How to Plan Your Christmas Advertising Strategy on YouTube

The Q4 holiday season is here! For YouTube advertisers, this quarter is one of the busiest times for YouTube app and TV advertising, with Christmas presenting a high-stakes opportunity to boost performance while maintaining cost efficiency. With strategic planning, your Christmas ad campaigns can set the stage for a strong finish to 2024 and an even stronger start to 2025.

Read on to discover how to optimize your YouTube ads strategy for the season’s unique demands and ensure your ads make a memorable impact this Christmas and beyond.

When To Start Your YouTube Christmas Advertising

The final quarter of the year is a peak period for holiday advertising, covering Halloween, Thanksgiving, Cyber Five, Christmas, and New Year. For Christmas in particular, the buying season begins early, with many consumers planning purchases over three months in advance, yet a significant wave of last-minute shopping continues right up to Christmas Eve.

Timing is a key piece of your Christmas advertising strategy to effectively capture this demand. According to Numerator’s Q4 Holiday Survey, 70% of holiday ad viewers will use online channels for their Christmas purchases, and 44% plan a blend of online and in-store shopping, making it essential to reach them wherever they are.

Moreover, holiday spending expectations are high: 79% of shoppers plan to spend over $200 on Christmas alone, while the NRF projects an average holiday expenditure exceeding $900 per consumer. This makes the holiday season an even opportunity for YouTube advertisers to drive brand visibility and impact through well-timed and optimized video ads.

Mapping Out Your YouTube Advertising Timeline for the Christmas Rush

With Christmas just around the corner, how should you map out your strategy for the season? Here’s an ideal timeline to guide your Christmas advertising as you finalize your Q4 and look ahead to Q5. And if you’re not starting now, it’s never too early to prepare for 2025!

September: Build Brand Awareness with YouTube Campaigns

We mentioned that customers start looking into holiday purchases three months or more before Christmas. That’s precisely why September is the ideal time for your awareness campaigns for your YouTube Christmas advertising to be riding high.

A prominent YouTube advertising format for reach campaigns is bumper ads, which show consistent, year-round performance based on Campaign Lab data.

Further, we analyzed the performance of bumper ads by month, and the data shows that September offers the most cost-effective opportunity to build awareness before transitioning to your YouTube Shopping campaigns. As awareness campaigns typically increase in cost during October and November, it’s essential to establish a strong presence in September.

October: Engage Audiences with Views Campaigns

October is the perfect time to focus on driving engagement and views through Video View Campaigns. YouTube highlights that 91% of viewers connect with video content on both a technical and emotional level. Thus, aside from effective audience targeting on YouTube, driving views also involves heartwarming ad creative to keep audiences engaged. 

According to Strike Social’s Campaign Lab data, YouTube video view campaigns’ cost per view (CPV) has improved by 10% year over year (2023 vs. 2024). As Halloween advertising wraps up, be ready to transition smoothly into your Thanksgiving and Christmas campaigns.

October stands out as the most cost-efficient month for VVC, with November also showing favorable CPV. This lets you stretch your Video View Campaigns and maintain a consistent, always-on holiday advertising strategy.

Download the YouTube VVC Case Study

By effectively using YouTube Shorts and the AI functions of Video View Campaigns, Strike Social achieved 5M+ total video views and 59% cost efficiency. For an HVAC brand advertising during Thanksgiving week, a peak moment in Q4, this campaign was a total success.

Download the report

November: Target Shoppers with Video Action Campaigns

As November approaches, following the conclusion of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, it’s time to shift focus to sales-driven holiday ads. Target shoppers during the Thanksgiving period and Cyber Five, with 67% of consumers expected to make purchases during Cyber Week. Salesforce projects that online stores will capture 7% of in-store sales on Black Friday, underscoring the need for a more aggressive approach as the month winds down, ahead of the Christmas advertising rush.

YouTube Video Action Campaigns are designed to prompt viewers to take action, such as making a purchase or visiting your website. By linking your ads to your Product Feed and leveraging YouTube’s short-form content with Shorts Ads, you create a powerful combination for driving sales.

CPC trends for YouTube VAC ads show that you can kick off early Christmas campaigns in September at a cost-efficient rate. Although CPCs may peak in October, by November, you’ll be well-positioned to capture conversions again.

December: Boost Conversions and Reignite Reach Campaigns

Alas, the holiday advertising season’s culmination all boils down to how you will end your year. We recommend keeping your conversion campaigns going, and, even better, hitting the budgets harder, especially during the final weekend before Christmas. With only five days between Black Friday and Christmas Eve this year, expect a noticeable increase in YouTube ad views as shoppers ramp up their buying activity.

