Elevate Your Videos: YouTube Trailers Through Filmora

Do you want to know how to get more subscribers? Do you want your channel to be popular among those YouTube stars? Ok, we got you!

The most efficient and easy way to do this is by making a YouTube trailer. It will help to attract a new audience and give your channel a more artistic and pleasing approach. Scroll more to get secret tips!

Part 1. What is a YouTube trailer?

A YouTube trailer is a short intro video for your channel. What do you do? What is your content? It is a brief video that helps the new audience understand your channel.

In other words, a YouTube trailer is necessary for your channel. It will give the audience a better understanding of yourself and what to expect from your YouTube channel.

Note: also, the trailer will be visible for non-subscribed viewers who come to your channel for the first time. So as first impressions matter, they need to be creative and engaging.

Part 2. Don’t know where to start?

So you want to create a trailer and need help figuring out where to start? What if there are templates that will help you make your trailer and simplifies your work? Yes! Wondershare Filmora will make your way easy and give you unlimited effects.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step1 Start with a hook

Your first step will be to find a way to engage your audience so that they will be interested in your channel or content from the very beginning. To do this, follow the below steps and enjoy the next with your audience.

For example

Step1 Ask a question.

Step2 Start with a problem and a solution.

Step3 Use a hypothetical situation with the words like “What if.”

Step4 Open with an exciting fact

Step5 Tell a story without finishing it.

The trick here is to get the viewers’ attention within 5 seconds, so they’re interested in your channel from the beginning. Also, it intrigues them to keep watching.

Step2 Tell a little about yourself

Make a short intro, depending on the content and your presence on the screen. Again, developing a friendly relationship between the viewers and yourself is beneficial.

You can add a quick introduction about yourself and your backstory. It will create a sense of personal attachment to the channel and help you engage better with the audience.

Note: keep in mind to make a short intro. Please don’t spend too much time on it. And remember, it’s all about the audience.

Step3 Show, not just tell

Showing the audience what the channel is about is essential. Therefore, you need to spend some time selecting your best footage and graphics to showcase and illustrate your content.

One of the easiest ways is to use perfect music. So if you want to know how to select the right song, go and look at our new release,the power of music , where we teach you everything you need to know for this.

Step4 Channel values

Here, you should explain to your audience the purpose of your channel and what they can expect from you. At this stage, new potential viewers can get you, whether your goal is to entertain them, teach something specific, or discuss certain topics and how you intend to achieve them.

Determine the style of your video

You can refer to the most popular style in your area. Then, making the possibilities endless, you name it!

• A vlogger video, in which you have to record your daily activities. You can utilize a special occasion or a visit to historical sites or other landscapes of nature.
• A Gamer video, in which you will record your reaction to those chilly horror games or maybe competitive gaming where you can cherish your achievements with your audience.
• Introduce new challenges through your videos.
• Introduce voiceovers over motion captures.
• Storyteller, in which you will tell about fictional and non-fictional moments.

Step5 Schedule

Schedules are vital if you want regularly engaging viewers. The audience will be kept track of your activities and be there as soon as you upload your video. Also, new viewers know when to expect new content from you and commit to your goal, so they know your strategy.

Step6 Call to action

What is a Video CTA? A CTA is an action you want your target audience to do after watching a trailer. And that is to subscribe to your YouTube channel.

Tips for your CTA in your trailer

• Please keep it simple, and do not overdo it. Make sure to keep the trailer under a minute or at least two minutes.
• There is no need to ask them to follow you on other platforms other than YouTube.
• If you feel these platforms will keep your audience on track, then do so.
• Beginners should refrain from doing it.
• Keep it friendly and give them the option to do so.

Best Practice To Create an Ideal Trailer for Your YouTube Channel

All the details have been shared on creating an ideal trailer for your YouTube channel. To make it simple, check out these three takeaways.

• Keep all the information related to your channel in the trailer, and be true to yourself and your content style.
• You do not want to switch from a style so frequently that it will affect your views and subscribers.
• Repetition will kill off the vibe of a good trailer. Do not use recurrent images or clips in your video

Alright! Following the steps mentioned above, you will be able to create a good YouTube trailer that will not only attract more subscribers to your channel. It will also allow them to stay hooked on your new and upcoming content. If you know more tips, share them with us.

