for end screens. I choose one/two playlists I want them to see, that are most viewed, connected with the previous video, but one always left for option “best for the viewer”, so it can be shown playlist based on their usual search on YT.
Here you can see analytics for the same period as cards, and it also shows an increase, but mostly it has a constant because I use a similar strategy, it is not complicated as cards, you do not have that many options, and also you can not always effect will YT show it. Put your end screen on your every video, and during the time, it should pay off.
You can find how to add end screens if haven’t used it before — End screen.
Make the most of what platform as YouTube gives you, research about your sector, implement it on your channel, and you will see the difference! It is all about details, just listen carefully. Hope this article will help you learn deeply about parts of YT optimization.
If you have some questions or suggestions, feel free to write in comments!
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