Online video is not the same as TV. It can be much, much more.

One way to make it more is to use a tool like YouTube Video Annotations to add interactive elements to video content. You can jazz up your movies with commentary bubbles, background information, and links to other videos or sites.

To get started, login to your YouTube account or create one (it’s free). Start playing your video and locate the annotations menu on the right side. Choose the appropriate button - speech bubble, note, or spotlight - and activate a pop-up editing screen. Type your text, then simply drag-and-drop the annotation on your video. YouTube provides simple editing tools to fine-tune the timing on your annotations or delete extraneous annotations all together. When finished, save and publish your creation as you would any other YouTube video. Check out this example to see Annotations in action:

Smart marketers have learned to utilize video as a selling tool, often putting real customers and brand enthusiasts in the spotlight. Here is an opportunity to strengthen that message and add an exciting interactive element to your video content.