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[New] Streamline Your Thumbnail Design Journey Today
Streamline Your Thumbnail Design Journey Today
How to Make a Thumbnail for Your YouTube Free Easily
Shanoon Cox
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Youtube is one of the widely and most used video-sharing platforms all around the world. Being such a huge platform, billions of users upload different videos every second, making it a very competitive platform. Getting your videos noticed and clicked by others requires so many factors to be considered. One of the main factors that increase the chances of your videos being connected and seen by others is an attractive thumbnail. It is the first and the most important factor that helps the viewers decide what to watch and ignore. According to an estimate, among all the best-performing videos on Youtube, 90% have custom thumbnails. So, if you are looking forward to increasing the number of clicks on your videos, having a custom thumbnail is one of the most important things to consider. There are multiple ways to make a thumbnail for Youtube, but most are paid and difficult to use. In this article, we will discuss a hack to make a thumbnail for your Youtube free.
You might be interested in:
How to make a thumbnail for Youtube using AI Portrait
With time, Filmora brings new and advanced features for its users to equip them with all the necessary tools required for effective and efficient video editing. One of its latest features is AI Portrait. This feature has several uses and benefits. This feature is designed for Gamers, Vlogger, and other related genres to help them make their videos stand out from the crowd and gain more clicks and views. AI Portrait contains several effects that help you make the human element of the video separate from the background and make it more obvious. We can also use the AI Portrait effects to make beautiful and attractive thumbnails for your Youtube. Follow these steps to create a stunning thumbnail for your Youtube videos.
Step 01: Open Filmora X. If it is not already installed on your computer, download and install its latest version from here .
Step 02: Make sure that the aspect ratio of your project is 16:9. To do that, click on a screen-shaped icon below the preview screen and select “Change Project Aspect Ratio.”
Step 03: Change the Aspect Ratio to 16:9 if it is not set to it already. 16:9 aspect ratio is the standard size of Youtube thumbnails that represents the best possible results.
Step 04: Choose a background of your choice for your thumbnail. You can choose a background from the sample colors provided by Filmora.
Step 05: If you want to use your custom background, you can import it into the Filmora by clicking import or dragging and dropping it in the media section.
Step 06: Import your video the same way into the media folder of Filmora and drag it into the timeline and place it above your background.
Step 07: Select your footage, go to the Effects tab and click on AI Portraits. It will open up all the effects related to AI Portraits. These AI Portrait features help you separate the human from a background without using a green screen or anything else.
Step 08: Double click on any of these effects to see how they will look like on your footage.
Step 09: To make a thumbnail for your Youtube, we have to remove the background of your footage first. To do that we have to apply Human Segmentation to the footage first. It will separate the human from the footage. Drag and drop the Human Segmentation effect into the footage in the timeline. Once you drop it into the footage, it will ask you to purchase this feature to export the footage. Since we are not trying to export the footage, we are only creating a thumbnail, click on “Try It”. Once the background is removed, you can add other effects as well. Drag and drop the “Human Border” into the footage. It creates an outline around the human in your footage.
Step 10: The effect will be applied to the footage. Now the background has been removed from the footage and ready to be used on your custom background. You can adjust the human accordingly where it looks perfect.
Step 11: Now it is time to add a title into your thumbnail to highlight what the video is all about. Go to the Titles, and select lower thirds. You can also select any of the titles types which best suits your needs. Drop the title into the timeline above the footage and adjust it accordingly. Now double click on the header to edit and rename it.
Step 12: Once you are satisfied with the final results, click on the Camera icon below the preview screen or press “Ctrl+Alt+S” to take the screenshot.
Conclusion
This is how your Youtube thumbnail will look like after applying all the above-mentioned effects and settings.
