Be a YouTube Rockstar: How to Use Annotations

01/23/10  Print this post Print this post    2 Comments      Written by Joshywashington
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Annotations are the most underutilized and perhaps the most powerful feature on YouTube.

ANNOTATIONS allow you to display messages, thought bubbles and most importantly, add links to other YouTube videos. Adding links lets you guide your visitors to other videos and create interactive games, improving your viewer experience and getting you more views.

Anyone with videos on YouTube can add annotations to their vids. Annotations come in three flavors; Notes, Speech Bubbles, and Spotlights. Spotlights can be used as links that allow viewers to go directly to the video you link to. Annotations can be layered and placed anywhere in the viewer with multiple annotations appearing on the screen at once.

Annotations are free, easy to use, and well worth the little time they take to implement.

NOTICE MY USE OF ANNOTATIONS IN THIS MATADORTV VLOG.

WATCH THIS VIDEO FOR A TUTORIAL ON ANNOTATIONS

Now that you know how to use annotations, start experimenting on your videos right now. When it comes to using annotated links to create an interactive game, their is virtually no limit to what you may create!

COMMUNITY CONNECTION


Do you have a YouTube channel? Leave a link to your channel in the comments so we can subscribe to you! Have you contributed a video to Matador’s YouTube group? Well, get on it!!


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About the Author

Matador ID: joshywashington

Joshua Johnson aka Joshywashington is a soggy Seattle based adventurer with a penchant for misty mountains and black coffee. Read Josh's BLOG, watch his VIDEOS and connect on TWITTER. He and his wife Bridget operate their New Media production company, Confluence Creative Media from Seattle and L.A.

2 Comments... join the discussion!

  • Travel-Writers-Exchange.com replied on January 25, 2010

    Thanks for the tip! Some people are still getting used to YouTube and don’t take advantage of the annotations. It’s a great way to set your video apart from the millions of other videos on YouTube.

    ↵ Reply
    • joshua johnson replied to Travel-Writers-Exchange.com on January 25, 2010

      Exactly! Annotations are easy to use and add a whole new level to your vids. The ability to seamlessly usher your viewers from one video to the next is key to being a YouTube Rockstar!!

      ↵ Reply

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