Did you know that studies show YouTube viewers (of which there is 122 million… daily) are twice as likely to purchase a product after seeing it on YouTube vs. the competitive average? Or, that over 70% of viewers say they’ve bought products and services they found on YouTube? These are huge numbers, and they show how important it is to have a SMART YouTube ads strategy in place.
YouTube ads can bring a lot of traffic and engagement to your business. Because of that, it’s also a highly competitive space. This is why you need to understand the ins and outs of creating a YouTube ads strategy for your business. By following a proven process (like the one we’ve tested and shared in this article), you can save time and budget in creating and publishing ads that work.
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Get clear on your targeting and goals
setting campaign goals
First things first, determine what you want to achieve with your YouTube ads strategy. Do you want to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, or generate leads? Having specific goals in mind will help you create ads that are aligned with your business objectives. Getting clear on this will help you at each next step of the process.
Targeting
Now, who is your business creating the ad for? Or in other words, who is your target audience? The more you know about them, their likes, their dislikes, where they work, what they typically spend… etc, the more effective your ads will be. This helps you avoid blindly serving ads to just anyone. It also ensures you’re marketing budget is being spent to target viewers that can actually benefit from your product or service.
If your business needs more thought put into it’s target, a good exercise to run through is creating an audience persona. This is a generalized representation of what you think your ideal customers are like. Their lifestyle, spending habits, hobbies, profession… etc. Their interests, geographics and demographics will give you a clearer understanding of who you’re targeting.
To better understand your target audience, consider creating an audience persona. This is a fictional representation of your ideal customer, including details about their lifestyle, spending habits, hobbies, profession, interests, and demographics. By creating an audience persona, you can gain a clearer understanding of who you’re targeting and how to tailor your message to them.
Once you have an audience persona, it’s easier to think of what kinds of ads are suited for those types of people. Ads that they’ll be interested in and gain value from. Ads that will make them genuinely curious about your brand… curious enough for them to go to your website and become a potential customer. Knowing who you’re creating for means you’re better informed to create the content you’ll need to actually convert viewers into customers.
Select the right ad types for the right audience
YouTube has different video ad types. Just like knowing who your target audience is, it’s also important to know what type of ad placement is right for your campaign. Take a look below at the ad types available and think through what suits you best.
1. Skippable in-stream video ads
This ad type is shown before, during or at the end of a video. This ad is shown for five seconds. After that, the viewer can choose to skip it. When your ad has been viewed for at least 30 seconds (or clicks the CTA, whichever comes first), that’s the only time it becomes a cost to you. However, if your ad is shorter than 30 seconds but the viewer watched all of it, it will get counted as a billable ad, too.
The advantage of this ad type is that you only pay for ads that were actually viewed. The downside is that not all viewers take the time or have the interest to watch a full ad. So you need to create well scripted and well put together ads for this to work.
2. Non-skippable video ads
This ad type is also shown before, during or at the end of a video. However, it is the opposite of the previous one we mentioned. With this type, viewers are not allowed to skip your ad. They need to watch the whole video. The ad’s maximum duration is between 15 and 20 seconds. The billing form for this ad type is CPM or cost-per-thousand-impressions, meaning the ad is billed per 1,000 impressions.
The advantage of this ad type is that viewers are obligated to watch the whole video. There is no skip button available for them. The downside is that you pay for every thousand impressions, even though your viewers may not have been interested and didn’t take any action. This ad type is best if you’re pushing for brand awareness. With this, at least you’ll know that the viewers have seen your ad and were exposed to it.
3. Bumper ads
Same as the ones before, this ad type is shown before, during, or at the end of a video. Your ad should not go over six seconds. Just like non-skippable ads, bumper ads don’t give the viewers the option to skip them. And just like them, its billing form is CPM.
Bumper ads will work to your advantage if your goal is brand awareness. Viewers are more likely to pay attention to your ad since it’s short. At the same time, you are only given six seconds to capture the viewer’s attention. So these can be challenging.
4. In-feed ads
This ad type shows up in three places: on top of search results, video watch page, and on the homepage. Your ad will look just like any other YouTube video, complete with a thumbnail, header, and description. Except there is text indicating it’s an ad. This is to make it clear that the video is an ad, not a YouTube video.
