YouTube is here to stay. And videos have become the most engaging content form. It’s high time that you consider YouTube advertising in your marketing strategy.

Pretty much everyone is on YouTube these days.

From simple tutorials to vlogs by influencers, YouTube videos garner 694,000 watch hours per minute. That’s even more than what Netflix gets.

Having all those eyeballs watching videos then begs the question:

Should you consider using YouTube ads in your marketing?

The clear answer is yes.

After all, ads on YouTube can reach an audience of potentially 2.56 billion internet users. And it’s likely that your target customers are right there in those numbers.

This article will delve into what makes YouTube and video advertising unique. And how you can start using the platform to boost the marketing for your business.

Everyone Can Advertise on YouTube

Just like everyone can watch on YouTube, everyone can also advertise on YouTube.

It’s a viable platform for any business to use in their marketing. Whether you’re selling a product or providing entertainment, there’s so much that YouTube can offer.

For one, the platform makes it easy for anyone to create a video ad that actually gets results. Just set up a YouTube channel and start shooting videos, even on your phone.

What’s more, YouTube provides resources so you can easily craft the story for your videos. You can simply choose from different production and story types to best showcase your brand.

Are you looking to tell the world about your business? Or do you want to feature a story about your product or service? YouTube can assist you with that.

Know that there are a lot of possibilities when it comes to creating your video ads.

youtuber smiling and waving to the camera

The Power of Video

Unfortunately, users’ attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. That’s why if your ad isn’t captivating enough, they won’t really stop scrolling to look at it.

So, how do you catch their attention?

It’s best to use moving elements like videos since they are more engaging. Videos are a great way to reach your audience where they are and keep them hooked long enough to follow your call to action.

In fact, YouTube reports that viewers are two times more likely to make a purchase if they saw a product on the platform. 70% of their viewers also say that videos help them become more aware of new brands.

Plus, videos make it effortless for the user to consume information given to them. This can help increase your potential customer’s understanding of your product or service.

man browsing through youtube on his tablet device

The Types of YouTube Ads

There are several types of video ads that you can use on YouTube as part of your marketing strategy. The six types worth considering are: 

1. TrueView ads

These are also known as skippable ads. This is the standard ad type for YouTube. What’s great about them is that you’ll only pay when viewers interact or watch your ad.

2. Non-skippable instream ads

These 15-20 second ads can play before, during, or after the main YouTube video. These are great to use with a specific call to action since viewers won’t be able to skip them.

3. Bumper instream ads

These are also non-skippable ads, only shorter. They typically last for 6 seconds and appear before the main video. You can use them to accompany a bigger video campaign.

4. Sponsored card ads

These are small pop-up ads that appear within videos, usually at the top right corner. They lead the viewer to related YouTube videos or products in Google Shopping.

5. Overlay ads

These are also called banner ads. And similar to card ads, they also appear within videos. But banner ads are placed below the video screen. They also include a clear call to action, usually with an image of the product.

6. Video discovery ads

These ads appear at the top of the YouTube search results page or on the homepage. They can mirror what the topic users search for. Or, they are suggested based on the user’s YouTube preferences.

How YouTube Ads Work

Anyone can view your ad whenever they watch a video. But YouTube provides tools so you can better reach your specific target audience.

That said, here are the some of the key elements that make YouTube ads work effectively:

1. Targeting based on user’s search history

As YouTube’s parent company, Google has made it easier for advertisers to reach their potential customers.

How exactly?

When you advertise on YouTube, you can target viewers using their Google search history. And that’s on top of the existing data based on your audience’s viewing habits.

If your video ad has content related to a user’s search, they’ll be more likely to see your ad on YouTube.

2. Attribution models

YouTube advertising lets you track the performance of your ad campaign and how viewers engage with your ads.

It’s because the platform provides you insights through metrics like cost-per-click and cost-per-conversion. And how much your ad will cost will depend on the number of views.

Views can cost you between $0.10 to $0.30 each. The actual amount will depend on your industry and target keywords.

3. Audience segmentation

You can set the demographics you want to reach with your video ads on YouTube. Similar to targeting, this helps reach your target audience better.

There are options to only reach particular genders, age groups, and household incomes. You can also select your audience based on interests. For instance, you can choose to only target beauty enthusiasts, art lovers, or horror fans.

4. Keywords and Placements

Using keywords is another great way to get your ads to the right audience. They can help find people who are searching for answers in a video format, such as tutorials or how-to videos.

Keyword targeting is best used for in-display ads within a related video.

5. Content Exclusions

If you don’t want your ad to appear on certain types of video content, you can choose to do so. This is where the content exclusion feature on YouTube comes in.

The ‘Expanded Inventory’ option lets you exclude videos with graphic or sexual content from displaying your ads, for example. You can also exclude your ads from appearing in live streams or embedded YouTube videos.

Maximise Video Ads for Your Business

It’s true that anyone can use YouTube ads for their business. And it’s a good move to do so.

After all, video ads are captivating and effective in attracting potential customers. And because of YouTube’s popularity, you can expand your reach and create more engagement.

Of course, creating video ads for YouTube will take time and effort. Not to mention setting aside the right budget to spend on advertising on the platform.

So, it’s important that you partner with an expert. You want to make sure you won’t be throwing money away while still meeting your business and marketing goals.

Good thing that GMS Media Group is an expert at video advertising. We can help make your video ads work, from start to finish.

Ready to dive into video advertising for your marketing strategy? Go ahead and schedule your free consult with one of our GMS experts.