Economical Audience Expansion: Buy Subscribers, Not Time

Buy YouTube Subscribers - Hundreds of Subscribers for $5?

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Wondering if it is a good idea to buy YouTube subscribers? It’s not. Don’t do it.

Seeing your videos get just a handful of views even though they are nicely filmed and cover interesting topics can be frustrating. Some YouTubers aren’t patient enough to meticulously grow their channels, which is why they opt to buy views and subscribers from providers that promise miracles.

The question remains whether or not these aforementioned miracles are just a scam designed to take your money. Buying subscribers carries a certain amount of risks , because YouTube’s algorithm may recognize fake subscribers and views, and that can result in a red flag on your channel or a ban. It may be safer to learn how to grow your subs organically for free .

Let’s have a look at some of the best places to buy subscribers and see whether or not they are promising more than they can deliver.

Jump to 3 Ways to Get Free Subscribers

Top 5 Sites to Buy Subscribers

Most providers offer ridiculously low prices to attract more YouTubers in need of views and subscribers. However, low prices for such services are the first sign that something isn’t right because getting hundreds of subscribers for just $5 is unrealistic.

Viralyft: There are many ways to grow your YouTube channel, and buying subscribers is one of the most dangerous ways, since it may result in penalties that will ruin your YouTube channel. Viralyft is offering 500 worldwide subscribers for $49.99, and they provide no information about the delivery method. You should always ask questions about the delivery method before doing business with a service like this.

One thing they do promise is that the subscribers you can buy from them are safe, but they offer no proof that you will not be caught.

View2be: View2Be offers 500 subscribers for $45. This is a more realistic price than $5, but the delivery time they are promising could be risky. A sudden increase in subscribers within 24 to 72 hours could raise a red flag with YouTube’s algorithm suspicion.

View2Be does guarantee to give you your money back if they don’t deliver subscribers.

A better alternative to buying subscribers from View2be might be their view exchange platform, in which you earn real human views on your videos by watching other people’s videos.

ZERU: A huge number of clients that are advertised as a sort of a guarantee that the ZERU provides reliable services. This is somewhat misleading because it diverts the attention from the truly important information. There is no sign of delivery method explanations (where do the subscribers come from?), only a promise that they will deliver the subscribers within a day or two.

You want to know where your subscribers are coming from. If you are an American YouTuber, for example, and you suddenly receive a large number of subscribers from Asian countries then that will be suspicious of YouTube’s algorithm.

YTView’s claim that subscribers you will be buying are 100% real isn’t supported by any other fact featured on their website. ZERU will sell you a hundred subscribers for $20.

QQTube: For only $25 you can get 10,000 subscribers per day, which is one of the cheapest offers on the market. That delivery window could look suspicious to YouTube, but if that’s a risk you’re willing to take then with QQTube at least you won’t be risking a lot of money.

QQTube’s website doesn’t mention anything about safety, which is worrying, but they do offer geographic targeting which is important.

SocialGrand: Social Grand offers 500 subscribers for $34,90 or a thousand subscribers for $62,90. They promise to get your YouTube channel a better reputation, which is a huge claim that we would be wary of.

Their argument that their service is cost-effective and that it will earn you money is not only a cause for concern, but it is dangerous as well because penalties for fake subscribers on AdSense are much harsher than on YouTube.

Top 3 Ways to Get Free Subscribers

YouTube’s community and YouTube’s algorithm both favor authenticity, and for that reason, these organic ways to get subscribers will have a much stronger impact on your YouTube channel than any amount of subscribers you can buy.

Buying subscribers creates the illusion of short-term growth, while these free methods will result in real long-term growth.

Master SEO:If you would like to grow your YouTube channel, then mastering SEO is the right way to go. Use keywords in the titles of your videos, playlists, and your videos’ descriptions.

Many powerful keyword research tools can help you find the best keywords for your videos. One simple method is to simply search for your topic on Google and YouTube and see what other content creators are using to rank well.

