The answer to the question of which video hosting is the largest in the world is most likely obvious to anyone who uses the Internet in their daily lives. We are talking, of course, about YouTube, whose audience exceeds two billion unique users per month. This is what makes this resource so attractive to advertisers.
The inclusion of promotion on YouTube in the plan of marketing activities is considered today almost a rule of good form in almost any field of activity. But this channel will bring positive results only if you can choose the best type of advertising for your product on Youtube.
Youtube ad types
YouTube offers a wide range of ways to promote products and services, from classic short integrated videos to responsive display ads on the Google Partner Network or through vloggers.
Such an appeal format as an audio clip is already being tested. It is advisable to consider the listed types of advertising on Youtube in more detail.
Types of YouTube video ads with examples
Being a platform for posting videos in video format, the service is perfectly tuned for displaying video ads. All parameters of such advertising campaigns must be set through your Google AdWords account.
The following types of advertisements are available on hosting:
Where are they shown? Advertising precedes, ends or is shown in the middle of the main video on the host itself, on partner network sites and in applications that have the ability to integrate video content. Usually the commercial is loaded automatically. The user has the opportunity to skip it after 5 seconds from the start of the ad.
How are they paid? The payment method is determined by the purpose of the campaign. Funds can be debited for each view, the duration of which exceeds 30 seconds or if the viewer responds to the video in the form of any action. Payment can also be determined by the number of impressions or conversions.
What are they used for? This format of Youtube ads should be used in in order to stimulate the growth of brand awareness and audience interest in a particular product, as well as to increase sales and traffic to the web resource.
Skippable in-stream ads are like a business card for a brand or product line, a way to generate leads and inform potential customers about special offers.
The advantages of the format. These ads are less reminiscent of the classic banner style, so it is easier to capture the attention of the audience with the help of these commercials, especially if the potential customers are young people who are not very receptive to conventional marketing influences.< /p>
For those who upload content to video hosting, In-Stream ads also provide a number of advantages – you can earn more. But this type of advertising also has disadvantages – the danger of losing the user’s trust if advertising is shown at times when he does not expect it. The result in the long run may be the complete blocking of the promoted brand in the mind of the consumer.
In-Stream non-skippable
Where are they shown? The video, which does not exceed fifteen seconds, cannot be skipped. It can be shown at the beginning, middle or end of the main video on YouTube and the Google Partner Network.
How do they pay? The only payment option offered is for every thousand impressions (currently the average cost is in the range of $ 1-2).
What are they used for? These ad formats are best used to increase brand awareness and inform your audience when a new product is available.
Video Discovery
Where are they shown? Displays of this type of video ad are limited to the search results of the YouTube site itself. Promoted videos are displayed in the list of recommended videos, which is usually located on the right side of the computer monitor or at the bottom of the mobile device screen.
How are they paid? Videos are always labeled “Advertisement” and, in addition to a frame from the video, include a text description of up to three lines. The system debits funds only if the user clicks on this block.
What are they used for? The Video Discovery format is used if there is no need to show a link to a web resource. It allows you to increase the popularity of a certain video on YouTube.
The advantages of the format. The advantages of this type of video advertising include the ability to test several options for videos and scale the most effective ones for a specific area of activity.
Bumper Ads
Where are they shown? The Bumper Ads format is not to be missed. A kind of splash ads are displayed on the screen for only 6 seconds at the very beginning, in the middle or at the end of the main video content hosted both on the video hosting itself and on Google partner sites.
How are they paid? These ads are priced based on a thousand impressions. At the same time, Bumper Ads videos are cheaper than fifteen-second In-Stream videos due to the shorter duration of interaction with the audience and, as a result, lower memorability.
What are they used for? Videos allow you to expand your audience reach or stimulate the growth of brand awareness. They can also be used as a highly effective remarketing tool.
Outstream
Where are they shown? Strange as it may seem, you will not see this type of advertising on YouTube. These video ads appear on mobile apps and on the Google homepage on mobile.
How are they paid? The unit for determining the cost is a thousand successful impressions. At the same time, those impressions are considered successful if the user was able to see more than half of the area occupied by the ad, or lingered on the video for more than two seconds.
Format advantages. By default, the audio track in the advertisement is not played, but with one click, the user can turn on the sound if desired. It is also possible to watch the video again, and there is no need to mount several options for ads of different resolutions – the video adapts automatically to the required format.
