Batman has been using YouTube Ads to great effect lately, reaching a wide audience with his creative and engaging videos. His ads have been helping him raise awareness for his brand and promote his new products.
Continue ReadingBatman Demonstrates Insanely Creative Use of YouTube Ads
How to Block Recommended Videos on YouTube Forever
Introduction
Recently, YouTube has become infamous for recommending videos. These videos often are not close to your taste at all, but YouTube’s tech support likes to believe that their algorithm is super smart and knows you more than you know yourself.
Continue ReadingEverything You Need to Know About YouTube Ads for 2020
When it comes to the biggest video sharing platform in the world, practically all attention gets diverted to the YouTube social network. YouTube has gone a long way in making the sharing of video content between friends, family, and followers become a seamless and straightforward process. Of course, the platform offers a wide range of features targeted at all of its users; it still ensures it includes a couple more for brands, businesses, and business owners across the entire globe to make use of. Still, the common practice of buying YouTube views is one thing that goes hand-in-hand with YouTube ads for getting the most YouTube views possible.
One of the many features YouTube has created for brands is the Ads feature. YouTube is also regarded as an avenue for brands and companies to promote their business to millions of active users. Through the YouTube Ads feature, people can work on adverts for their business and send these adverts to users across the platform. Of course, there are various plans people will need to purchase to make this a reality for their business; they still need to work on understanding the ins and outs of the feature.
If you are someone who has tried looking into YouTube Ads, then sit back as this article will serve as a guide on the most proficient method to use the feature efficiently. Here are the essential things you have to know about YouTube Ads.
Understand the formats of YouTube Ads
YouTube Ads offer a chance for people to promote their business on the platform. However, when it comes to getting the best out of the feature, you should be ready to understand the formats behind YouTube Ads.
Skippable in-stream ads
Just as the name implies, these are ads that can be skipped by the user. When you purchase ad spaces for skippable in-stream ads, you get the chance to present your ads directly to a user while they are watching a video. With this ad format, you give users the option to skip your adverts.
Non-skippable in-stream ads
Non-skippable ads are ad formats designed to take away permission for users to skip an advert while streaming a video. Of course, to avoid annoying the users, the platform ensures this type of adverts last for a few seconds before returning a user to the video they were steaming.
Bumper ads
Bumper ads are ad formats designed to be displayed 6 seconds before a regular video on the YouTube platform. If you are having intentions of purchasing ad spaces and would not like to interfere with the streaming of videos of users, then the bumper ad format could be your go-to choice. With the ad format, you can easily show a six-second video that is non-skippable to users of the YouTube platform.
In-display ads
If you wish to advertise somewhere on the YouTube platform that is not within the video a user may be watching, then going for the in-display ad format may be a great choice. This type of ad formats allows ads to appear on the right-hand side of a user’s screen and are charged on a per-view basis.
Set a budget
Now the next thing you need to understand is the budget involved when dealing with YouTube Ads. Depending on the kind of ad format you choose, you stand a chance to be presented with a lower budget, or a higher one that requires a lot of investment.
Luckily, through the improved ad tracking of the YouTube platform, you can pay for only ads that favor you. This can be a pay-per-view basis and is regarded as one of the best ways to use ad services. When you figure out the number of sales or traffic you need to be generated from your YouTube advert, you can work on setting a budget for it.
Start a new campaign
After doing the above-listed things, you should go ahead with starting a new campaign. In case you do not know, YouTube is a subsidiary of the Google Inc company. So when it comes to accessing its Ads section, you can do this by going through the Google Ads platform.
Firstly, you need to upload the video which you want to use as your marketing video. Please create a new campaign through Google Ads and configure it. While configuring, you will be prompted to provide information on your budget, networks, start and end dates, a language, and also a location.
Choose where you want your ads to be shown
Setting up the placement of your ads is also one of the many things you will need to do during the creation of your campaign. To get the best out of this, you will need to understand what specific places you would want your ads to show. Leaving this section blank will get your advert to show on any YouTube placement. You might also need to set up keywords and target words to help your video ads show up relevantly across the platform.
