26/07/2024
Have you ever spotted YouTube videos where you can click the timings underneath to jump to different sections, or you can see different title cards that pop up when you scan along the timeline? These are called chapters – they can make it much easier to find sections you are looking for and help you understand what is in the video. This in turn can help to boost views and how long people spend watching the video. It’s easy to add chapters to your church’s videos. All you have to do is type the timings into the description box – just be sure to make sure you use the right format. Follow our step-by-step guide to find out how.
Why add chapters to your videos?
Here’s some key benefits to adding chapters to your YouTube videos.
Improved Navigation. Chapters allow viewers to easily jump to sections that interest them.
Makes your video more user-friendly. Viewers can more easily digest the shape of your content and what it’s about.
Better Engagement and Insight. Chapters increases the likelihood of people staying on your video. You can also use chapters alongside your analytics to monitor which sections perform best.
Search Optimisation. Chapters can appear in search results, increasing the discoverability of your video.
Adding Chapters: A Step-by-Step Guide
1. Log in
Firstly, open YouTube and log in with the account you want to share from.
2. Upload Your Video
Click the Create button (camera icon with a plus sign) in the top-right corner of the YouTube screen.
Select Upload video.
Choose the video file you want to upload from your computer.
3. Enter Video Details
While your video is uploading and processing, you will be prompted to fill in various details.
Fill in the Title and Description fields.
4. Add Chapters in the Description
In the Description box after you have typed in your description, you will add the chapters for your video. Think about how to organise the video, perhaps by topic discussed, or section of the church service?
Always start by typing ‘0:00 Introduction’ to indicate the beginning of your chapters.
Ensure each timestamp is followed by a space and then the title of the chapter. The timestamps mark where in the video each chapter starts. Make sure you use a colon between the minutes and the seconds. Don’t use a dot, comma, letter or space. For example, writing 4m20sec or 4.20 won’t work, it has to be 4:20.
Add subsequent timestamps and titles for each chapter in your video. Here’s an example format:
0:00 Introduction
1:23 Chapter 1: Getting Started
3:45 Chapter 2: Setting Up
7:20 Chapter 3: Advanced Tips
10:55 Conclusion
Below is an example of how our description with chapters looks for the national online service.
5. Complete the Upload Process
After adding your chapters, continue filling out the required details for your video, such as the Thumbnail, Playlist, Audience, and Tags.
Click Next to proceed through the remaining steps, such as adding video elements (like cards and end screens), checking for any issues (like copyright claims), and selecting visibility options.
6. Save and Publish
Once you have reviewed all the details and settings, click Save or Publish to make your video live.
Tips for Adding Chapters
Accuracy: Ensure your timestamps accurately match the beginning of each section in your video.
Clarity: Use concise and descriptive titles for each chapter to help viewers understand the content.
Minimum Length: Make sure each chapter is at least 10 seconds long to avoid very short segments.
Chapter Count: There's no limit to the number of chapters, but too many can overwhelm viewers. Aim for a balance.
Bonus tip: Use chapters for better Analytics
You can use chapters to get insight into what bits of your video perform well, or where people might be dropping off. If you go to Analytics in the left-hand menu, choose a video and select ‘Engagement’ (see screengrabs below) you can see an Audience Retention graph that shows the percentage of viewers watching your video at each moment. A steady graph is ideal because it shows people are staying engaged. Check the graph against the timestamps you have written for your chapters and you will be able to see if specific sections or topics are performing well or poorly. You can use this insight to think about areas to improve or successful sections to build upon.
-- Luke Smith, Junior Content Producer