A good performance in search rankings can only be achieved by strategic thinking and careful planning, so before you upload a video to YouTube do a little research to find the best keywords for your videos.

You can learn more about YouTube SEO here .

Post Consistently: You can hardly expect to have a loyal community of subscribers if you post videos every two or three months. Post a lot of videos and post them consistently (i.e. on the same day every week) because, if you do so, viewers will feel the anticipation and be more likely to watch your videos as soon as they are uploaded. Getting a lot of traffic in the first 24 hours of your video being uploaded is great for SEO.

If you manage to post four videos in a month, the number of subscribers to your account will grow organically, and you won’t need fake subscribers. You’ll get new subscribers for free.

Produce Collab Videos: Nobody can make it on their own; we all need the support of the people around us. Collaborating with other YouTubers that share your interest in the topic you are covering can be beneficial in many ways. First, when you collaborate you each introduce the other creator to a lot of new potential subscribers. Second, you begin to build a support network that you can rely on when you run into trouble (your YouTube friends may be able to share useful advice and even resources with you as you both grow).

Considering the risks, would YOU ever buy YouTube subscribers?

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

Wondering if it is a good idea to buy YouTube subscribers? It’s not. Don’t do it.

Seeing your videos get just a handful of views even though they are nicely filmed and cover interesting topics can be frustrating. Some YouTubers aren’t patient enough to meticulously grow their channels, which is why they opt to buy views and subscribers from providers that promise miracles.

The question remains whether or not these aforementioned miracles are just a scam designed to take your money. Buying subscribers carries a certain amount of risks , because YouTube’s algorithm may recognize fake subscribers and views, and that can result in a red flag on your channel or a ban. It may be safer to learn how to grow your subs organically for free .

Let’s have a look at some of the best places to buy subscribers and see whether or not they are promising more than they can deliver.

Jump to 3 Ways to Get Free Subscribers

Top 5 Sites to Buy Subscribers

Most providers offer ridiculously low prices to attract more YouTubers in need of views and subscribers. However, low prices for such services are the first sign that something isn’t right because getting hundreds of subscribers for just $5 is unrealistic.

Viralyft: There are many ways to grow your YouTube channel, and buying subscribers is one of the most dangerous ways, since it may result in penalties that will ruin your YouTube channel. Viralyft is offering 500 worldwide subscribers for $49.99, and they provide no information about the delivery method. You should always ask questions about the delivery method before doing business with a service like this.

One thing they do promise is that the subscribers you can buy from them are safe, but they offer no proof that you will not be caught.

View2be: View2Be offers 500 subscribers for $45. This is a more realistic price than $5, but the delivery time they are promising could be risky. A sudden increase in subscribers within 24 to 72 hours could raise a red flag with YouTube’s algorithm suspicion.

View2Be does guarantee to give you your money back if they don’t deliver subscribers.

A better alternative to buying subscribers from View2be might be their view exchange platform, in which you earn real human views on your videos by watching other people’s videos.

ZERU: A huge number of clients that are advertised as a sort of a guarantee that the ZERU provides reliable services. This is somewhat misleading because it diverts the attention from the truly important information. There is no sign of delivery method explanations (where do the subscribers come from?), only a promise that they will deliver the subscribers within a day or two.

You want to know where your subscribers are coming from. If you are an American YouTuber, for example, and you suddenly receive a large number of subscribers from Asian countries then that will be suspicious of YouTube’s algorithm.

YTView’s claim that subscribers you will be buying are 100% real isn’t supported by any other fact featured on their website. ZERU will sell you a hundred subscribers for $20.

QQTube: For only $25 you can get 10,000 subscribers per day, which is one of the cheapest offers on the market. That delivery window could look suspicious to YouTube, but if that’s a risk you’re willing to take then with QQTube at least you won’t be risking a lot of money.

QQTube’s website doesn’t mention anything about safety, which is worrying, but they do offer geographic targeting which is important.

SocialGrand: Social Grand offers 500 subscribers for $34,90 or a thousand subscribers for $62,90. They promise to get your YouTube channel a better reputation, which is a huge claim that we would be wary of.

