One of the most effective platforms for online marketing in 2022 is YouTube. With user numbers expected to hit 210 million this year in the U.S. alone, YouTube is one of the most popular global online platforms. Plus, it is not only part of the Google empire, YouTube has also been ranked as the 2nd largest search engine on the internet.
With such extensive reach, the competition among advertisers on YouTube is understandably rather fierce. However, there are ways to improve your odds of success so you can generate the most ROI possible on your YouTube advertising budget.
Here are 5 proven tips to help your business optimize your YouTube advertising strategy:
#1 – Define Your Campaign Goals
First, you need to determine what your purpose is when advertising on YouTube. Are you trying to find more leads? Do you want people to sign up for your free lead magnet? Are you trying to generate sales? There are a variety of different ad types on YouTube, but the most appropriate one(s) for your business will probably depend on your advertising campaign goals.
For example, there are “skippable ads” that play during or before a video. Viewers can choose to skip these after 5 seconds, but you’ll only pay if they click on the ad or watch for 30 seconds (or for the whole ad if it’s under 30 seconds). Or, there are “non-skippable ads” which users must watch in their entirety, though the ad can only last for 15 seconds or less. With non-skippable ads, you pay for every 1000 views.
If you’re trying to reach new leads and increase traffic to your website, you might want a longer skippable ad that allows people to learn more about your company before inviting them to click a link to your site. Ultimately, however, you’ll want to experiment with different ads to determine which ones best meet your goals.
#2 – Identify Your Audience
You’ll get more out of YouTube advertising if you’re clear on your target audience.
There are various demographic characteristics you’ll want to consider such as age range, occupation, hobbies, interest, gender, etc. You’ll be able to more effectively utilize YouTube’s Targeting for Video Campaigns when you know which video topics you’ll want to select based on what your target audience is most likely to watch.
#3- Grab Attention in the First 5 Seconds
When creating your ads for YouTube, don’t wait to get to the good stuff. Even if you choose to pay to have users watch your whole 15-second video, you need to capture their attention quickly, ideally in just the first 5 seconds.
If you don’t intrigue the audience enough to keep watching, they’ll either just press “skip” on your ad or tune out if skipping isn’t an option. Some useful strategies include starting with a question or creating a “hook” that gets people curious. Try to elicit emotion and present a visual aesthetic that is aligned with the primary emotions associated with your brand.
#4 – Showcase a Clear CTA
No matter what type of ad you run, you’ll want to be sure to end with a clear call-to-action (CTA). This is the one simple, straightforward next step you want the audience to take.
Ultimately your CTA should be aligned with your campaign goals. If you’re looking for sign-ups, provide a “Sign Up Now” button that takes them to a dedicated landing page where their only option is to sign up with their email. If you’re trying to drive sales, show a “Shop Now” button that take them to sales page that features specifically the few items you showcased in the ad.
#5 – Know Which Metrics Matter Most
Are your YouTube ads performing well? The only way you’ll know is if you’re clear on the metrics you want to track.
For example, with YouTube ads, you might track the number of views, the average view duration, or conversions. If you experiment with a few different ads, you can track which ads perform the best before you invest a significant portion of your advertising budget.