As highlighted earlier, December’s CPC for YouTube Video Action Campaigns saw a slight 2% increase, which is typical for the busiest time of holiday advertising campaigns. Meanwhile, in preparation for Q5, Reach campaigns focusing on bumper ads see an 8% decrease compared to November and a 6% reduction compared to the overall CPM from 2023.

Best YouTube Placements for Christmas Advertising Videos

As you plan your Q4 holiday advertising strategy, you should focus not only on when to launch your Christmas ads but also on where to place them. Selecting the right YouTube ad placements can make all the difference in driving the views and clicks you need to succeed.

In-stream Skippable and Non-Skippable

With a reach of over 3 billion users, placing your ads within prime YouTube video content is a surefire way to get audiences to stick around and create strong brand recall. Non-skippable ads, in particular, are proving highly effective, especially across YouTube’s mobile and Connected TV (CTV) formats. The combination of mobile and TV screens during Q4 boosts visibility and ad retention, making it an ideal placement for holiday campaigns.

In-Feed

In-feed ads are perfect for capturing the attention of users actively searching for holiday-related content. These ads appear when users are looking for gift ideas or researching Christmas shopping options. By utilizing the right holiday keywords and contextual targeting, you can ensure your Christmas ads appear in front of the right audience, driving traffic directly to your product pages and increasing the chances of conversions.

YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts, with 50 billion views daily, is one of the most versatile ad placements for your Christmas advertising strategy. Whether you’re running a Video Reach Campaign (VRC) or a Video View Campaign (VVC), YouTube Shorts video ads offers an excellent opportunity to increase visibility and engagement. Its short-form, vertical video format is perfect for delivering festive, attention-grabbing ads that resonate with today’s on-the-go consumers.

YouTube TV

YouTube’s Connected TV (CTV) platform has grown significantly since Q4 2023, and, according to our YouTube benchmark report, it’s become a top placement for high ad retention and view rates. 

According to LG Ad Solutions, 43% of CTV audiences report that ads help them decide on their holiday purchases. Moreover, 72% of viewers will likely scan a QR code featured on CTV ads, further engaging with the brand. With more consumers watching TV through YouTube, this is an essential placement for holiday advertisers seeking to drive both awareness and conversions.

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Further Reading

Introducing Performance Max Ads

As Google TV grows, you may wonder if it’s worth adding to your brand or client’s advertising strategy. Before making a decision, it’s important to weigh the benefits of incorporating Google TV into your advertising mix.

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What is The Best YouTube Advertising Strategy for The Christmas Season

A well-rounded Christmas marketing strategy involves a combination of creative approaches, targeted ad formats, and real-time optimizations to deliver the best possible return. Here’s how to refine your YouTube advertising strategy for your holiday ads this 2024:

Real-Time Optimization with Expert Support

• You must make quick adjustments based on real-time data to stay competitive with your Christmas advertising strategy. Partnering with a specialized YouTube ads agency like Strike Social, allows you to free up your time as our team optimizes campaigns 24/7, ensuring your ads perform at their best throughout the holiday season.
• YouTube CTV ads tend to have higher engagement rates and cost efficiency, as evidenced by our data showing a 6% increase in view rates compared to 2023 benchmarks. By working with a YouTube CTV agency, you can reduce your CPV by up to 18%, improving the overall cost-effectiveness of your Christmas campaigns.

Spreading Holiday Joy with YouTube Ads

A successful YouTube campaign when advertising for Christmas involves optimal timing, placements, and creative strategies. All those combined with the help of an expert YouTube ads agency can bring out the biggest smiles to your brand’s viewers and stakeholders just as Q4 ends and Q5 draws near. 

For expert planning and support in executing a winning YouTube Christmas advertising strategy, get in touch with our team today. We’ll help you with a personalized walkthrough of our AdTech solutions to help you through your 2024 holiday ads to a prosperous beginning for 2025.

The post Planning a Winning YouTube Christmas Advertising Strategy appeared first on Strike Social.

The Beginner’s Guide to YouTube Ads

Aside from the usual video content, one thing that’s probably more common is the amount of YouTube ads you see. While they may seem interruptive to some viewers, these ads actually introduce audiences to your brand and can even encourage them to visit your website or watch your ads in full. With an average of 48 minutes spent daily by users on the YouTube app, there are multiple ways to reach them across various formats and ad types.

Learn the basics of YouTube advertising, from targeting strategies to optimization techniques, to see how this platform can help you get your brand out there.

YouTube Ads Explained

As part of the Google ecosystem, YouTube has more reach than ever, with ads appearing not only on the YouTube app but also on YouTube TV and across the Google Display Network (GDN). 

If you’re familiar with YouTube ads at a surface level, we’ll guide you through every aspect of utilizing YouTube as an advertising platform for your business.

What Are YouTube Ads?

