YouTube
advertising

YouTube Ads should form one part of a broader and more holistic digital marketing strategy, complementing other marketing channels. They are awesome at building brand awareness at a very low cost and to a niche target audience. We recommend employing YouTube Ads once you have built a marketing foundation through SEO, Google Ads, display ads and social media, simply because it can help inform your the priority of your video content strategy.

YouTube Ads require a little more initial investment than other forms of marketing, as you need to create compelling content. But when done well, this investment can quickly pay itself back.

For certain search queries, Google will present YouTube videos as part of rich results. You can get your video to show up on the Google results page by conducting keyword research, then adding those keywords to the video’s filename, title, description and caption.

Having a popular, regularly updated YouTube channel and being strategic with your choice of thumbnail will also help.

Yes, YouTube videos are often presented as rich results on Bing, although if you click on the video you won’t be sent to YouTube – it will begin playing within Bing’s embedded video player.

In terms of YouTube Ads, the top considerations for an advertiser are as simple as ABCD:

• Attention: Grab and sustain the viewer’s attention with a compelling story.
• Branding: Brand early and often. Your audience should instantly know exactly who is advertising to them.
• Connection: Make the viewer think and/or feel by showcasing your brand or offering in human terms.
• Direction: Tell the viewer exactly what you want them to do, or better yet, what they should want to do.

You can check out YouTube’s handy guide to the ABCD of effective video ads here.

New Zealand advertisers can use various YouTube ad types, and each has its perfect match for B2B and B2C marketing:

1. Skippable In-Stream Ads: Perfect for testing different video hooks without breaking the bank. A smart choice for B2B companies looking to optimise their message.
2. Non-Skippable In-Stream Ads: Want undivided attention? Use these for product launches or event promotions targeting decision-makers.
3. Bumper Ads: Short and punchy! Great for reminding prospects about your brand during key industry events.
4. Video Discovery Ads: Perfect for showcasing webinars or how-tos to an audience actively searching for solutions.
5. Masthead Ads: Go big! Ideal for high-impact campaigns, like a bold new product launch.

YouTube is seriously a good option this decade and does not need to be super polished. It is harder than ever to rank for blog content and short video’s can generate high impact for a fraction of the cost.