Cards

You have set up your YouTube channel. You have carefully created awesome videos. Now, what next? You are not too far from leveraging all the opportunities YouTube offers. And in this bit, let focus on YouTube cards.

What are YouTube Cards?

These are interactive cards you see in YouTube videos, usually at the end that let creators share clickable links to relevant content throughout a video. They can be used to promote websites, playlists, channels, or merchandise, and they appear on both mobile and desktop.

With that in mind, let’s have a look at some of the best practices to keep in mind.

Best practices

Use to promote new videos

You have just published a new video after spending a couple of hours, if not days editing. While promoting your video on social media is a brilliant idea, you can also use cards to get even more views on your new video. How? This is what you do:

• First, identify a number of videos related to or similar to your new video. For example, if your new video is about computer repair, related videos would include videos on computer services and computer support and maintenance.
• Next, include a card to those related videos. Make sure the card is linked to your new video.
• Now repeat these steps for every new video that you want to promote.

Use verbal cues to grab attention to your card

It is very rare for people to miss cards. In fact, most people will click them. Now to maximize the number of people that click on your cards, consider telling them verbally to do so. For example, you can say, “check out other videos where I talk about this book…”

Basically, if you have a plan, it is much easier to tell people verbally to click on your cards.

Promote videos with the most SEO potential

YouTube uses various metrics to rank videos. One of those ranking factors it uses is audience retention, which is the percentage of your video people watch. This means the higher the audience retention, the better your videos rank in YouTube search.

But here is the thing, getting more people to watch and engage with your videos is not as simple as it seems. Sometimes it is really an uphill task. Fortunately, cards come in handy. You can use them to funnel people to watching those videos with the highest video SEO potential (simply those videos with high audience retention).

YouTube Analytics is one of the tools you can use to help you know which video from your channel has the highest audience rendition score. Once you identify the video, then use cards to send people to it.

Show cards when people drop off

Another great moment to show your YouTube cards is when viewers are about to drop off. Below is how you do it:

• First, search for a popular video from your channel. Mainly check out the Audience Retention report.
• Take note of when and where viewers tend to stop watching your video.
• Now use a card at that particular moment viewers tend to stop watching. You can funnel them to one of your related playlists or videos.

Use compelling teaser text and custom messages

While YouTube does not allow a whole lot of customization to YouTube cards, you have the freedom to add a personalized teaser text and customized message to your cards.

A teaser text appears on your card before someone clicks on it. And once clicked, it expands and displays your custom message.

Tips for creating teaser text and custom message

• Use benefit-driven Teaser Text. Now, instead of “Check out this video,” highlight the benefits someone will get from watching it. For example: “Fix your computer for free this month.”
• Include a CTA in your Custom Message. For example: “Click below to watch.”
• If you are sending people to another video from your channel, let them know that the video in your card is closely related to the one they are watching. You can add terms like “Related” or “Up Next” to make it clear to your viewers that they are about to watch another video on the same topic.

Add cards late in your videos

While we have said you can add your card where your viewers drop off, YouTube recommends adding cards in the last 20% of your video. Why? Including cards elsewhere can interfere with the message you want to pass. That is not something you want. Now since most viewers tend to drop off toward the end of a video, it is ok to add cards late in your videos.

Track card performance

Are your cards generating more views and traffic? YouTube, via its robust reporting features, can help you know how your cards are performing. This feature let you see information such as:

• How each card is performing.
• How many people click on your cards?
• Which videos from your channel have the highest-performing cards and so on.

Add cards to a video

To add cards to a video, follow the steps below. Up to a total of 5 cards can be added to one video.

1. On a computer signed in to your account, go to your Video Manager.
2. Find the video you want to add cards to and select Edit.
3. In the tab bar at the top, select Cards.
4. Select Add card and choose what type of card you want.
5. Next to the type of card you want to add, select Create.
6. If you haven’t done so previously, for some link types select Enable first to accept the Terms & Conditions.
7. Enter the URL where you want viewers to be sent from the card.
8. Upload an image or select one of the suggestions from the site if applicable. Uploads need to be in .jpg, .gif, or .png format and no larger than 5MB. Keep in mind that this image will be cropped to be square.
9. If applicable, edit the title, call to action, and any other text (up to 30 characters). You can change the start time for the card teaser in the timeline below the video.
10. Select Create card.

If you need to edit your cards in the future, just go to the Cards tab and select Edit  next to the card you want to change.