YouTube ads are video or animated ads that promote a brand through engaging content on YouTube and across Google’s Display Network. They can introduce audiences to your products, highlight services, or feature current promotions in a way that captures attention and drives action. 

When done right, a well-crafted YouTube ad strategy can reach up to 11 million views, achieve 2,000 conversions, and deliver as much as 7x ROAS.

YouTube Advertising Formats, Specs, and Safe Zones

YouTube offers a variety of ad formats that help you reach audiences across different screens and contexts. Whether you want to make a quick impact or engage viewers with a longer story, here’s a breakdown of the main YouTube ad formats:

• In-stream ads
  • YouTube in-stream ads play before, during, or after a YouTube video, often aligning with the viewer’s current video content or viewing habits.
  • Types of in-stream ads on YouTube:
    • Skippable In-Stream Ads
    • Non-Skippable In-Stream Ads
    • Bumper Ads
• In-feed ads
  • When browsing through the app or related videos of the current video you are watching, YouTube in-feed ads are inserted as you scroll through. These may auto-play without sound as viewers scroll, encouraging them to stop and engage.
  • Types of YouTube in-feed ads:
    • YouTube app in-feed
    • YouTube watch feed
    • Masthead ads (by reservation only)
• YouTube Shorts ads
  • Ads on YouTube Shorts appear in between videos as you scroll through the Shorts feed. For example, while enjoying a quick video on a new dance trend, an ad might pop up as you swipe to the next clip, offering a brief interlude before you continue browsing more Shorts content.
• Outstream ads
  • Your ads can reach audiences beyond YouTube through “outstream” placements on Google Video Partners (GVP) and the Google Display Network (GDN). These ads are shown on both mobile devices and desktops, allowing you to engage viewers who may not be actively browsing the YouTube app.
• Other formats
  • Mid-roll ads: Shown within videos longer than 8 minutes.
  • Back-to-back ads/ad pods: Two consecutive ads shown before or during a video.

The YouTube ad specs vary based on your campaign objectives and chosen formats. Whether targeting placements within the YouTube app or looking to advertise on YouTube TV and Google TV, ads can appear in either 16:9 or 9:16 formats. 

Here’s a quick overview of the essential YouTube ad video specs and technical requirements:

• File format: .MPG (MPEG-2 or MPEG-4), .WMV, .AVI, .MOV and .FLV .MPEG-1, .MP4, .MPEGPS, 3GPP, WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm & HEVC (h265)
  • Preferred video codec: H.264, MPEG-2 or MPEG-4
  • Preferred audio codec: MP3 or AAC
• Resolution:
  • 1080p (Full HD)
    • Recommended pixels (px) for HD: 1920 x 1080px (horizontal), 1080 x 1920px (vertical)
  • 720p (Standard HD)
    • Minimum px: 1280 x 720px (horizontal), 720 x 1280px (vertical)
  • SD
    • 640 x 480px (horizontal), 480 x 640px (vertical)
• Frame rate: 30 FPS
• Aspect ratio:
  • Horizontal — 16:9 (HD), 4:3 (SD)
  • Vertical — 9:16 (HD), 2:3 (SD)
• Maximum file size: 1GB to ≤256 GB
• Length: Best video length for YouTube ads is between 12 seconds to 3 minutes
  • 6 seconds (YouTube bumper ads)
  • <60 seconds (YouTube Shorts)
  • 15-20 seconds (up to 30 seconds for YouTube TV ads) (non-skippable in-stream)
  • No max length for in-feed and skippable YouTube ads

* For optimal quality, we recommend using HD resolutions whenever possible (vs. SD).

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Further Reading

The Complete List of YouTube Ad Specs

If you’re looking for non-skippable YouTube ads specs, in-stream, or YouTube Shorts video requirements, you can find them all in this comprehensive blog. See the detailed requirements on video length, resolution, file format, and aspect ratios to ensure your ads meet YouTube’s guidelines.

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When complying with the YouTube ad sizes, take note that your entire ad might not be fully visible. Both the YouTube app and YouTube TV interface feature elements like the Skip Ad button and engagement options (like, share), which can obscure portions of your video.

To help with this, we’ve created YouTube ad safe zone guides to show you where to avoid placing text or CTAs, ensuring your ad remains fully visible within the safe zone.

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Further Reading

Safe Zone Guide for Vertical Video Ads

As a YouTube advertiser, the Shorts placement must already be on your radar. Don’t limit your vertical video ads to just one platform—find the optimal safe zones to promote across other short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.

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Types of YouTube Advertising Campaigns

With a wide range of options for both organic and paid marketing on YouTube, it’s essential to choose the right type of paid ad campaign that aligns with your specific goals.

