Introducing YouTube Ads, the game-changer in digital advertising.
With its vast reach and engaged user base, YouTube offers an unparalleled platform for brands to captivate audiences and drive meaningful results. Through compelling visuals, captivating storytelling, and precise targeting, YouTube Ads allow businesses to connect with their target audience in an immersive and impactful way.
In this three-part blog series, we'll lay the groundwork by exploring the basics of YouTube Ads to make sure you are setting yourself up for success from the start.
The Beginning
To truly grasp the sheer power of YouTube advertising, let's take a moment to appreciate its journey from a humble video-sharing platform to a marketing behemoth.
Storytime
In 2005, YouTube was founded by three former PayPal employees, Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim. The idea for YouTube arose from the founders' desire to create a platform where users could easily share and upload videos. The first video ever uploaded to the site was entitled "Me at the zoo" and featured Jawed Karim at the San Diego Zoo... riveting.
Initially, YouTube gained popularity as a platform for user-generated content, allowing people to share videos with friends and the wider online community. It quickly became a hub for funny videos, music, vlogs, and let's not forget the beloved cat videos.
The simplicity of uploading and sharing videos, along with the ability for anyone to become a content creator, contributed to YouTube's rapid growth. In November 2006, Google acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion, recognizing its immense potential as a video-sharing platform. Under Google's ownership, YouTube continued to expand and evolve, introducing features like monetization options for content creators, live streaming, and the development of its own original content through YouTube Originals.
Today, YouTube is the largest online video platform globally. With billions of monthly active users and more video content than you can binge-watch in a lifetime, YouTube has become the go-to destination for businesses seeking to make a splash in the digital advertising realm.
Queue YouTube Ads - this ad format has taken the advertising world by storm, serving up a blockbuster experience for businesses and viewers alike. With a reel of captivating video content and a sprinkle of creativity (we love sprinkles 🍩) businesses can steal the show and leave a lasting impression on their target audience.
Shifting Your Mindset (and Metrics)
YouTube alone reaches more people in the United States in the 18-34 age range than any TV Network. With over 100 countries and 80 languages, YouTube is the perfect tool for product expansion and territory scale.
When launching a YouTube campaign, however, you will need to set your sights on some new metrics. Since this is an entirely new network with completely different ad types and placements, the metrics you measure your success on will be slightly different.
Here are some new metrics you may see in your columns:
Max CPV: CPV stands for cost per view, and is the equivalent of the max CPC you’re used to from search and display
Views: Similar to an impression or click, although this metric measures anyone watching over 30 seconds of your video ad (if it exceeds 30 seconds) or interacting within your video like clicking on the companion banner, an overlay, or a card
View Rate: This is a measure similar to the classic click-through rate. It is the people who actually started viewing your video, divided by the people who saw your video thumbnail
Earned Views: These views happen when a person sees your video ad, but then looks at an organic video on your channel later within the span of seven days
Video Played To: This is the percentage breakdown of how many viewers made it to at least a part of your video. If all people watched at least 10 seconds of your 40-second video, then you’d have a 100% video-played-to-rate under the 25% mark.
View-Through-Conv. (VTC): These are conversions that are recorded when users view (but don’t interact with) an ad and then later convert. These conversions are counted based on a period of time called a view-through conversion window.
All Conv.: Because YouTube typically brings in a combination of VTCs and click-through-conversions, it is important to look at the "All Conversion" metrics in your campaigns, or else you may only be seeing one side of the story.
With YouTube typically having a lower direct conversion rate, it is important to also look at "All Conversions" when measuring performance as this will include VTCs as well, especially if you are comparing the performance to that of Social channels.
Pre-Party to Getting Started
When starting up a video strategy, the first step you will need to take is connecting your YouTube account with your Google Ads account. This will allow you to run the ads through your YouTube brand account as well as open up a new world of targeting opportunities.
