We all know that video is powerful, and if your audience engages well with visual content, then YouTube ads might just be the perfect way to strengthen your digital marketing campaign and capture customers’ attention.
You can utilize YouTube Ads in an array of different ways to help your business build brand awareness, grow sales, or influence buying decisions. Read on to discover how to make the most of your YouTube in-stream ads.
Every day, people watch more than one billion hours of video on YouTube. Combined with over 2 billion logged-in users visiting the platform each month, it’s no wonder that a growing number of savvy businesses are looking to advertise on YouTube.
YouTube ads are an attractive way to advertise your content on the platform and maximize customer reach. Your ad could play before a video or show up in YouTube’s search results, where users can watch in full.Since joining powers with Google, the platform has been going to great lengths to ensure that creating YouTube ads is as easy and customizable as setting up campaigns in Google Ads.
You can choose from 4 different video ad options in YouTube Studio – skippable ads, non-skippable ads, bumper ads, and overlay ads. Note that the first three formats are available on desktop, mobile, TV, and game consoles. Overlay ads (images or text appearing on the lower portion of a video) are available on desktop only.
Non-skippable video ads must be watched before the user can view their selected video. Depending on regional standards, these ads run for 15 or 20 seconds. Bumper ads are short, non-skippable ads of up to 6 seconds.
When selecting your video ad format, remember that although non-skippable in-stream ads may sound tempting, they are rather unpopular among users.
Skippable in-stream ads are by far the most popular advertisement option on YouTube as they can be effectively utilized for most businesses. They play before, during, or after videos and allow viewers to skip the ad after 5 seconds. You pay for an in-stream ad each time somebody watches at least 30 seconds of it (unless your ad is shorter than that).
Skippable YouTube ads generally keep costs down as you don’t have to worry about paying for viewers who skip through your ad as soon as possible. Naturally, however, this makes accurate targeting crucial for the success of your video ads.
The cost of advertising on YouTube will generally depend on factors such as watch time and audience targeting, and there is no minimum amount you must spend.
On average, advertising on YouTube costs between $0.10 and $0.30 each time a viewer engages with your ad (e.g. clicks on a call-to-action), and most businesses start with at least $10 a day for local campaigns.
Whether you pay per click or view depends largely on the type of ad you have created. Bumper ads, for example, require payment each time the ad receives 1,000 impressions.
The creative options with in-stream video ad campaigns are endless, and SaaS marketers can easily customize their ads with relevant overlay text and CTAs. Before you get started, though, keep in mind that because these ads can be skipped, it’s vital to quickly hook viewers in and give them a reason to keep watching.
There is no magic formula for a successful YouTube ad campaign, however, creating a dynamic YouTube channel is a critical first step. Your channel can deepen brand engagement once consumers have been exposed to your ad and reinforce brand loyalty among current customers. Tipson how to make a video go viral include evoking emotions, keeping the message simple, and resisting the urge to be too promotional.
Additionally, you could test out different video lengths. Consider winding down your video ad where viewers realize it's ending. For instance, if people have already gotten a lot of value towards the end of the video, they might exit at the last few seconds and – since you only pay if they reach the 30-second mark – turn into free impressions.
With an abundance of video content and the option to x-out of most YouTube ads, it’s worth focusing your efforts on producing original, high-quality video ads. Don’t forget to choose the right format, use YouTube’s targeting options, and encourage action with interactive links.
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