Marketing forecasts tell us that video marketing is a trend to monitor year after year. However, video marketing is now more than just a fad—it's a necessity. And by a wide margin, watching videos online on YouTube is the most common activity. You're losing out if you're not utilizing YouTube advertising to take advantage of the platform's reach.
In a way that still images or text simply can't, video blends visuals, audio, and effects to give visitors a complete picture of your product. It grabs interest and holds it. Here at ScottHall.co, we have researched and discovered some amazing things that can help you implement YouTube ads that is most effective.
YouTube ads tend to increase conversion rates like nobody's business. Why then don't you make use of YouTube advertising? Instead of using YouTube Ads, many companies use Google Ads. Why? Because videos are thought to be difficult and expensive.
Can you afford to ignore YouTube advertising, though, given Cisco's forecast that by 2022, video streaming and downloads would account for 82% of all internet traffic worldwide?
No, you can't ignore YouTube Ads any longer. Or at least that should be your response.
More than 2 billion people use YouTube, the second most popular website on the internet (Statista, 2019). Because of this, 80% of marketers believe that YouTube is the most successful medium for video marketing (GO Globe, 2019).
You'd be hard-pressed to find a more effective video marketing platform with an audience that essentially represents 25% of the world's population; we're not sure what question the other 20% of marketers were attempting to answer.
Millions of small and medium-sized businesses use Google Ads because of its simplicity and array of targeting choices, but many steer clear of YouTube Ads in particular because "video is pricey and difficult." Avoiding videos is a recipe for disaster due to the change in how people use their gadgets.
And most marketers are aware of that. In 2020, 85% of experienced marketers want to employ video marketing, with 88% of those marketers using YouTube as their primary platform.
Part 1: Why Invest in YouTube Advertising?
Businesses can employ YouTube's various video ad types entirely or in conjunction with display campaigns. With over two billion monthly active users, and 30,000 hours of new video content are added every hour, YouTube is a content powerhouse!
Visitors spend over 11 minutes on average each day, and each visit results in 6.5 pageviews. Therefore, there are lots of options for businesses to improve their digital marketing approach by using YouTube advertising.
In 2020, businesses will spend more than 5.5 billion on YouTube advertising. Video has become increasingly significant in online marketing, and spending money on high-quality online video commercials will boost the effectiveness of any online advertising campaign.
A crucial component of a contemporary online marketing strategy happens to be incorporating video into your content marketing and leveraging YouTube adverts in your content distribution plans.
Businesses can use YouTube advertisements to promote events, communicate with target audiences, generate sales, raise brand awareness, or distribute informative content about products and services. Some reasons why investing in YouTube Advertisements are great include:
YouTube Marketing Is Affordable
If you're familiar with PPC advertising, you already know that it's a very economical tactic. If PPC is unfamiliar to you, it's simple to comprehend why it's profitable because you only pay when a surfer clicks your advertisement. Additionally, you also get to decide exactly how much you cash to pay each time someone clicks.
Due to these two factors, you'll never spend above the normal range on PPC advertisements and you'll never have reasons to squander money on unused advertising space. Why, though, are we talking about PPC advertisements on a page about YouTube advertising? YouTube advertising uses a PPC approach that operates similarly, making it very affordable.
YouTube’s Marketing Is Quite Targeted
A fruitful campaign depends on precise targeting, and YouTube ads provide you the ability to get quite specific about who you are trying to reach. Your audience can be targeted by:
Target users based on their location, age, gender, parental status, and other demographic information.
- Topics - Speak with people based on their different interests.
- Client Match - By utilizing first-party offline and online data, you can reconnect with clients who have expressed interest in your business.
- Similar Audiences - By making use of Client Match data to identify similar users to people who frequently respond to your ads, you can target individuals who share their interests. Target prospects who have previously connected with your YouTube advertising or videos by using video remarketing.
