Do you need to use a YouTube end screen template in 2023?
We studied 100 of the top YouTube channels to find out. Keep reading to see the results of our study.
YouTube End Screen Template Study
After analyzing the top 100 YouTube channels, we discovered that 77% do NOT use custom YouTube end-screen templates.
Now, does that mean you shouldn’t use one as well? Not necessarily, but it isn’t a necessity.
More importantly, having or not having a custom end screen won’t determine how successful your channel will be.
What matters is the quality of the content you produce. That’s the lead domino. Focus all of your time and effort on creating the best YouTube content possible.
7 Youtube End Screen Templates
Here are 7 YouTube end screen templates you can draw some inspiration from:
Example #1: Jimmy Fallon
The Tonight Show uses a solid end screen that’s focused on getting the user to view more videos. This is smart because YouTube wants users to stay on their platform for as long as possible.
Why? Because it produces more ad revenue.
You should do your best to please YouTube’s algorithm and model what The Tonight Show is doing to keep users on the platform.
Keep in mind that your channel’s watch time is a big factor in your YouTube performance. That’s why it’s smart to drive users to more videos on your channel.
Example #2: Smosh
Smosh gives you a few options, such as watching another video, subscribing, and even purchasing their merch.
Example #3: SAB TV
SAB TV has a simple end screen but is effective and straightforward. Like the Tonight Show, they know the importance of getting users to watch more videos on their channel (to increase watch time).
Example #4: Movieclips
Movieclips has well-designed end screen and pushes users to watch more videos.
Example #5: BRIGHT SIDE
Bright Side keeps it simple and pushes users to watch more videos. Simplicity should be the goal with your end screen. You should reduce the number of choices a user has to decrease decision fatigue.
Example #6: elrubiusOMG
elrubiusOMG keeps it as simple as possible. He only offers one single video to watch on his end screen. This is effective if you’re trying to drive more watch time to an important (or already successful) video.
Example #7: WWE
WWE’s end screen template effectively promotes its upcoming events and pushes users to watch another video.
3 Keys to Effective YouTube End Screens
You can use many tools to create custom YouTube end screen templates. But before I show you, let’s cover some important details about end screens.
1. Less is more
I lean towards minimalist end screens. That’s because you don’t want users to have to think. We want them to act and not have to make decisions. The more videos you offer, the harder it is to make a decision.
Think about how difficult it is to choose a movie when your entire family is trying to decide. That’s because there are too many choices!
Limit the number of choices you give the viewer. That will increase your click-through rate (CTR) and increase your watch time.
2. Relevance is king
YouTube is super effective at picking the most relevant videos from your channel. You can also manually choose what videos you want to show on the end screen. More on this in a second.
The key to having stellar CTR on your end screen is relevance. The more relevant it is, the higher the CTR. Plain and simple.
3. Keep it evergreen
You’ll notice that the WWE end screen promotes an upcoming event. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it just makes things more logistically challenging.
For example, they won’t be able to change that end screen once that event has already passed. So that means whenever someone watches that video, it will be outdated.
I recommend sticking to evergreen end screens. That means the end screen will make sense no matter what time of day it is.
2 Ways to Create an YouTube End Screen Template
Some of my favorite tools for creating YouTube end screen templates are Canva and Snappa.
1. Use Canva
Go to Canva and click on “Create a design”.
Click on “Custom dimensions.”
Enter 1280 x 720 px.
Start designing. Here’s a simple example that I use for my channel:
2. Use Snappa
If you want to keep things simple, then I recommend using Snappa. All you need to do is create a free account and use one of their pre-made templates:
Should You Use a YouTube End Screen Template?
Whether you use a template or not isn’t what matters. What matters is your video itself because otherwise, no one will even make it to the end. After that, what you use as your end screen options is far more important than having a template.
Keep your end screens simple, relevant, and evergreen.
