Exploring YouTube’s Financial Blueprint for Short-Form Video Success

YouTube offers content creators a platform for creating a lucrative career. Of the major developments made in the recent past is the introduction of Shorts. These short vertical videos have grown in popularity as more people view videos on their phones. With this development, the YouTube Shorts fund was launched to reward creators for their efforts. The fund allows creators to monetize their Shorts quickly, supporting and incentivizing them to create high-quality Shorts content. In this article, we will explore the YouTube Shorts Fund 2023, including YouTube shorts fund eligibility.

YouTube Shorts Monetization A cross-platform for taking your overexposed footage to cinema-quality Shorts video!

Free Download Free Download Learn More

Part 1. YouTube Shorts Fund: Introduction and Benefits

YouTube launched YouTube Shorts Funds in 2021 to financially support creators who produce engaging and popular Shorts content. The monetization scheme would distribute $100 million to high-performing creators on the platform. The creators would receive high engagement and views from their Shorts for funding.

The main objective of the YouTube Shorts fund is to encourage creativity, diversity, and innovation in Shorts content creation. The fund operated between 2021 and 2022. It lets creators earn $100 - $10,000 a month for their content.

Participating in YouTube Shorts Funds offer several benefits to the creators:

• Additional Exposure: YouTube Shorts are predominately featured on the homepage, allowing creators to reach more people.
• Recognition: YouTube recognizes top Shorts creators through the Shorts Funding program, encouraging them to create more quality content.
• Potential Earnings: Creators can monetize their Shorts content in several ways including adding and other unique features.

YouTube incorporated monetization of Shorts in its YouTube Partner Program (YPP). Therefore, YouTube merged the Shorts Fund with the YPP in February 2023. This led to YouTube Shorts Fund 2023 which now offers creators more opportunities to make money quickly on YouTube.

Part 2. Making Money with YouTube Shorts: Eligibility and Earnings

The new YouTube Shorts monetization policy means that content creators on YouTube with access to the YPP can also earn from Shorts. The revenue-sharing model has now taken the place of the YouTube Shorts Fund, which only rewarded creators using YouTube’s money. However, creators don’t have to be members of the YPP to start receiving YouTube Shorts funding. They only need to meet certain requirements, make unique content, and adhere to Community Guidelines.

• YouTube Shorts Fund Eligibility
• Additional Steps of Actions to Activate YouTube Shorts Funding
• What the YPP Shorts Fund Entails
• How Much Can You Make with Short

YouTube Shorts Fund Eligibility

As of 2023, YouTube offers Shorts Funding as a monetization option. Creators can also choose to monetize with YPP combined with Shorts Fundings.

The eligibility requirements for Shorts funding include:

• At least 1,000 subscribers
• At least 10 million public Shorts views in the last 90 days

To become a member of the YPP and start accessing Shorts funding this way, the minimum requirements are as follows:

• At least 500 subscribers (You previously needed 1,000)
• At least 3,000 public watch hours over the last 13 months (You previously needed 4,000)

Additional Steps of Actions to Activate YouTube Shorts Funding

In addition to the basic eligibility requirements, creators are also required to take additional measures to comply with YouTube’s requirements. Additional steps include:

• Ensuring AdSense Account is active and in good standing: Since ad revenue will be paid through AdSense, you need to make sure your account is in good standing.
• Review and Accept the Terms of Shorts Monetization Module: In the YouTube Studio, head over to the Shorts Fund section and click on the Terms and Conditions link.
• Enable Monetization for Individual Shorts: Edit the monetization settings for each Short to start generating ad revenue.
• Comply with YouTube Policies and Guidelines: Visit the YouTube Creator Academy to learn more about the platform’s policies and guidelines.

What the YPP Shorts Fund Entails

The YPP Shorts Fund program includes the following features:

• Watch Page Monetization – Creators earn ad revenue from long-form content, YouTube Premium content, and live streams
• Shorts Monetization Module – Creators earn money from ads that play between YouTube Shorts.
• Commerce Product Addendum – Additional monetization features, including Super Chats. Channel Memberships, Super Thanks, and Super Stickers.

How Much Can You Make with Short s

The amount of money you can make on Shorts often varies. It can be hard to make decent money on Shorts sometimes, and other times it brings in a nice chunk of revenue. Unfortunately, the earnings are not as spectacular as the long YouTube videos. Most creators agree that the revenue per thousand views (RPM) for shorts is around $0.05 - $0.07. This would translate to about $50 - $70 for a million Shorts views. Although the ad revenue is relatively lower, you can generate more revenue with the shopping features. This will depend on how wee you keep your audience active and engaged.