- Affinity Audiences - These consist of consumers with a keen interest in themes associated with your company. With the help of custom kind of affinity audiences, one can target users even more precisely by finding a certain group of people who have a very narrow range of brand-related interests. Target your audience by promoting to people who are currently in search of goods or services you actively provide.
- Daily Life Events - Focus on users who have encountered certain life events. Milestones in a person's life include things like moving, getting married, and also having a kid.
Depending on the kinds of things you're attempting to sell, one can target a very narrow set of users or more generic groups with YouTube's targeting choices.
The best targeting options for a successful campaign can be determined through some ups and downs, but a YouTube Ads company can assist you in making this decision.
You May Connect Better with the Audience by Using YouTube Video Advertising
Do commercials or newspaper inserts make you feel a lot more emotionally attached to a company? Since they got to witness a business in action, most people would agree that seeing a commercial made them feel much more connected. They can relate to the brand's faces, gain a deeper understanding of the company's philosophy, and learn how a product or service actively operates.
Additionally, YouTube Video Ads provide you the opportunity to directly engage your audience by turning the camera on yourself. Remember that there happen to be different YouTube advertisement styles available, but if you use each one properly, one can successfully connect with the audience.
Metrics for YouTube Advertising Are Simple to Track
You are wasting quality time executing campaigns if you don't track their level of progress. You won't have any idea on how to improve if you don't understand how a campaign does. In light of this, you must evaluate your YouTube marketing strategy, and the platform makes this process simple.
Simply select "Analytics" from the tabs on your YouTube verified account.
There, you may discover more concerning your viewers and the performance of each video. Visit your Google Ads account if you need to keep track of the prices, views, and budget information for the YouTube advertisements.
YouTube Marketing Yields Quick Returns
Given that YouTube has more than 2 billion monthly viewers, it's understandable why results appear so quickly. More individuals seeing your ads will eventually result in more ad clicks, website traffic, and revenue.
YouTube has an amazing user base, which makes it a terrific advertising platform where you'll get results rapidly. If you only send emails to 10 subscribers, for instance, it will take considerably longer for you to see results.
So, just 10 users view your advertisement. Of course, email subscriber lists frequently have far more people on them than just 10, making email a successful marketing tactic.
However, YouTube promises quick results because it has such a vast user base and more consumers that are interested in your company.
You Can Reach Billions of Individuals through YouTube Advertising
Think about the major difference between actively handing out leaflets to onlookers outside your neighborhood shop in a town. Due to the low number of visitors who pass your store in a day, you could be lucky to distribute 20 fliers.
Simply because it has such a large user base, YouTube offers small businesses and enterprise businesses the chance to reach more loyal and interested customers than ever before. (To be exact, there are more than 2 billion users.)
Unless you have 2 billion email subscribers or 2 billion Facebook fans, even if you choose to specifically target an audience, you'll still get your ads in front of more people than you would with other approaches (where you also run ads).
Part 2: Exploring the Types of YouTube Ads Available
You probably already know everything there is to know about these ad formats if you have been utilizing YouTube as part of your marketing plan. However, as technology and the features at your disposal are always changing, let's take a quick tour of them.
Videos in-Stream that Can Be Skipped
On YouTube and other websites and apps that are Google video partners, skippable in-stream video adverts are used to advertise video content before, during, or after other videos. These campaign objectives can use the:
- Sales
- Leads
- website visitors
- brand recognition and reach
- considering brands and products
How Much Do Skippable In-Stream Video Advertisements Cost?
You can utilize a variety of bidding strategies with this ad format. With CPV bidding (cost per view), you only pay when a viewer interacts with your video, views 30 seconds of your video, or watches the entire thing for videos under 30 seconds. You pay to depend on impressions when using Target CPM (cost per mille) and Target CPA (cost per acquisition).
