Viewers have a funny relationship with commercials. We love Super Bowl ads and will seek them out and watch them repeatedly. But we’re also irritated by program interruptions and skip most commercials when possible. Traditional advertising means buying air time on network television, which isn’t cheap. Is YouTube a better option? Should you make YouTube ads part of your advertising schedule? Commercials aren’t just for tv anymore.
Reaching the Masses
YouTube ads are less expensive than primetime TV ads, and they reach more people. They can be a great supplement to traditional advertising or a viable option if you don’t have the budget for TV air time. With a base of 1.3 billion and counting, YouTube users watch almost 5 billion videos daily. A Neilsen study found that in an average week—just on mobile—YouTube reaches more adults during primetime than any cable network.
Hitting the Mark
The goal of any ad is to reach its target market. Advertising sales in television are based on programming and time of day. Buying air time this way allows an advertiser to target their market in a more general way. Targetting is based on what kind of person is likely watching a particular program or the total audience exposure numbers. Taking the same commercial to YouTube, an advertiser can be much more specific about the audience they’re targeting. Parameters such as demographics, interests, topics, placements, and keywords make it easier to hone in on a target market.
Reporting & Tracking YouTube Ads
Like it or not, when you’re watching something on YouTube, you’re also being watched. Advertisers can use this to their advantage when it comes to measuring success. Performance metrics give the ability to follow impressions, views, engagement, clicks, and the type of audience you’re reaching. These numbers can be delivered in custom tables and downloadable reports. Use advanced reporting tools for a deeper dive and show stakeholders exactly how YouTube ads are performing for greater accountability. You can even go so far as to compare the performance of your ad to others with similar goals.
ROI
Any kind of advertising is an investment. With YouTube ads, there are a lot of different types and formats (more below) affecting the total cost. Ultimately, you pay per video view. Typically, a view runs between ten and thirty cents. A Google study concluded that YouTube advertising was a better source of consistent ROI than TV ads.
Types of YouTube Ads
As mentioned above, there are a lot of options for running your ad on YouTube. Have a look below for some ideas on what might work for your business.
TrueView video discovery ads. The purpose of this format is to help your business get discovered. A thumbnail of your video and some text will appear next to related YouTube videos, as part of a search result, or on the mobile homepage. That means if someone has searched for gyms in your area, your health food store ad could show up. They’ll be invited to click and watch your video, which will then play from the YouTube Watch page.
Bumper Ads. These super short ads can help a business increase brand awareness and reach. In just six seconds or less, this kind of ad plays before, during, or after another video. Watchers don’t have the option of skipping a bumper ad, so pricing is based on impressions. You’d be amazed at the impression you can make in just seconds.
Outstream Ads. A new option last spring, Outstream ads operate on mobile devices across Google video partner mobile sites and apps. This means as an advertiser, you can reach an audience without the presence of a YouTube video. When these videos appear, viewers can unmute and start over if they’re interested. You’re charged only when someone watches the video play for two or more seconds.
To go along with YouTube ad types, there are a number of advertising formats, outlined here.
Advertising is Personal
Whether you decide to run an ad on network television or post it online, video is a great way to promote a business. It all starts with a good idea and a great video. If you’re ready to connect with your customers through video, give us a call today for a free quote.