This article on making a thumbnail for your Youtube is just an idea for you, and you can use your creativity to create amazing thumbnails using other features of Filmora. These cool thumbnails will help you attract more viewers and click, which will ultimately help you grow your Youtube Channel. Unlike all other articles and tutorials that show you how to make a thumbnail for Youtube, this method is free and doesn’t need any technical skills to be implemented.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Youtube is one of the widely and most used video-sharing platforms all around the world. Being such a huge platform, billions of users upload different videos every second, making it a very competitive platform. Getting your videos noticed and clicked by others requires so many factors to be considered. One of the main factors that increase the chances of your videos being connected and seen by others is an attractive thumbnail. It is the first and the most important factor that helps the viewers decide what to watch and ignore. According to an estimate, among all the best-performing videos on Youtube, 90% have custom thumbnails. So, if you are looking forward to increasing the number of clicks on your videos, having a custom thumbnail is one of the most important things to consider. There are multiple ways to make a thumbnail for Youtube, but most are paid and difficult to use. In this article, we will discuss a hack to make a thumbnail for your Youtube free.
You might be interested in:
How to make a thumbnail for Youtube using AI Portrait
With time, Filmora brings new and advanced features for its users to equip them with all the necessary tools required for effective and efficient video editing. One of its latest features is AI Portrait. This feature has several uses and benefits. This feature is designed for Gamers, Vlogger, and other related genres to help them make their videos stand out from the crowd and gain more clicks and views. AI Portrait contains several effects that help you make the human element of the video separate from the background and make it more obvious. We can also use the AI Portrait effects to make beautiful and attractive thumbnails for your Youtube. Follow these steps to create a stunning thumbnail for your Youtube videos.
Step 01: Open Filmora X. If it is not already installed on your computer, download and install its latest version from here .
Step 02: Make sure that the aspect ratio of your project is 16:9. To do that, click on a screen-shaped icon below the preview screen and select “Change Project Aspect Ratio.”
Step 03: Change the Aspect Ratio to 16:9 if it is not set to it already. 16:9 aspect ratio is the standard size of Youtube thumbnails that represents the best possible results.
Step 04: Choose a background of your choice for your thumbnail. You can choose a background from the sample colors provided by Filmora.
Step 05: If you want to use your custom background, you can import it into the Filmora by clicking import or dragging and dropping it in the media section.
Step 06: Import your video the same way into the media folder of Filmora and drag it into the timeline and place it above your background.
Step 07: Select your footage, go to the Effects tab and click on AI Portraits. It will open up all the effects related to AI Portraits. These AI Portrait features help you separate the human from a background without using a green screen or anything else.
Step 08: Double click on any of these effects to see how they will look like on your footage.
Step 09: To make a thumbnail for your Youtube, we have to remove the background of your footage first. To do that we have to apply Human Segmentation to the footage first. It will separate the human from the footage. Drag and drop the Human Segmentation effect into the footage in the timeline. Once you drop it into the footage, it will ask you to purchase this feature to export the footage. Since we are not trying to export the footage, we are only creating a thumbnail, click on “Try It”. Once the background is removed, you can add other effects as well. Drag and drop the “Human Border” into the footage. It creates an outline around the human in your footage.
Step 10: The effect will be applied to the footage. Now the background has been removed from the footage and ready to be used on your custom background. You can adjust the human accordingly where it looks perfect.
Step 11: Now it is time to add a title into your thumbnail to highlight what the video is all about. Go to the Titles, and select lower thirds. You can also select any of the titles types which best suits your needs. Drop the title into the timeline above the footage and adjust it accordingly. Now double click on the header to edit and rename it.
Step 12: Once you are satisfied with the final results, click on the Camera icon below the preview screen or press “Ctrl+Alt+S” to take the screenshot.
Conclusion
This is how your Youtube thumbnail will look like after applying all the above-mentioned effects and settings.
