Everyone’s favorite time of the year is here: that last holiday quarter, when YouTube watchtime and ad revenue is at its absolute strongest. The combination of tentpole holidays such as Halloween, long breaks from work and school and the rush of holiday shopping, means more eyes and dollars are competing for YouTube attention than any other time of the year. Make sure you’re up-to-date on the latest YouTube features below, and check out some of our previous “Greatest Hits” to optimize your catalog and releases through the end of the year and beyond.
End Screens and Cards – External Links
In the past, we’ve shown you how to use End Screens and Cards to promote your own content, link to approved retailer sites and direct traffic to your own website. Due to some abuse of external linking, YouTube is now restricting the feature to only members of the YouTube Partner Program. If your channel is already partnered with The Orchard, then you’re all set. You’re already a partner and can continue using End Screens and Cards as you have been (or start using them if you haven’t!).
iMessage Support
Everyone shares content nowadays and, especially in the United States, iOS has become the golden standard for text messaging. In the past year, iOS has significantly expanded its feature set, allowing other apps to send content through the messaging software. With the latest YouTube iOS update, YouTube videos are now part of that feature set. When you “share” a YouTube video with a friend, it will become embedded in the conversation. Your friend can either watch it in-stream/during the chat, or direct themselves over to the app to watch in fullscreen. Your best cheerleaders can be your immediate network, so if you’ve got a new video and you want to spread the word, try iMessaging it to a few friends and encourage them to do the same.
Bonus: The same update that enabled iMessage support allows you to “swipe-to-delete” videos from playlists, should you need to make some edits on the go!
YouTubeTV Tricks World Series Viewers
We’ve covered the rollout of YouTube TV through the year, and as the service rolls out to more and more U.S. markets, YouTube has taken on some clever national advertising for the service. During the first game of the World Series, a strategically placed “YouTubeTV” ad was positioned directly behind the home plate. The YouTube logo, centered directly in the frame, ended up looking like the familiar “click to play” button, causing widespread confusion and discussion across social media. Alright, there may not be a lot of insight to take away from this one, but it certainly does speak to how ubiquitous YouTube is in today’s media culture, and how that logo has produced an almost Pavlovian reaction in the general population to click and watch.
Holiday Tips
Though new features are always welcome, don’t forget your foundation and essential strategies for your channel this holiday season! Check out some of our greatest hits below for how you can get some more eyes on your art:
- Got a music video coming up? Learn how to use social media to maximize hype and views
- Did your video shoot fall through? Are you a camera-shy artist?Check out how to make the most out of YouTube without an official music video.
- On the road or in the studio?Check out how to utilize YouTube’s live features to reach your fans
