You probably already know that video content is an extremely effective medium for communicating with customers. With 73 percent of people on the internet using YouTube, there’s no denying its reach. This is why business owners need to know how to run YouTube ads.
The effectiveness of this platform for advertising is unparalleled. Around 81 percent of consumers even admit being convinced to buy a product through a brand video. Considering this, it’s no wonder why more people want to know how to run YouTube ads effectively. If you want to tap into the potential of this platform, there are many important tips and tricks you should learn.
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Why Choose YouTube Ads
Generating video content is so much harder than simply writing some text or putting together some images. But why are people so driven to run video ads on YouTube? The answer is simple. It is a more affordable alternative to expensive television ads. For many years, TV ads were the most effective media advertising form. Unfortunately, not many companies can shell out $100,000 for a nationally televised advertisement.
YouTube has revolutionized this. In many ways, this platform has become today’s television. As TV engagement slowly declines, the opposite is happening for YouTube. Every day, people around the world watch 1 billion hours of videos from YouTube. That’s the equivalent to over 100,000 years in human history all in a single day.
One of the reasons for the allure of YouTube advertising is that it’s more accessible than standard television ads. Instead of companies shelling out thousands of dollars for an advertisement to air for 30 seconds on TV, those who know how to get ads on YouTube only need to worry about cost per view.
Here are some reasons why YouTube ads reign supreme.
Reach
With more than two billion accounts on YouTube who go to the site monthly and the obvious huge number of unregistered people that contribute to the site’s popularity, there’s no denying this platform’s huge potential.
When you know how to run YouTube ads, you are more likely to expose your ad to a person that could be interested in your products or services. And when you know how to run ads on YouTube, you will understand that the wider net you cast, the more people you can lure in.
Customization
Unlike search ads that follow strict guidelines, ads on YouTube allow brands more freedom in their advertising. Companies can use YouTube to tell stories about selected customers or themselves and share information that better explains their products.
The wide array of possibilities presented by YouTube makes it a very dynamic and flexible platform. Given its advertising capabilities, it’s also still very affordable for businesses, both big and small.
For people concerned about whether they can afford YouTube ads, know that the cost will depend on your target audience, your specific marketing goals, as well as the video itself. For example, an in-search ad’s cost per view (CPV) is $0.10, while an in-display ad’s CPV is $0.30.
Targeting
YouTube is part of Google’s massive empire. Because of this, users can leverage the breadth of information that only Facebook can match. This includes individual interests and preferences that can do wonders in targeting the right people for your ads. Despite this, it’s also important not to over-optimize your ad since it can limit your reach.
Not only that, but YouTube users also spend more time on the platform compared to other social media channels. This presents an awesome opportunity for businesses who want to gain more ad attention. On mobile, the average user session lasts more than 40 minutes.
Cost
Companies who are willing to partner with a platform like Bunny Studio to ensure their video is top-notch quality will find out that it’s an investment worth making.
This is because video views are affordable, and advertisers only need to pay when users engage with their ads. Compared to Search Ads, YouTube is still a clear winner when it comes to price. While search ads count a click of a button as engagement, YouTube ad types only count sustained watching. Meaning, advertisers do not have to pay for people who saw their ad but skipped it quickly. This is why you need to invest in a good voice over for videos since it can affect the quality of your ad.
It’s easier to measure YouTube ads. By simply checking Google Ads account, advertisers can monitor the costs and views, and also get a clear picture of whether they are attracting the right audience.
Measurable data
YouTube allows advertisers to measure their ad’s success in a very easy way. It has an analytics tab where you can easily learn about the people who engaged with your ads. Once you dig into this data, you can gain valuable insights.
Some examples of the knowledge you can learn include how long people watch your ads, their points of disengagement, and the ad types that perform best. This way, you can figure out which of your ads works best for your business, and you won’t have to spend more on trial and error.
How to Run YouTube Ads
The success of online videos does not seem to be slowing down soon. Now that you know some of the benefits you can gain through YouTube advertising, it’s time to find out how to put ads on YouTube.