Video series
Format features. The system allows you to release a real advertising story, consisting of 3-5 commercials united by one concept. Options can be configured so that the user watches all the videos in the specified order.
By running five In-Stream ads across five independent campaigns, we’ll get video views by different users in random order. And connecting the serial display function will allow you to line up these videos in accordance with the storyline.
How are they paid? You can pay both every thousand impressions and views.
What are they used for? The format is convenient to use for large-scale marketing strategies and detailed acquaintance of the potential audience with the promoted product or brand.
What other types of placements are available on YouTube?
In addition to the usual video ads, YouTube provides other promotion tools:
Shopping ads
Where are they displayed? You can place product cards on the site. They appear between videos on the homepage or above the main video when the user searches for “review” or “reviews”. Each module includes no more than 6 product cards.
What are they used for? Merchant ads motivate the viewer to make a purchase as much as possible , therefore, are optimal for promoting online stores.
Display ads
Where are they shown? We are talking about ads for GCM, of which YouTube is also a partner. Responsive media blocks can appear on YouTube in various places. They are usually presented in text, graphics or native format.
The system itself adapts the appearance and size of ads to the space allotted for ads. All you need to do is upload your logo, images, and video content, as well as add titles and a description.
Format advantages. No manual configuration is required, since the system creates ads on its own, taking into account the availability of free advertising modules. In this case, the algorithm will always look for the opportunity to get the best placement result.
Audio ads
Where are they shown? As mentioned earlier, this format is still being tested. Similar to YouTube video ads, you can set your targeting criteria and bidding strategy in your audio ad settings. These videos work in auctions on Google Ads, Display & Video 360.
How do you pay? You pay for every thousand impressions.
What are they used for? Similar to other types of placements on YouTube, the audio format works well when you need to work on brand awareness among a new segment of users – audio. The effectiveness of this promotion method is usually not inferior to the results demonstrated by classic video advertising.
Overlay Ads
Where are they shown? Text or an image is placed above the main video. This type can also be classified as a CTA-overlay ad that calls to action and contains a URL.
Format advantages. Ability to combine text content and visual effects of the banner overlay with the video.
Masthead
Where are they shown? Automatically played at the top of the main YouTube desktop page or in apps on mobile devices and TV. The most common format for such videos is 16×9.
How do you pay? There are two options to choose from: pay per thousand impressions or flat rate per day. Higher rates than other options make Masthead a popular format for promoting global brands and global corporations.
What are they used for? Using this method, you can quickly capture the attention of the audience. For example, when developing a new mobile application, such advertising can quickly provide a large number of installations.
Format features. You won’t be able to launch a campaign without submitting an application to Google. Only by contacting the manager directly, you can reserve the required number of impressions.
Blogger ads
The popularization of blogging as a socio-cultural phenomenon has become a prerequisite for the spread of new ways of promotion. An increasing number of advertisers are striving to increase the reach of the target audience using bloggers as marketing channels.
Let’s dwell on the most common options for interacting with bloggers in relation to advertising:
Product placement. A blogger publishes a video that uses a specific item as a prop that is related to the promoted product. It can be both the product itself and the brand logo. An additional positive effect can be achieved by mentioning the product.
Advertising inserts. The format is designed to increase the number of leads, and also allows you to promote products or services. The insert looks like a classic advertisement included in the video, but not related to its plot.
Native integration. This option is similar in some ways to interstitials, but additionally works as promotional content. The main difference is that integration is an organic element of the storyline of the base movie. In this case, naturalness is extremely important when creating a video. Any falseness instantly repels subscribers.
Exclusive video. This is a video dedicated entirely to the product, published by a blogger. The format is more expensive than integration, but well-designed creatives can make ads highly effective. The imagination of marketers and bloggers in the process of working on the plot is practically unlimited.
Ambassadorship. A way to promote a product through personal recognition and constant interaction. Often, influencers are the faces of certain brands, increasing the recognition and popularity of the latter.
Summary
YouTube advertising is an integral part of the marketing strategy of almost any business today. If you have not yet used at least one of the listed formats, we recommend that you try it as soon as possible.
But it’s better to test each of them. This is the only way to understand which of the options is the most effective and allows you to achieve your goals at the lowest cost.
