An “end screen” - also known as an “end card”, “end slate” or “video outro” - is a feature on YouTube videos that appears in the last 5-20 seconds of a video. YouTubers can use end screens to promote different things, from other videos to playlists, merchandise, and external websites.
Simply put, your end screens can help you get more views, traffic, and YouTube subscribers from each and every video you produce.
While there are a million things a viewer can do when your video ends (like logging off YouTube, watching a video from the “suggested videos” bar on the right, or searching for a new video), using end screens will allow you to make the choice for your viewers on what to do next. When you link to other videos and playlists with your end screens, you’re essentially increasing the odds that your viewers will watch them and subscribe to your channel. Unfortunately, many content creators (especially new ones), are not using end screens the right way or at all, and it is one of the most common new YouTubers mistakes.
Basically, YouTube’s algorithms reward channels that keep the audience logged in to the platform and watching. The more videos a user watches, the more ads are displayed - meaning more money into YouTube’s bank account. This might sound a little cold and harsh, but it’s the truth. If YouTube’s algorithms find that your content keeps people logged in - they’ll reward you by exposing you and promoting your videos to more people organically. Using YouTube end screens wisely isn’t only beneficial to you in terms of views and subscribers, but also in the algorithm’s “eyes”, which can yield some serious long term benefits for your channel.
The short answer is “yes”. The long answer is a bit more elaborate:
Currently, there are four types of elements that you can add to your end screens. However, only 3 of them are available to everyone, the fourth being dependent on your channel status. We’ll explain that in more detail in a bit.
You can link your end screens to any video on YouTube: if you already aware of how to make good YouTube thumbnails, then suggesting your videos inside the end screens could be a real goldmine to generate more views for your videos. How? If your video thumbnails are interesting and looks professional, then more people will be incline to click on it.
Moreover, you can link to whole playlists - either one created by you or any other playlist on the platform.
In your end screens, you can add an element that will let your viewers subscribe to your channel directly from the end screen element. This subscription button will be sizable and hard to miss, so it’s definitely worth adding!
Let’s say you collaborated on a video with another channel. In your end screens, you can add an element linking your video with that of the channel you collaborated with.
As long as you’re in the YouTube Partner Program (or YPP), you can add an element linking to an external website (your own or another relevant website). This will help you direct your subscribers and viewers to your webpage, your crowdfunding campaign, or anywhere else you want your audience to go. For example, if you’re making a product review video, you can refer your viewers to the product’s Amazon page, using your unique affiliate link.
Log in to your YouTube Studio And Click On “Videos”
Hover with your mouse over the video you want to add end screens to and click on the little pencil icon
After filling in all the metadata (you can learn about YouTube metadata basics here) and setting whether this video is made for kids or not, click on “Next” at the bottom right corner.
On the next screen, click on “Add” in the “End screens” section.
Then, you will see the following screen:
Here, you can choose when you want the end screens to show up, which elements you want your end screens to show, and see a preview of what it will look like on your video. When you’re done making changes, click on “Save” at the top right corner of the screen.
Congrats! You’ve just added some end screens to your video!
After logging into your YouTube Studio and clicking on Videos, hover with your mouse over the video you want to change end screens for and click on the little pencil icon.
In the Video Details screen, click on “End Screens”
Then, in the next screen, you will be able to edit and change your end screens. When you’re done making changes, click on Save and you’re done!
Generally speaking, you want to have 2-3 elements in your end screens, no more. Adding more elements will make your end screens look cluttered, thus making them inefficient. If you give people too many options - they’ll choose none. So, make sure you choose what you promote carefully and don’t over-do your elements.
For example, Backlinko used 3 elements on his end screen: 2 video elements and one subscription button element.
Most YouTubers choose to promote videos in their end screens. They do this for two reasons: first, this is known to significantly increase your channel’s monthly views. Second, it converts people from mere viewers to active subscribers. Featuring a video in your end screens is a sure-fire way to make people watch more of your content and fall in love with you and with what you do.
The right video to promote in your end screens can either be related to the topic of the “main” video the person is watching, or a video from your channel that you know can convert viewers into subscribers. You can find such videos in your Video Analytics in your YouTube studio. If you’ll look at the graph, you’ll see how many subscribers this video added.
If you want more subscribers on YouTube, make sure to include the subscription button element to your video end screens. There’s not a lot you can do to this end screen element, YouTube simply uses your channel icon.
This might sound like extra work, but the truth is - you don’t want your end screens to cover up your content when you show them. That’s why you should use an “outro” image to overlay the elements on top of.
External links are great to drive traffic to them, but you should use them in moderation. The reason for that is that YouTube likes content that keeps people on the platform, and if it notices people are clicking off the platform every time they finish watching one of your videos - the algorithms will stop promoting your content. This, in turn, means you’ll get fewer views and subscribers.
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