How 'Helga the Viking' Began Raiding After... a YouTube Ad

Many a marketer and business owner dreams about the fertile, green shores of video advertising.

To broadcast their product on screen, straight into millions of people’s longhouses… Ahh, 'twas an honour only bestowed to the mightiest corporate clans who could afford it.

But no longer.

In the twisted words of The Buggles – YouTube slaughtered the TV commercial.

In this brief saga, I’ll reveal how anyone with a product, service, or seafaring vessel can wield this great power to sell boatloads.

Joining us on this journey is Helga – a young Scandinavian woman with an urge to set sail to wealthy coastlands, axe in hand, but is still missing something...

1. Precision-Strike Your Prospect

The TV commercials of old, though grand in their reach, were – much like the stray arrows of an intoxicated Saxon archer – blind in their aim.

In contrast, YouTube Ads are as precise as a razor-edged throwing axe, cutting through the digital noise.

That’s because they’re guided by targeting data like demographics, interests, and online behaviour.?

This lets your message only be shown to the eyes of your ideal prospect’s, thus ensuring greater success to convert them to your mighty cause.

So let’s say I sell boats.

My newest variant 'The Sea Serpent' is a fast ship with elegant lines I think would do well with women rovers.

Well, thanks to targeting, I can look for women between 18 and 35, who live in Scandinavia, who are interested in visiting England, and who watch a suspicious amount of sailing tutorials – like Helga.

Because by targeting higher qualified prospects, brands can triumphantly achieve higher conversion rates and a superior ROAS.

2. Anyone is Welcome to the Raiding Party

Like Thor’s mighty hammer cracking a giant’s thick skull, YouTube Ads have shattered the barriers erected by the costly TV commercials of the past.

No longer do advertisers need to amass the vast fortune of a Jarl to launch their campaign…

... a crew of 99 to handle the oars, filming equipment, and lighting…

... and filming equipment that would rival a Scorsese set.

No more.

Armed with only a smartphone and a fiery spirit, even the humblest coach, DTC business, or Ecom shop can now reach their intended audience.

To get back to my example – with my phone I can film a simple, yet captivating video about The Sea Serpent and have it appear on Helga's screen within a day.

(I'll show how to craft great YouTube ads in the next article)

3. Witness Your Triumph in Realtime

Ancient TV commercials have a hard time driving a direct response from their audience.

I mean, by Odin, who has ever run out of their house to buy a product straight after watching a TV commercial?

That’s why YouTube ads absolutely crush on this front.

All thanks to the ability to put a CTA under your ad that entices someone like Helga to click a button and land on your site, eager to start their conquest.

Furthermore, the wealth of analytics provided by YouTube would make any TV commercial fanboy drool.

As it allows you to measure your campaign's success and adjust strategy with the precision of a seasoned ship navigator charting a course through treacherous seas towards newfound glory.

It tells you not only how many people skipped, viewed, or clicked through on your ad…

It also shows you the drop-off points in your ad, allowing you to adjust course and quickly reshoot your creative to turn it into a verified conversion berserker.

In fact -- I may notice I have one conversion already!

Great for me. Great for Helga. Maybe... not so great for the coastal monasteries that will soon spot The Sea Serpent's sails on the horizon.

Let's Wrap it up

YouTube Ads have emerged as the undisputed conquerors of the Video Advertising space, offering unprecedented accessibility, targeting capabilities, cost-effectiveness, and engagement opportunities.?

The combination of a hyper-targeted ad and a congruent sales page can give you your most glorious campaign yet.

Next in this series – I will reveal how to craft the perfect YouTube ad for conversions.

About the author:

Maarten Vaerewijck has written YouTube ads with millions of views, and sold $3+ Million through funnels he wrote and strategized. He's also rather fond of vikings, apparently . Reach him at: [email protected]?