The advantage of in-feed ads is that they are shown alongside relevant videos. For example, your business is about skincare. A viewer searches the topic “nighttime skincare routine.” Then your ad may be shown along with the other suggested videos. This is effective because viewers who are searching for what you offer are given exposure to your brand. The downside of this is that since your ad is shown together with other relevant videos, so viewers can overlook your ad.
[TLDR]
YouTube offers a variety of ad types for businesses to choose from based on their marketing goals. Skippable in-stream video ads are a good choice for businesses focused on conversions, as they only pay for ads that are viewed. Non-skippable video ads and bumper ads are good options for businesses looking to increase brand awareness, as they are shown to viewers who are unable to skip them. In-feed ads are effective for businesses looking to target viewers searching for related topics, but they can be overlooked among other suggested videos. For more learnings and detail on YouTube ad formats, visit Google’s help page here.
Create a detailed media buying plan
The advertising competition on YouTube is fierce, so you need to make sure that you give viewers the right message at the right time. This is where your media buying plan comes into play. Think of it as a game plan that you can take into battle to tilt the odds in your favor.
By carefully crafting a YouTube media buying plan that outlines the goals, target audience, budget, and ad formats, businesses can maximize the impact of their advertising efforts on the platform. So what makes a good media buying plan? We’re glad you asked, let’s jump into that below.
What makes a good media buying plan
- A clear definition of the target audience on YouTube, including demographics, interests, and behaviors.
- A detailed description of the YouTube ad formats and placements that will be used, including skippable in-stream ads, non-skippable video ads, bumper ads, and in-feed ads.
- A budget for the YouTube media buying plan, including a breakdown of how much will be allocated to each ad format and placement.
- A schedule for when the ads will be run on YouTube, including specific dates, times, and frequency.
- A plan for tracking and measuring the effectiveness of the YouTube media buying plan, including metrics such as view rate, watch time, and conversions.
- A creative strategy for the YouTube ads, including the messages, visuals, and call-to-action that will be used to engage the target audience. Creating compelling ad content is essential. Your ads should be interesting, informative, and engaging in order to capture the attention of your target audience.
- A plan for managing and coordinating the YouTube media buying process, including working with external vendors and agencies as needed.
Overall, a YouTube media buying plan should be tailored to the unique characteristics of the YouTube platform and the specific goals of the business. It should include a comprehensive approach to reaching, engaging, and converting the target audience on YouTube.
Develop a compelling CTA
We all know how powerful words are, especially when we’re talking about a call-to-action (CTA). It may seem like a simple matter, but having an effective CTA can make or break your ad. You need a CTA that will actually make the viewer take notice and take action.
Whether you want your viewers to sign up for your newsletter, visit your website, make a sales conversion, or request a quote, having an effective CTA will be key. So what makes a compelling CTA? What type of CTA will motivate the viewers to take action and not just watch your ad passively? Below are some tips to help you come up with a compelling CTA.
Use command words
To develop a compelling CTA, it’s important to use command words that encourage or urge viewers to take action. Instead of using passive language, use words that make it clear what you want viewers to do. For example, instead of saying “We offer a free trial,” you could say “Sign up today for your free trial.” This comes across as clear and powerful and is more likely to motivate viewers to take action.
time-bound
Additionally, mentioning time in your CTA can be an effective way to encourage viewers to take immediate action. By mentioning that slots are limited or that an offer is only available for a limited time, you can create a sense of urgency that motivates viewers to take action right away.
For example, don’t just say “register for our free webinar”. If you spin that around and say “register today to reserve a spot on our free webinar. The slots fill up fast!” This prompts the viewer to take immediate action. Not only that, but it makes them feel like they belong to a limited and exclusive group that will be watching that webinar.
what’s in it for them
Finally, it’s important to emphasize what’s in it for the viewer when crafting your CTA. By answering the question “What’s in it for me?” you can make your CTA more enticing and compelling. For example, instead of simply saying “Visit our website today,” you could say “Earn $1000 a day? For real? Yes, for real! Visit our website today and find out how.” This comes across as friendly and enticing and is more likely to motivate viewers to take action.