Create Google Ads
The first step you need to do is to create a Google Ads account. Make sure your Ads and YouTube accounts are linked. This can be done by clicking the navigation menu and selecting “Linked YouTube Accounts.”
Upload video in Youtube
After linking your accounts, you are ready to upload your videos. This is done by clicking on the button that looks like a video camera icon on your YouTube dashboard. If you click this, two options will pop up – go live, and upload the video. Select the latter and decide on who wants to see your videos. This can be public, private, scheduled, or unlisted.
It’s up to you if you want to keep your video private from the content you already have on your channel. Alternatively, you can make it scheduled or public if you want to use it as content for your channel as an ad. However, keep in mind that private videos will give you the option to choose targeted ads without uploading irrelevant content on your channel.
Create the campaign
Now, you need to navigate away from YouTube and go to Google Ads. Here, start a new campaign. This option is located on the left side of the screen. Once you’ve clicked this, you will be redirected to a new page. Then, just click the plus sign or new campaign.
Select your goal
This step is optional. Google Ads will grant you an opportunity to proceed without choosing a goal, but it’s recommended not to skip this step. Your options include app promotion, website traffic, sales, brand awareness, and reach, and product and brand consideration. Through this step, Google ads can suggest campaign settings that would work best for your ad. Video advertisements are available for all your choices, except app promotion.
Choose campaign type
Following this, you need to pick the campaign type you want to run. This determines where your ad will be placed. Then comes selecting an ad format. Your option will vary depending on your goal. These options include TrueView advertisements, pre-roll advertisements, sponsored cards, overlay advertisements, bumper advertisements, and display advertisements. These are not only limited to video, but also images. If you choose images, make sure to invest in impressive graphic design.
You may also proceed with ad sequencing, which is the process of showing a series of advertisements to a viewer. The videos on the sequence will be assigned a number and will be shown in proper order over time.
Configure campaign
If you are planning to run more YouTube campaigns in the future, you want to be more organized. This step in knowing how to run YouTube ads focuses on configuring your campaign.
First, you need to name your campaign, adjust its settings, and monitor its performance. Here, you will also be determining your bidding strategy and budget. If you are a first-timer, experiment with as many options as you can to see which gives you the highest return on investment. You can start small and increase the budget as you become more familiar with the platform and your objectives. Remember that you won’t have to pay unless viewers watch your ads all the way through.
You can also choose the ZIP codes, IP addresses, regions, and countries you want to see your advertisement.
After you’ve done this, you can tweak the advanced setting section and choose the time and days you want it to show. Aside from this, you can also choose the devices you want to target, whether you want desktop, laptop, mobile, or tablet. For instance, for people advertising an app, mobile is the way to go.
Do not forget to customize the people you want to reach. This includes options like age, parental status, interests and habits, gender, and household income. If you do not answer this, you will simply waste money since your campaign will be shown to the wrong people.
Choose keywords and topics
YouTube also allows you to look for keywords that would target your potential customers more, including what people are searching for.
Leverage the Google Keyword Tool to find related terms to your brand and be as specific as you can. These terms do not come from YouTube, but Google’s search engine. However, it still plays an important role in weeding out the keywords that may cause your ad to be viewed by the wrong people.
The topics will have subcategories to narrow out your results even more. For example, if you are in the entertainment industry, you can pick from subtopics, which include humor, celebrities, visual art, and design.
Paste video URL
Circle back to your uploaded video and copy your ad’s URL. Then, paste in Google Ads. Finally, you just need to wait for the approval, and it can finally start running.
YouTube Ads Are an Incredible Opportunity
If it’s your first time, knowing how to run YouTube ads may seem intimidating. But as you see in this guide, the entire process can be broken down into non-overwhelming steps. Remember that this platform’s wealth of advertising formats can give you powerful tools to reach the right people. If you want to maximize your ads, contact the experts at Bunny Studio.