Their argument that their service is cost-effective and that it will earn you money is not only a cause for concern, but it is dangerous as well because penalties for fake subscribers on AdSense are much harsher than on YouTube.

Top 3 Ways to Get Free Subscribers

YouTube’s community and YouTube’s algorithm both favor authenticity, and for that reason, these organic ways to get subscribers will have a much stronger impact on your YouTube channel than any amount of subscribers you can buy.

Buying subscribers creates the illusion of short-term growth, while these free methods will result in real long-term growth.

Master SEO:If you would like to grow your YouTube channel, then mastering SEO is the right way to go. Use keywords in the titles of your videos, playlists, and your videos’ descriptions.

Many powerful keyword research tools can help you find the best keywords for your videos. One simple method is to simply search for your topic on Google and YouTube and see what other content creators are using to rank well.

A good performance in search rankings can only be achieved by strategic thinking and careful planning, so before you upload a video to YouTube do a little research to find the best keywords for your videos.

You can learn more about YouTube SEO here .

Post Consistently: You can hardly expect to have a loyal community of subscribers if you post videos every two or three months. Post a lot of videos and post them consistently (i.e. on the same day every week) because, if you do so, viewers will feel the anticipation and be more likely to watch your videos as soon as they are uploaded. Getting a lot of traffic in the first 24 hours of your video being uploaded is great for SEO.

If you manage to post four videos in a month, the number of subscribers to your account will grow organically, and you won’t need fake subscribers. You’ll get new subscribers for free.

Produce Collab Videos: Nobody can make it on their own; we all need the support of the people around us. Collaborating with other YouTubers that share your interest in the topic you are covering can be beneficial in many ways. First, when you collaborate you each introduce the other creator to a lot of new potential subscribers. Second, you begin to build a support network that you can rely on when you run into trouble (your YouTube friends may be able to share useful advice and even resources with you as you both grow).

Considering the risks, would YOU ever buy YouTube subscribers?

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

Wondering if it is a good idea to buy YouTube subscribers? It’s not. Don’t do it.

Seeing your videos get just a handful of views even though they are nicely filmed and cover interesting topics can be frustrating. Some YouTubers aren’t patient enough to meticulously grow their channels, which is why they opt to buy views and subscribers from providers that promise miracles.

The question remains whether or not these aforementioned miracles are just a scam designed to take your money. Buying subscribers carries a certain amount of risks , because YouTube’s algorithm may recognize fake subscribers and views, and that can result in a red flag on your channel or a ban. It may be safer to learn how to grow your subs organically for free .

Let’s have a look at some of the best places to buy subscribers and see whether or not they are promising more than they can deliver.

Jump to 3 Ways to Get Free Subscribers

Top 5 Sites to Buy Subscribers

Most providers offer ridiculously low prices to attract more YouTubers in need of views and subscribers. However, low prices for such services are the first sign that something isn’t right because getting hundreds of subscribers for just $5 is unrealistic.

Viralyft: There are many ways to grow your YouTube channel, and buying subscribers is one of the most dangerous ways, since it may result in penalties that will ruin your YouTube channel. Viralyft is offering 500 worldwide subscribers for $49.99, and they provide no information about the delivery method. You should always ask questions about the delivery method before doing business with a service like this.

One thing they do promise is that the subscribers you can buy from them are safe, but they offer no proof that you will not be caught.

View2be: View2Be offers 500 subscribers for $45. This is a more realistic price than $5, but the delivery time they are promising could be risky. A sudden increase in subscribers within 24 to 72 hours could raise a red flag with YouTube’s algorithm suspicion.

View2Be does guarantee to give you your money back if they don’t deliver subscribers.

A better alternative to buying subscribers from View2be might be their view exchange platform, in which you earn real human views on your videos by watching other people’s videos.

