When we talk about seasonal trends in advertising, it’s all about finding the right time to get a message in front of people. After all, seasons play a large role in the profitability of advertising campaigns.
The question begs to be answered: for YouTube advertisers, is there a best time to advertise?
In our recent 2018 YouTube Data Report, we analyzed a year’s worth of data across 22 industries in the U.S. The report examined view rate and cost per view metrics across demographics, seasonality and device.
The report revealed similar seasonal trends to the previous 2017 benchmark report — American holidays and busy months pose more challenges for brands, while slower months give advertisers more breathing room for their budgets.
Download the full 2018 YouTube Data Report to see what else we found.
Slower months mean more profitability
Markets become saturated during the holidays or busier times of the year, so naturally advertising on YouTube becomes competitive and costly to advertisers.
Slower months — those with less holidays or events — see the highest view rate among audiences (and the lowest cost per view). As such, April and May present the best opportunities to launch profitable YouTube campaigns with view rates at 38.5% and 37.5%, respectively. April and August, however, maintain the lowest CPV.
As for November and December, this period is a busy time for both marketers and consumers, making it a highly competitive time of year to advertise.
Avoid competitive months and focus on those with ROI
While November and December pose challenges for brands, the best strategy is one that focuses on months that see the highest return for your ads. That may just be a month like December, but it ultimately depends on the industry you’re in and the products you’re selling to consumers.
Our advice is to focus on less competitive months and ease into testing busier months.
Download the free data report now to:
- Get the latest insights on YouTube advertising view rate, cost per view and click through rate metrics
- Access data on demographics, seasonality trends, device and more
- Discover new ways of thinking about and targeting your audience