This article on making a thumbnail for your Youtube is just an idea for you, and you can use your creativity to create amazing thumbnails using other features of Filmora. These cool thumbnails will help you attract more viewers and click, which will ultimately help you grow your Youtube Channel. Unlike all other articles and tutorials that show you how to make a thumbnail for Youtube, this method is free and doesn’t need any technical skills to be implemented.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Youtube is one of the widely and most used video-sharing platforms all around the world. Being such a huge platform, billions of users upload different videos every second, making it a very competitive platform. Getting your videos noticed and clicked by others requires so many factors to be considered. One of the main factors that increase the chances of your videos being connected and seen by others is an attractive thumbnail. It is the first and the most important factor that helps the viewers decide what to watch and ignore. According to an estimate, among all the best-performing videos on Youtube, 90% have custom thumbnails. So, if you are looking forward to increasing the number of clicks on your videos, having a custom thumbnail is one of the most important things to consider. There are multiple ways to make a thumbnail for Youtube, but most are paid and difficult to use. In this article, we will discuss a hack to make a thumbnail for your Youtube free.
You might be interested in:
How to make a thumbnail for Youtube using AI Portrait
With time, Filmora brings new and advanced features for its users to equip them with all the necessary tools required for effective and efficient video editing. One of its latest features is AI Portrait. This feature has several uses and benefits. This feature is designed for Gamers, Vlogger, and other related genres to help them make their videos stand out from the crowd and gain more clicks and views. AI Portrait contains several effects that help you make the human element of the video separate from the background and make it more obvious. We can also use the AI Portrait effects to make beautiful and attractive thumbnails for your Youtube. Follow these steps to create a stunning thumbnail for your Youtube videos.
Step 01: Open Filmora X. If it is not already installed on your computer, download and install its latest version from here .
Step 02: Make sure that the aspect ratio of your project is 16:9. To do that, click on a screen-shaped icon below the preview screen and select “Change Project Aspect Ratio.”
Step 03: Change the Aspect Ratio to 16:9 if it is not set to it already. 16:9 aspect ratio is the standard size of Youtube thumbnails that represents the best possible results.
Step 04: Choose a background of your choice for your thumbnail. You can choose a background from the sample colors provided by Filmora.
Step 05: If you want to use your custom background, you can import it into the Filmora by clicking import or dragging and dropping it in the media section.
Step 06: Import your video the same way into the media folder of Filmora and drag it into the timeline and place it above your background.
Step 07: Select your footage, go to the Effects tab and click on AI Portraits. It will open up all the effects related to AI Portraits. These AI Portrait features help you separate the human from a background without using a green screen or anything else.
Step 08: Double click on any of these effects to see how they will look like on your footage.
Step 09: To make a thumbnail for your Youtube, we have to remove the background of your footage first. To do that we have to apply Human Segmentation to the footage first. It will separate the human from the footage. Drag and drop the Human Segmentation effect into the footage in the timeline. Once you drop it into the footage, it will ask you to purchase this feature to export the footage. Since we are not trying to export the footage, we are only creating a thumbnail, click on “Try It”. Once the background is removed, you can add other effects as well. Drag and drop the “Human Border” into the footage. It creates an outline around the human in your footage.
Step 10: The effect will be applied to the footage. Now the background has been removed from the footage and ready to be used on your custom background. You can adjust the human accordingly where it looks perfect.
Step 11: Now it is time to add a title into your thumbnail to highlight what the video is all about. Go to the Titles, and select lower thirds. You can also select any of the titles types which best suits your needs. Drop the title into the timeline above the footage and adjust it accordingly. Now double click on the header to edit and rename it.
Step 12: Once you are satisfied with the final results, click on the Camera icon below the preview screen or press “Ctrl+Alt+S” to take the screenshot.
Conclusion
This is how your Youtube thumbnail will look like after applying all the above-mentioned effects and settings.
This article on making a thumbnail for your Youtube is just an idea for you, and you can use your creativity to create amazing thumbnails using other features of Filmora. These cool thumbnails will help you attract more viewers and click, which will ultimately help you grow your Youtube Channel. Unlike all other articles and tutorials that show you how to make a thumbnail for Youtube, this method is free and doesn’t need any technical skills to be implemented.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Youtube is one of the widely and most used video-sharing platforms all around the world. Being such a huge platform, billions of users upload different videos every second, making it a very competitive platform. Getting your videos noticed and clicked by others requires so many factors to be considered. One of the main factors that increase the chances of your videos being connected and seen by others is an attractive thumbnail. It is the first and the most important factor that helps the viewers decide what to watch and ignore. According to an estimate, among all the best-performing videos on Youtube, 90% have custom thumbnails. So, if you are looking forward to increasing the number of clicks on your videos, having a custom thumbnail is one of the most important things to consider. There are multiple ways to make a thumbnail for Youtube, but most are paid and difficult to use. In this article, we will discuss a hack to make a thumbnail for your Youtube free.