To link a YouTube channel to your Google Ads account, your Google Ads account needs to have administrative access. If your Google Ads account doesn't have administrative access, you won't be able to link to the YouTube channel.
Sign in to your Google Ads account
Click the tools icon in the upper right corner of your account
Under "Setup", click Linked accounts
Under "YouTube", click Details
Click the plus button
If this is your first time linking a YouTube channel to your Google Ads account, click Add channel
In the "Link a YouTube channel" dialog, search for a channel or enter its URL
Do one of the following:
If the YouTube channel belongs to you, select I own the channel and click Go to YouTube
If the YouTube channel doesn't belong to you:
Select Someone else owns this channel, and enter the email address of the channel owner
To review the email that will be sent to the channel owner, click the down arrow next to "View request message"
Click Send request. Once the owner of the YouTube channel approves your request, that channel will be linked to your Google Ads account.
Creating Your First Campaign
The first step to creating a YouTube campaign is understanding what the goal of your campaign is. Similar to setting up any campaign, you will be greeted with this screen:

Depending on which goal you choose, you will have certain subtypes available to you. If you want available to all subtypes, choose "Create a campaign without a goal's guidance".
To help you know which direction you want to go in, let's cover each campaign subtype and when you would use them 👇
Custom Video Campaign
This allows you to create a campaign completely manually. It gives you the ability to upload any ad type and combine them all here. Be careful though, certain ad types are better used at different times in the buying cycle so this could cause the algorithm to be confused.
This could be a good time to A/B test ad types for your campaign.
Sales / Leads / Website Traffic
Drive conversions: Formerly known as TrueView for Action, these campaigns help drive leads and conversions by adding prominent CTA Buttons, headline text overlays, and an end screen to your video ads. Using this subtype, you can encourage customers to explore your product or service, share their contact information, and take other actions valuable to your business.
Shopping: Also included in this type are Video Shopping Ads - formerly known as TrueView for Shopping, this subtype makes video ads interactive by connecting viewers directly to your products and providing information that brings customers closer to making a purchase. These ads use your Google Merchant Center product data to generate shopping cards, and up to 6 shopping cards may appear on a video ad at a time. You can filter your inventory or select specific products to limit which products can show with your video ads.
Product and brand consideration
Get views (formerly "Influence consideration"): Connect users to your brand using ads designed to drive interactions and engagements.
Ad sequence: Tell your product or brand story by showing ads in a particular sequence to individual viewers.
A video ad sequence is made up of a series of video ads that you’d like to show to a person. Each sequence campaign is made up of a series of “steps.” Within each step of a sequence are an ad group and a video ad. Most of a sequence’s settings are selected at the campaign level—such as a bidding strategy and targeting—but you’ll select your sequencing rules, ad format, and bid within each of your sequence’s steps. Viewers will see your sequence campaign once it's running and the ads will be shown in the order that you have defined.
With video ad sequencing, you can tell your product or brand story by showing people a series of videos in the order that you define. You can use a video ad sequence campaign to build interest, reinforce a message, or create a unifying theme. We will dive deeper into sequencing strategies later.
Brand awareness and reach
Video reach campaigns (VRC): Get the most reach for your budget, either by reaching more unique users (through the use of bumper ads, skippable in-stream ads, or an optional mix of the two formats) or by reaching users with your entire message (through the use of non-skippable in-stream ads).
Outstream: Get more interest in your brand with ads designed to reach people on their phones and tablets.
Ad sequence: Tell your product or brand story by showing ads in a particular sequence to individual viewers.
Similar to the campaign goal decision, the campaign sub-type choice will give you access to specific video ad formats only. So let's see what's available to you 👇
YouTube Ad Formats
YouTube boasts an arsenal of ad formats that will make your head spin (in a good way, of course) and capture viewers' attention. We've got the lowdown on some of the coolest ad formats around:
In-Stream Ads
Bumper Ads
Discovery Ads
Outstream Ads
Masthead Ads
Overlay Ads
YouTube Shorts
In-stream ads: Skippable vs. Non-Skip
These sneaky little devils pop up before, during, or after a video, ensuring that your message infiltrates the minds of viewers. They strut onto the scene like the opening act, begging for your attention but giving you the skip button side-eye after a few seconds.
