What is YouTube Ads Marketing?

Video is the perfect format for storytelling and a hallmark of successful influencer marketing. Good storytelling is a part of successful YouTube content marketing and advertising.

YouTube is currently the world’s second largest search engine and a powerful media mix to retain and gain new customers and to engage.

Video consumption has been on the rise for quite sometimes. The concept of advertising on a video platform like YouTube remains unfamiliar for many businesses.

YouTube allows you to connect with potential customers in a memorable way when they perform a keyword search related to your business unlike traditional channels (television) of advertising running an ad.

YouTube is a very popular video platform in demand that targets all demographics. It’s a great way to expand your advertising reach and target customers who are specifically interested in your products/services.

YouTube is designed to work with a Google AdWords campaign. You can decide how the money you want to spend on your marketing campaign.

YouTube ads are relatively cheaper than other paid ads options like social and paid ads. The cost per view (CPV) is much lower than Google AdWords’ CPC.

How YouTube Ads Charged –

# Cost Per Mile (CPM) – Payment for 1000 ad impressions.

# Cost per View (CPV) – Payment only if the user has viewed the video for at least 30 seconds or until the end.

Types of YouTube Ads –

# TrueView In-Stream – These ads can appear or during another video as your brand advertisement. When a viewer chooses to a video on YouTube, these ads appear at the beginning.

Video ads can be anywhere from 12 seconds to 6 minutes in length, and viewers are given the option to skip the ad after 5 seconds.

These ads are engaging and relevant through and viewers may choose to watch the whole video. There are no limits for the duration of ads.

The advertisers will be charged only if the user watches the video clip for at least 30 seconds or entire. These ads can be used when you want to promote video content on similar categories.

These ads should be short, full of story, and designed to give users enough information to make them curious about what else you can offer.

##### Skippable Video Ads – The skippable video ads play within the video player either before, during, or after the main video.

It can be from 12 seconds to 6 minutes in length. Viewers have given the option to skip the ad after the first 5 seconds.

These ads must be uploaded in MP4 format. The specifications are as YouTube video 1080p is preferred but 720p is also accepted. These ads can appear on any platform such as desktop, mobile, TV, and even games consoles.

##### Non-Skippable Video Ads – These ads can also appear before, during, or after the main video. The specifications and maximum file size are the same as skippable video ads, but the length if the ad is different.

Non-skippable ads can be a maximum of 20 seconds. It is guaranteed the viewer’s full attention in non-skippable ads.

##### Bumper Ads – The bumper ads are non-skippable video ad with a maximum length of 6 seconds. It can be viewed in desktop and mobile.

It’s designed to increase brand awareness and reach a wider audience. Advertisers are charged on CPM impressions. Most of the advertisers start with the bumper ad concept.

Because there are 6 seconds time limitation which manages your production costs for an advertising video. You can provide a concise message for your target audience in this time limit.

The maximum file size is 1GB and supported file formats are AVI, ASF, QuickTime, MP4, or MPEG. These ads can appear on platforms like desktop, mobile, TV, and even games consoles.

Some strategies to follow with In-Stream ads:-

• • • Keep it short – The ad should be around 30 seconds and no longer than 60 seconds.
    • Make the first 5 seconds count – Users can skip your ad after 5 seconds. You should convince them to stay.
    • Include a call-to-action – You should end the video with a static call to action and give your viewers enough time to click.

# TrueView In-Display – This ad appears as a thumbnail and text in the right-hand pane of suggested and recommended YouTube videos.

Display ads are suitable to increase subscribers rather than directing them to the landing page. These ads can be used to advertise across YouTube as well as Google’s display network.

The advertiser pays only when a user clicks and starts watching the video. The display ads spot is a prime location and it doesn’t interfere with the viewer’s enjoyment of the video.

##### Banner Ads – It runs across all areas of the website except the Homepage. A display ad is a clickable image or animation that appears to the right of the feature video when the viewer is using a desktop.

The specs for this type of ad are 300×250 or 300×60, and animations can run for a maximum of 30 seconds. The maximum file size allowed is 150KB, and file formats supported are: GIF, JPG, PNG, and HTML5.

These ads can only be seen on desktops and if viewers choose to make the video full-screen, then it’ll be completely removed from view.

