Have you ever find link from YouTube videos to external websites, other youtube channel or subscribe options? It is known as YouTube Annotations feature that allow you to add different annotations into your YouTube Videos.
YouTube annotations have been an expressive form of marketing ever since it was launched on November 29th, 2012. The annotations allowed videos to be linked to associated websites and other youtube channels. Two of the biggest benefits of the tool have been driving traffic to business and promotional websites and making the videos more interactive. Initially it was expected that this tool would spell death across other marketing blogs but for some reasons it stayed under the radar. Most of the users haven’t been able to use associated annotations properly, even though they guarantee results.
For those still looking to jump forward and try out the dramatic marketing funnel, here are certain important points to note before you use YouTube Associated website annotation feature.
Eligibility criteria
Not all YouTube channel can expect to be able to use associated annotations the way it is supposed to. Every user needs to check that:
- Their YouTube account is verified (check via youtube.com/verify)
- The account is in good standing (check via YouTube Settings/Features)
Creating the associated website annotation
After you have checked the eligibility criteria for your website, it takes a few steps to set up the associated website annotation
- Visit Advanced Channel Settings and add your domain name that you wish to associate with channel. Show below image!
- Once you are done, click on verify that will redirect you to Google Webmaster account. Follow instruction given there and verify the ownership of domain.
- And it’s done!
Adding Associated Website Annotation
Now that your official web addresses is linked to your YouTube account, you can work out to enable the annotations in the videos. Here’s how.
- Go to Video Manager and click on the edit button next to the video that you want to apply the annotation to.
- Click Annotations
- If this is the first time that you are going through the process, you need to ensure that the “Enable your account for external annotation links” banner is checked. This will require you to accept some “Terms and Conditions”.
- Add annotation to create a new link or select from existing annotations.
- Define the “Link” check-box with an URL and select “Associated Website” category.
- Once done and verified, select Save / Publish.
Once YouTube back-end completed the process, the user will get a “Success” message. When the targeted user clicks on an annotation, video playback stops and the user is directed to the associated website.
Another important point is to make sure that your annotations are in line with the Terms of Service and Community Guidelines of YouTube. Google reserves the right to remove your annotations in case it finds any violations.
If you still find any difficulties or error while including Annotation into your YouTube Video, write your query here in comment.