Google Creator Playbook Version 4 - Manual (Page 40)

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Annotations
Best Practices
• Avoid annotations in the lower third of the video; the
advertisement overlay can obscure them.
• Also avoid annotations along the very top of
the frame. Embedded players may obscure placement
of these annotations.
• Don’t obstruct the actual content. Make sure
annotations add value and do not get in the way of
the viewing experience.
• Don’t bombard the viewer. This can feel “spammy” and
may have an adverse effect.
• When appropriate, set annotations to open a new
window when clicked. Be careful! Don’t take viewers
away from a video too soon.
• Repeat “subscribe” solicitations and other CTAs at the
end of the episode.
• Annotations at the end of a video should open in the
same window.
• Use your best judgment (and Analytics) to determine
the timing, placement, style and number of
annotations included in your videos.
Be creative! The annotation is a flexible feature that’s
unique to YouTube – and there are still many uses yet
to be discovered.
When linking to a video that you want to
play within its playlist add “&list=playlist ID HERE” to the
end of the url.
Spotlight Annotations
Most annotation types are self-explanatory. Spotlight
annotations stand out because they allow creators to
subtly create clickable areas within a video. The text
only appears when a viewer hovers over it with the
mouse; a light outline shows when the viewer’s not
hovering. This is a great way to include unobtrusive
but clickable annotations.