Clickable links In Youtube video ?

Hi Simon, I did a quick google search and I found this website... Linked Tube. I haven't tried it, but I'm sure it works fine. Hope this help!!

Yes I would love to know this too! Not sure it will happen though..

The only way to link inside a YouTube video is to your other videos using Annotations. You can put URL's in annotations but they are non clickable. However, you can put the link in your description and use annotations or an actual call to action to point to your link.

This kind of "Call to Action" is something I cover in depth in the Video Assassin course I am putting together that I am launching this week so don't want to give away the farm here, but that is your best bet.

Regards

Sean Donahoe
The Manic Marketer

I see a lot of youtube vids using annotations for websites. It actually looks pretty good and I could see that being a fairly handy little tool to push sales. Anyone know of a program that does it? All the annotations i've seen look to be pretty much the same format

Youtube strips all "foreign" embeds and re-renders the video files using their own proprietary "formula" which makes it completley useless for modifications outside their network.

Frank Bruno

This would be great if it existed... Or even redirects (Yeah Right! )

Not for You Tube as far as I know, but there are ways of doing advertising with interactive video, where you click on a product in a video and go straight through to an online shop or info website.

It's been around for a few years in concept, but is just starting to get out there in the commercial world.

If anyone is interested, I have a few contacts in that field. I can get more info.

digileaf
Yes that would be something we would be interested in.

I think what you have seen is the Google Adsense Video option where adsense ads pop up on the bottom of your video.

I do not know of a way right now that you can put your own links in there.

Maybe you could go to adsense and try setting up a video ad and see what they are adding to the embed code and figure out a way to feed your own link into that video.

Let me know if you figure it out.

long tail ad solution is used for other sites than youtube, like the one im finishing now, but nothing exists to put your own clickable ads into a youtube video.

You can't embed a clickable link.

In your video ,give your URL from the first seconds of your video and repeat it occasionally through the video.

At the end of your video put your URL as a 20 seconds stationary text. Otherwise Youtube will show 'related videos' as soon as your video ends.

Start your video description with your link.

Hope this helps.

There is> Its called videodirectpay and costs $97

Hey Simon, excellent question. I see this was posted a while ago. Did you ever get an answer to this? I just heard about another site called bubbleply.com for embedding hyperlinks, but it's limited just like linkedtube whereas it gives you an embed code with the links but won't affect the original YouTube video within YouTube. Frustrating that you can't do it within YouTube. Also frustrating that so many of the responses didn't seem to read your full post before adding their answer.

I'm guessing that YouTube doesn't want us to be able to add outboard links, so I my current work-around is going to be to make a very clear call-to-action at the end of my videos if I want them to check out another website. To see an example of what I mean, check out my YouTube video called "FCP Muscle Memory" and skip ahead to 0:57.

I saw a video that has clickable links and sends people to the user profile.

I tried this with camtasia hoping it would work in youtube, to no avail. good luck with the search mate.

Hey,



11Levels you gave very good information.this information will really help me i was also searching for this and may be i will find some about this.so, thanks for sharing this.

I am sure youtube will adopt and integrate this Link feature sooner or later, in one of its future updates.

(just as msn messenger updates newer versions of itself)

That video is seriously a magnificent hack.

I recall there were ways to trick Youtube into avoiding converting a video and thus loading longer than 10 minute videos with a special file header. Perhaps that is what this is. This video certainly can be analyzed and figured out.

I'll be looking into it further.

I believe I figured out how that link is external...

It appears that it's a promoted video with a "call to action overlay" added.


Still looking more into this.


In the comments on that video the video poster says that it's something youtube let them do because they're a larger retailer.


Simply stated: They paid for it.

After doing some research into this question, I finally found the answer in google support pages

About Call-to-Action overlays : Managing My Promotions - YouTube Help

Linking in a video is only available if your paying to promote the video - it is not a permanent feature. Once you stop paying to promote your video, the links go away.

Here is an example of a Call-to-action overlay in a youtube video.
NOTE: The overlay only shows when you watch the video on Youtube, not external embed such as below.

These guys say they figured out a way to do it - I'm not so sure though this is just because it is a promoted video. In youtube's own documentation on call-to-action overlays they say:

"If you have a Promoted Videos account, you can now create overlays for all video plays across YouTube (whether the video play is triggered by a promotion or not). The overlay will appear ten seconds into the video and can be closed by the user."

The overlay in this video appears at the 12 second mark, NOT the 10 second mark.

There is a way, and we're actually going to go over it - you guys are barking up the wrong tree

Annotations are nice, and can be effective. There are 3 ways to go about doing this. Only one of which is free.

If you plan ahead and refer to your link below IN the video, and have some kind of visual call to action to back it up, and have your FULL URL.... http://www. then you get a solid CTR from your video. (double digits... yes I have tested it many times) This also helps SEO a lot, and increases the chances of showing up on page 1 of Google for certain keywords associated with your title, and tags.

As far as the real estate video above with the links and cool stuff. That's only looks complicated.

The buttons on the side are just flash elements on the page of the site the video sits on. As far as the video itself... they just let it loop until you click on something else. It's called dead time.