In-Stream Video Ads That Cannot Be Skipped
Non-skippable in-stream advertisements are used to advertise your content before, during, or following other YouTube videos and videos from other Google partners. Without a skip button, the entire advertisement is displayed in this way. Ads might last up to 15 seconds. They are accessible for the campaign objective of "brand recognition and reach.
How Much Do In-Stream Video Ads That Can’t Be Skipped Cost
Target CPM bidding is used for non-skippable in-stream video advertising, so you only pay for impressions.
Ads for Video Discovery
Ads for video discovery are used to advertise video content in areas where it can be found, such as next to relevant YouTube videos, on the mobile site YouTube, or in YouTube search results. These advertisements include some text and a thumbnail from your video. Where the advertisement displays affect its size and look. They are accessible for the advertising objective of "product and brand attention."
How Much Do Video Discovery Ads Cost?
Only when users decide to watch your advertisement by clicking the thumbnail will you be charged for this ad style.
Ad Bumpers
6-second (or less) bumper commercials are those that play before, during, or following another video. They cannot be skipped. This ad type can be seen on YouTube videos as well as other Google video partner websites and applications. They are accessible for the campaign objective of "brand recognition and reach."
How Much Do Bumper Ads Cost?
Due to the Target CPM bidding used by bumper advertisements, you will be charged for impressions.
Masthead Ads
Masthead advertisements are ideal for raising awareness of a new good or service or for quickly reaching a large number of people. These advertisements can only be reserved through a Google sales agent. Depending on where they are being viewed, they operate slightly differently.
Desktop - Masthead advertisements on desktop automatically play for up to 30 seconds without sound at the top of YouTube's home feed. They can leverage your channel assets to include an information panel to the right of the video and show it in widescreen or 16:9 aspect ratio formats. If you like, you can optionally add up to 2 companion videos to the information panel.
Mobile - Masthead advertisements on mobile devices play the entire video in silent mode at the top of the YouTube app or mobile home feed. Similar to desktop advertising, mobile ads provide a video thumbnail, a headline that is editable, descriptions, and a call to action in addition to channel-specific data.
TVs - Masthead advertisements that appear on TVs will (where supported) automatically play the complete video at the top of the YouTube TV app without any sound. People can interact with the advertisements using their TV remotes and they display in widescreen or 16:9 ratio. The masthead adverts on TV displays cannot have a CTA.
Cost - You will be charged on a set cost per day (CPD) or cost per thousand impressions (CPM) basis because these advertisements are only accessible via reservation.
Buyable Ads
To increase traffic to advertisers' product pages, YouTube announced a new direct response ad style in June 2020. This format would make YouTube video advertising shoppable by providing browsable images alongside the adverts.
You must sync your Google Merchant Center feed with your video advertising to use this new ad style. The call to action in your advertisement can then be expanded to highlight the products you want to highlight.
Part 3: Implementing YouTube Ads Best Practices
Without adequate care, YouTube advertisements can become grating. You'll be glad to see more of them, though, if they adhere to these best practices. It's a common misperception that people detest advertising. That is untrue; consumers detest ineffective advertising.
Your prospects will be delighted to view and click on your advertisements if they are pertinent, worthwhile, and innovative. This report aims to teach you some best practices for YouTube advertising so you can become the advertiser who makes videos that viewers want to watch and click on.
As you can probably see, the main focus of this piece will be YouTube video advertisements, specifically their creativity or content. The best type of advertising, in our opinion, is video. Numerous research published online demonstrates the growing popularity of watching videos.
It's astounding!
With the use of sound and image, video commercials let you communicate with potential customers while also engaging the ears and the eyes—two highly potent senses. You already know how effective video commercials are, so there's no need to oversell them.
So let's get started with the five recommended practices! According to Nielsen, "Digital ads with good creative produce 6x ROI compared to digital ads with average creative performance."
Draw Them in Right Away
No matter how long your YouTube video advertisement is, you must start it strong. It only means you have to get people's attention—it doesn't mean you start shooting paintballs.
