So what are the new YouTube cards, it’s a new YouTube feature that has been widely overlooked when it comes to the in video promotional options, in short terms YouTube cards the next logical step that annotations took in their evolution, and as annotations they are represented inside the video to give more info on the subject video itself. But unlike annotations which are always the same, YouTube cards offer a variety of options when setting up. So correspondingly there are various types of YouTube cards that can be created in your video. Each suited for individual needs of the video owner.
- Fund raising cards – which are pretty self-explanatory, any musician can use this to increase income, which can be used to produce more high-grade videos
- Sell cards – commonly used when advertising products, it offers a direct link to the location where the product can be purchased, this includes movies, music and various other products
- Website link card – provides a direct link to your website, as a musician this can be used to increase your mailing list or to generate an increased online presence on your website
- Drive video cards – offers the ability to play an entire playlist with one simple click, the reasons how a musician can use this for marketing are obvious.
Why use YouTube cards over annotations?
There are several reasons to do so. First of all YouTube cards look better than old plain annotations, and second of all they are customizable. So in regarding with the previously stated, it’s not an uncommon fact that customizing your YouTube cards effectively increases your fan base, make them look represent able, and make them represent your music. Couple of more thing that are worth mentioning. When it comes to YouTube cards in general and how they operate.
- YouTube analytics – the influence and overall success of YouTube cards can be tracked over the integrated analytics page, this can be useful for anybody that is unsure if their fan base is growing
- YouTube cards are mobile friendly – weather you are viewing the video in your mobile device or your desktop PC, the cards will always show, this is pretty important due to the widespread of mobile devices in today’s modern world, and let’s not forget the fact that people usually listen to YouTube on these mobile devices to begin with
- They simply look better – people won’t click what they don’t like, and when it comes to looks, YouTube cards are the best looking thing out there; they are highly customizable and can increase your profits and conversion rates by a healthy margin.
Using YouTube cards to monetize your music
This newly developed feature allows musicians to monetize their music in a number of ways whether It’s a music video are just a song you uploaded that playing over your Mixtape Cover Design. Let’s start off with the fundraising option. The music industry is over saturated at the moment, and there are a lot of quality musicians who simply can’t make a name for themselves, do to this fact. To succeed in the music business you need money, and this is the perfect way to do it. If you feel confident that your music is high-quality and you feel that you should receive donations for your effort, this is the perfect option for you. High quality content will ultimately lead to a high number of fans. And if they like what they hear, a donation of a small amount will be in order, so needless to say that this effect is accumulative and in the long run it can be quite profitable.
Another option that I feel that should be discussed is the so called “Sell cards”. As we stated before they offer a possibility to link your music video to an online store which sells your music. This is a perfect way for artists that don’t have their own website to try and sell their music. Think of iTunes and other similar programs which offer the option to sell music when it comes to this.
The third option for monetization using cards is the option to link the card to your website. Doing this can monetize your music in more ways than one, considering that the website is owned by you, you can set up an online store in your website, you could set up banners that provide further marketing for your music. So as far as the website goes, the possibilities are endless.
How to add YouTube cards to your video?
The procedure is pretty simple, you only need to log in to your YouTube account, check your video manager for a list of current videos, click edit on the video and click on the “cards” button. From this point onward things can get a bit complicated, due to the high customizability of the cards themselves. So feel free to experiment in order to find out what works best for you, and remember to use YouTube analytics while experimenting to keep track of all the good and bad changes.
In conclusion
As we stated before, the music business is over saturated at the moment, and there are more ways to monetize your music than ever before. YouTube cards are just the best from the batch; we highly recommend this feature to anybody that is trying to make a name for them in this industry. Try it out, experiment, find out what works best for you, and never forget to give your fans what they want in return!