Part 3. How to Use YouTube Shorts Funding: Application and Activation

The process of applying for and activating YouTube Short Funding is simple. You need to accept the Shorts Monetization Module in your terms and conditions. After activating, monetization starts immediately.

Head over to the YouTube Studio. Sign in to your account to accept the terms. Be sure to use a web browser because the YouTube app will not allow you to make these changes. Accept the terms and follow these steps to turn on the ads:

1. Setp 1: Click the Content button at the bottom of the menu in the YouTube Studio
2. Setp 2: Pick the video you want to monetize, and click Edit
3. Setp 3: Select the Earn tab pick on, and choose the ads you want to turn on.
4. Setp 4: Save your settings and the ads will be active.

Part 4. Editing YouTube Shorts for More Revenue with Wondershare Filmora

The best way to earn from the YouTube Shorts Fund is to create quality content. With good video editing software, you can achieve this and build a community of subscribers. Wondershare Filmora is a video editing software that is effective in creating quality Shorts videos. It supports various video resolutions, including vertical videos. It also has some fascinating features that make every creation unique and exciting. Take your overexposed footage to cinema-quality Shorts video that will keep your audience engaged.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Filmora can help create visually appealing and engaging videos, ultimately increasing the chances of monetization on YouTube. The following features make editing videos on Filmora quick and easy.

1. Auto Reframe

You may have recorded horizontal videos and want to upload them as Shorts. The Auto Reframe feature allows you to automatically resize the video in seconds. You only need to choose the clip you want to resize and reframe it. No editing skills are required to do this.

2. Add Text to Video

Texts tell the audience what is happening in the video. It is also a great way to highlight major events in YouTube Shorts. The Add Text to Video feature on Filmora makes it easy to add text or captions to your videos.

3. Auto Synchronization

When editing Shorts, you will likely add many footage in a short video. It is common for the audio to end up being where it is not supposed to. The Auto Synchronization feature is the ultimate audio sync. It effortlessly matches your audio with the video, making sure viewers see what they hear

4. Mask & Blend

Creativity is a major component of YouTube Shorts content. The Filmora Masking and Blending mode helps you make creative video clips. It comes with a pen tool for creating free-form shapes on the go. Make your videos more impressive to your audience.

5. Auto Beat Sync

With YouTube Shorts, you need to entertain your audience in under a minute. A combination of visual and audio elements makes the video more entertaining. The Auto Beat Sync feature matches the footage with the music automatically. Be sure every beat corresponds to the scene.

Conclusion

The YouTube Shorts Fund offers an exceptional for creators to make additional income on the platform. Although the original Funds program has been updated with the latest monetization policy, creators can still generate nice revenue amount. As a creator, you need to publish quality and highly engaging content. With Wondershare Filmora, you can create content that will generate more revenue on the Shorts platform. The video editing software offers fantastic features that make video editing quick and fun.

Free Download Free Download Learn More

Part 1. YouTube Shorts Fund: Introduction and Benefits

YouTube launched YouTube Shorts Funds in 2021 to financially support creators who produce engaging and popular Shorts content. The monetization scheme would distribute $100 million to high-performing creators on the platform. The creators would receive high engagement and views from their Shorts for funding.

The main objective of the YouTube Shorts fund is to encourage creativity, diversity, and innovation in Shorts content creation. The fund operated between 2021 and 2022. It lets creators earn $100 - $10,000 a month for their content.

Participating in YouTube Shorts Funds offer several benefits to the creators:

• Additional Exposure: YouTube Shorts are predominately featured on the homepage, allowing creators to reach more people.
• Recognition: YouTube recognizes top Shorts creators through the Shorts Funding program, encouraging them to create more quality content.
• Potential Earnings: Creators can monetize their Shorts content in several ways including adding and other unique features.

YouTube incorporated monetization of Shorts in its YouTube Partner Program (YPP). Therefore, YouTube merged the Shorts Fund with the YPP in February 2023. This led to YouTube Shorts Fund 2023 which now offers creators more opportunities to make money quickly on YouTube.

Part 2. Making Money with YouTube Shorts: Eligibility and Earnings

The new YouTube Shorts monetization policy means that content creators on YouTube with access to the YPP can also earn from Shorts. The revenue-sharing model has now taken the place of the YouTube Shorts Fund, which only rewarded creators using YouTube’s money. However, creators don’t have to be members of the YPP to start receiving YouTube Shorts funding. They only need to meet certain requirements, make unique content, and adhere to Community Guidelines.

