Content marketing has established itself as an invaluable way to attract visitors and followers and turn them into loyal customers. As you may already know, there are many types of content marketing, like blog content marketing, social media marketing, video marketing, podcasts, etc. A significant part of video marketing is YouTube marketing. If you want to be visible online, there is no substitute for YouTube. Posting content on YouTube is crucial to building your brand and generating revenue. There are many ways to optimize your YouTube marketing strategy. In this article, we discuss the basics of YouTube cards.
What are YouTube Cards?
YouTube cards are the interactive cards you find at the end of YouTube videos that show you clickable links to relevant content. Adding a YouTube card at the end of your video gives your viewers a clickable call-to-action (CTA), compelling them to take action. This action could be subscribing to your channel, visiting your website, checking out the series that the video is a part of, and so forth.
Here are the five types of YouTube cards you can add to your videos:
- Video or playlist YouTube card to promote your videos
- Channel your YouTube card to promote another channel.
- Donation YouTube card to feature a cause of your choice and ask for donations
- A poll to get viewers to engage in a multiple-choice poll
- A link to an approved website outside of YouTube
How do I add YouTube cards?
Making YouTube cards is a simple process. Head to your YouTube video manager, find the video to which you want to add the YouTube card and click on the edit button below the video title. You will find a ‘Cards’ tab at the top. Click on Add Card and then hit Create. Choose one type of YouTube card mentioned above and submit the necessary information, like Channel username or URL, Custom message, Teaser text, etc.
After you add the YouTube card to your video, you can choose when you want it to show up during the video. Drag the YouTube card onto the time marker you want and place it, and the card will appear. Keep in mind that you are allowed to add up to four additional YouTube cards to the video after setting up the first one. Ensure the cards show up at the right points during the video before you publish it.
How do you use YouTube cards in your videos?
Now that you know how to add YouTube cards, here are a few excellent ways to use them:
Get your viewers to check out the second video in a series
Given how YouTube allows you to post long videos and films, you can make playlists for a set of videos and turn it into a series. If you want people to check out your series in parts, using your YouTube card to direct them to the next video is an excellent idea. This way, your subscribers and casual visitors will not miss a video, and you can expect more views. If visitors happen to watch a series midway through, you can use your playlist card to point them to the preceding videos in the series.
Promote a Non-Profit Venture You Support
Giving back and supporting non-profit ventures can help build your business’s reputation, which can yield significant results in the long run. Most YouTubers focus on getting new leads and conversions, but doing something like this is a better way to get customers and followers over time since people look at your brand before they follow you. Use a YouTube card to promote a cause.
Get your viewers to engage with you
Audience interaction is vital to getting the viewership and engagement you want. Conducting polls to interact with your audience is a fantastic way to boost engagement and gather feedback that you can use to improve your content.
Get your audience to check out an influencer who is featuring your product
Influencer marketing is another excellent way to draw attention to your brand. Featuring industry influencers in your videos and directing your audience to their YouTube channels using a YouTube card can benefit both of you.
What are some essential practices to keep in mind?
While using YouTube cards for your videos, here are a couple of critical practices you should keep in mind:
- If you have YouTube cards to direct your audience to other videos or somewhere else, ensure you place them at the end of the video. This practice works best, although there are exceptions to the rule. Viewers are more likely to click on the YouTube card after watching your video.
- Make sure that you keep your YouTube cards relevant. Not keeping them relevant seems to be a mistake many YouTubers tend to make. Be sure to place a YouTube card that directs viewers to a landing page related to the video in question. If your video has nothing to do with the landing page, you need to direct your viewers to another video to give them context before they visit the landing page.
Conclusion
Given how marketing your brand on social media is the norm, you have to use interactive content to stay on top. YouTube cards do well to boost your viewership and engagement, gather feedback, and drive a CTA. If your videos are engaging, dynamic, bring value, and evoke emotions, adding a YouTube card, particularly at the end, can bring you tons of viewership and help build a rapport with your audience.
So there you have it: YouTube cards are a fantastic tool you can use to market your brand and redirect your customers to your other content marketing platforms. If you are new to YouTube cards, this should have you covered and get you up to speed in no time.