You might be interested in:
How to make a thumbnail for Youtube using AI Portrait
With time, Filmora brings new and advanced features for its users to equip them with all the necessary tools required for effective and efficient video editing. One of its latest features is AI Portrait. This feature has several uses and benefits. This feature is designed for Gamers, Vlogger, and other related genres to help them make their videos stand out from the crowd and gain more clicks and views. AI Portrait contains several effects that help you make the human element of the video separate from the background and make it more obvious. We can also use the AI Portrait effects to make beautiful and attractive thumbnails for your Youtube. Follow these steps to create a stunning thumbnail for your Youtube videos.
Step 01: Open Filmora X. If it is not already installed on your computer, download and install its latest version from here .
Step 02: Make sure that the aspect ratio of your project is 16:9. To do that, click on a screen-shaped icon below the preview screen and select “Change Project Aspect Ratio.”
Step 03: Change the Aspect Ratio to 16:9 if it is not set to it already. 16:9 aspect ratio is the standard size of Youtube thumbnails that represents the best possible results.
Step 04: Choose a background of your choice for your thumbnail. You can choose a background from the sample colors provided by Filmora.
Step 05: If you want to use your custom background, you can import it into the Filmora by clicking import or dragging and dropping it in the media section.
Step 06: Import your video the same way into the media folder of Filmora and drag it into the timeline and place it above your background.
Step 07: Select your footage, go to the Effects tab and click on AI Portraits. It will open up all the effects related to AI Portraits. These AI Portrait features help you separate the human from a background without using a green screen or anything else.
Step 08: Double click on any of these effects to see how they will look like on your footage.
Step 09: To make a thumbnail for your Youtube, we have to remove the background of your footage first. To do that we have to apply Human Segmentation to the footage first. It will separate the human from the footage. Drag and drop the Human Segmentation effect into the footage in the timeline. Once you drop it into the footage, it will ask you to purchase this feature to export the footage. Since we are not trying to export the footage, we are only creating a thumbnail, click on “Try It”. Once the background is removed, you can add other effects as well. Drag and drop the “Human Border” into the footage. It creates an outline around the human in your footage.
Step 10: The effect will be applied to the footage. Now the background has been removed from the footage and ready to be used on your custom background. You can adjust the human accordingly where it looks perfect.
Step 11: Now it is time to add a title into your thumbnail to highlight what the video is all about. Go to the Titles, and select lower thirds. You can also select any of the titles types which best suits your needs. Drop the title into the timeline above the footage and adjust it accordingly. Now double click on the header to edit and rename it.
Step 12: Once you are satisfied with the final results, click on the Camera icon below the preview screen or press “Ctrl+Alt+S” to take the screenshot.
Conclusion
This is how your Youtube thumbnail will look like after applying all the above-mentioned effects and settings.
This article on making a thumbnail for your Youtube is just an idea for you, and you can use your creativity to create amazing thumbnails using other features of Filmora. These cool thumbnails will help you attract more viewers and click, which will ultimately help you grow your Youtube Channel. Unlike all other articles and tutorials that show you how to make a thumbnail for Youtube, this method is free and doesn’t need any technical skills to be implemented.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Stepwise Approach to Implementing YouTube Cards & Annotations
How to Use YouTube Cards and Annotations?
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
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
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
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
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
- Title: [New] Streamline Your Thumbnail Design Journey Today
- Author: Joseph
- Created at : 2024-05-31 13:41:47
- Updated at : 2024-06-01 13:41:47
- Link: https://youtube-stream.techidaily.com/new-streamline-your-thumbnail-design-journey-today/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