• YouTube Shorts Fund Eligibility
• Additional Steps of Actions to Activate YouTube Shorts Funding
• What the YPP Shorts Fund Entails
• How Much Can You Make with Short

YouTube Shorts Fund Eligibility

As of 2023, YouTube offers Shorts Funding as a monetization option. Creators can also choose to monetize with YPP combined with Shorts Fundings.

The eligibility requirements for Shorts funding include:

• At least 1,000 subscribers
• At least 10 million public Shorts views in the last 90 days

To become a member of the YPP and start accessing Shorts funding this way, the minimum requirements are as follows:

• At least 500 subscribers (You previously needed 1,000)
• At least 3,000 public watch hours over the last 13 months (You previously needed 4,000)

Additional Steps of Actions to Activate YouTube Shorts Funding

In addition to the basic eligibility requirements, creators are also required to take additional measures to comply with YouTube’s requirements. Additional steps include:

• Ensuring AdSense Account is active and in good standing: Since ad revenue will be paid through AdSense, you need to make sure your account is in good standing.
• Review and Accept the Terms of Shorts Monetization Module: In the YouTube Studio, head over to the Shorts Fund section and click on the Terms and Conditions link.
• Enable Monetization for Individual Shorts: Edit the monetization settings for each Short to start generating ad revenue.
• Comply with YouTube Policies and Guidelines: Visit the YouTube Creator Academy to learn more about the platform’s policies and guidelines.

What the YPP Shorts Fund Entails

The YPP Shorts Fund program includes the following features:

• Watch Page Monetization – Creators earn ad revenue from long-form content, YouTube Premium content, and live streams
• Shorts Monetization Module – Creators earn money from ads that play between YouTube Shorts.
• Commerce Product Addendum – Additional monetization features, including Super Chats. Channel Memberships, Super Thanks, and Super Stickers.

How Much Can You Make with Short s

The amount of money you can make on Shorts often varies. It can be hard to make decent money on Shorts sometimes, and other times it brings in a nice chunk of revenue. Unfortunately, the earnings are not as spectacular as the long YouTube videos. Most creators agree that the revenue per thousand views (RPM) for shorts is around $0.05 - $0.07. This would translate to about $50 - $70 for a million Shorts views. Although the ad revenue is relatively lower, you can generate more revenue with the shopping features. This will depend on how wee you keep your audience active and engaged.

Part 3. How to Use YouTube Shorts Funding: Application and Activation

The process of applying for and activating YouTube Short Funding is simple. You need to accept the Shorts Monetization Module in your terms and conditions. After activating, monetization starts immediately.

Head over to the YouTube Studio. Sign in to your account to accept the terms. Be sure to use a web browser because the YouTube app will not allow you to make these changes. Accept the terms and follow these steps to turn on the ads:

1. Setp 1: Click the Content button at the bottom of the menu in the YouTube Studio
2. Setp 2: Pick the video you want to monetize, and click Edit
3. Setp 3: Select the Earn tab pick on, and choose the ads you want to turn on.
4. Setp 4: Save your settings and the ads will be active.

Part 4. Editing YouTube Shorts for More Revenue with Wondershare Filmora

The best way to earn from the YouTube Shorts Fund is to create quality content. With good video editing software, you can achieve this and build a community of subscribers. Wondershare Filmora is a video editing software that is effective in creating quality Shorts videos. It supports various video resolutions, including vertical videos. It also has some fascinating features that make every creation unique and exciting. Take your overexposed footage to cinema-quality Shorts video that will keep your audience engaged.

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

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Filmora can help create visually appealing and engaging videos, ultimately increasing the chances of monetization on YouTube. The following features make editing videos on Filmora quick and easy.

1. Auto Reframe

You may have recorded horizontal videos and want to upload them as Shorts. The Auto Reframe feature allows you to automatically resize the video in seconds. You only need to choose the clip you want to resize and reframe it. No editing skills are required to do this.

2. Add Text to Video

Texts tell the audience what is happening in the video. It is also a great way to highlight major events in YouTube Shorts. The Add Text to Video feature on Filmora makes it easy to add text or captions to your videos.

3. Auto Synchronization

When editing Shorts, you will likely add many footage in a short video. It is common for the audio to end up being where it is not supposed to. The Auto Synchronization feature is the ultimate audio sync. It effortlessly matches your audio with the video, making sure viewers see what they hear

4. Mask & Blend

Creativity is a major component of YouTube Shorts content. The Filmora Masking and Blending mode helps you make creative video clips. It comes with a pen tool for creating free-form shapes on the go. Make your videos more impressive to your audience.