Part 2. Don’t know where to start?

So you want to create a trailer and need help figuring out where to start? What if there are templates that will help you make your trailer and simplifies your work? Yes! Wondershare Filmora will make your way easy and give you unlimited effects.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step1 Start with a hook

Your first step will be to find a way to engage your audience so that they will be interested in your channel or content from the very beginning. To do this, follow the below steps and enjoy the next with your audience.

For example

Step1 Ask a question.

Step2 Start with a problem and a solution.

Step3 Use a hypothetical situation with the words like “What if.”

Step4 Open with an exciting fact

Step5 Tell a story without finishing it.

The trick here is to get the viewers’ attention within 5 seconds, so they’re interested in your channel from the beginning. Also, it intrigues them to keep watching.

Step2 Tell a little about yourself

Make a short intro, depending on the content and your presence on the screen. Again, developing a friendly relationship between the viewers and yourself is beneficial.

You can add a quick introduction about yourself and your backstory. It will create a sense of personal attachment to the channel and help you engage better with the audience.

Note: keep in mind to make a short intro. Please don’t spend too much time on it. And remember, it’s all about the audience.

Step3 Show, not just tell

Showing the audience what the channel is about is essential. Therefore, you need to spend some time selecting your best footage and graphics to showcase and illustrate your content.

One of the easiest ways is to use perfect music. So if you want to know how to select the right song, go and look at our new release,the power of music , where we teach you everything you need to know for this.

Step4 Channel values

Here, you should explain to your audience the purpose of your channel and what they can expect from you. At this stage, new potential viewers can get you, whether your goal is to entertain them, teach something specific, or discuss certain topics and how you intend to achieve them.

Determine the style of your video

You can refer to the most popular style in your area. Then, making the possibilities endless, you name it!

• A vlogger video, in which you have to record your daily activities. You can utilize a special occasion or a visit to historical sites or other landscapes of nature.
• A Gamer video, in which you will record your reaction to those chilly horror games or maybe competitive gaming where you can cherish your achievements with your audience.
• Introduce new challenges through your videos.
• Introduce voiceovers over motion captures.
• Storyteller, in which you will tell about fictional and non-fictional moments.

Step5 Schedule

Schedules are vital if you want regularly engaging viewers. The audience will be kept track of your activities and be there as soon as you upload your video. Also, new viewers know when to expect new content from you and commit to your goal, so they know your strategy.

Step6 Call to action

What is a Video CTA? A CTA is an action you want your target audience to do after watching a trailer. And that is to subscribe to your YouTube channel.

Tips for your CTA in your trailer

• Please keep it simple, and do not overdo it. Make sure to keep the trailer under a minute or at least two minutes.
• There is no need to ask them to follow you on other platforms other than YouTube.
• If you feel these platforms will keep your audience on track, then do so.
• Beginners should refrain from doing it.
• Keep it friendly and give them the option to do so.

Best Practice To Create an Ideal Trailer for Your YouTube Channel

All the details have been shared on creating an ideal trailer for your YouTube channel. To make it simple, check out these three takeaways.

• Keep all the information related to your channel in the trailer, and be true to yourself and your content style.
• You do not want to switch from a style so frequently that it will affect your views and subscribers.
• Repetition will kill off the vibe of a good trailer. Do not use recurrent images or clips in your video

Alright! Following the steps mentioned above, you will be able to create a good YouTube trailer that will not only attract more subscribers to your channel. It will also allow them to stay hooked on your new and upcoming content. If you know more tips, share them with us.

Enhancing User Experience: Strategic Placement of Alerts on YouTube Content

How to Add YouTube Annotations and Cards?

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Update: YouTube has replaced annotation with end screen. You can find the latest informaiton about YouTube screen and YouTube cards here.

YouTube Cards and Annotations are very useful if you want to encourage your viewrs to take an action, like Subscribe, go to another video or associated website, etc. Today, we’re going to show you the differences between cards and annotations, and how to add them in YouTube videos.