Select an audience
As a business owner or social media marketer, you should understand that the audience of any business is one of its most essential parts. Through the YouTube Ads feature, you can target an audience with your video ads and help people who are likely to be interested in your business easily find it.
Focusing on your target audience can do a great job in the promotion of your business. Luckily, the video ads feature enables people to comfortably reach their specific audience through the availability of information on certain factors.
Look into key metrics
There are specific metrics they can significantly help you understand how your ads are performing on the platform. Some of these metrics include impressions, reach, audience, branding, conversions, and a lot more. Looking into these metrics can efficiently help you understand the reports generated concerning your video ads on the YouTube platform.
Conclusion
YouTube is a great avenue for marketers to carry out their marketing and promoting tasks for businesses and brands across the globe. Thanks to the fantastic features offered by the platform, doing this is a lot easier. The above are some of the tips to help you get acquainted with the YouTube Ads feature. Good luck!
How To Prepare For YouTube Ads in 2020
Your channel is one of the most important channels on YouTube. The people that make up your channel are your audience. Whether you want to sell merch or sell videos, you have to know how to create a successful YouTube channel. Let’s go through the process of creating a YouTube channel.
How To Build A YouTube Channel
Of course, you already have all the video and visual assets. Here’s how you can make a successful YouTube channel. Here are some simple steps you can take.
YouTube does not impose restrictions on advertisers using YouTube. Instead, advertisers use these other services. In fact, despite the myths, you can still buy YouTube views in 2020 by the looks of it.
All of the companies in our industry use online video to reach more people. These products are no different from YouTube, except that they are produced in your country, owned and operated by you, and used on a subscription basis.
How To Use YouTube Ads: A Basic Guide
YouTube boasts of over one billion users, a figure that reflects one-third of the total internet users. Statistically, there are over 1 billion videos consumed daily, with every user averaging 40 minutes of view time. Hence, it’s no surprise that the vast majority of YouTube users fall within the age of 18-39.
In addition to that, most business owners are beginning to leverage the platform to achieve their marketing goals. This includes increasing sales, getting more subscribers, or getting users to sign up to your email list.
Getting Started With YouTube Ads
Even though using YouTube for marketing purposes seems a bit vague to most marketers, taking advantage of this video platform holds a lot of promises to your business. Since few marketers are leveraging on this platform, the level of competition is quite low, thereby guaranteeing more success.
If you’re one of those looking to take advantage of this search engine to achieve the marketing goals, you will first need to learn how YouTube Ads works as well as different kinds of Ads available. In this write-up, you will learn everything you need to know about this platform as well as how to set up your first campaign.
YouTube Ads: Where To Start
YouTube advertising is simply a way of promoting your videos through paid advertising on YouTube to increase reach. YouTube Ads takes the form of short videos playing in the middle of another video or videos showing up on search results.
Just like Google Ads, YouTube Ads are of different types. Just like Google and Facebook Ads, where promotion is grouped based on objectives, YouTube Ads work similarly. You can either choose to promote your video using Trueview Ads, Non-Skippable Ads, Bumper In-stream Ads and lots more.
TrueView and Non-skippable Ads remain the most popular option among users. Hence, we will be taking a detailed look at how both works.
How does Trueview Ads work?
This is the most popular advertising format, and it’s easy to see why. It produces the best results, which explains why viewers prefer it. One thing about this type of advert format is that users will only have to watch for 30 seconds. It’s usually inserted into short videos, and users can choose to watch or skip the video.
The video can be inserted at the beginning or middle of a Video but plays for a few seconds before the Viewer is allowed to skip. The good thing about this type of ad is that the advertiser is only charged if the Viewers can clock 30 seconds watch time. If the view doesn’t, advertisers can save their money.
The length of Trueview In-stream Ads depends on the total length of the video it’s inserted in. Videos of 12 minutes can contain a Trueview ad of 30 seconds, while that of 30 minutes might have a video ad of 1 minute.