ZERU: A huge number of clients that are advertised as a sort of a guarantee that the ZERU provides reliable services. This is somewhat misleading because it diverts the attention from the truly important information. There is no sign of delivery method explanations (where do the subscribers come from?), only a promise that they will deliver the subscribers within a day or two.

You want to know where your subscribers are coming from. If you are an American YouTuber, for example, and you suddenly receive a large number of subscribers from Asian countries then that will be suspicious of YouTube’s algorithm.

YTView’s claim that subscribers you will be buying are 100% real isn’t supported by any other fact featured on their website. ZERU will sell you a hundred subscribers for $20.

QQTube: For only $25 you can get 10,000 subscribers per day, which is one of the cheapest offers on the market. That delivery window could look suspicious to YouTube, but if that’s a risk you’re willing to take then with QQTube at least you won’t be risking a lot of money.

QQTube’s website doesn’t mention anything about safety, which is worrying, but they do offer geographic targeting which is important.

SocialGrand: Social Grand offers 500 subscribers for $34,90 or a thousand subscribers for $62,90. They promise to get your YouTube channel a better reputation, which is a huge claim that we would be wary of.

Their argument that their service is cost-effective and that it will earn you money is not only a cause for concern, but it is dangerous as well because penalties for fake subscribers on AdSense are much harsher than on YouTube.

Top 3 Ways to Get Free Subscribers

YouTube’s community and YouTube’s algorithm both favor authenticity, and for that reason, these organic ways to get subscribers will have a much stronger impact on your YouTube channel than any amount of subscribers you can buy.

Buying subscribers creates the illusion of short-term growth, while these free methods will result in real long-term growth.

Master SEO:If you would like to grow your YouTube channel, then mastering SEO is the right way to go. Use keywords in the titles of your videos, playlists, and your videos’ descriptions.

Many powerful keyword research tools can help you find the best keywords for your videos. One simple method is to simply search for your topic on Google and YouTube and see what other content creators are using to rank well.

A good performance in search rankings can only be achieved by strategic thinking and careful planning, so before you upload a video to YouTube do a little research to find the best keywords for your videos.

You can learn more about YouTube SEO here .

Post Consistently: You can hardly expect to have a loyal community of subscribers if you post videos every two or three months. Post a lot of videos and post them consistently (i.e. on the same day every week) because, if you do so, viewers will feel the anticipation and be more likely to watch your videos as soon as they are uploaded. Getting a lot of traffic in the first 24 hours of your video being uploaded is great for SEO.

If you manage to post four videos in a month, the number of subscribers to your account will grow organically, and you won’t need fake subscribers. You’ll get new subscribers for free.

Produce Collab Videos: Nobody can make it on their own; we all need the support of the people around us. Collaborating with other YouTubers that share your interest in the topic you are covering can be beneficial in many ways. First, when you collaborate you each introduce the other creator to a lot of new potential subscribers. Second, you begin to build a support network that you can rely on when you run into trouble (your YouTube friends may be able to share useful advice and even resources with you as you both grow).

Considering the risks, would YOU ever buy YouTube subscribers?

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

Wondering if it is a good idea to buy YouTube subscribers? It’s not. Don’t do it.

Seeing your videos get just a handful of views even though they are nicely filmed and cover interesting topics can be frustrating. Some YouTubers aren’t patient enough to meticulously grow their channels, which is why they opt to buy views and subscribers from providers that promise miracles.

The question remains whether or not these aforementioned miracles are just a scam designed to take your money. Buying subscribers carries a certain amount of risks , because YouTube’s algorithm may recognize fake subscribers and views, and that can result in a red flag on your channel or a ban. It may be safer to learn how to grow your subs organically for free .

Let’s have a look at some of the best places to buy subscribers and see whether or not they are promising more than they can deliver.

Jump to 3 Ways to Get Free Subscribers

Top 5 Sites to Buy Subscribers

Most providers offer ridiculously low prices to attract more YouTubers in need of views and subscribers. However, low prices for such services are the first sign that something isn’t right because getting hundreds of subscribers for just $5 is unrealistic.

