Now, this is for organic reach. But, the possibility of organic reach materializing into something meaningful is long drawn. When you want your content to reach more people instantly, paid ads are the best possible way. 

So combining the power of video and paid ads on the biggest video streaming platform on the Internet will give you YouTube Ads. 

By investing in YouTube Ads for your brand, you have the chance to reach a sizable chunk of its billion daily viewership. To top it off, they are one of the most cost-effective advertising channels for video ads.

In this blog, Kimp brings you a detailed guide on YouTube Ads including how you can use them in the most optimized manner for your brand. 

Let’s get started. 

The World of YouTube Ads

For video streaming, no one can negate YouTube’s absolute dominance. In fact, it is the most used social media platform worldwide. It is hands-down people’s favorite video-based platform.

As we told before, YouTube has a billion viewers generating a billion views every day. And this is an enormous opportunity for any brand. If your advertisements can reach ten percent of this audience over some time, you are golden.

And even the audience on YouTube is a group you want to show your advertisements to. According to Google, YouTube viewers agree that they are twice as likely to buy something they saw here than anywhere else. And it is also a platform that people continuously use to gain brand awareness. 

Additionally, YouTube also allows marketers and brands to target a very niche audience based on their search history, demographic, and other viewing behaviors. This is huge because now if a customer was looking for a product in your industry, you can reach them with your offerings. 

When you launch your video ads on YouTube, you can : 

• Generate a qualified lead base by redirecting them to a landing page 
• Redirect traffic to your website to improve brand awareness
• Create shoppable web pages to connect them to the product you are advertising 
• Build traffic for your social media profiles, including your YouTube channel 

With such a versatile advertising plan, it is astonishing that YouTube actually ranks as one of the most cost-effective video ad mediums. Based on the reach it doles out and the benefits of just having a simple video ad on the platform, it has a better ROI than any social media ad channel. 

Choosing the right YouTube Ad: Types and Utilization 

We spoke of how versatile YouTube Ads are in terms of the marketing intent and advertising purpose they can accommodate. There is a video ad type for literally anything you want to accomplish. 

Now, to do this, YouTube allows you to experiment with different video ad formats to choose the one that suits your brand the most. 

In this section, we look at the different types of YouTube Ads and how you can leverage them in your marketing endeavors.

1. TrueView Ads

Of all the different Video ad types in YouTube, Trueview Ads are the most common on the platform. These are unskippable ads that play mostly during the beginning of a video on YouTube. Many prefer this ad type over others because : 

• There is no time limit on the videos you use for TrueView Ads. 
• Brands only have to pay for this ad when customers interact with the video or watch it for longer than 30 seconds.
• Since these are opt-in ads (being skippable), the viewers you pay for are a highly targeted audience base. 
• The flexibility in the time limit allows you to share a variety of content with your customers. You can create product-related ads, demonstration videos, testimonial videos, How-to videos, and so much more. 

In a world where there is a lot of restriction on a time limit in videos and expensive payouts, TrueView Ads are a refreshing change. 

As this video ad format allows you to pay only for interested audiences, growth becomes cost-effective. In fact, Grammarly regularly runs TrueView Ads on YouTube and has reported 28% more installs at an 8% lower CPA! 

2. Non-skippable in-stream Ads

These ads are a staple on YouTube. Anyone without a premium account has seen this more than they ever want. But that is good news for a brand looking to improve its brand awareness in the market. If you want customers to see you everywhere, then pick this without a doubt. 

As the name says, these are non-skippable in-stream ads. These can play at the beginning of a video or the middle too if the video is over 10 minutes.

Unlike TrueView Ads, your video ads have a time limit in this category. They can be between 15-20 seconds only, downgraded from the earlier 30-second time limit. 

Here, you pay a fixed fee per thousand views, so you must ensure that you choose the right target audience and design the video in the right way. The design of the video must establish your story in a short time and leave the customers wanting more. That is how you get them to click on the CTA. 

3. Bumper In-stream Ads

Bumper In-stream Ads are a subset of the non-skippable In-stream Ads on YouTube. They also play at the beginning or the middle of a video. While everything remains the same, one of the major differences here is that these videos have to be less than 6 seconds in duration.

You also pay a fixed rate of fee per thousand views, so the responsibility to create quality content is extremely high. Whatever you wish to convey in that duration, you have to do it with absolute precision.

Consider these as the trailer/teaser section of the video ads on YouTube. Leverage this category to pique interest for a product, YouTube video, or a particular campaign. Link it in the end section and generate traffic. 

In this Samsung Galaxy ad, the visuals in those six seconds do a brilliant job of making people want to know more about the phone. Hence, mission accomplished. 

4. Non-Video Ads 

YouTube Advertising also allows you to use non-video content to advertise your brand on the platform. We will give you an overview of this so that you have a clear picture of your options with YouTube advertising. 