---

Do you want to make your YouTube video more attractive? Wondershare Filmora is a such video editing software designed for YouTube creator. It not only allows you cut, trim, crop, zoom, reverse, rotate the video clips, but also makes the advanced features like green screen, PIP, tilt-shift and mosaic easy like a piece of cake. With Wondershare Filmora, you can ignite your YouTube videos with over 300 effects like Fashion, Beauty, Block Buster, Travel, etc.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

The main difference between annotation and cards is their outlook. Cards are more graphical whereas annotations are text based. The cards slide in once you click the small “i” button on the video where as the annotation is there based on the timings set by the user. Moreover the main differences between the two are:

1. YouTube Cards are small and unobtrusive, unless a viewer chooses to click on them, which is why they are the better option when you are trying to get views on other videos. Irritating a few people with a big annotation might be worth it if you also draw other people’s attention to your cause or website, but it is not a good way to endear yourself to people you are trying to get views and subscriptions from. When a card is clicked a thumbnail will appear with a link to your additional content. YouTube Cards are often better than annotations for adding links to your videos because they look much tidier. Also, unlike annotations, cards will be visible to people watching your videos on their mobile devices.

2. You cannot use Cards just to insert notes into your videos, though, and you cannot adjust their size like you can with annotations. So, if you do need a link to be large and extremely noticeable, annotations might still be your best option. Cards and annotations can even be used in combination sometimes.

• Part 1: How to Add YouTube Cards
• Part 2: How to Add YouTube Annotations

How to add YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are similar to annotations but more interactive. They allow the owner of the video to add images and other links. A small box appears, clicking on which will activate the cards.

• Click on the “Video Manager” tab

• Click “Edit” tab under the video screen shot you want to add the card on
• Click on the “Cards” tab

• On the right panel click on “Add Card” drop down menu and select the type of card you want to add
• Click on the create button which will open the corresponding video
• Once you finish the subsequent information required click create card
• Select the timeline for the playhead to appear which leads to the card slide

• Apply changes and exit

How to add YouTube annotations

YouTube Annotation is addition of a text layer, link or hotspots over your video. They add interactive boxes which link to other websites or videos (any link you want).

• Click on the video manager tab
• Click edit tab under the video screen shot you want to add the annotation on
• Click on the “End screen & Annotation” tab

• On the right panel click on “+ Add Element” and select the kind of annotation you want to add
• Adjust the position of Annotation, you can drag the rectangle to locate it at any position of the video, move the slide to set the start and end time of the annotation

• Apply changes

The types of YouTube annotations:

1. Speech Bubbles

Speech Bubbles: look like the dialogue box in a comic strip. There is a tail which you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation. Speech bubbles are great for adding in funny comments.

2. Notes

Notes: come in a limited selection of colors and can be adjusted to take up a maximum of 30% of your player screen. Sometimes you need a huge annotation to get an important point across, but using huge note annotations too often – especially near the beginnings of your videos – will annoy viewers. If you need a large note annotation make sure to place it later in your video, when a viewer will already be invested in what they are watching and less likely to click away.

3. Titles

Titles: are large pieces of text that go either at the beginning of your video or in-between different topics within your video. YouTube’s titles are not very nice to look at, but they are a decent option if you do not have access to video editing software.

4. Spotlights

Spotlights: have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a user hovers over the spotlight. Spotlights are great for turning elements within your video into links.

5. Labels

Labels: are completely transparent, like spotlights, but the user does not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

6. Pauses

Pauses: are no longer available to add to your videos, although Pause Annotations added before they were removed still work. Pause Annotations used to stop your video for a set period of time when your annotation appeared.

If somebody watches your video and gets to the end then that means they enjoyed it and will probably be open to checking out more of your content. Rather than hoping that your other videos show up in the ‘Suggested Videos’ YouTube will show after yours has finished playing you should always include an outro, or ending card, after your video to recommend your own work. Annotations are used in a lot of successful YouTuber’s ending cards.

