Despite what some fans think, video is not just a temporary fad in the marketing world. More than 78% experts say this resource gives them an excellent return on investment. Since the platform It is the second largest search engine in the world, you are really missing out on opportunities if you don't use YouTube advertising to promote your products or services to potential customers.
What is advertising on YouTube?
Advertising on YouTube, or YouTube Ads, is a digital marketing platform that allows advertisers promote your products or services through videos. Advertisements can appear before, during or after of the videos that users are watching. As well as in other places within the site. Offers various options segmentation and ad formats to reach specific audiences and generate interaction with the target audience. This makes it a powerful tool for promoting business and achieving online marketing goals.
What to know before starting YouTube advertising
Although marketers have had access to YouTube ads since August 2007, there is still some mystery surrounding how these ads actually work on YouTube. Video advertising on YouTube is distinguished from other platforms by how a view is counted. Only you pay for a view if the user lasts more than 30 seconds or view the video in its entirety. Any interaction below carries no cost. To summarize and help you get started:
- Create your account in Google Ads and understand how both targeting methods and ad formats work. Ads on YouTube are managed through this platform.
- Direct your promotions towards what interests your audience. Employ a strategy that combines display keywords and market lists. So that you reach people with purchasing intentions.
- As you get the first results, expand the focus areas of your strategy.
Setting up an ad campaign on YouTube can be complicated if you don't have much experience with the Google ads platform. Take your time when starting out and avoid rushing.
The 4 main YouTube advertising formats
There are three categories of ads on YouTube, and each of them has its own requirements, advantages and application situations:
1. Previous video ads
This type is introduced before a video starts and has a duration of approximately 30 seconds. Billing is done by click, which means you will only have to pay for the total number of clicks generated, instead of counting each video view.
Because they charge per click, they are often the most cost-effective option for campaigns focused on specific actions. For example clicks on links, or to increase your subscriber list.
2. In-stream ads
If you've chosen to use TrueView ads as the basis for your YouTube advertising campaign, they will be presented before they watch a video. The cost is calculated according to the number of views of these ads and there is no maximum time limit. However, whoever is viewing your ad has the option to skip it after five seconds.
Despite having more space to convey your message, the chances of keeping someone in the entire video are slim. Especially if the first five seconds don't capture your interest. For this reason, these ads are often ideal for create brand awareness.
3. Bumper ads
If you don't feel like creating long videos to promote in YouTube ads, don't worry. You can opt for the bumper ad format. Shows a six second clip which cannot be skipped before a normal video:
You may think that six seconds is not enough to capture your audience's attention in your YouTube marketing campaigns, but Google discovered otherwise. Across 300 featured campaigns, 90% achieved a significant increase in ad recall. This makes it a fantastic format to use if you want increase your brand recognition.
4. Display ads
If you prefer not to advertise within the video, on-screen ads are the best alternative. These ads you are charged per view every time someone clicks the link. You'll see them on the right side of your screen, as shown here:
Despite their name, display ads are not the most eye-catching type of ad on YouTube. You can skip them if you just want to watch the current video, but they're a great choice if you want to increase your conversion rates.
How to Produce the Perfect YouTube Ad Creative
Now that you have chosen the ideal advertising format, it is time to focus on the creativity of your video. The key to a successful YouTube campaign lies in the creating an attractive and captivating video. You can't expect to get results if you can't capture your audience's attention and keep them interested in your message.
Here's an essential checklist to shape your YouTube video ad creative:
- Make the first 5 to 8 seconds captivating. This is the moment when people decide whether to continue watching or skip it.
- Align language, cinematography and personality of your ad with the industry in which you want to promote yourself to connect with your audience.
- Design a thumbnail that fits the aesthetics of that industry, in order to generate interest from the beginning.
- Focus on conveying a key point to avoid overloading the viewer with information.
- Tell a story that engages your audience, making sure it is relevant and fits the time available.
Pay attention to metrics when tracking your YouTube ad campaigns
Once your YouTube campaigns are running, evaluate their performance and make sure they are working well. YouTube recommends advertisers link your YouTube campaigns with Google Ads to access more detailed information. However, if you access this ad analytics dashboard, you may feel overwhelmed by not knowing where to start or if the results you are seeing are competitive within your industry.
Understandably, navigating this dashboard can be complicated, especially if this is your first time using it. Here are the key metrics you should monitor in your Google Ads dashboard:
- Impressions. How many people saw your video?
- Views. How many people continued watching beyond the first 30 seconds?
- Viewing rate. What percentage of the people who were shown the ad actually saw it?
- Cost per click (CPC). How much do you spend per click on the ad link?
- Cost per view (CPV). How much do you spend per 30 second view?
- Earned shares. How many people subscribed to your channel, visited your website, or liked your video as a result of the ad?
How to improve display rate?
If you have noticed that your campaigns are not getting the desired results, there is a strategy you can implement: increase the number of people who watch your video beyond the first 30 seconds. If someone is interested enough to watch most of your video, chances are your business will appeal to them. You have already managed to retain their attention, which automatically increases your chances of generating more”shares earned“.
Plus, since engaged customers tend to spend more, improving your ad view rates could increase the return on investment (ROI) of your entire video marketing campaign. Here are five tips to improve your YouTube ad:
- Perform A/B tests on your creativity.
- Adjust settings at the campaign level.
- Eliminate unnecessary elements.
- Experiment with alpha-beta custom affinity audiences.
- Optimize your strategic locations (management).
Learn how to optimize your YouTube channel
When you are promoting on this platform, it is evident that your channel must be in its best shape. Inviting your audience to subscribe to a channel with just one or two videos won't leave a good first impression. However, a few simple tweaks to your channel optimization can help you get more conversions almost immediately. The optimization tips you should consider are:
- Use transcripts.
- Optimize your tags and keywords.
- Interact with the comments on your videos.
- Create relevant playlists.
- Improve the thumbnails of your videos.
Advertising on YouTube can revolutionize your video marketing strategy, becoming the main source of customer acquisition for your company. Keep the focus on quality and constantly work on improving your view rates. Increasing the number of people who interact with your ad is essential. You can't expect to get results if you can't retain their attention.
