How to Insert a Hyperlink in a Doodle

Explains the various methods to include a hyperlink onto your video productions.

Hyperlinks

Videos with hyperlinks come in a variety of options including paid interactive video services, like Mind Stamp, paid software packages like Camtasia and free options like Vimeo or YouTube.

The free ones will include hyperlinks but these may not function exactly how one might imagine. Fundamentally, videos don’t support hyperlinks regardless if it is a .webm, .mp4, .mkv, .mov or other video file types. This indicates there is no native method to adding hyperlinks so we need to use a paid or free service to include a hyperlink on top of the video.
Some of the paid services like Mind Stamp or the professional version of Vimeo do have the granular capability of supporting hyperlink overlays on top of your video called video hyperlink hotspots. Mind Stamp

For those of us that don’t mind spending a bit of money to have an interactive self hosted video then we can purchase Camtasia which has the ability to create hotpots and creates all the files you need to host your own video on your own website. These files make an overlay on top of the video at the precise times. Camtasia Download

The free services like YouTube allow hyperlinks but do not have a granular configuration like the paid hosting services so you cannot move them where you want them on the video. They are static and create and edit the URL for the link and the text for the link.

Video Services

A free video service that includes hyperlinks is YouTube. These hyperlinks can show up in the form of:
1. In video “cards” which can have up to 5 non-repetitive links to other videos. A link to a website that you own is available if you are part of the YouTube Partner Program or are partnered with someone like SoloBoss that is part of the YouTube partner program. YouTube Link Embedding Help

2. “End Cards” which can have up to 2 videos or playlists along with a subscribe button and appear at the end of the video for a maximum of 20 seconds.

Hosting Platforms

Bryxen; the makers of Doodly, offers two platforms for embedding links on top of videos. These do not appear to be location controllable links but links more for polls but there may be other options. Researching there are other platforms such as Wisteria, Daily Motion and Amazon that will host videos but I could not find anything that stated you could post hyperlinks on top of the videos.

What is a QR Code?

This stands for Quick Response. This is a type of matrix bar code created by Japanese automotive company; Denso Wave. It stores a lot more data than a bar code and can be used for redirecting back to a website.

What good is a QR Code?

We can embed a QR code into our videos and anyone that is watching on a computer can scan the QR code with their phone to go to the website we want them. This is a way around the lack of hyperlink embedment’s. We can place the QR code wherever we want them in the video and although it is not a clickable link, it is the next best thing.

How to generate a QR Code?

I use a combination of TinyURL so I can track how many people are using the link and the QR Code Generator website.
https://tinyurl.com
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QR Code Generator
The QR Code Generator also allows for Google Analytics to be attached to the QR Code and stores them for you.