One form this takes is small Note annotations in the bottom corners of the screen, one linking to your previous video and one to the next. Sometimes your viewers might not necessarily get the most enjoyment out of your videos by watching them in order, though. Sometimes you want to link viewers to the videos that are most related to the one they just watched.

The best outros also include a subscribe button, which can be created using annotations. These annotations work best when combined with a verbal call to action. Make sure your outro lasts long enough for people to make the decision to subscribe or click another video.

No matter what kind of annotations you are using, you should never use more than two of them at a time anywhere except for your outro. You should also never place annotations at the very top of your screen, or in the middle at the bottom. If your video is embedding on a separate website then the player will cover annotations at the top of the screen, and ads might cover annotations placed in the bottom-middle of the screen. Keep in mind when using annotations that they will not be visible to users watching your videos on mobile devices. If mobile traffic is very important to you then consider using YouTube Cards.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Update: YouTube has replaced annotation with end screen. You can find the latest informaiton about YouTube screen and YouTube cards here.

YouTube Cards and Annotations are very useful if you want to encourage your viewrs to take an action, like Subscribe, go to another video or associated website, etc. Today, we’re going to show you the differences between cards and annotations, and how to add them in YouTube videos.

---

Do you want to make your YouTube video more attractive? Wondershare Filmora is a such video editing software designed for YouTube creator. It not only allows you cut, trim, crop, zoom, reverse, rotate the video clips, but also makes the advanced features like green screen, PIP, tilt-shift and mosaic easy like a piece of cake. With Wondershare Filmora, you can ignite your YouTube videos with over 300 effects like Fashion, Beauty, Block Buster, Travel, etc.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

The main difference between annotation and cards is their outlook. Cards are more graphical whereas annotations are text based. The cards slide in once you click the small “i” button on the video where as the annotation is there based on the timings set by the user. Moreover the main differences between the two are:

1. YouTube Cards are small and unobtrusive, unless a viewer chooses to click on them, which is why they are the better option when you are trying to get views on other videos. Irritating a few people with a big annotation might be worth it if you also draw other people’s attention to your cause or website, but it is not a good way to endear yourself to people you are trying to get views and subscriptions from. When a card is clicked a thumbnail will appear with a link to your additional content. YouTube Cards are often better than annotations for adding links to your videos because they look much tidier. Also, unlike annotations, cards will be visible to people watching your videos on their mobile devices.

2. You cannot use Cards just to insert notes into your videos, though, and you cannot adjust their size like you can with annotations. So, if you do need a link to be large and extremely noticeable, annotations might still be your best option. Cards and annotations can even be used in combination sometimes.

• Part 1: How to Add YouTube Cards
• Part 2: How to Add YouTube Annotations

How to add YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are similar to annotations but more interactive. They allow the owner of the video to add images and other links. A small box appears, clicking on which will activate the cards.

• Click on the “Video Manager” tab

• Click “Edit” tab under the video screen shot you want to add the card on
• Click on the “Cards” tab

• On the right panel click on “Add Card” drop down menu and select the type of card you want to add
• Click on the create button which will open the corresponding video
• Once you finish the subsequent information required click create card
• Select the timeline for the playhead to appear which leads to the card slide

• Apply changes and exit

How to add YouTube annotations

YouTube Annotation is addition of a text layer, link or hotspots over your video. They add interactive boxes which link to other websites or videos (any link you want).

• Click on the video manager tab
• Click edit tab under the video screen shot you want to add the annotation on
• Click on the “End screen & Annotation” tab

• On the right panel click on “+ Add Element” and select the kind of annotation you want to add
• Adjust the position of Annotation, you can drag the rectangle to locate it at any position of the video, move the slide to set the start and end time of the annotation

• Apply changes

The types of YouTube annotations:

1. Speech Bubbles

Speech Bubbles: look like the dialogue box in a comic strip. There is a tail which you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation. Speech bubbles are great for adding in funny comments.

2. Notes

Notes: come in a limited selection of colors and can be adjusted to take up a maximum of 30% of your player screen. Sometimes you need a huge annotation to get an important point across, but using huge note annotations too often – especially near the beginnings of your videos – will annoy viewers. If you need a large note annotation make sure to place it later in your video, when a viewer will already be invested in what they are watching and less likely to click away.