Stick to your brand
While coming up with a compelling CTA is fun, make sure that what you create echoes your company’s brand. Stay on tone. Your ad copy, CTA included, must always be in tune with your brand voice. It will feel off for your viewers and clients alike if you suddenly switch from, say, formal to bubbly.
Overall, developing a compelling CTA for your advertising campaign is an important step in driving engagement and encouraging viewers to take action. By using command words, mentioning time, emphasizing what’s in it for the viewer, and staying within your brand guidelines, you can create a CTA that motivates viewers to take action and engage with your ad.
Test and experiment with your ad campaigns
During the testing and experimenting phase of creating a YouTube ads strategy, it is important to carefully plan and execute a series of tests in order to gather data and learn what works and what doesn’t. This can involve running a test auction for a set period of time, such as two weeks or one month, in order to compare the results of different ad formats and strategies.
It is also important to carefully set a budget for the testing phase, and to have a clear plan for how that budget will be allocated and adjusted over time. This will help ensure that the tests are conducted in a way that provides useful and actionable data.
test different ad formats
One key aspect of the testing and experimenting phase is to try out different ad formats and compare their performance. This can include experimenting with skippable in-stream ads, non-skippable video ads, bumper ads, and in-feed ads, in order to see which formats are most effective at engaging the target audience.
To assess the performance of the ads, it is important to track metrics such as the click-through-rate (CTR), view-through-rate (completion rate), impressions, and video quartiles (first, midpoint, third, complete). These metrics can provide valuable insights into how the ads are performing and whether they are meeting the goals of the YouTube ads strategy.
Overall, the testing and experimenting phase is an essential part of creating a successful YouTube ads strategy. By carefully planning and executing a series of tests, businesses can gain valuable data and insights that will help them optimize their ads and achieve their marketing goals on YouTube.
Maximize your campaigns
Once you enter the scaling phase of your advertising campaign, you can use data to inform your decisions and adjust your strategy accordingly. For example, if your ad is performing well, you may choose to increase your budget and expand your reach. On the other hand, if your ad is not performing as well as you had hoped, you may choose to adjust your targeting or change your ad creative to improve its performance.
Leverage Demographics Data
Analyzing demographics data can help you better understand your target audience and identify patterns and trends in their behavior. This can give you insight into what factors drive them to take action, such as making a purchase or clicking on your ad. By leveraging this data, you can make more informed decisions about your ad strategy and target your ads more effectively.
Converting Subscribers and Viewers
One effective way to convert new subscribers or viewers of your videos is through remarketing. You can create an audience list based on certain actions they have taken, such as viewing one of your videos or visiting your website. Then, you can create targeted ads that are tailored to this audience and designed to engage them and drive them to take action. When they see your ad, it should pique their interest and encourage them to click through to your website, where they can learn more about what you have to offer and hopefully become loyal customers.
Assess your results
It’s important to regularly evaluate and measure the performance of your ads and make adjustments as needed to improve their effectiveness. A result assessment is a tool or method used to evaluate and measure the findings of a particular ad campaign. All data and analytics collected from your ad’s testing and actual performance will help with the result assessment.
To effectively assess your results, it’s important to track key metrics and collect data on the performance of your ads. This can include metrics such as click-through rate, conversion rate, and cost per acquisition. By analyzing this data, you can identify trends and patterns in your target audience’s behavior and gain insight into what drives them to take action.
By tracking key metrics, collecting data, and regularly testing and analyzing your ad performance, you can make more informed decisions and improve the effectiveness of your ads.
Takeaways
YouTube has evolved from a simple video-sharing platform to a hub for content creators, influencers, and entrepreneurs. This growth has made YouTube ads an attractive option for businesses of all sizes, providing the opportunity to expand their audience and drive sales and website traffic.
To succeed with your YouTube ads strategy, it’s important to understand your target audience and choose the right ad type for your business. Create a media buying plan that aims to achieve your desired results. Conduct tests and experiments to fine-tune your strategy. Use the data you collect to convert new subscribers and create compelling call-to-action (CTA) messages. Finally, let the results of your ad campaign guide your future decisions.
While the world of YouTube ads may seem overwhelming at first, persistence and experimentation can help you develop a successful strategy. We also invite you to reach out to our team anytime to schedule a free consultation. We can go over any and all your YouTube advertising questions, and start crafting a plan that can work for your business.