##### Overlay Ads – An overlay ad is a semi-transparent banner which appears in the lower 20% portion of a video. It’s a clickable image or text box and is only visible to desktop users.

The specs for this type of ad are 468×60 or 728×90, and the maximum file size is 150KB. The supported file formats are GIF, PNG, and JPG. They are simple and static.

The few tips to get the maximum benefits from display ads are:-

• • • • Use Footnote – Use footnote to drive viewers to playlists, other videos or a landing page.
      • Create a Compelling Thumbnail – You should upload a clear, interesting, and creative thumbnail to attract users to click your video ad.
      • Use Call-to-Action – You should make sure that video includes calls to action like, watch more content or visit your website.

# TrueView In-Search Ads – Your ads are advertised in the search results pages and watch pages. Your ads appear as an image with up to three lines of text.

It allows your video ad to show up in a search suggestion. You’ll pay a cost-per-view when a user clicks through your ad and start watching your video.

You can create a custom headline up to 25 characters and a custom description for up to 35 characters per line. You can include a compelling thumbnail and call to action to increase subscribers’ base, likes, or website visits.

Sponsored Cards –

A sponsored card displays content which is relevant to the main video like products featured within the video. These ads are similar to overlay ads and appear only on screen for a few seconds.

Sponsored cards can appear within videos viewed on both mobile and desktop. The supported file formats are JPG, GIF, and PNG.

The maximum size should be 5MB. Sponsored cards are small CTA pop-ups that you can set to appear on your YouTube videos.

It allows you to increase engagement with your brand and connect with viewers on all devices. It appears in the top corner of your video as a small ‘’i’’ icon and will explain only once clicked.

It can be a great way to showcase the products or services within a video or to promote your other video or playlists.

How to Add Cards to Your Content –

• Sign in YouTube
• Click your icon in the top right corner and select Creator Studio
• Click Video manager in the left-hand menu
• Locate the video you want to add to the card
• Click the drop-down menu next to that video and select Cards
• Click Add card and choose the content for your card (Video or Playlist, Channel, Poll or Link)
• Select Create and fill in the necessary information to make your card

How to Advertise on YouTube:–

Advertising on YouTube is a three-step process: Set up, Targeting & Launch.

When setting up a video ad, go to YouTube Ads and click Start Now. A new tab will open that explains the three steps required to start advertising.

Here, you’ll have to upload your video ad. When you want to continue, click Get Started to be taken to Google Ads and paste the URL of your video into the search bar.

You’ll be asked a couple of questions like the type of video ad you want, where you want your ad to appear, and where you want to direct viewers who click on your ad.

The next step is the Location. Think about your customers and pick those areas. You can target to the town or city in your local business.

The next focus is on your audience. You can cut down your demographics to choose your ideal customers.

You can search for categories and keywords related to your products/services and business. YouTube recommends checks all of the categories that are related to your business.

Next, it’s time to focus on your budget.

You’ll notice a column on the right-hand side that will tell you weekly reach estimates on your current targeting and budget.

It’s time to launch.

You can create a display or overlay ad within Google Ads. You can log in to your account and go to Campaigns and click New Campaign.

You can select a goal for your campaign and then click continue. Next, you’ll be asked to select display type, select Display.

The next process is very similar to creating a video ad. You can target language, location, interests, customer intent, etc. There is one more targeting option to choose in display and overlay ads.

You can select a video that you would like your ads to appear with type in the URL and enter. It allows you to create super-targeted campaigns and display your ads alongside your competitors’ videos.

How I Can Control My Ads –

You can select the geographic location, age, and interests based on the business requirement.

The selection of the right video is important in the success of an advertising campaign. You need to think about your budget, audience, and type of video you have.

Benefits of YouTube Ads –

One of the great benefits of YouTube video advertising is that you only pay when someone chooses to watch your video.

YouTube paid advertising runs through Google AdWords.

# The Audience –

##### Reach – There are over 1 billion unique visits to YouTube each month with visitors watching over 6 billion hours of video. YouTube has the possibility to reach a major percentage of the population.

##### Targeting – You can use precision targeting based on demographics, location, interests, viewing devices (desktop, mobile, tablet) and even time of day to ensure that your message gets in front of the right people.

# The Abilities –

##### Durability – Google AdWords gives you the option of establishing a start and end date for your video campaign.

YouTube ads can run forever unlike other advertising campaigns that come with an expiry date. Your video message can be ready to respond when a potential customer begins a search.