No matter your video advertising objective, there’s a YouTube ad campaign type designed to help you succeed—here’s a breakdown of your options:

Video Reach Campaigns (VRC)

• By its name, VRC is perfect for Awareness and Reach objectives. In addition to broad visibility across the YouTube app, VRC now also allows advertisers to extend their reach to Google TV and YouTube TV channels. Available YouTube ad formats for VRC include in-stream (bumper and skippable), in-feed, and Shorts. 
• VRC campaign types:
  • Efficient reach
  • Non-skippable reach
  • Target frequency
• With on-point creatives, precise targeting, and the right social media advertising agency, Strike Social’s 2024 data shows a 41% lower CPM for VRC than YouTube Trueview.

Video View Campaigns (VVC)

• Designed to maximize views, Video View Campaigns uses Google’s AI to strategically place YouTube ads where they are most likely to be watched and engaged. Placements include in-stream (skippable ads), in-feed, and YouTube Shorts feed.
• Since its launch in Q3 2023, VVC has shown significant cost efficiency, with our campaigns demonstrating up to 56% savings.
• For brands looking to tell their story through YouTube video advertising, our data on Video View Campaigns show great view-through rates (VTR), particularly on Connected TV and mobile devices, where audience engagement and viewer retention are highest.

Video Action Campaigns (VAC)

• Video advertising on the YouTube platform prompts viewers to take action by purchasing, visiting the website, or subscribing to a service. Video Action Campaigns (VAC) can be used to promote YouTube shopping ads through your Google Product Feed or generate leads and sign-ups from engaged viewers.
• VAC will be upgraded to Demand Gen by Q2 2025, and we recommend that advertisers begin transitioning early to take full advantage of the enhanced capabilities it will offer.

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Further Reading

Video View Campaigns vs. Video Action Campaigns

Is VVC or VAC the right choice for your brand? Each campaign type offers unique advantages, and choosing the right one depends on your brand’s specific goals. Explore the benefits of each to determine which YouTube ad campaign best suits your objectives.

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Performance Max

• Another way to promote through YouTube ads and expand across the Google Search Network, Gmail, Display Network, and Discover channels is to use Performance Max campaigns (commonly known as PMax). 
• Previously, Google PMax ads have caused some turmoil with brand safety and ad suitability due to appearing on unauthorized websites and YouTube Kids videos. It takes scrutiny and making sure ad placements are visible to make sure you are fully aware of when and where your PMax campaigns show up. 
• Since then, significant improvements have been made to enhance transparency for YouTube advertisers. During the Google Marketing Live 2024 announcements, it was announced that YouTube placements and exclusions will now be visible to brands running Performance Max campaigns.
• Moreover, YouTube’s parent company, Alphabet, has been enhancing the AI capabilities of PMax ads. This includes innovations such as a text-to-image model for creative assets and ‘page-specific assets’ that help better align ads with placement websites and improve engagement with audiences.
  

YouTube Ad Placements

When advertising on YouTube, you can be seen on more than just the mobile app or the website itself. Your YouTube video ads can conquer everything from small smartphones to bigger Connected TV screens. 

Here in our YouTube ads guide, we show you the platforms and placements available for your YouTube campaigns:

• YouTube app: Users can download the YouTube app from their smartphones, tablets, or desktop devices. The same ad placements when users visit the YouTube website across their devices. 
• Connected TV: Yes, your YouTube paid ads can also appear on TV! Through Connected TV advertising, you can tap into an audience of over 300 million monthly users. CTV ads have proven highly effective, with some campaigns achieving up to 65% video ad completion, even with skippable ads.
  • YouTube TV: YouTube TV is a subscription-based service that provides live television channels and content such as shows, sports, and events. It currently boasts over 8 million subscribers and continues to grow. Yet another way to reach audiences on YouTube TV is through Pause Ads, which allows your ads to appear on viewers’ screens while they pause content.
  • Google TV: Similar to YouTube TV, Google TV is also a streaming platform accessible through devices like Chromecast, smart TVs, mobile devices, or the new Google TV Streamer. As of September 2024, Google TV’s network already offers 150 channels, with more to come.
• Google video partners (GVP): Google video partners are trusted, high-quality websites and apps where your YouTube ads can be displayed outside of the YouTube platform. Partnering with Google has advantages, as YouTube can use Google’s inventory to get more video views and impressions even when the intended audience is not using YouTube itself.

What You Need to Know Before Launching Your YouTube Ad Campaigns

As we move forward in this YouTube advertising guide, it may seem that running ads on YouTube sounds easy. But before anything else, you must iron out your YouTube ad strategy before going to Ads Manager to start running your campaigns.