Now there are two categories of Trueview Ads, and they all work differently. The first is discovery Ads, and the second is In-stream Ads. Discovered Ads show within the search results and comes with an image thumbnail.
Non-Skippable In-stream Ads
Non-Skippable In-stream Ads is similar to Trueview In-stream Ads except that this one isn’t Skippable. Viewers are forced to watch the Ads to the end before proceeding to the next video. Viewers have less control over these Ads; hence, it poses a lot of risk to advertisers.
Non-Skippable Ads are popular and are usually positioned to stream in the middle of a video. Presently, the duration of Non-Skippable Ads is lesser than Skippable Ads. While some Trueview Ads can take as long as 30 seconds, Non-Skippable Ads only last for a maximum of 20minutes.
Unlike Skippable Ads, advertisers are charged on a CPM basis when it comes to Non-Skippable Ads. This means advertisers pay a certain amount after reaching a thousand views, but the success of these campaigns depends on your targeting.
Getting the views you want does not matter; the real issue is to ensure your marketing goals are realized. Hence, targeting and conversion matter more when it comes to Youtube Ads.
Creating YouTube Ads
Upload Your Video To YouTube
First and foremost, you will have to create a video for your campaign. Before creating your campaign, ensure your video is uploaded to your YouTube account.
Launch Campaign On Google Ads
Create a campaign via Google Ads. If you do not have a Google Ads account, create one before proceeding to this step. Once you’re in Google Ads, click the option that says “All campaigns” and tap on the (+) icon to create a new campaign.
Now, you have to choose which format you want your ads to appear. For YouTube Ads, choose “videos” from the list of available options.
Edit Campaign
Here, name your campaign using a phrase that describes what the campaign stands for. Next, proceed to set your budget by choosing the average amount to spend daily.
It’s better to start small and slowly increase your ad budget as soon as you start seeing results. Also, select a start and end date for your campaign before deciding where you want your ads to be displayed.
Select Your Audience
This session is where you have to narrow down your targeting to your ideal audience. Start by typing in a keyword that defines your audience. For Instance, if your product is about getting a flat tummy, you can start with the keyword “weight loss.”
Use the demographic option to define your audience’s age, location, gender, and relationship status.
Add Marketing Video
To make things easier, ensure you’ve uploaded your video on your account before proceeding to this step. Use the search bar to search for your marketing video in the Ads creative session. Once your video shows up, click on it to select.
Lastly, select your video format from the Menu presented to you. Most advertisers prefer Trueview In-stream Ads and Non-Skippable Ads, but your options aren’t limited to just these two. If you’re choosing Trueview In-stream, you will have to add an image as your display banner.
Select the image you want and click “save,” then continue to Ads.
Your video will be reviewed and, if approved, will go live.
Conclusion
YouTube Ads leverages on Google Ads to create its campaign. Hence if you already have an idea how Google Ads work, creating a YouTube Ac shouldn’t be an issue for you.
Key Strategies for Successful YouTube Advertising
YouTube is the king of rich media. It’s the video God to which we are slaves, consuming 5 billion videos a day on the platform! YouTube IS video for the internet and has been since 2005. The reason it’s so popular is because people love videos and rich media. It’s also why more people buy YouTube views than ever before. If you’re not currently including video as part of your marketing strategy, you’re going to get left behind, fast!
However, most marketers are now aware of this and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out from the competition. Big brands shoot ads not just for TV anymore but also, professionally produce advertisements just for YouTube alone as part of their marketing. This is why advertising spend is necessary to put your brand in front of the right audience. So, how do you go about advertising your brand on YouTube, and where do you even start? The YouTube advertising landscape is confusing with lots of different options. Here’s some key tips for successful YouTube advertising.