3. Titles

Titles: are large pieces of text that go either at the beginning of your video or in-between different topics within your video. YouTube’s titles are not very nice to look at, but they are a decent option if you do not have access to video editing software.

4. Spotlights

Spotlights: have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a user hovers over the spotlight. Spotlights are great for turning elements within your video into links.

5. Labels

Labels: are completely transparent, like spotlights, but the user does not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

6. Pauses

Pauses: are no longer available to add to your videos, although Pause Annotations added before they were removed still work. Pause Annotations used to stop your video for a set period of time when your annotation appeared.

If somebody watches your video and gets to the end then that means they enjoyed it and will probably be open to checking out more of your content. Rather than hoping that your other videos show up in the ‘Suggested Videos’ YouTube will show after yours has finished playing you should always include an outro, or ending card, after your video to recommend your own work. Annotations are used in a lot of successful YouTuber’s ending cards.

One form this takes is small Note annotations in the bottom corners of the screen, one linking to your previous video and one to the next. Sometimes your viewers might not necessarily get the most enjoyment out of your videos by watching them in order, though. Sometimes you want to link viewers to the videos that are most related to the one they just watched.

The best outros also include a subscribe button, which can be created using annotations. These annotations work best when combined with a verbal call to action. Make sure your outro lasts long enough for people to make the decision to subscribe or click another video.

No matter what kind of annotations you are using, you should never use more than two of them at a time anywhere except for your outro. You should also never place annotations at the very top of your screen, or in the middle at the bottom. If your video is embedding on a separate website then the player will cover annotations at the top of the screen, and ads might cover annotations placed in the bottom-middle of the screen. Keep in mind when using annotations that they will not be visible to users watching your videos on mobile devices. If mobile traffic is very important to you then consider using YouTube Cards.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Update: YouTube has replaced annotation with end screen. You can find the latest informaiton about YouTube screen and YouTube cards here.

YouTube Cards and Annotations are very useful if you want to encourage your viewrs to take an action, like Subscribe, go to another video or associated website, etc. Today, we’re going to show you the differences between cards and annotations, and how to add them in YouTube videos.

---

Do you want to make your YouTube video more attractive? Wondershare Filmora is a such video editing software designed for YouTube creator. It not only allows you cut, trim, crop, zoom, reverse, rotate the video clips, but also makes the advanced features like green screen, PIP, tilt-shift and mosaic easy like a piece of cake. With Wondershare Filmora, you can ignite your YouTube videos with over 300 effects like Fashion, Beauty, Block Buster, Travel, etc.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

The main difference between annotation and cards is their outlook. Cards are more graphical whereas annotations are text based. The cards slide in once you click the small “i” button on the video where as the annotation is there based on the timings set by the user. Moreover the main differences between the two are:

1. YouTube Cards are small and unobtrusive, unless a viewer chooses to click on them, which is why they are the better option when you are trying to get views on other videos. Irritating a few people with a big annotation might be worth it if you also draw other people’s attention to your cause or website, but it is not a good way to endear yourself to people you are trying to get views and subscriptions from. When a card is clicked a thumbnail will appear with a link to your additional content. YouTube Cards are often better than annotations for adding links to your videos because they look much tidier. Also, unlike annotations, cards will be visible to people watching your videos on their mobile devices.

2. You cannot use Cards just to insert notes into your videos, though, and you cannot adjust their size like you can with annotations. So, if you do need a link to be large and extremely noticeable, annotations might still be your best option. Cards and annotations can even be used in combination sometimes.

• Part 1: How to Add YouTube Cards
• Part 2: How to Add YouTube Annotations

How to add YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are similar to annotations but more interactive. They allow the owner of the video to add images and other links. A small box appears, clicking on which will activate the cards.