To do it, you can employ the following strategies, which are also referred to as pattern interrupts. Let's examine each one in detail to discover how it relates to the outside world.
Some Type Of Movement - A moving intro to your video ad is more effective than one that is static. Avoid giving a lecture of any kind! Approaching the camera in the early seconds with your face toward it is an excellent yet straightforward illustration. Another is to begin the video while you are driving.
An Unanticipated Sound - This could be someone saying "hello!" or the sound of a door opening. This isn't etched in stone; it takes some forethought and ingenuity. You'll also need to stay true to your brand and establish a strong rapport with the individual viewing it.
When overdone, these pattern interruptions may have the opposite impact. Balance is crucial here between grabbing people's attention and aggravating them! Make sure the background and audio effects fit the message you're attempting to portray.
Prequalify inside the First 20 Seconds
You are surely already aware that YouTube only costs you if someone views for longer than 30 seconds thanks to skippable video adverts. The last thing you want to do in light of this continues talking past the allotted 30 seconds. Instead, you should thoroughly vet your prospects before wasting your time.
Qualifying is essential, much as in a sales letter, and can be done by responding to these inquiries:
- Who is the item intended for?
- What does their world currently look like? (issues, annoyances, wants)
There's no need to make this too complicated.
Just concentrate on responding to those two inquiries, and if at all possible, get them out in the first 20 seconds.
Here is a sample script for a video advertisement:
"After working as an accountant for the past 20 years, I never imagined I'd get there! I was dissatisfied, overweight, and worried that my marriage was disintegrating. The message won't hit home with someone who isn't an accountant or doesn't experience such feelings, and they'll skip the advertisement before you pay for the view.
I'm telling you, it's like magic!
You can accomplish this by telling a story in the first or third person, which is always more impactful. Additionally, make sure the background and audio effects fit the message you're attempting to portray.
For instance, you wouldn't choose sentimental music for an advertisement that needs an energetic mood. Make open loops in your video advertisement all through the plot to pique viewers' interest.
Tell A Great Story
Stories are valuable. This is something that we've both heard at some point. It's entirely different when they're used in a YouTube video advertisement, though.
The idea is that telling a tale well is an art that takes practice in both print and video formats. However, you'll be less likely to get lost and make mistakes if you have some guidelines.
Here are some pointers to assist you in creating a fantastic story:
- Don't be vague when telling your story. Provide specifics so that your audience can visualize what you're saying.
- Add some emotion, keep in mind that people buy with their emotions, and then reason.
- To pique readers' interest, weave open loops throughout your story (for instance, "Let me explain what I mean in a moment."). It's much tougher to fake it on video because people can see when you're not being sincere.
You can start using the most basic yet very effective strategies I've just demonstrated. Of course, there are more!
Instead of trying to overwhelm you, I want to provide you with advice you can use right away.
Books and resources abound that discuss storytelling.
If you want to become an expert in storytelling, it is always worthwhile to look them up.
You have a better chance of getting your audience to take the desired action once you get them to start thinking about the consequences of doing nothing right away.
Discuss the Implications
This strategy incorporates storytelling. The finest salespeople use implications to nudge potential customers "over the fence." In other words, this is your final opportunity to persuade your audience to act right away. Not tomorrow, not next week, not in a month, but right now!
So, how does it function in practice? I'll give you an illustration. Assume that you say the following piece in your video ad:
"I simply didn't want to reach the end of my life and regret it. I can't even imagine what would have happened if I hadn't made that shift two years ago. I feel like I couldn't even live with myself, to be honest! ”
This is some serious power! Here, I'm giving you the real deal. If you execute it correctly and speak with emotion, two things will occur:
The prospect will begin to question whether he needs to adapt as well.
He will conclude that delaying his decision will cause him more pain in the long run than doing it now.
Humans, as you are well aware, will go to any lengths to escape discomfort. Keep in mind that everything happens quickly and subliminally! You have a better chance of getting your audience to take the desired action once you get them to start thinking about the consequences of doing nothing right away.
