I was learning to play the keyboard at the time and came across an upload by MysteryGuitarMan that lets you play a song by clicking on piano keys displayed on the screen. My song of choice? “Mary had a little lamb,” a classic for beginners. This interaction was possible due to YouTube annotations, a feature that opened up novel avenues for creativity and conversions on the platform. Although no longer available today, other tools have come to the fore.
→ Free Templates: How to Use YouTube for Business [Download Now]
In this article, I’ll cover:
- What were YouTube Annotations?
- What are YouTube Cards?
- What is a YouTube End Screen?
- How to Add YouTube Cards
- How to Add a YouTube End Screen
- YouTube Cards and End Screen Best Practices
What were YouTube Annotations?
YouTube annotations were an in-built feature introduced in 2008 that let creators layer text and links on their video, typically displayed on-screen for a specific duration. This opened up a variety of interactive options — to add remarks, title videos, prompt subscriptions, link to social channels/websites, highlight merchandise, include dialogue in thought balloons, and even create pick-your-own-ending storylines. You could develop annotations from within the platform using the annotations editor. There were five types of annotations to choose from: speech bubble, note, title, label, and spotlight. However, these were properly viewable only on desktop devices, not on mobile. With the proliferation of smartphones, among other factors, YouTube sunsetted its annotations editor in 2017 and ceased displaying earlier annotations on videos in 2019. YouTube cards and end screens have taken their place.
What are YouTube Cards?
YouTube cards, or info cards, are narrow clickable boxes — urging viewers to take a specific action — that appear near the upper edge of the screen for a short duration while a video is playing. Launched in 2015, it comes as a built-in feature within YouTube Studio that lets creators add these elements to videos. There are four types of cards currently available: video, playlist, channel, or link. Here’s an overview of what each type does, according to the YouTube Help Center. While not as versatile as YouTube annotations, the main draw is that cards work smoothly on mobile devices and offer a clutter-free viewing experience (taking up a small portion of the screen). Creators can use cards to share related videos, provide additional resources, or even promote certain websites (for those in YouTube’s Partner Program), all while the primary video is going on. Here’s a look at a YouTube card on the HubSpot Marketing channel (check out the top right corner from 02:15 to 02:20).
→ Free Templates: How to Use YouTube for Business [Download Now]
What are YouTube Cards?
YouTube cards, or info cards, are narrow clickable boxes — urging viewers to take a specific action — that appear near the upper edge of the screen for a short duration while a video is playing. Launched in 2015, it comes as a built-in feature within YouTube Studio that lets creators add these elements to videos. There are four types of cards currently available: video, playlist, channel, or link.
2024 Marketing Trends Report
Discover the challenges brands will face this year, with data from 1,400+ global B2B and B2C marketers.
What are YouTube Cards?
YouTube cards, or info cards, are narrow clickable boxes — urging viewers to take a specific action — that appear near the upper edge of the screen for a short duration while a video is playing. Launched in 2015, it comes as a built-in feature within YouTube Studio that lets creators add these elements to videos. There are four types of cards currently available: video, playlist, channel, or link.