How to Run Targeted Ads Campaigns on YouTube

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YouTube currently ranks as the second most popular search engine, with over two billion visitors monthly. Leveraging YouTube for your brand growth and expansion isn’t as complex as you think. Running targeted ads on YouTube can significantly boost brand growth and awareness while scaling up the click-through rates. Also, the targeting capabilities, as well as the different options of ad formats, make it possible for any small, medium and big companies to achieve their objectives. In this guide, we will explore some proven strategies that should help you run targeted ad campaigns on YouTube successfully.

Types of YouTube ads

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Knowing the types of YouTube Ads out there will help you limit your options and choose one which suits your needs perfectly. Here is a breakdown of the common types of targeted ad campaigns on YouTube:

Non-video YouTube ads

YouTube has a non-video ad option displayed along with related content while playing another video or in search results. In this type of ads, you only get to pay when a person clicks on your ads. YouTube offers two non-video ads types: the in-video overlays ads displayed on top of video contents from monetized YouTube channels and the display ads at the right-hand sidebar when people are watching certain videos.

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Skippable in-stream video ads

Skippable YouTube ads play during or before a video, allowing viewers to skip them after five seconds of viewing them. You will only pay if the viewers watch at least 30 seconds or click on the video. An ideal skippable in-stream video ad should be at least 12 seconds long, but the first few seconds matter the most.

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Non-skippable in-stream video ads

Almost 80% of people are quick to skip ads even if it contains something that may interest them. However, such types of video ads take care of this concern because they allow you to serve mid-roll or pre-roll ads, making it impossible for viewers to skip. Because the users won’t be able to skip the ads, you will be paying per the number of people who see the ads at a rate of 1,000 views. Such ads must be at least 15 seconds while containing catchy content to capture the viewers' hearts.

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Discovery ads

This type of ad is quite similar to in-roll YouTube ads. Instead of appearing at the middle or start of other videos, Discovery ads appear alongside organic YouTube search results and usually include a thumbnail and three lines of text. Viewers can be directed to your YouTube channel or page whenever they click on an ad. Payment is only made when a viewer clicks on the ad.

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Bumper ads

Bumper ads are usually served mid-roll or pre-roll and the viewer can’t skip them. The major difference between both types is that Bumper ads are quite shorter in length. Also, you only get to pay for the recorded impressions.

Maximizing your targeted ad campaign for your YouTube page

Search-centered targeting

It isn’t a smart move to display your ads randomly on the screen of users. If you run a business that is in a niche industry, it may be difficult for you to capture the attention of the intended audience when you are rolling out mass advertisements. The good news here is that search-based ad targeting allows you to smartly place your ads on videos by simply getting a peek into the YouTube search history of the user. There are several ways your business can benefit from search-based video ad targeting. For instance, if you sell cosmetic products, this ad targeting strategy will focus on people searching for cosmetic products on Google or YouTube.

Competitor channels

Picture a situation where your YouTube targeting options allowed you to display your ads on the videos of your closest competitors. This strategy will go a long way to keep your brand as a top choice for prospective and current audiences. For instance, if your business sells hair, you may aim for the video of a direct competitor. When your ads appear on your competitor's video, it gives you a competitive edge that can help you penetrate new audiences. To begin with, you should compile a list of YouTube channels you would like to target and note that you can only target partner channels here.

Customer match

About 70 percent of customers indicate that the time and relevance of a company’s messages greatly affect brand perception. Using the customer match targeting option of YouTube makes it possible to develop a better-targeted approach that will help you attain your marketing goals. In this case, Google Ads allows it to upload Excel or CSV files that contain emails just like from an email subscriber list. These emails can be used to target potential customers on the YouTube platform.

Demographics

With the YouTube targeting options, you can explore different options. You not only get to choose where and how you display your ads, but you can also decide who sees your adverts. Some of the demographics you can implement this option include age, gender, parental status, and location demographics. For instance, you should consider if your services and products sell more to women, men or both genders. Also, are you thinking of an audience in their teens, or are you considering an older group of people? Other demographic features you should consider include parental status, location and household income.

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You should consider your current client base if you aren’t clear about your audience's demographic. Research the age, interests and so on to have a clear idea of the demographics of your target audience.

Interests

Upon evaluating the demographics of your target market, you should take time to identify their features. Audience interests, also known as psychographics, help you gain sufficient insight into what your shoppers may be thinking. With this information, you will have the upper hand when preparing ads on YouTube. Some of the principal interests to look out for include the audience's lifestyle, attitudes, hobbies and values.

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When you place your ads on YouTube, you can deploy the acquired data to ascertain the audience's interest. This information will help you and your team develop a clearer, better and stronger strategy, which will translate to better purchases, sales and revenue. 

Steps to effectively advertise on YouTube

Below is a clear pathway to creating and implementing an effective YouTube ad:

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Create the Google Ad account: If you haven’t already created a Google Ads account connected to your brand.

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Create the campaign: Select the video option and choose the aim of your campaign. When this is done, ensure to upload your video.

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Choose your target audience: Google is equipped with unique targeting options which are obtainable in YouTube adverts. What this means is that you can use it for the persons you want to connect to. You can choose your target relying on demographics, including gender, age, location, job title, and household income.

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Create a budget: Make sure to select your bid strategy, which is determined by the campaign goals, type and what you aim to achieve. Then proceed to select your desired budget if it will be a budget set for daily or if you desire to set a budget for the total campaign time. The next thing is to choose when you desire the ads to begin functioning and when you desire the ads to end.

Final thoughts

YouTube is a platform that serves several purposes, such as entertainment, education and marketing. Brands that learn how to leverage the immense benefits YouTube offers are often better off for it. Running targeted ads can help boost your reach and sales, especially if you do it with the right strategies. To effectively achieve a successful YouTube Ad campaign, you should know the ads and the things to target. Factors to consider for targeting include demographics, interests, customer match, and competitor match. One smart way to handle your YouTube targeted ads campaigns is by engaging the services of top-notch agencies like Vling.

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