Engaged views are great for YouTube content creators. But unless you’re happy to monetize exclusively through YouTube revenue, you want a way to get users to take action.
Even with a great CTA, you still want viewers to take more actions on your channel, like subscribing, viewing other videos you’ve created, and clicking out to your website.
YouTube end screens are key to capturing momentum on your channel and turning it into results.
Want to learn how to drive more viewer actions with YouTube end screens to keep the momentum going? Let’s get started.
What Are YouTube End Screens?
YouTube end screens play during the final 5 to 20 seconds of a long-form video on the platform. They can be included in videos over 25 seconds long.
End screens contain interactive calls to action (CTAs), such as clickable links to related videos, playlist links, and subscribe buttons. They can also feature images and graphic designs that align with your brand identity.
Here’s an excellent example from Hubspot, which contains three links, including a link to a related video, a subscribe button, and a link to the Hubspot Community website.
Why YouTube End Screens Matter
End screens are crucial for creators on the platform because they help keep viewers active and engaged on your brand’s YouTube channel.
Creating custom YouTube end screens allows you to take the screen’s functionality further, using images and design elements that direct your viewers to take additional action.
How to Create YouTube End Screens
Want to know how to create YouTube end screens? Snappa’s template library and custom graphic tool make it quick and easy to make professional-quality end screens for your YouTube videos.
You don’t have to be a graphic designer to create YouTube banners and end-screen designs that align with your brand identity and colors. Navigate through our library to find a pre-made template or make your own.
Here’s how it works.
1. To access the templates, login to your Snappa account. From the main page, scroll down to Headers, Banners, and Profile Pages. Click the YouTube End Screen icon.
2. Scroll through the templates until you find one that looks like a good fit for your brand.
3. Once you’ve selected the template you want, go ahead and customize it. You can add your username, avatar, and up to three thumbnails to direct users to other videos on your channel.
How to Create an End Screen in YouTube
Once you’ve uploaded your video, it’s time to add an end screen in YouTube. To get started, open a new browser window and navigate to YouTube.
1. From the homepage, select Your Channel from the left-hand navigation bar.
2. Your channel’s home screen will appear. Click Create to get started.
3. If you don’t have videos uploaded already, you’ll need to upload one to add an end screen. Go ahead and click Upload Video.
Alternatively, you can edit an existing video if it’s over 25 seconds long. Videos shorter than 25 seconds can’t have an end screen.
4. Upload your video content and add metadata. This includes information like your title, description, thumbnail, audience, age restrictions, category, and language.
Once you’ve filled in your information, click Next in the lower right corner.
5. From here, you can add your end screen. Click the Add button to get started.
6. Select which elements you want to incorporate as part of your end screen. For instance, you can prompt viewers to subscribe, watch another video, visit a playlist, or subscribe to your channel.
For this end screen, I want to display an avatar with a link to subscribe, a thumbnail of a relevant video, and a link to one of my playlists. Once I select my choice, I can see a preview of the end screen.
When it comes to linking video thumbnails, YouTube offers three choices. You can link your most recently uploaded video, a video that’s best for the viewer, or a specific video from your collection. It’s also possible to link a playlist.
Snappa offers great end-screen templates to make the design process easy. Take a look and get started for free here.
4 Best Practices to Get More Out of YouTube End Screens
Now that you know how to create YouTube end screens, it’s time to get the most out of them. Here are some excellent examples from brands and content creators maximizing their end screens.
1. Ask Users to Take a Relevant Action
Depending on the topic of your video, you can use your end screens to ask users to take a relevant action. This could be directing them to a special offer, an event, or your website. It can also look like asking them to like, comment, and share.
It’s important to make sure the offer is relevant to the viewer and their stage in your sales funnel. Don’t send viewers to products, services, or events that aren’t featured in the video or relevant to it.
Take a look at how Salesforce uses its end screen to invite viewers to its annual Dreamforce event. The end screen features an on-brand design that points the viewer toward the appropriate URL where they can register to attend. An additional thumbnail links to a relevant video.
2. Send Users to A Related Video
End screens are great for sending users to a related video so they can continue watching your content. YouTube end screens allow for up to two video thumbnails, so you can give your viewers more than one next step to choose from.
Video thumbnails can appear in combination with a subscribe button or a playlist link. Take a look at this end screen by Gary Vaynerchuk, which features one prominent video link along with a subscribe button.
3. Ask Viewers to Subscribe
Your YouTube end screen is a great place to drive subscriptions. Asking your viewers to subscribe means more of your content gets delivered to them automatically. That’s a great CTA for any stage of the funnel.
YouTube’s options allow users to add a subscribe button on the end screen. But you can use great graphic design, such as a template from Snappa, to tie the visuals together.
Take a look at this end screen from Purple Carrot, which prompts viewers to subscribe with both an interactive button and a well-designed graphic.
4. Share Outtakes
Giving viewers a glimpse behind the scenes can help them feel more connected to your brand. Using your end screen to share outtakes is a great way to deepen that connection while taking advantage of thumbnails and other interactive elements.
For instance, YouTube creator Salma Jafri gets the most out of her YouTube end screen by including video outtakes, a video thumbnail, a link to a playlist, and a subscribe button.
Final Thoughts
Creating engaging, beautifully designed end screens for your YouTube videos is a fantastic way to keep your viewers coming back for more. Now that you’ve learned how to design your end screens and get the most out of them, it’s time to put them to work for you.
It’s quick and simple to design great YouTube end screens with Snappa. Our template library has everything you need to get started. Learn more and start for free here.