Audience Targeting

YouTube ad targeting can take many forms: device, location, gender, age, interests, etc. There are two primary audience segments within Google Ads where you can define your target audience for YouTube campaigns:

• Audience: Targeting the who, when, where, and what—gender, age, parental status, household income*, interests, locations
  • In simpler terms, YouTube audience targeting is simply targeting your target market. With a potential audience base of 238 million unique users in the US, the key here is being specific about who you want your YouTube ads to be viewed by.
  • For instance, an HVAC brand trying to take advantage of the demographic’s interest in sports using YouTube Custom Intent audiences can effectively acquire 11 million views through its campaign despite being a non-sports-related brand.

*Targeting by household income (HHI) is only available in Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, United States.

• Content: Targeting the YouTube content your audiences are engaged with—keywords and topics they are searching for, devices and platforms they are browsing or seeing content on
  • YouTube contextual targeting allows your video ads to appear on your chosen relevant content so it blends better with the user’s viewing experience. 
  • For example, during a holiday advertising campaign, retail brands can target shoppers looking for product reviews. YouTube is the top social media platform for researching holiday purchases, and 76% of shoppers say product review videos help them make better purchases. Contextual ad targeting is the way to go to make sure you get into audiences’ YouTube screens. 
  • In this example, a gaming brand can select these options under Topics so their YouTube ads can appear within these contexts and related videos:

The key is refining the scope of your audience to ensure you are paying for impressions and views from engaged audiences only, but not so narrowly that you inflate costs or harm campaign performance.

To find out how you can analyze and take advantage of each YouTube ad targeting method, here’s a quick guide:

Optimizing YouTube Ads Cost

YouTube advertising costs will vary based on numerous factors, but the hard part is ensuring you’re only paying for engaged views while keeping your budget under control.

How to optimize the cost of ads on YouTube?

• Know the prevailing YouTube ad costs by industry
  • According to our Q3 YouTube Ad Benchmarks Report, costs in industries such as finance and travel have been 13% and 9% lower than in Q3 2023, despite the busy holiday season and the U.S. elections.
• Continuous monitoring and optimizations
  • Launching your YouTube video ads is not a one-and-done process. It needs to be checked constantly to ensure that your ads are delivering and that costs are not going over.
  • For video reach or awareness campaigns, keep CPM costs in check. For campaigns with Views objectives, watch CPV and YouTube ad view rates closely.
• Utilize optimal creatives and YouTube ad placements
  • As YouTube evolved with its advertising enhancements, advertisers must adapt as well. Skippable YouTube ads leveraging on reach are doing really well on Connected TV placements, outperforming mobile and other devices by 10-20% based on our 2024 Q1 report. 
  • Depending on the cost and performance of your YouTube ads during your campaign flight, study the data for the best insights to make an informed decision on how you can lean on better costs by utilizing your outperforming creatives and placements.

Performance and Cost Benchmarks

Along with setting your goals for what you want to achieve with your YouTube ads, such as views or conversions, you should set a criterion for the range to which you want your campaign results to match or even exceed. 

Using our successful campaigns on YouTube advertising, here are the key YouTube ad metrics to set your sights on:

• YouTube ad cost benchmarks
  • Cost Per Mille (CPM): $5.70 to $12.36 ¹; $2.87 to $8.02 ⁴
    • CPM for CTV Skippable Ads: $7.39 to $10.01 ⁵ 
    • CPM for CTV Non-Skippable Ads: $4.74 to $7.09 ⁵ 
  • Cost Per View (CPV): $0.01 to $0.03 ²
    • CPM for CTV Skippable Ads: $0.0128 to $0.0220 ⁵ 
  • Cost Per Click (CPC): $0.34 and $1.42 ³
• YouTube ad views and performance benchmarks
  • Click-through Rate (CTR): 0.07% to 0.17% ¹; 0.11% to 1.22% ³; 0.01% to 0.11% ⁴
  • View Rate (VR): 43% to 57% ²

¹ Based on 2023 US YouTube TrueView InStream Non-skippable Campaigns
² Based on 2023 US YouTube TrueView InStream Skippable Campaigns
³ Based on 2023 US Video Action Campaigns
⁴ Based on 2023 US YouTube Bumper Ads
⁵ Based on Connected TV ad rates, 2024 US YouTube TrueView Ads Campaigns

Brand Safety and Suitability in YouTube Advertising

Even major brands with YouTube video ads can be criticized if they are displayed with inappropriate, unsuitable content that gives the brand a negative perspective. Thus, ad suitability and brand safety on YouTube are key to making sure your ads are shown with related content and away from the explicit content that may be lurking within the platform.

What brand safety features does YouTube have?

• YouTube inventory types: Choose from expanded, standard, or limited inventory. The recommended setting is “Standard”. “Expanded” extends your reach across more inventory, while “Limited” ensures your ads avoid more suggestive or explicit content.
• Third-party brand safety technology: With the help of carefully vetted third-party providers, YouTube continues to develop brand safety measures to maintain integrity in impressions and views generated through YouTube ads. These providers include Integral Ad Science, DoubleVerify, VuePlanner, and more.