This format provides businesses with a valuable opportunity to capture the attention of viewers and deliver their brand message in a visually engaging and immersive way. InStream ads can be skippable or non-skippable, offering flexibility for advertisers to choose the best option for their campaign objectives. Skippable ads allow viewers to skip the ad after 5 seconds, while non-skippable ads play in their entirety.
Typically, any time you say you are going to run "YouTube Ads" - this is the format that you are running.
Bumper ads
Bumper ads are a short video ad format, designed to allow you to reach customers broadly and increase awareness of your brand by using a short, memorable message.
Bumper ads are just 6 seconds or less, and viewers can’t skip the ad.
In-Feed ads
In-Feed ads only appear on YouTube and reach people in places where they’re discovering content (i.e. Search results, next to related videos, or on the mobile homepage). The appearance will vary, but will typically consist of a thumbnail image from your video with some text.
When a viewer clicks the thumbnail for your ad, the video will play on its YouTube watch or channel page.
Outstream Ads
Outstream ads are mobile-only ads that play on partner websites and apps, rather than within YouTube videos (out stream). They autoplay when at least 50% of the ad is in view, and you are only charged when someone plays or views 2 sec +.
YouTube Shorts
Everyone's favorites, Shorts are YouTube's version of Reels/TikTok etc. The kicker is, you cannot segment out this ad type and run exclusively #sad
You can, however, incorporate vertical videos into your campaigns and use very loose directional queues based on the traffic and performance of these vertical assets. They will not run 100% on Shorts, but you can assume the bulk of their inventory will be Shorts.
Mastheads
Masthead ads are premium ad placements that appear at the top of the YouTube homepage on all devices. Mastheads are bigger media buys but are a great way to lock in reach for a massive audience.
Targeting Options
Now it's time to unleash the targeting wizardry of YouTube. Here are some of the enchanting targeting options at your disposal:
Demographic targeting: Age, gender, location, and language preferences are just a few of the levers you can pull to laser-target your audience. It ensures your ads reach the right eyes and ears.
Interest-based targeting: Prepare to dive deep into the psyche of YouTube users. Target viewers based on their interests, behaviors, and the virtual breadcrumbs they leave behind. This kind of magic enables you to connect with those who are most likely to engage with your ad.
Remarketing: Time to bring back those who got away. Remarketing allows you to re-engage users who have interacted with your videos or website. It's like a siren's call, luring them back with tempting offers and reminding them why they fell in love with your brand in the first place.
Placement targeting: Choose your stage and shine like a supernova. With placement targeting, you can handpick specific YouTube channels or videos where your ads will make a grand entrance. It's the VIP treatment for your brand, ensuring you're in the spotlight among the content that resonates with your audience.
*Note that from early 2023, all existing content targeting settings will be automatically removed from video campaigns that drive conversions. You’ll no longer be able to add content targeting to new and existing video conversion campaigns in the coming months.
TLDR;
There's a reason why YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world (right behind Google). With over 2 billion active users, YouTube amounts to almost one-third of the Internet. Every single day, over a billion hours of view time, is recorded on the channel.
With these numbers growing annually, it is essential to begin thinking about your video strategy. The best part? If you are strapped for resources, you can reuse your video creatives across platforms! Double win! 🎲🎲
In the next part of our series, we'll dive deeper into the art of crafting compelling YouTube ads that captivate and engage viewers. Stay tuned for "Getting Started with YouTube Advertising: Part 2 - Crafting Compelling YouTube Ads" where we'll share tips and strategies to make your ads stand out from the crowd.
Want to get started with YouTube ads? Contact our team today!
- Bluum
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