Native, Quality Content
There is a LOT of video on the internet and, with so much content, it’s easy to just scroll on past, or skip video ads. Therefore, you need to produce high quality, engaging videos that feel native. That is, videos that don’t feel like ads. Native content is simply content that doesn’t annoy, detract or even disturb the viewer. It could be a heartfelt story, a comedy sketch, or something entertaining that people want to watch. Think of the super bowl ads which have now become almost as big as the game itself! They deliver a message and promote a brand but they’re also highly entertaining in their own right. For ideas, check out the 10 most viewed YouTube videos of 2016.
Re-Marketing
Remember that Sunday morning you were on Amazon, searching for that perfect camping tent for a weekend getaway? Remember how, after that, you kept seeing ads for camping tent on every site and social platform you went to, as if it was haunting you! This is no coincidence. It’s called re-marketing. That is, targeting people who have already shown an interest in your site or clicked a call to action. The audience has already expressed interest which dramatically increases your chances of conversion. Re-marketing is easy to setup, so after preparation you can just sit back and watch the results come in!
Target Your Audience
Like any advertising, the better you narrow your potential audience, the better your chances of converting them. You don’t want to waste time paying for clicks or YouTube views from disengaged people who will never be interested in your brand. Instead target your advertising to specific interests and/or locations. For example, if you’re offering guitar lessons in Manhattan, there’s no point having your ads displaying to someone watching a fishing video in Florida. Instead, target people in your desired location interested in guitar, music tutorials and more.
Choose Your Ad Format
The options for ad formats on YouTube are extensive and can be confusing. The best first step is to check out their help page and match your objective with the best option available. At first, be sure to experiment with different ad formats and work out which one works best for your needs. If you’re just looking to raise brand awareness, then you’d be best running an entertaining video ad. Whereas if you’re looking to just generate leads by pushing viewers to a landing page then a sponsored card would be the way to go.
Separate Your Ad Types Into Different Campaigns
In-stream ads, that is ads that show during a video perform differently to discovery ads, that is ads that appear as ‘sponsored’ search results when a user searches for a video. In-stream is great for brand awareness, whereas discovery can be effective in getting clicks and building your subscriber audience. Because both ad types behave differently, it’s important to set them up as different campaigns. That way you can easily tweak and make changes on each ad type depending on how they perform.
Make Your Ads Interactive
You can add interactive links to your ads, like a popup window pushing people directly to a shopping cart or to sign up to your website. Using these specific call to actions is more effective than just a general link to your website as it makes it that little bit easier for a user to reach the relevant part of your site and seamlessly continue their journey with your brand. You can customize these screens to appear when you want them to and to push the viewer to a landing page, download, or shopping cart… easy!
Optimize For Mobile
Rich media and video used to only be a thing for fast, stable internet connections on a desktop. However now, almost every few feeds on Facebook or Twitter feature video. When people are bored, say waiting for a bus, they pull out their device and browse social media. There is a massive audience out there that predominantly views video on their smart devices as opposed to a PC. So, when you’re choosing your ad type, make sure you choose one that’s optimized for mobile and don’t miss out on potential customers on their smartphones.
YouTube can be incredibly powerful in promoting your brand. With so many options and ad types available, it really does cater to whatever your objective is and allows you control over how and when your ad gets displayed. However, exposure is only part of it. Exposure is only great if it’s backed by quality, native content that’s engaging. So, use YouTube to your advantage but do so in a way that your ads don’t feel like ads and your viewers are entertained by your message. Be creative with your rich media marketing, stand out from the crowd and watch your audience grow.
10 Perfect Video Ads on YouTube
On average, YouTube receives a billion views a day from users all around the globe. With such a massive viewership, only time will tell when this online powerhouse will replace the boob tube.
With content creators uploading over 400 hours of video every minute and their advanced understanding of user preference through AI, YouTube’s become a video sharing platform unlike any other. These impressive stats and numbers tell us one thing – YouTube is one of the best online advertising platforms out there. Brands are quickly learning the advantages of running their ads on YouTube and we are seeing a lot of them step up their game.
There’s a burgeoning digital ad war that’s unfolding on YouTube and you can learn a lot from some of the brands that are killing it. Take inspiration from some of the best video ads, which we’ve listed below.