How to ensure YouTube ad suitability with my campaigns?

• The difference between brand safety and brand suitability is that the latter focuses more on aligning your brand values with your target audience to strengthen the connection. Brand safety starts the process, and ad suitability fortifies it.
• YouTube has developed many tools for content suitability, which include the following:
  • Negative keywords
  • Topic exclusions
  • Category exclusions
  • Trending negative keywords
  • Video and channel placement exclusion
  • Content theme exclusions
• One key concern is appearing on YouTube Kids videos, as these are primarily viewed by children who do not have purchasing power. This means that clicks or views from these videos do not contribute to YouTube ads’ ROI. Ad suitability is achieved by excluding Kids channel placements and reallocating these views to more relevant audiences who can make a purchase or remember your ad for future decisions.

Step-by-step Guide to Publishing Your YouTube Campaign

Feel like you have everything you need and are ready to start video advertising on YouTube? Here are the basic steps to follow:

1. Set up your Google Ads account. You can use your existing Gmail account or use your business account. If you need to add access for your social media advertising manager or media buyer, you can do so by adding and editing Google Ads users to allow your team to help you manage your ads.

2. If you do not have one yet, create a YouTube channel for your brand and upload the video ad you will be using for your campaign. You’ll need the YouTube link to your video to add it to your campaign later.

3. Link your YouTube channel to your Google Ads account. Aside from performance tracking, this also allows Google Ads to acquire data for remarketing on YouTube for future video ad campaigns.

4. Once your Google Ads account is set up, go to the overview dashboard and click ‘+ New campaign.’

5. Choose your campaign objective, type, and subtype. For some scenarios, there will be another subtype before proceeding to the next screen. For example:

• Objective: Awareness and consideration
• Campaign type: Video
• Campaign subtype: Video views (click Continue); Video reach (select VRC subtype – e.g. Target frequency, then click Continue)

6. Fill in the rest of the campaign information, such as the name, budget, and start and end dates. Arrange your audience targeting settings as desired. As you update your campaign settings, ad formats, exclusions, and other elements, you can find an audience estimate on the right side of your screen.

7. Set up your video ads. Paste the YouTube URL so it retrieves the video from the platform. Add your target URL, CTA, ad headline, and description. You can add more creatives as desired and set them up using the same process, abiding by the YouTube ad copy specs.

8. Finally, set up your bid strategy. For an awareness campaign, the target CPM bid is the amount you are willing to pay for each 1000 impressions, which will be your entry in the ad auction. 

9. Review your campaign setup. Once done, click on Create campaign.

Most YouTube ad campaigns are reviewed within 1 business day. Once your ad is approved (or rejected), you should receive a notification via Google Ads or your Gmail account. 

Do You Need a YouTube Advertising Agency for Better Results in 2025?

After publishing your YouTube video ads, the real work starts during the monitoring and adjustments phase. Your social media advertising team must monitor cost levels, bid adjustments, and ad performance to ensure the best possible results.

This is a full-time endeavor that requires a dedicated team. If you think your YouTube ads strategy may be too heavy for your in-house team, consider hiring a YouTube advertising agency. 

Benefits of Partnering with a YouTube Ads Agency

• Reduced In-House Workload
  • YouTube advertising, particularly YouTube TV, requires significant resources. An agency can help by managing large-scale campaigns, freeing up your in-house team to focus on other platforms that require less effort.
  • YouTube TV advertising, in particular, may be new to teams accustomed to traditional social media ads, making agency expertise invaluable for optimizing Connected TV placements and providing round-the-clock monitoring.
• Knowledge of Prevailing Costs and Performance
  • A YouTube marketing agency continuously analyzes campaign performance data and industry benchmarks, always aiming for better results.
• Access to Advanced AdTech Solutions
  • Our proprietary AI tool, Campaign Lab, utilizes more than 13 years of machine learning to help us with YouTube advertising campaigns from start to finish. It also performs its own monitoring and checks, alerting our teams to optimization opportunities across running YouTube ad campaigns.
• Proven Experience with Client Success Stories
  • Having worked with various brands across multiple industries gives a YouTube ads agency a broad perspective on what strategies work best for different audiences and objectives. From a portfolio of successful campaigns, here’s a handful of our successful YouTube campaigns with exceptional results:
    • 13% lower CPM than guaranteed for a YouTube CTV-focused campaign
    • 28% CPM reduction for QSR TrueView Ads In-stream and Connected TV placements
    • 5.3 million total video views for the Q4 HVAC brand campaign using Video Views Campaign

Achieve Greater YouTube Ad Results This 2025

Video advertising is rapidly growing, and YouTube continues to outpace other streaming and TV services, becoming an even more powerful platform for reaching your target audience. It’s the perfect time to capitalize on this opportunity and make the most of YouTube’s inventory and reach.