##### Affordability – You don’t need a large marketing budget to advertise effectively on YouTube. Google AdWords flexible pay-per-view (PPV) system allows you to set a weekly budget and even determine the maximum amount you want to pay.

##### Share-ability – It’s a brilliant combination of video access and sharing within the YouTube community. Your target audience creates an opening for audience engagement and business growth.

They have the option of sharing a video if it’s informative or entertaining.

##### Measurability – YouTube Ads has the ability to measure the success of your ad campaign. In traditional advertising channel, it’s impossible to find out the reach of your target audience.

Google AdWords have free access to analytics reports. It includes the number of people who have seen your video and numbers of new customers.

# The After-Effects –

##### Develop a Connection – Video ads allows you to interact with potential customers in an authentic and meaningful way. You can motivate your customers by using a creative video ad to choose your company.

##### Customers’ Feedback – Your customers can directly respond to your YouTube ads using the comments section.

You can get more insights directly from customers and further your interactions with them by responding to their comments.

# Improve Brand Awareness – YouTube ads is a great way to raise brand awareness. Video marketer is capable of achieving an increase in brand awareness.

You can show people why they should care about your brand and products/services.

# Cost-Effective Advertising – Some advertisers get worried about the Skip Ad button because they keep concerned about being charged for ads that are going unseen.

But advertiser will only pay for engaged viewers and it costs you nothing.

# Increase Sales – Video content is highly effective for communication with your potential customers. YouTube Ads can increase your website traffic and conversion claiming video provides the best ROI.

# Get The Right Audience – YouTube Ads can effectively target and reach your potential customers by keywords, topics or specific demographics.

# Improve Your Advertising Efforts – YouTube’s built-in analytics allow you to gain valuable insights into how your ads are performing.

You can make necessary adjustments to determine which content and ad types are bringing the best results.

Important Tips to Create YouTube Ads –

YouTube is one of the most competitive online platforms and it’s important to do everything in your power to perfect your YouTube ad campaigns. Here are few tips for YouTube Ads:-

# Create Compelling Ads – You need to create compelling ads which can target all the right keywords. You can set the highest daily budget. Your ad should be of a perfect size and resolution.

# Choose Your Target Audience – You may know your customers’ age, location, and how much money they make.

Why they are on YouTube? You should think about the intent of your customers on YouTube and try to match that with your ads.

If your customers are visiting to be informed, then make your ad informative. If they are visiting to be entertained, make your ad entertaining.

You can’t only target by demographics and keywords, but also by selecting affinity audiences.

• • Demographic – Either gender and variety of age ranges.
  • Topics – There are main topics, subtopics, and sub-subtopics.
  • Interests – It’s referred to as affinity categories. You can target people with fairly specific interests like fashionistas, foodies, savvy parents, etc.
  • Video Remarketing – Target users that have interacted with your business’s videos in the past.
  • Placements – You can add the URL as a placement target. You can target other YouTube channels, videos, apps, and websites.
  • Keywords – It applies to videos on the entire keywords. You can target specific keywords related to a YouTube video, YouTube channels or website.

# Keyword Research – You need to know how competitive and costly those keywords are. You can use tools like keyword everywhere to build a list of keywords applicable to your ideal customers.

It allows you to search for keywords directly within YouTube which gives your important stats about competitiveness and cost.

# Conduct Experiments – You should experiment with different ad types and different call to actions to see what engages your customers.

You should keep an eye on your analytics to monitor the success of your campaigns. If one keyword is generating a great return, you can consider manually increasing the amount you bid for a click.

If another keyword is non-performing, you can make it a negative keyword. By continuously working improve them to generate the best results possible from your YouTube Ads.

# Tracking & Measuring Results – YouTube has easy to use built-in analytic tools. It helps advertisers to monitor the performance of the video ads and channel.

The demographics data and watch time and traffic sources help the advertisers to optimize the campaigns further.

Advertisers can make a modification to the ads at any time and is free to run multiple ads at once to see which works best. Google AdWords also provides certain key metrics to analyze that performance in detail.

Conclusion – YouTube Ads are outstanding with huge potential value for all types of businesses. You should invest time to make a creative and personal video ad. You should make a video that will vibrate your target audience and motivate others to share it.