• Click on the “Video Manager” tab

• Click “Edit” tab under the video screen shot you want to add the card on
• Click on the “Cards” tab

• On the right panel click on “Add Card” drop down menu and select the type of card you want to add
• Click on the create button which will open the corresponding video
• Once you finish the subsequent information required click create card
• Select the timeline for the playhead to appear which leads to the card slide

• Apply changes and exit

How to add YouTube annotations

YouTube Annotation is addition of a text layer, link or hotspots over your video. They add interactive boxes which link to other websites or videos (any link you want).

• Click on the video manager tab
• Click edit tab under the video screen shot you want to add the annotation on
• Click on the “End screen & Annotation” tab

• On the right panel click on “+ Add Element” and select the kind of annotation you want to add
• Adjust the position of Annotation, you can drag the rectangle to locate it at any position of the video, move the slide to set the start and end time of the annotation

• Apply changes

The types of YouTube annotations:

1. Speech Bubbles

Speech Bubbles: look like the dialogue box in a comic strip. There is a tail which you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation. Speech bubbles are great for adding in funny comments.

2. Notes

Notes: come in a limited selection of colors and can be adjusted to take up a maximum of 30% of your player screen. Sometimes you need a huge annotation to get an important point across, but using huge note annotations too often – especially near the beginnings of your videos – will annoy viewers. If you need a large note annotation make sure to place it later in your video, when a viewer will already be invested in what they are watching and less likely to click away.

3. Titles

Titles: are large pieces of text that go either at the beginning of your video or in-between different topics within your video. YouTube’s titles are not very nice to look at, but they are a decent option if you do not have access to video editing software.

4. Spotlights

Spotlights: have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a user hovers over the spotlight. Spotlights are great for turning elements within your video into links.

5. Labels

Labels: are completely transparent, like spotlights, but the user does not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

6. Pauses

Pauses: are no longer available to add to your videos, although Pause Annotations added before they were removed still work. Pause Annotations used to stop your video for a set period of time when your annotation appeared.

If somebody watches your video and gets to the end then that means they enjoyed it and will probably be open to checking out more of your content. Rather than hoping that your other videos show up in the ‘Suggested Videos’ YouTube will show after yours has finished playing you should always include an outro, or ending card, after your video to recommend your own work. Annotations are used in a lot of successful YouTuber’s ending cards.

One form this takes is small Note annotations in the bottom corners of the screen, one linking to your previous video and one to the next. Sometimes your viewers might not necessarily get the most enjoyment out of your videos by watching them in order, though. Sometimes you want to link viewers to the videos that are most related to the one they just watched.

The best outros also include a subscribe button, which can be created using annotations. These annotations work best when combined with a verbal call to action. Make sure your outro lasts long enough for people to make the decision to subscribe or click another video.

No matter what kind of annotations you are using, you should never use more than two of them at a time anywhere except for your outro. You should also never place annotations at the very top of your screen, or in the middle at the bottom. If your video is embedding on a separate website then the player will cover annotations at the top of the screen, and ads might cover annotations placed in the bottom-middle of the screen. Keep in mind when using annotations that they will not be visible to users watching your videos on mobile devices. If mobile traffic is very important to you then consider using YouTube Cards.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Update: YouTube has replaced annotation with end screen. You can find the latest informaiton about YouTube screen and YouTube cards here.

YouTube Cards and Annotations are very useful if you want to encourage your viewrs to take an action, like Subscribe, go to another video or associated website, etc. Today, we’re going to show you the differences between cards and annotations, and how to add them in YouTube videos.

---

Do you want to make your YouTube video more attractive? Wondershare Filmora is a such video editing software designed for YouTube creator. It not only allows you cut, trim, crop, zoom, reverse, rotate the video clips, but also makes the advanced features like green screen, PIP, tilt-shift and mosaic easy like a piece of cake. With Wondershare Filmora, you can ignite your YouTube videos with over 300 effects like Fashion, Beauty, Block Buster, Travel, etc.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

The main difference between annotation and cards is their outlook. Cards are more graphical whereas annotations are text based. The cards slide in once you click the small “i” button on the video where as the annotation is there based on the timings set by the user. Moreover the main differences between the two are:

1. YouTube Cards are small and unobtrusive, unless a viewer chooses to click on them, which is why they are the better option when you are trying to get views on other videos. Irritating a few people with a big annotation might be worth it if you also draw other people’s attention to your cause or website, but it is not a good way to endear yourself to people you are trying to get views and subscriptions from. When a card is clicked a thumbnail will appear with a link to your additional content. YouTube Cards are often better than annotations for adding links to your videos because they look much tidier. Also, unlike annotations, cards will be visible to people watching your videos on their mobile devices.