Start planning your YouTube ads strategy for 2025. Contact us today for a personalized walkthrough and start driving better results with your YouTube campaigns.

The post Complete Guide to YouTube Advertising in 2025 appeared first on Strike Social.

2023 YouTube Ads Benchmarks to Optimize Your Advertising Roadmap

YouTube’s expansive reach on multiple screen sizes and its versatility in content formats make it America’s leading video advertising platform. In Q2 of 2023, eMarketer reported that 45% of YouTube viewership came from big screens, allowing brands to capitalize on household co-viewing behaviors. Additionally, YouTube Shorts has become popular and is driving engagement and conversions, making it a unicorn for YouTube marketers.

To provide valuable insights into YouTube ads’ average view rate, cost, and performance, we present the 2023 YouTube ads benchmarks for brands and advertisers to set realistic goals and measure success in your next advertising year.

Understanding YouTube Ads Metrics That Matters

When assessing your YouTube ads, having clarity of the core metrics is essential. Whether you are just starting or a seasoned media buyer, understanding key YouTube ad metrics is necessary.

While view count may seem straightforward, other benchmark factors profoundly impact costs and results. This section will uncover the other critical YouTube advertising metrics for a fuller picture.

The 4 Essential Metrics Beyond Views for YouTube Ads Success

1. Cost per View (CPV): To some advertisers, the media costs are the heart of the campaign. It directly impacts your campaign’s overall cost-effectiveness and ROI. A lower CPV means you’re getting more eyeballs on your ad without exceeding the budget.

2. View Rate (VR): View Rate is a key performance indicator (KPI) in digital advertising that measures the effectiveness of a video ad in capturing the audience’s attention.

It is calculated using the formula VR = Views / Impressions. In this context, “Views” refers to the number of times users actively watch or engage with an ad, while “Impressions” denote the total number of times the ad is displayed or served to potential viewers.

The View Rate thus offers insights into how compelling an ad is, indicating the percentage of impressions that successfully turn into views.

3. Video Completion Rate (VCR): The Video Completion Rate is calculated as VCR = Complete View / Impressions. “Complete View” represents the count of times an ad is watched from start to finish, while “Impressions” again accounts for the total number of times the ad is displayed.

This metric is instrumental in understanding how well an ad retains viewer engagement from beginning to end. A high VCR indicates that the ad content is compelling and relevant enough to keep viewers engaged until the end, highlighting its effectiveness in conveying the intended message or call-to-action (CTA).

4. Device Performance: The report shows how well your ads work across various devices—smartphones, tablets, desktops, and TVs. This metric can tell effectivity and efficiency because the “Cost of YouTube ads” varies by device due to differing user engagement levels. It helps you tailor your content and bidding strategy to where your audience is most engaged, maximizing your ad spend efficiency.

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Further Reading

Adding Google TV Ads for Your YouTube Strategy

Connected TV is now evolving with the addition of Google TV ads, offering a new way to enhance your YouTube campaigns. With access to YouTube’s vast audience and the ability to reach households through large screens, this platform opens doors to greater visibility within Google’s expanding advertising network.

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A Comparative Analysis Using Strike Social’s Industry-Specific Benchmarks 

“How much does a YouTube TrueView Instream skippable ad cost?”

“What is the average view rate for YouTube ads?”

“What is a good view rate for a YouTube ad?”

These are questions that media buyers encounter at the onset of a campaign. However, it’s important to note that no one-size-fits-all answers to these inquiries exist. Each industry behaves differently, as well as audience behavior, competition in the auction, content relevance, or even video ad length.

In this section, we’ll unpack Strike Social 2023 YouTube ads benchmarks by industry, comparing and contrasting how different sectors stack up regarding ad costs (Cost per View) and VTR (View Through Rate).

We will break down the data to equip every level of advertisers, agencies, and marketers with insights to tailor strategies effectively.

Business and Finance 2023 YouTube Ads Benchmarks

2023 proved a transformational year for most financial companies. The growth of Fintech operations means moving away from traditional banking. This trend leaves more opportunities to expand their presence digitally.

Business expansion isn’t only happening to big companies; even startups are moving up the ladder in fintech competition. For both, YouTube delivered the digital real estate and tools to execute ambitious growth plans.

Strike Social’s Business and Finance data set for Instream Skippable ads produced a significant shift towards more cost-efficient YouTube ads campaign management, with CPV dropping 17% from 2021 to 2022. Our 2023 numbers reveal remarkable consistency as CPV held steady year-over-year. 

