Perfect Mix of Youtube Ads!

With increase in focus towards digital marketing, we now see various brands active on different digital platforms. Be it the GDN (google display network). social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram etc and most importantly Youtube which is now the second largest search engine. With increase of brands towards these platforms we believe brands must be getting better ROI and enhanced measurable results unlike the conventional mediums. But to get better results its imperative to use the available options in best manner with right strategy. Before the launch of any paid campaign on any of the digital forum, the campaign manager must have the ideal target audience/ viewer of the ad to be shown to TG because the type of ad we are about to place must be coherent with the objective of campaign, the target audience and the behavior i.e. what they might be searching.

So the question remain; Which type of Youtube ad is best for You?

To answer this query we first need to know the options available on youtube and then to pick and choose the most relevant model of ad based on campaign strategy and KPI’s to be achieved.

1)TrueView ads

Trueview is the type of youtube advertisement which is subdivided into 2 categories in itself:

a)  In-Stream (skip after 5 secs)

This type of advertisement can have video clip of any size without any limit of ad length. A view is counted only when a complete video has run under a condition that if the video is under 30 seconds or for 30 seconds if the video duration is greater. We should go for this option when we want to have greater awareness and recall of product or brand. From viewers point of view the ad can be skipped after 5 seconds and the advertisement copy doesn’t require any clickable action. The ad appears before, during, or after the main video.

Best For: These are good for high impressions, high-impact imagery, branding and general awareness campaigns, and top-of-the-funnel objectives.

How You’re Charged: You pay when a viewer interacts with or watches 30 seconds of or the entire video, whichever is shorter.

b)  Discovery ads

In discovery ads, the ads can be placed on various spots like partner websites, overlays, related videos (recommended) and youtube search results. The costing for the discovery ads is based on CPC. In discovery ads we are gauging our reach and impressions while in the In Stream ads our focus is on views. Both the discovery ads and in stream ads objective is to raise awareness and talk about recall and not actions related to sales or conversions.

Good For: In-Display ads are great for non-intrusive ad campaigns, how-to videos, and middle-of-the-funnel content.

How You’re Charged: You pay when someone clicks on your video to watch it.

2) Non-Skippable Ads

These ads can appear before, during, or after the main video. They can be up to 15-20 seconds long and viewers must watch the ad before they're able to watch the selected video.

In-stream ads are sold on a CPM basis, and may generate higher CPMs than other ad formats on YouTube. It should be noted that while non-skippable in-stream ads may generate higher revenue than other ad formats, they also have a higher abandonment rate.

These type of ads are primarily for those advertisers who want to generate direct sales or get some action of the audience from the advert on youtube. As mentioned above, one must go for a 15 second copy of ad so that the ad placed can run smoothly. To add on, Non- skippabable ads are also referred as Pre-Roll ads (do not confuse yourself with jargons). These ads cant be skipped by the viewer and hence it compels the viewer to click or do some action.

Good For: To generate sale or action through the ad placed.

3) Bumper 6 seconds

Bumper ads are one of the most common type of ads being used on Youtube. These ads typically fr those viewers who are on the go. One has to communicate the message within 6 seconds and generate a view or a clock out of the 6 seconds content. The most interesting part is, bumper ads have the traits of both pre rolls and in- stream ads, as one can set the KPI's on clicks and on views for the campaign. The model of payment is pay per view. These ads cant be skipped as the duration is already short and its targeted for those people who are on the go.

Good For: They’re ideal to drive upper-funnel goals like ad recall and awareness, and are a cost-effective way to reach your target audience and ensure message delivery.

When You’re Charged: You pay per impressions (CPM)

Is six seconds enough to make an impact?

You bet your britches. In fact, Google has something to say about that:

And while Bumpers are short on time, they’re long on impact. We tested over 300 Bumper campaigns this year and found that 9 out of 10 drove a significant lift in ad recall. –  Google

Youtube in Pakistan is in a growing phase as it has recently been re-launched in Pakistan. Brands are slowly sparing some budgets for youtube as they see future of advertisement on digital platforms with increased penetration of internet and mobile users in Pakistan.

To wrap up the whole idea, setting objectives of campaign is the first step towards a successful campaign which helps in paving path for setting target audience for the campaign and thereby selecting the model of youtube advertisement which best supports the objective of the company.