5. Auto Beat Sync

With YouTube Shorts, you need to entertain your audience in under a minute. A combination of visual and audio elements makes the video more entertaining. The Auto Beat Sync feature matches the footage with the music automatically. Be sure every beat corresponds to the scene.

Conclusion

The YouTube Shorts Fund offers an exceptional for creators to make additional income on the platform. Although the original Funds program has been updated with the latest monetization policy, creators can still generate nice revenue amount. As a creator, you need to publish quality and highly engaging content. With Wondershare Filmora, you can create content that will generate more revenue on the Shorts platform. The video editing software offers fantastic features that make video editing quick and fun.

YouTube’s Tagging System Unveiled

How to Use YouTube Cards and Annotations?

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Filmora, which is equipped with its own footage stock Wondershare Filmstock and will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

YouTube Annotations and Cards are both tools for linking viewers to your other videos or to off-YouTube webpages. Two of the major differences between them are:

Annotations are not clickable on mobile devices.

You cannot choose the size or positioning of Cards.

This article will teach you about both Cards and Annotations and discuss the best uses for each of them.

Part 1: Annotations

Annotations are messages that float overtop of your videos in the YouTube player. Usually, annotations are clickable and take users to other content created by you.

Section 1: Types of Annotations

There are five types of YouTube annotations:

Notes are colored boxes placed over the top of your videos.

Speech Bubbles look like dialogue boxes in a comic strip. They have tails that you can adjust so it looks like one of the people in your video is saying what is written in the annotation.

Spotlights have a subtle border and are completely clear inside. Your text only appears when a viewer’s cursor hovers over top of these annotations.

Labels are like spotlights except that viewers do not have to hover over them for your text to be visible.

Any of these annotations can be used to link viewers to other videos, or as subscribe links. You can also add a simple Title to your video through the Annotations menu.

Section 2: How to Use Annotations

*Note: the above video mentions Pause annotations, which are no longer available.

Here are two of the best uses for annotations:

Clickable End Cards / Outros

One of the best ways you can use spotlight annotations is to create clickable end cards for your videos.

When your video finishes playing the YouTube player will display a selection of suggested videos that might direct viewers away from your channel. You can keep more of these viewers watching your content by creating your own ‘suggested videos’ card and putting it at the end of your videos.

Put thumbnails of two or three of your other videos on your end card, or use ‘picture-in-picture’ to actually imbed footage from them. Then, after you upload your video, go in and place clickable spotlight annotations over top of your video thumbnails.

This is one use for annotations that cannot be duplicated with cards.

Promoting Your Videos

You should not wait until the end of your video to start linking viewers to other content. Many viewers will click away before they see your end card because your video is not exactly what they were looking for. By placing note or speech bubble annotations occasionally throughout your videos you can catch some of these people before they click off of your channel.

This works especially well if you link to videos on similar subjects to the one you are annotating.

Instead of just linking to another video of yours, try to link to that video on a playlist. Once a viewer is on a playlist your videos will auto-play after each other, which is good for both your view count and watch time.

You can also use the newer YouTube Cards for this, but Annotations might still be a better choice because viewers only need to click once vs. twice for Cards.

Try both and see which performs best for your channel. It might be in your best interest to keep on using both as they target different audiences – Cards are clickable on mobile devices, for example, but Annotations are not.

Part 2: YouTube Cards

YouTube Cards are newer than annotations and a lot of people believe they will one day replace Annotations. While there are benefits to Cards – like embedding images to represent your links – you cannot choose the shape, size, or placement of them. This means they have limited uses.

When viewers click on a Card they are shown additional information and a thumbnail representing the page they will be taken to if they choose to click again. This extra step could be either help viewers decide to click your links or give them a second chance to decide they would rather not.

Section 1: When to Use Cards

A linked Annotation is simply a call to action viewers can click on. A Card is a call to action as well, but instead of taking the viewer directly to where its link leads when it is clicked a Card opens up into a larger version of itself with a thumbnail image.

Crowdfunding pages (Patreon is a great choice for video creators), charity fundraising pages, and merchandise stores are all examples of links that benefit from the format of YouTube Cards.

When you link a viewer to a non-YouTube page you break up their session time, which negatively impacts your watch time and SEO ranking. You want to make sure that the viewers you are directing away from YouTube are the ones most likely to convert after they leave. By ‘convert’ we mean to contribute to your Patreon campaign, donate to the charity you are promoting, or buy some of your merchandise.

Giving viewers more information and a thumbnail through a Card can help ensure the most interested viewers are the ones clicking your links.

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Richard Bennett

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

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