YouTube Adds Cards, Making Videos More Interactive

Last week, YouTube launched a new Cards feature this week that is seen as the evolution of annotations. Items to note on these new cards are below:

• Allow creators to add interactive, Google-now like pop ups on videos.
• Can inform and link viewers to: merchandise, fundraising, other videos and playlists, websites and fan funding.
• Available on mobile (a big win)

As marketers develop Cards it is essential ensure these cards are truly adding value in the user journey of discovering video content. These cards should not disrupt the viewing experience unless it can provide unique and interesting interactivity—a feature that annotations for the most part have not supplied.

You can learn more here.

Facebook Launches Payment System For Messenger App Users

Facebook is making a very big push in the mobile payment space.

In the upcoming months, Facebook Messenger users will now be able to send money to friends within the app. "Easy, Secure, Free,” says the Facebook announcement.

• Facebook Messenger has over 500 Million monthly active users
• Of these users there are nearly 80 million payment cards already on file, thanks to Facebook being a trusted payments processor for gaming, advertising, and donations since 2007

Facebook Messenger is poised to disrupt the industry, taking market share from P2P payment leaders like Venmo, PayPal, and Google Wallet.

Beyond just payments, Facebook Messenger expects more updates next week during the F8 conference particularly around how it plans to compete with other messaging services. You can find more information here and here.

Early Version of Vessel Launched

If you haven't heard of Vessel yet, you will. Soon.

The newest online video platform started by former Hulu CEO Jason Kilar, competes directly with YouTube, claims exclusive content and has just signed up some new advertisers:

• Users can get exclusive access to videos from some of the biggest content creators in the space.
• Vessel is offering these creators 70% of ad revenue while YouTube takes a majority of that revenue at 55%.
• Videos posted to Vessel can’t be seen anywhere else for 72 hours, hoping to be a big differentiating factor for the company.
• After that 72 hour window, the content then moves to Vessel’s free, ad-supported service along with other platforms like YouTube.
• Advertisers include: Chevy, Corona Extra, Land Rover, Jaguar, Axe, Dove, Suave and St. Ives
• Producers, including Alec Baldwin, signed on to produce custom content for the platform

Vessel launched their early version of the service to video creators last Wednesday. Once Vessel attracts more creator, we can expect "general pop" log in opportunities. In the meantime, you can request an invite here. Plus, see more about the platform here.