2. You cannot use Cards just to insert notes into your videos, though, and you cannot adjust their size like you can with annotations. So, if you do need a link to be large and extremely noticeable, annotations might still be your best option. Cards and annotations can even be used in combination sometimes.

• Part 1: How to Add YouTube Cards
• Part 2: How to Add YouTube Annotations

How to add YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are similar to annotations but more interactive. They allow the owner of the video to add images and other links. A small box appears, clicking on which will activate the cards.

• Click on the “Video Manager” tab

• Click “Edit” tab under the video screen shot you want to add the card on
• Click on the “Cards” tab

• On the right panel click on “Add Card” drop down menu and select the type of card you want to add
• Click on the create button which will open the corresponding video
• Once you finish the subsequent information required click create card
• Select the timeline for the playhead to appear which leads to the card slide

• Apply changes and exit

How to add YouTube annotations

YouTube Annotation is addition of a text layer, link or hotspots over your video. They add interactive boxes which link to other websites or videos (any link you want).

• Click on the video manager tab
• Click edit tab under the video screen shot you want to add the annotation on
• Click on the “End screen & Annotation” tab

• On the right panel click on “+ Add Element” and select the kind of annotation you want to add
• Adjust the position of Annotation, you can drag the rectangle to locate it at any position of the video, move the slide to set the start and end time of the annotation

• Apply changes

The types of YouTube annotations:

1. Speech Bubbles

Speech Bubbles: look like the dialogue box in a comic strip. There is a tail which you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation. Speech bubbles are great for adding in funny comments.

2. Notes

Notes: come in a limited selection of colors and can be adjusted to take up a maximum of 30% of your player screen. Sometimes you need a huge annotation to get an important point across, but using huge note annotations too often – especially near the beginnings of your videos – will annoy viewers. If you need a large note annotation make sure to place it later in your video, when a viewer will already be invested in what they are watching and less likely to click away.

3. Titles

Titles: are large pieces of text that go either at the beginning of your video or in-between different topics within your video. YouTube’s titles are not very nice to look at, but they are a decent option if you do not have access to video editing software.

4. Spotlights

Spotlights: have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a user hovers over the spotlight. Spotlights are great for turning elements within your video into links.

5. Labels

Labels: are completely transparent, like spotlights, but the user does not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

6. Pauses

Pauses: are no longer available to add to your videos, although Pause Annotations added before they were removed still work. Pause Annotations used to stop your video for a set period of time when your annotation appeared.

If somebody watches your video and gets to the end then that means they enjoyed it and will probably be open to checking out more of your content. Rather than hoping that your other videos show up in the ‘Suggested Videos’ YouTube will show after yours has finished playing you should always include an outro, or ending card, after your video to recommend your own work. Annotations are used in a lot of successful YouTuber’s ending cards.

One form this takes is small Note annotations in the bottom corners of the screen, one linking to your previous video and one to the next. Sometimes your viewers might not necessarily get the most enjoyment out of your videos by watching them in order, though. Sometimes you want to link viewers to the videos that are most related to the one they just watched.

The best outros also include a subscribe button, which can be created using annotations. These annotations work best when combined with a verbal call to action. Make sure your outro lasts long enough for people to make the decision to subscribe or click another video.

No matter what kind of annotations you are using, you should never use more than two of them at a time anywhere except for your outro. You should also never place annotations at the very top of your screen, or in the middle at the bottom. If your video is embedding on a separate website then the player will cover annotations at the top of the screen, and ads might cover annotations placed in the bottom-middle of the screen. Keep in mind when using annotations that they will not be visible to users watching your videos on mobile devices. If mobile traffic is very important to you then consider using YouTube Cards.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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