It may be a PDF download, a webinar registration, or anything else! Naturally, this does not ensure that everyone will act, but the greatest prospects will. It's critical to clearly explain to the prospect what he will receive after he acts while making an offer in a video advertisement.
Remarketing Can Be Used to Reconnect with Customers
With extra YouTube Ads or Display Ads, you can easily remarket to YouTube Ads viewers (or channel visitors). Video advertisements don't have to be just a single point of contact that you finish and then wish for the best.
Instead, you might contact users on remarketing lists again to encourage them to visit your website. Compared to those who haven't seen your YouTube material, these folks who are familiar with your products and brand are more likely to actively re-engage with your commercials.
A handful of your product demonstration videos may have been viewed by the individuals that you are actively remarketing as they searched for the ideal product.
Remarketing could be all the encouragement they require to visit your website and make a good purchase by providing them with a reminder of your company.
Continue to Look for Interesting And Engaging Ways to Improve Performance
Successful account management necessitates ongoing focus. Always focus on targeting optimization before ad content optimization when trying to boost performance. It is a waste of effort to refine your ad content just before targeting because you might make adjustments that nobody will see.
In keeping with that, you can add search marketing by generating viewer audiences. Always keep an eye out for more audience layers that may increase your bids on using display or search advertisements.
You may determine what generates the greatest engagement by experimenting with various target audiences or targeting criteria.
Also, think about experimenting with various ad formats. For instance, if your initial advertisement performed better with males, you might either produce a new one that is even more focused on men or, one that is specifically targeted toward women.
Keep Track of the Appropriate Metrics to Assess Success
You should be concentrating on lift rather than YouTube clicks or views to accurately assess ad performance. Because consumers online don't treat Search ads and YouTube ads the same, you shouldn't either. Users don't visit YouTube to view videos, see advertisements, and then leave to make a purchase.
Instead, they take in the advertisement's message, and if moved enough, they might subsequently conduct further research. To make sure that people are watching the video, you need first check the views alongside viewing the rate to assess the success of the advertisement.
Check Out The User’s Earned Actions (or Precisely What They Did After Seeing The Video)
Have they viewed any other kinds of videos?
Did the viewers share, like, or subscribe to the video?
Following that, one should check to confirm if Google brand searches or traffic to the website have grown. The majority of consumers are not likely to take trackable quick action, even though YouTube and Google have made efforts to make video advertisements more direct response focused.
If you approach it that way, you'll probably become irritated and conclude that kind of video content isn't for you, but may have been effective—just not in the specific way you anticipated.
As one can see, YouTube Ads demands a more active approach than its Display and Search equivalents, but the time invested will produce better-performing advertisements.
Your brand will be elevated and your items will be promoted if you have a well-organized and planned YouTube strategy. A few companies have mastered this platform, and it is valuable to look at every strategy they used to get there.
Establish A Lively YouTube Channel
Your YouTube channel serves as the initial hub. Your channel should develop an experience of your brand that extends beyond advertising as the center of content for your company.
The kinds of material you can post on channels include product review videos, product demonstration films, videos addressing frequently asked questions from your website, and behind-the-scenes videos, to name just a few.
Your channel helps to strengthen brand loyalty among past customers who discover your business through organic search results, in addition to enhancing consumer engagement with your brand after they are first introduced to it through your advertisements.
Make sure your channel is well-organized and has truly helpful information about your company, as well as eye-catching graphics, to guarantee it is giving the greatest possible impression of your company.
Early But Meaningful Brand Development
According to YouTube, top-of-funnel awareness advertisements perform best when branding is present for the whole advertisement, not just the first five seconds.
While ads targeting audiences further down the funnel (such as viewers in the deliberation phase) would wish to brand later to encourage viewer interaction and increase watch times.