I would toss in a few CTA's during that dead time personally, but that's just me.

Hulu recently started using their dead time as well. 15 second commercial, a CTA, and the characters in the commercial would coax a click during the other 15 seconds. Pretty clever actually.

Most of my videos on YouTube I allow dead time, and have CTA's as well. Conversion seems to be higher when I do that.

Thanks for the information!

Right now I'm using overlay.tv to share youtube videos on Facebook (overlay.tv works on other video sites also). Linkedtube is cool too but it's not as nice as overlay.tv. But if you want to join overlay.tv now, you have to use overlay.tv/user, if not you have to pay for it.

I'm checking out klickable.tv right now... it seems cool too!

Thanks!

Chetz Yusof

Definitely would be so cool to do this but cannot see Youtube allowing it anytime soon.

At this point I put the link in the annotation and also as the very first thing in the video's description (not forgetting the http://) get quite a bit of traffic this way.

John

I don't think there is, the closest as you said is linking to other youtube videos

You can only get click able links in annotations and descriptions.

Read this thread...

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...check-out.html

Despite all the replies saying you can't put a live link to your own site on Youtube, it can be done and it's totally whitehat. The link appears actually on the video itself.

I have been thinking of creating a WSO which will give a simple step by step method of doing this, if there is interest, I will do it. Either reply to this on the thread or pm me to express an interest. It will be low cost - probably about $17.

JC

Okay guys and gals, what about this one:


YouTube Search This: Talavera Apartments For Rent V3 Video - Austin Apartments

**Sorry, I don't have enough posts here to put in a link**

Check out the contact us in the navigation that comes in after about 10 seconds. It's a bit.ly link- anyone know how this one was done as it's not an overlay.

Clickable links are called Promoted Videos

They basically work exactly like Adwords. It even shows up through Adwords.

Exactly, you can put clickable links in your youtube videos for free. It's easy with overlay ads - you don't even have to pay for them.

FYI,

This is what our Google Rep said today after showing them that link:

"Those are called external annotations and a very small alpha that we are
running. It also requires you to invest a significant amount of
advertising on YouTube and get a brand channel in order to qualify."

You have a Google Rep? Man would I like to pick your brain for awhile. I found Googles number and called it once. The automated system told me I don't spend enough money on adwords and to go to hell or something. /shrug

I use ad overlays all the time in YouTube. The system works the same as adwords... only cheaper.

It's Pay Per View based, but only in the YouTube search engine. If someone finds your video organically you don't get charged. Additionally you don't get charged when someone clicks on the overlay itself. Your video ad shows up on the right side of the search results. Someone clicks on that... you are charged based on what you bid is on keywords.

Not many people understand it or are even aware of it, so the cost is low. At least for now.

I don't know what the rep is talking about when they say it requires a significant investment. I pay next to nothing, and get stellar high quality leads out of it. I think they are trying to upsell you into something else.

Yes Linked Tube does allow links in a YouTube video, but only an embedded YouTube Video on a different site. Most of the people here are talking about having a link in a YouTube video ON YouTube itself.

I am still trying to wrap my head around how they did that. The only people who can do that are non profit organizations, so says YouTube. They don't look like a non profit.

I have been doing some more digging on the YouTube help forums and there are no answers to annotations linking to outside sites.

There are lots of people asking how to do this... Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't.

It seems that YouTube partners might be able to do this, but one of my channels IS a partner and I haven't been able to do it.

Maybe YouTube is testing a new feature. I dunno.

Here is a post I read with yet another video that has a link to an external site.

I have seen Partners link to their own website in an annotation - how do I do this? - YouTube Help

And here is my question.

Why can some videos link to outside websites with annotations and some cannot? - YouTube Help

Whatever is going is beyond me. No one can give a straight answer.

I didn't want to post the video I found here... the guy is advertising Yoga in Your Underwear... :S

If you click the video itself at ANY point this takes you right to their website.

*shudder* Creepy babies. I never liked this commercial anyway.

Okay I think I have solved the mystery!

The following came from some more research in the YouTube help section:

The following was a response by an actual Google Employee.

Here is the full discussion:

How do I add an external lint to an annotation??? - YouTube Help

Despite all the replies saying you can't put a live link to your own site on Youtube, it can be done and it's totally whitehat. The link appears actually on the video itself.

I have been thinking of creating a WSO which will give a simple step by step method of doing this, if there is interest, I will do it. Either reply to this on the thread or pm me to express an interest. It will be low cost - probably about $17.

JC

Hi I would be interested please contact me if you do

Norman

Ok, due to popular demand I have created a thread that has a free tutorial video that shows you exactly how to get these free clickable ads/links in your youtube videos.

http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...-tutorial.html

I hope that helps!

Looks like ya beat me to the punch there Will.

http://www.warriorforum.com/war-room...y-youtube.html

Yes, too bad you can only add external links in the descriptions and your profile. The video links only link within youtube.

For a day or so some people realized how you can insert code in comments and Youtube was hell. This allowed basically full control over the page. I remember that most popular song videos got redirected to porn and gore sites. Trolling everywhere, phishing attacks, locking computer down and other malicious scripts...basically you had to stay away from any video. Those where the times.