Equally positive is rising engagement – VTR climbed from 54% in 2021 to 61% in 2023. The VTR trend indicates that finance-focused creative resonates well. Tailored video that speaks to specific consumer pain points around loans, investments, and more is getting results.

Healthcare and Insurance 2023 YouTube Ads Campaign Overview

Two healthcare and insurance industry trends accelerated by a mile last 2023. Three of every 4 American patients are comfortable utilizing Telehealth, while Limra forecasted a 5% U.S. retail life insurance premium growth after a bullish 2H 2023. This digital transformation opened new avenues for these industries to connect with their audiences more effectively and personally.

According to Strike’s 2023 Healthcare and Insurance data, the industry experienced a 27% decrease in CPV at the end of 2022. Subsequently, our data set displayed a significant increase of 49% last year. These fluctuations highlight the volatile nature of advertising costs in this sector. The trend exposes the industry’s persistent vulnerability to inflation caused by changing consumer behavior, regulatory changes, and the rise of digital-first new entrants driving demand.

Despite fluctuations in CPV, the engagement metrics provide a unique perspective. Unfortunately, 2023 saw a decline in VTR, the lowest in the past three years. However, this decline indicates a challenge in retaining viewer interest and effectively connecting with target audiences.

Addressing patients’ changing concerns and attention requirements in under 30 seconds, or the average attention span of 8.25 seconds for Americans, can be daunting. Nonetheless, we can effectively engage with our audience and maintain their interest by tailoring messaging to suit these concerns.

Travel 2023 YouTube Advertising Campaign Overview

Pent-up demand after years of restrictions drove a substantial rebound in travel interest entering 2023. The momentum spills to 2024, with $7.9 billion in digital ad spending forecasted. This surge in planning activity indicates fierce competition in the auction as brands target multi-generational travelers seeking both escape and value.

However, our Strike Social data reveals a picture of continued stability for the travel sector. Our numbers indicate that the average cost per view has consistently trended. While there was a 4% decrease in media costs from 2021 to 2022, we did notice a modest 6% increase in the previous year. 

Positively, though, view-through rates for travel video ads continued ascending, reaching a 60% video completion rate (in views) in 2023. Brands seamlessly blend the emotional with the practical, likely to capture viewer attention best.

The travel industry is seeing success in shifting toward values-based tourism with a spotlight on wellness, eco-tourism, nature-based adventures, and holistic and wellness travel escapades.

Actionable Insights for Optimizing Your YouTube Ad Campaigns

When mapping your YouTube media plan, your goal is always to stretch your advertising dollar and maximize your campaigns’ engagement. Leveraging YouTube ads benchmark data has become an ace for advertisers, and marketers constantly seek ways to boost their ad performance.

Here are some strategies and tips to enhance your YouTube ad campaigns, focusing on cost-effectiveness and maximizing view rates.

Understand the True Cost of Running YouTube Ads

When planning your YouTube advertising budget, it’s critical to understand the true cost of YouTube TrueView Ads. With TrueView ads, you only incur costs when under these three conditions:

1. Interacts with your video.
2. When viewers watch the first 30 seconds of your video.
3. Completing the video if it’s shorter than 30 seconds comes first.

Optimize for View Rates

When maximizing view rates, it’s all about creating content that genuinely connects with your audience. High view rates can lead to increased engagement and lower CPVs, thanks to YouTube’s algorithm favors content that keeps users engaged.

The key to surpassing the YouTube ads benchmarks? Crafting ads that are not only compelling and relevant but also entertaining. To do this, test different hooks in the first few seconds of your ad to see which captures your audience’s attention the best. And once you have their attention, keep it by using storytelling and clear calls to action.

By applying these strategies and tips, you can enhance the effectiveness of your YouTube ad campaigns, ensuring that you’re not only reaching but also engaging your target audience efficiently.

Win YouTube Campaigns in All Device Size

As consumer viewing habits and ad solutions evolve with technological trends, remaining nimble and data-driven is imperative for brands seeking to attain and exceed YouTube ads benchmarks this year. The 2023 benchmark analysis spotlights the duality of YouTube’s advertising environment—spanning traditional long-form content on Connected TV to snappy and engaging shorts on mobile—and presents both challenges and opportunities.

Savvy advertisers will holistically map campaign objectives and high-value audience mindsets across screens to architect integrated video strategies.  Advertisers with comprehensive benchmarks and a deep understanding of these trends are better positioned to craft campaigns that resonate across different viewer experiences.

As we reflect on the data and insights from 2023, the roadmap for 2024 becomes clear: success on YouTube will hinge on the ability to blend creative storytelling with strategic media buying, leveraging the platform’s versatility to meet viewers where they are, with content that captivates and converts.

The post YouTube Ads Benchmarks 2023 Cost, CPV, and View Rates Trends That You Need To Know appeared first on Strike Social.