Viralyft: There are many ways to grow your YouTube channel, and buying subscribers is one of the most dangerous ways, since it may result in penalties that will ruin your YouTube channel. Viralyft is offering 500 worldwide subscribers for $49.99, and they provide no information about the delivery method. You should always ask questions about the delivery method before doing business with a service like this.

One thing they do promise is that the subscribers you can buy from them are safe, but they offer no proof that you will not be caught.

View2be: View2Be offers 500 subscribers for $45. This is a more realistic price than $5, but the delivery time they are promising could be risky. A sudden increase in subscribers within 24 to 72 hours could raise a red flag with YouTube’s algorithm suspicion.

View2Be does guarantee to give you your money back if they don’t deliver subscribers.

A better alternative to buying subscribers from View2be might be their view exchange platform, in which you earn real human views on your videos by watching other people’s videos.

ZERU: A huge number of clients that are advertised as a sort of a guarantee that the ZERU provides reliable services. This is somewhat misleading because it diverts the attention from the truly important information. There is no sign of delivery method explanations (where do the subscribers come from?), only a promise that they will deliver the subscribers within a day or two.

You want to know where your subscribers are coming from. If you are an American YouTuber, for example, and you suddenly receive a large number of subscribers from Asian countries then that will be suspicious of YouTube’s algorithm.

YTView’s claim that subscribers you will be buying are 100% real isn’t supported by any other fact featured on their website. ZERU will sell you a hundred subscribers for $20.

QQTube: For only $25 you can get 10,000 subscribers per day, which is one of the cheapest offers on the market. That delivery window could look suspicious to YouTube, but if that’s a risk you’re willing to take then with QQTube at least you won’t be risking a lot of money.

QQTube’s website doesn’t mention anything about safety, which is worrying, but they do offer geographic targeting which is important.

SocialGrand: Social Grand offers 500 subscribers for $34,90 or a thousand subscribers for $62,90. They promise to get your YouTube channel a better reputation, which is a huge claim that we would be wary of.

Their argument that their service is cost-effective and that it will earn you money is not only a cause for concern, but it is dangerous as well because penalties for fake subscribers on AdSense are much harsher than on YouTube.

Top 3 Ways to Get Free Subscribers

YouTube’s community and YouTube’s algorithm both favor authenticity, and for that reason, these organic ways to get subscribers will have a much stronger impact on your YouTube channel than any amount of subscribers you can buy.

Buying subscribers creates the illusion of short-term growth, while these free methods will result in real long-term growth.

Master SEO:If you would like to grow your YouTube channel, then mastering SEO is the right way to go. Use keywords in the titles of your videos, playlists, and your videos’ descriptions.

Many powerful keyword research tools can help you find the best keywords for your videos. One simple method is to simply search for your topic on Google and YouTube and see what other content creators are using to rank well.

A good performance in search rankings can only be achieved by strategic thinking and careful planning, so before you upload a video to YouTube do a little research to find the best keywords for your videos.

You can learn more about YouTube SEO here .

Post Consistently: You can hardly expect to have a loyal community of subscribers if you post videos every two or three months. Post a lot of videos and post them consistently (i.e. on the same day every week) because, if you do so, viewers will feel the anticipation and be more likely to watch your videos as soon as they are uploaded. Getting a lot of traffic in the first 24 hours of your video being uploaded is great for SEO.

If you manage to post four videos in a month, the number of subscribers to your account will grow organically, and you won’t need fake subscribers. You’ll get new subscribers for free.

Produce Collab Videos: Nobody can make it on their own; we all need the support of the people around us. Collaborating with other YouTubers that share your interest in the topic you are covering can be beneficial in many ways. First, when you collaborate you each introduce the other creator to a lot of new potential subscribers. Second, you begin to build a support network that you can rely on when you run into trouble (your YouTube friends may be able to share useful advice and even resources with you as you both grow).

Considering the risks, would YOU ever buy YouTube subscribers?

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Understanding & Applying YouTube Markup

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.

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

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