Take a look at Mint Mobile's latest advertisement, which incorporates the hashtag #stayathome, for a novel illustration of how a brand can truly embody its messaging.
Majority owner and renowned good-looking man Ryan Reynolds refer to the pricey studio-shot video that Mint Mobile had begun to create in it. Instead, he shares a PowerPoint with a bar graph and some "next actions" on it via screen sharing.
The lesson here? As per YouTube's suggestions, branding involves more than just ensuring sure your logo appears inside the first five seconds of a video. A genuinely effective video ad gives your business personality in such a way that every element works to further its tone, character, and overall message.
Always Include A Strong Call to Action
Ads without compelling calls to action nearly never perform well. In fact, in my opinion, if you don't have a compelling call to action, your writing isn't even an advertisement; it's just a collection of words.
Consider this. What does an advertisement hope to achieve?
And it's ALWAYS to persuade someone to do something. Without a call to action, though, individuals will simply be left wondering, "What the heck am I supposed to do next? ”
When your potential customers think that way, I'll tell you what happens: they do nothing! So, the following are some calls to action you may incorporate into your YouTube video ad at various points:
Throughout the video, you can add small subtle call-to-actions, for example:
"There is a program on this topic."
"You'll discover afterward that I was able to assist folks just like you in doing X!"
"Perhaps you need to check it out for yourself!"
When the video ends, the following is heard louder:
"To instantly access the video series, click somewhere near this one."
“Thousands of individuals have already downloaded this worksheet, grab yours right now… it´s entirely free!”
"Shop at website.com right away."
"Register right away to receive your coupon."
Don't blow the opportunity you worked so hard to create by having someone view your video advertisement all the way through.
Make sure your calls to action are precise and short. Setting realistic expectations for the audience by outlining exactly what they will receive if they take action is also crucial.
They may receive a series of videos explaining how to do X or a discount valid for the entire line of Y of goods.
Part 4: Maximizing the Benefits of Geo-Dynamic Masthead
By using a geo-dynamic masthead, the creative can be changed according to the user's location as they view the advertisement. This uses the same technology as Google Maps. Advertisers can localize the content and update their images and videos to match the user's placement and location.
Guidelines for Geo-Dynamic Masthead on YouTube
- You may use a variety of videos in Masthead to provide visitors with a native ad and an engaging ad experience.
- By connecting the channel and the watch page, it is possible to maximize user engagement and brand interaction.
YouTube Geo-Dynamic Masthead’s advantages
More flexibility is added, and we can appreciate their advantages thanks to YouTube Geo-Dynamic Masthead.
- The viewer experience is made more relevant because it is possible to change the creative based on the viewer's location.
- A rise in audience participation.
- The marketers can develop more pertinent messages for the users based on the DMA.
- Marketers can maximize the value of all views when users are interested in the content.
Additionally, this improves visibility.
Relevancy and visibility are other factors that boost brand activity on YouTube and other video-sharing platforms.
- Markets and obtain the ad's rich media interaction analytics.
- They can also obtain information about clicks, impressions, and conversions.
- The video's components can be altered according to DMA.
- The brand on the YouTube masthead can assist enhance brand activity because there is no competition.
- You can create an IHB or a unique masthead.
- If there are any annotations on the videos in the masthead unit, they will also function.
Use YouTube Ads Best Practices To Improve Your Conversions
Making a quality YouTube creative piece can seem difficult if you're just starting to think about including YouTube in your marketing mix. This is especially true if your budget for video production is tight or your creative team is pressed for time.
Should we simply upload our TV or Facebook video advertising to YouTube and use those, you might be asking. How much time should our videos last? Are there specific elements we should or shouldn't include in a YouTube advertisement to make it more focused on direct response? Hopefully, this report has provided viable answers to these questions.
Making YouTube commercials that are effective and captivating doesn't have to be difficult. You will be well on your way to creating effective YouTube creative that will propel the development of your company if you use the best practices mentioned above as a starting point.