• Sponsored Card Ads: These are expandable CTA/ product cards that are available for accessing within a streaming video. You can link these to your website, YouTube channel, or Google shopping platform. 

• Overlay Ads: You may know them as banner ads, the small rectangular banner that comes when you are watching a YouTube video. These can carry text, images, or animation just like a website banner ad. You can use these ads to generate traffic to your store or any particular landing page. Access the full specs for overlay ads here. 

• Display Ads: Akin to a paid search result or PPC ad, Display Ads on YouTube are results you see at the top of your screen. They pop up when you are looking for video via the search option. These can be promoting images, links, banners, and videos as per your marketing campaign. 

Designing the best YouTube Ads for your Brand 

We have covered the types of YouTube Ads available to you. Now, it is time to dive into designing the best YouTube Ads for your brand. 

What many don’t realize is most often you do not need a very fancy and expensive video to reach more people. All you need is an optimized and professional video so that you convey your message engagingly. 

A series of right decisions can turn your video ads into your most performing ones to date. 

So, with no further delay, let’s dive right into it. 

1. Define goals and target audience 

YouTube allows you to create target groups for your video ads as specifically as you want. By taking full advantage of this feature, you can ensure that every dollar you put into this campaign generates ROI. But to identify that target audience group, you must begin by defining your marketing goals. 

You must choose between brand awareness, comparative ads, product awareness, interest generation, and loyalty generation, to name a few. When you know your goal, you know whom to target. 

Understanding the target audience and marketing intent also makes the video ad design more effective. Right from the visual flow to the video style, you can customize it to suit your intent.

2. Open strong 

First impressions are absolutely non-negotiable. And in our current attention-deficit economy, the first few seconds of your video ad can make or break your campaign. Across all social media platforms, this is the case, but here it becomes even more important. 

YouTube tells us that when you create video ads for brand awareness, it works better when your branding appears in the frame itself in a way that it captures the customers’ attention. Even for story-telling video ads, the first few seconds must establish an emotional connection if you want customers to stay throughout. 

Kimp Tip: If you are a small business running video ads using homegrown videos or customer testimonials, there is no need to worry. You can work with the Kimp Video team to add intro and outros to your video to bookend it well. We can also design frames for your video that impress the customers in the first five seconds itself. 

3. Longer ads are better 

If you follow the latest in video marketing, you know that shorter = better sentiment in the market. For most brands, it is a challenge to convey everything they want within a small duration, and it really kills creativity at times. Contrary to popular belief, that is not the case on all platforms. 

For video ads on YouTube, sometimes longer video ads are the better choice. These allow you to tell your story with peace and not curtail anything. Also, you only pay when customers watch it for over 30 seconds, so win-win. 

But longer videos can be challenging to design for most businesses. You need an intro card, professional editing, and other enhancing branding elements to make it work. Thankfully, with Kimp Video’s unlimited video design service, you can avail all of these under a single flat monthly fee plan. 

4. CTA >>>>>

People say all’s well that ends well. And it is absolutely the case for your video ads on YouTube. It is natural to count on first impressions and concentrate too much on the opening few seconds. And that is important too, as we just discussed. But what becomes more vital for the success of your brand outside the video is the CTA or call to action section.

Now, the call to action can be part of the video ad itself in the last few seconds. Or it can be as Sponsored CTA cards. Either way, you have to make them memorable and enticing enough for people to click on them. 

For the in-video CTAs, ensure that it stands on its own and has enough screen time. Do not crowd it in the last few seconds or with other elements. All eyes must be on it, and that is your design team’s first and most important job. 

5. Video treatment 

As we said at the beginning of this section, videos with elaborate productions are not the only ones that work. No, what you need is a vision and a design team that understands your unique requirements. It is all in the video’s treatment. That makes the storytelling effective enough to form an emotional connection. Small tweaks can improve the quality of your video ads : 

• Invest in quality editing so that the video concisely conveys your message. 
• Choose the right audio to go with your message. You can create a video with animations and text slides too if you have the right audio with you.
• Create quality YouTube end slates to tie in the video together and make the CTA more effective. 
• Include closed captioning in your videos to make them inclusive and suitable for playing while muted. 
• Optimize every video ad for mobile usage and viewership. 

BMW’s ad is perfect for car enthusiasts. The first few frames and the whole approach keep the car in front to build that emotional connection with the audience. And it is mobile-friendly, which helped the brand grow its mobile audience by 27% in 2019. 

Create the best YouTube Ads for your Brand with Kimp

YouTube advertising is a boon for any brand looking to leap into the market. It is cost-effective, customizable, and easy to implement targeted ads. If you get this right, you can see your brand grow high in a short time. 

And that is what the Kimp Video team wants you to have. With our unlimited video design service, you can create unlimited videos and unlimited revisions to your heart’s desire. No cap at all. Just keep creating and growing.

Sign up for the free trial to work with the team. You will upgrade at the first instance.