YouTube (almost) fixes mobile interactivity

YouTube has quietly introduced a feature that lets channel owners offer mobile viewers clickable links right there in their videos.

It's called "end screens" and, while it's not every channel owner's dream, it's an improvement. For the last 20 seconds of a video, you can configure clickable content that gives your viewer a selection of "next steps" - another one of your videos, a page on your website (such as an enquiry form), or a subscribe button. 

But what about YouTube cards and annotations?

YouTube annotations have existed for some time, but they don't show or work on mobile devices.

YouTube "cards" do work on mobile devices, but they're confined to the right hand side of your video, appear briefly and then minimise, and have restricted configurability - you're pretty much stuck with the template YouTube gives you.

The limitations

End screens must include a link to another video - YouTube doesn't really want your viewer to leave YouTube, after all! And they are confined to the last 20 seconds, so won't be available on any video that's shorter than that.

They also won't work with annotations - so if you want to add an end screen to a video in which you currently have annotations, you'll need to accept that the annotations will disappear.

Making the most of end screens

Just as Facebook's silent autoplay function has seen a resurgence in on-screen captions and screen text, video creators will need to respond to YouTube end screens with new approaches. This will include adapting screen layout to accommodate the elements in the end screen. In this video created before end screens existed, the end screen elements appear plonked over the top as an afterthought (which they were). If we were to create this video today, the screen layout of the past 20 seconds would be very different.

The other major change is a response to the timing of end screens. If your call to action is, say, a link to an enquiry form, do you really want the viewer who's convinced at 30 seconds to wait until the last moments of a 2-minute video to get the chance to respond? I predict that we'll see even more short versions of longer videos. A 30-second version would have the end screen from the 10-second mark. The viewer would be offered an "enquire now" link for the already convinced, and a "watch more" video link for those that need or want to see more of your story before they engage with you.

Choose video producers who know online platforms

Anvil Media has been using YouTube for almost as long as there's been YouTube. For your video production strategy, make sure your video producers are ahead of the game in terms of making the most of online platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter etc.

Contact us: info@anvilmedia.com.au