One of the biggest fears of every marketer is that their ads fall flat and fail to capture their target audience. If you’re one of them, fear not! YouTube ads can help you run a campaign and achieve your business goals.
As the biggest video platform and second largest search engine, YouTube is a promising channel to promote your business. Not to mention, video remains the king of content to engage and influence audiences.
If you want to expand your audience reach, YouTube ads can make your dream come true. Read on to delve deeper into the details about YouTube ads you need to know before leveraging the platform.
An Intro to YouTube Ads
Advertising has never been more important today. In the massive competition among businesses, YouTube marketing has become necessary for businesses of all sizes. The big community can help them reach audiences on a wider scale.
YouTube advertising allows you to promote or advertise your campaign using video content to reach a broader audience. With the paid service, you can make your video come to targeted audiences and make it more visible on search engines.
In 2022, the revenue generated from YouTube advertising amounted to 7.34 billion USD. The number simply proves that advertising on YouTube is an effective way to run a campaign.
Moreover, you can expect a 30% increase in sales by incorporating a compelling CTA on your video ad. YouTube also provides five ad targeting that you can choose according to your need. Take a look below.
- Demographic targeting: Target audience based on demographic criteria such as age, gender, income, and more.
- Geographic targeting: Target audiences based on location, including countries, regions, cities, or specific postal codes, which can be helpful for local businesses.
- Interest targeting: Reach audiences based on their interests or hobbies, such as cooking, music, travel, sports, technology, etc.
- Behavioral targeting: Reach audiences based on their past online behavior and actions, which can be seen through their purchase history, interest in specific products, or brand engagement.
- Keyword targeting: Target audiences based on keywords or queries they search through the search bar that resonates with advertisers’ products or services.
Types of YouTube Ads
Google spells out that experimenting with different YouTube ads can drive you to greater success. Advertisers can expect a 60% higher ad recall by testing various YouTube ads, as they can find the most ideal one for their needs.
You can leverage AI content marketing tools to create content to save time. Moreover, YouTube provides five types of video advertising. Let’s break down each and find out which will be best for your next campaign.
1. Skippable Video Ads
You may have seen YouTube ads that roll before the main content and are skippable after five seconds. Skippable videos are usually 15 to 30 seconds long.
In order to generate optimum results with this ad, your advertisement content must be eye-catching. The first five seconds are the most critical part of engaging the audience.
Therefore you must create a compelling beginning. Be straightforward by mentioning the target audience’s pain points and offering solutions to optimize your brand.
Being straightforward can optimize your effort to raise brand awareness and promote your campaign effectively.
2. Non-Skippable Video Ads
YouTube also provides non-skippable ads that don’t allow users to skip anywhere within seconds. Non-skippable ads also last for 15 to 30 seconds.
As users must digest the whole ad, advertisers can deliver a more impactful message. They can have more freedom to customize the content.
However, keeping your ad content short and compelling is still best. You can focus on delivering vital messages and make them attractive to entertain viewers.
3. Display Ads
Different from the previous two, display ads are image-based advertisements. Generally, they appear on the top of your timeline or while you’re scrolling through it.
Display ads typically consist of photos, graphics, and text. They can be banner ads or overlay ads.
The main purpose of display ads is similar to other forms of ads. They help to promote products, services, or brands to drive conversions. Compared to the previous ads, display ads are easier to create.
4. Bumper Ads
Bumper ads are short and non-skippable ads that appear before the main content. Compared to non-skippable ads, bumper ads have a shorter time frame.
Commonly, bumper ads are six seconds long. They deliver quick and concise messages to audiences.
To optimize the results, advertisers must explore their creative minds. This type of ad requires them to make attention-grabbing, memorable, and impactful content.
5. Sponsored Cards
If you want to make your ad interactive, creating sponsored cards is the way to go. Sponsored cards appear in the middle of video playback.
Advertisers can use sponsored cards to showcase their products and include links to their landing pages. As a clickable ad, sponsored cards can effectively raise conversion rates.
Typically, advertisers use interest and behavior targeting to achieve goals effectively. Moreover, they can test and optimize their ads to know which performs best.
Best Practices for Creating YouTube Ads
The remaining question is, “How to create a YouTube ad that drives results?” Your ads must be well-crafted, engaging, and suitable for your chosen ad type.
Consider using YouTube marketing tools to help you make informed decisions. Other than that, below, we’ve compiled five best practices for creating YouTube ads.
1. Include a Clear CTA
A converting YouTube ad must contain a clear and captivating call-to-action (CTA). Depending on your ad type, you can place a CTA at the beginning, middle, or end of a video.
State clearly what action you want audiences to take, whether to subscribe, sign in, or purchase. Here is a simple guide to putting your CTA on your ad.
- Skippable ads: at the beginning or towards the end of the video.
- Non-skippable ads: anywhere within the video, as viewers can’t skip it.
- Display ads: above the fold (the portion of the page that is visible without scrolling) to be highly visible by users.
- Bumper ads: towards the end of the ad.
- Sponsored cards: in a place where it is highly visible on any device, preferably above the fold.
2. Crafting Engaging Ad Copy
The quality of your ad copy is crucial to define its success. Lengthy copy isn’t preferable as it can be less attractive to audiences. The common rule is to keep your ad copy short and crisp.
For shorter ads like skippable and bumper ads, it’s best to keep your ad copy concise and to the point. You can still modify your copy to be more attractive using attention-grabbing word choices.
Meanwhile, you can stretch out your creativity for longer ads like the non-skippable ones. You can develop an engaging storyline by creating a funny or emotional beginning. You can also keep it concise by highlighting the product’s key benefits.
3. Using Eye-Catching Visuals
People come to YouTube to watch visuals. So that’s enough to clarify that you must be high-quality when it comes to visuals.
You can use bright colors to grab people’s attention. Create a good balance of contrast to make your content appealing and comfortable to watch.
Consider using a color palette, typography, and imagery that resonate with your brand’s visual identity. Also, text overlays, animations, and special effects are excellent elements to grab more eyeballs.
4. Optimizing Landing Pages and YouTube SEO
Viewers will be directed to your landing page when they finally click on your ad. That’s why your business site should be optimized and well-maintained.
You can make it visually appealing, easy to navigate, and fast enough to load any content. You can avoid adding large-sized visual content as it makes your site load slower.
Also, optimize your video ad with YouTube SEO. You can create keyword-friendly titles, descriptions, and tags. Executing your YouTube SEO also allows your content to be search-engine friendly.
5. Testing and Experimenting with Ad Variations
Testing and optimizing your ad content is vital to know which type and style drive the most results. You can set up an A/B testing by comparing two ads with slight differences in visuals, copy, and CTA.
Moreover, regularly check your ad performance on YouTube’s analytic page or other analytics tools. Check the vital metrics like impressions, click-through rates, and conversions. You can make informed decisions according to the data.
Takeaways
In an age where videos are the king of content, businesses need to leverage video-based platforms to run a campaign. It’s also a way to stay relevant and competitive to make your business thrive and last long.
With its massive community, YouTube has become a prominent marketing channel. YouTube ads allow businesses to engage with a wider audience, helping them to expand their market on a wider scale.
As there are some ad types, even small businesses can use the channel and manage their budget spending effectively. Besides, the above best practices are key to making your campaign successful.