Everything you need to know about YouTube advertising

An effective way to promote and advertise a business is through the use of videos, as it is an effective marketing strategy. In the following article you will learn everything you need to know about YouTube advertising.

Why should I advertise on YouTube?

It is important to understand that content marketing,of which videos are a part of, can greatly benefit your business. The best platform for video advertising is YouTube.

YouTube has over two billion users worldwide. It is considered one of the most visited online platforms and it ranks second in search engines, after Google.

Thus, we realize that advertising on YouTube is definitely worth it. Millions of businesses can reach new customers instantly and quickly with the help of a very powerful medium, video.

In the rest of the article we will answer questions like "how can I advertise on YouTube", you will learn what types of advertising are available on it and how to reach the right audience through advertising campaigns.

Types of advertising on YouTube

There are different types of YouTube advertising, and before starting your ad campaign, it's a good idea to understand each of them.

Non-skippable video ads

Non-skippable video ads do not fall into the category of most popular ads, as the viewer cannot skip the ad. So YouTube reduced their duration time from 30 to 10 - 20 seconds.

Non-skippable video ads can appear both before and during the video.

Ads are paid per 1,000 impressions (CPM = Cost per mille impressions). This type of advertising is suitable for the promotion of a business that aims to maximize exposure.

Skippable video ads

Skippable video ads allow the viewer to press skip after 5 seconds.

They appear before, during and after the video, and the advertiser only pays when the viewer sees 30 seconds of the ad.

It is a very good choice if you have offers and discounts in your business, if you want to increase traffic to your website and if you want to make your products and brand known.

Video bumper ads

Video bumper ads are available from Google Ads and are primarily aimed at marketing professionals. They belong to the category of non-skippable ads and are less than 6 seconds long.

And these are paid on a CPM basis.

TrueView Ads

The TrueView ad type is probably the most popular type as it is the most preferred by viewers.

This is because TrueView ads give viewers more flexibility in which ads they see by being able to skip them. Advertisers only pay if viewers watch at least 30 seconds of the ad.

TrueViews are categorized into: In-stream, In-display and In-search.

In-stream ads appear before the start of the video, can be skipped, and can be accompanied by a banner ad that appears on the right side of the screen, above the recommended videos.

In-display ads appear on the search page using the appropriate keywords, in the list of recommended videos and on the main page of YouTube.

In-search ads appear when the viewer searches with relevant keywords.

TrueView ads are considered low "risk", despite the fact that the adopter can skip ad. This type targets people who are genuinely interested in your product and will likely take some action.

YouTube Masthead Ads

The Youtube Masthead is essentially a banner that appears on the YouTube homepage for 24 hours and targets people without taking into account their search history.

It is a very useful type of advertising for businesses that want to be seen by a larger audience. It is also recommended as an option during periods when you have offers or sales.

It is probably the most expensive option and you will need to contact YouTube Advertising for the exact cost.

Reach the right audience - Targeting options

To reach the right audience you need to build your advertising campaign smartly and carefully.

Choose the audience you want to target your campaign based on their preferences, age or profile and activities.

Connect your advertising campaign with Google Ads to take advantage of the marketing tools it offers. Make proper use of keywords, create multiple campaigns with different target audiences and invest in influencer marketing.

The cost of advertising on YouTube depends on the audience you are targeting, the type of strategy you choose and, of course, the type of advertisement.

We would advise you, if you have no experience at all, to perhaps approach a marketing agency so that they can help you with your advertising channel and your advertising campaign.

How do I advertise on YouTube?

If you're wondering "how do I advertise on YouTube", the answer is relatively simple and we'll show you the steps you need to follow below:

1. Create your YouTube channel and upload the video.
2. Then, log in to Google Ads and select "New Campaign".
3. From there, you'll need to choose what your campaign goal will be. Google Ads lets you choose from 7 goals, which are: Sales, Leads, Website Traffic, Product Insights and Reach, App Promotion, and Create a Targetless Campaign.
4. Next, you will need to select the campaign type. (TrueView etc.)
5. Set parameters such as audience, duration, budget, location, etc.
6. After setting the parameters, you will reach the final step, which is to select your video, copy-paste its URL in the corresponding field and press save. Once it passes Google's quality control, your ad campaign will begin serving.

YouTube Advertising - In Summary

In summary, we would say that YouTube advertising is a powerful digital marketing tool that is worth your time and money.

Now that you have learned "how to advertise on YouTube", you can start your advertising campaigns and attract new audiences. With a proper approach you will see immediate results.

Remember, however, that it is a tool that needs constant updating. Make sure your content keeps up with today's trends.

Play with the creativity it offers you, make sure you stay up to date with both trends and marketing changes and take the next step in promoting your business.