More info here:
4Chan hackers blamed for redirecting Justin Bieber fans to porn websites | News.com.au

Vimeo lets you add a link at the end of your video by the way.

I'm afraid it isn't possible to do this. Some alternatives are to put the URL in the description. Also, you can put the URL as an annotation, but it won't be clickable.

Unless you're using the videos outside of YouTube, you can't do this.

Hope this answers your question,
Ben

Here is the method using YouTube and Adwords. The overlay text and link hovers over the video until someone clicks it, then takes them to the external website and at that point you no longer see it on the YouTube video. Have not tried it myself yet.


I found the following at:

http://gazcooper.com/2011/08/how-to-add-clickable-links-to-your-you-tube-videos/

Here is the link to the sample the article mentions:
OfficialFijitFriends's Channel - YouTube

A Great way to increase CTR to your Amazon sites or Affiliate Offers if your using YouTube Videos, is to add clickable links and in this post i am going to show you step by step how to add a clickable link on your actual YouTube Videos and also how you can embedd any YouTube video into your website and have a clickable link in the video.
How To Add Clickable Links To YouTube Videos Great for Amazon or any Other Affiliate sites.
Did you know you can actually add clickable links directly onto YourTube Videos so that the viewer can directly click on the video and be directed to your Affiliate offers via your direct Affiliate link.
There are 2 methods to accomplish this
Method 1
1.) Adding Clickable Links to YOUR actual Videos on YouTube
2.) Adding Clickable links to Embedded Videos on your website.
Adding Clickable Links to Your actual YouTube Videos on YouTube
There are a few steps but its worth it to have ALL your videos with a clickable link on the actual video
Method 1 - Clickable links on YOUTUBE
You will need
A.) Youtube account
B.) Adwords Account
Step 1.) Go To ads.youtube.com click GET STARTED
Step 2.) Enter a BUDGET of 0.01 cent
Step 3.) Click on I WANT TO USE THIS BUDGET
Step 4.) Click on CREATE NEW PROMOTION
This will now show you all your videos in your YouTube account
Step 5.) Choose the video you want to add a link to then CLICK NEXT I AGREE
Step 6.) Now enter the text You want to show on the video
Step 7.) Choose your thumbnail and CLICK NEXT
Step 8.) Add your keywords for your video and then click ADD TO LIST then click NEXT
Step 9.) Set you CPV (cost per view) Dont worry you wont have to pay anything so in that space put 0.01 then click NEXT
Step 10.) Here you will preview your promotion then click on OK RUN MY PROMOTION
Step 11.) Very IMPORTANT
Under MY PROMOTIONS you will see your video and a small box on the left, CHECK THE BOX then just above it CLICK ON PAUSE this will ensure you dont get charged.
Step 12.) Go To Youtube log in and find the video you just set up and click on Edit
Under the video you will see CALL TO ACTION OVERLAY
Enter your HEADLINE and Description this will be what appears on the video also add the display URL which will be what is seen on the video and then the destination URL this is where the viewer is sent when they click on the link on the video ie your Affiliate link or website.
CLICK SAVE CHANGES
You now have a Free clickable link right on your YouTube Video
See an example : Fijit Friends
For Amazon Affiliates do not link directly to Amazon send them to your website first.
Method 2.
Adding Clickable Links to Your Embedded Videos on Your Website
So you want to embedd a video from YouTube on your website why not add a clickable CALL TO ACTION LINK right to your affiliate offer here is how you do it
Step 1.) Go to YouTube and find a video you want to embedd onto your website this could be a review someone has done for a product you are promoting on Amazon.
Step 2.) Copy the URL to the YouTube Video
Step 3.) Go to LinkedTube - Video Links For YouTube
Step 4.) on the right you will see spaces to enter your details
YOU TUBE VIDEO - enter the URl of the YouTube video you just copied
BUTTON TEXT - This is the message that will be put on
the video you can use it as a call to Action such as BUY NOW Click Here
BUTTON URL - This is where you put your DIRECT affiliate link to the Amazon product on Amazon or any other Affiliate page, remember to make sure you have your affiliate link in there.
Button Mode - This allows you to choose how to present the clickable button I always leave it set to SHOW ALWAYS
HOVER TITLE - This is additional text title that when you hover your mouse over the button it shows this could be something like ON SALE NOW or something along those lines.
HOVER TEXT - This is a sub headline under the above Hover title
Step 5.) Click Save and Get Code
Copy Embed code and place it on your website
YOUR ALL DONE you now have an embedded video on your site with a clickable link in the actual video to your Amazon product or your affiliate offer.
See and example : Ride in Dalek
Kickin it on Amazon
Gaz Cooper
Amz Training Academy


Hope you find this useful.
Richard

It's just an easy trick to embedded external link into any youtube video! I know a method and by which you can only put the link of your site (which is owned by you) in the video!

Does Youtube even allow this? I have never seen it done except under the video.

YouTube does not allow an annotation to link to an outside site. You can only link to other videos within YouTube