How the Changes in YouTube Shorts View Count Will Impact Your Paid Ads

YouTube Shorts generates more than 70 billion views daily, with the United States accounting for the largest share at 18%. As YouTube shorts views continue to grow, both creators and advertisers are competing to stay top-of-mind in an increasingly crowded space. Success now depends on aligning content and ad strategies to keep audiences engaged.

With YouTube changing how it measures Shorts views, how can brands craft smarter ad strategies to navigate this change?

How Will YouTube Shorts Count Views Going Forward?

As of March 31, 2025, YouTube announced a significant update to how YouTube Shorts views are counted—a system that had remained unchanged since Shorts launched in 2020. This shift is poised to send ripples across the platform, especially for creators and advertisers who rely on Shorts videos to grow their brands.

How YouTube Shorts Views Were Counted Before

Previously, a YouTube Shorts view was triggered when a viewer watched a video for several seconds, similar to the 30-second threshold applied to standard YouTube videos. The goal was to ensure that views on Shorts reflected genuine audience interest rather than accidental plays or quick scrolls.

What’s Changing Now

Moving forward, YouTube Shorts views will be counted each time a video is played or replayed, regardless of how many seconds it’s watched. This means even brief auto-plays, scroll-pasts, or fast replays will count as views, removing the watch-time requirement entirely.

This new metric aligns YouTube with competitors like TikTok and Instagram Reels, where short-form video views are similarly counted based on initial playbacks. Meanwhile, the older, more selective metric will still exist under YouTube Analytics as “Engaged Views,” offering creators and brands a deeper insight into quality viewership.

Why the Change Matters

This shift could lead to a sharp increase in reported YouTube Shorts views, particularly for videos with compelling hooks or repeat-play appeal. But for advertisers, it’s critical to distinguish between quantity and quality—YouTube ads on Shorts may now acquire more views that don’t necessarily reflect higher intent.

At the same time, this change allows a more direct, apples-to-apples comparison of YouTube ads with campaigns on TikTok and Instagram. For YouTube advertising focused on reach or brand awareness, the ability to benchmark performance across platforms becomes more streamlined and transparent.

Ultimately, this update emphasizes YouTube’s commitment to competing in the short-form video space. As TikTok faces ongoing regulatory challenges and Instagram expands its footprint, YouTube is reminding advertisers that Shorts is still a force to be reckoned with.

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Further Reading

Thinking About Moving Your TikTok Ads to YouTube Shorts? Start Here

As YouTube cements its place as the world’s second-largest search engine, it’s quickly becoming a go-to platform for brand discovery. If you’re on the fence about sticking with TikTok, now’s the time to explore the full potential of YouTube Shorts advertising.

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Impact on YouTube Users

With YouTube Shorts views now counted from when a video starts playing, concerns are mounting across the platform. Creators worry about monetization metrics, while advertisers evaluate CPVs and YouTube ad spend.

Let’s break down how this change affects both sides of the equation:

Impact on Creators

• Good news first: monetization through the YouTube Partner Program will remain unchanged. Engaged views will still be the metric used to determine monetization eligibility. For creators, the focus remains on holding viewer attention and encouraging full or repeated views.
• To differentiate Views (new view count) from Engaged views, creators can go to YouTube Studio > Analytics > Advanced Mode. The primary metric displayed will be the new view count.
  • Check the box next to a specific Shorts video, and set Engaged Views as the secondary metric.

Impact on Advertisers

• While the new YouTube Shorts view count might sound like a win for exposure, it may also blur the line between views and impressions.
• For Video Views campaigns where the goal is actual viewer engagement, this change could inflate performance metrics and lead to ad spend on non-engaged impressions.
• Surface-level reporting may show higher view counts, especially in campaigns focused solely on advertising on YouTube Shorts. But without deeper analysis, advertisers risk misreading performance.

To optimize campaigns effectively, advertisers need to rethink their Shorts strategy and focus on data that reflects meaningful audience behavior.

Adapting Your Paid Ads Strategy to YouTube Shorts View Changes

With YouTube Shorts now counting every autoplay as a view, advertisers need to recalibrate how they measure performance and allocate budget. Here’s how to keep your YouTube ad strategy sharp and focused, despite the shift in view metrics:

Prioritize Engagement and Conversion

Explore the deeper metrics and benchmarks that help you better understand your campaigns. If your campaign goal is clicks, prioritize metrics like click-through rate (CTR) rather than relying on Shorts views or view rate.

For view-based campaigns, dig deeper into which placements are driving quality engagement. When working with creators, focus on Engaged views and prioritize video completion rate (VCR) to measure whether audiences are watching your ad all the way through.

Optimize Ad Creatives for the First Few Seconds

The new Shorts view metric activates on autoplay, meaning your ad’s opening 3–5 seconds matter more than ever.

Take a page from the creator playbook, such as using viral video hooks like “Have you heard about…”, “This is the best product I’ve ever used…”. Creators like Sean Andrew have seen over 13 million views with this approach, so why not put that strategy to work for your brand?

Lean Into AI-Powered Optimization

If you’re already utilizing Google’s AI-driven solutions to test and optimize different ad formats, placements, and bidding strategies, you’re already on the right track. The latest changes give you more flexibility to align your campaign goals with actual outcomes, and Google’s AI can help you make the most of that.

For example, if your YouTube Shorts ad is designed to grow your subscriber base, you no longer need to set a separate campaign just to track conversions. With Demand Gen, you can select YouTube engagements as your campaign objective and set channel subscriptions as your conversion goal—streamlining your strategy.

Even better, Demand Gen campaigns optimize for conversions and engaged views, not just reach. This means your ad spend targets high-intent viewers, not passive impressions.

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Further Reading

Optimize for YouTube Subscribers Using Google Ads

In addition to generating clicks and sales, you can now effectively drive YouTube channel subscriptions using Google Ads. Thanks to Demand Gen and Google’s AI, growing your YouTube following is now significantly easier.

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Segment Your Campaigns by Funnel Stage

Match your campaign objectives to your use of YouTube Shorts ads. Shorts can boost visibility at every stage, but engagement tracking now requires more careful planning.

For top-funnel campaigns like Video Reach, Shorts still deliver strong results. Impressions remain the key metric, and CPM remains the cost focus—so the new Shorts view update doesn’t shift much here.

However, for mid- and bottom-funnel efforts, greater precision is necessary. Demand Gen campaigns focused on conversions should prioritize Engaged-view conversions to track ad performance accurately. These are counted when:

• A viewer watches at least 10 seconds of a skippable in-stream ad (or the full ad if it’s shorter than 10 seconds), or
• A viewer watches at least 5 seconds of a Shorts or in-feed ad and then converts.

This distinction helps you avoid confusion from the new YouTube Shorts view system and gives you a clearer picture of ad effectiveness.

These strategies will help your paid ad efforts stay effective as YouTube Shorts continues to evolve alongside other short-form platforms.

YouTube Shorts is Changing—Don’t Get Left Behind

YouTube’s updated Shorts view counting system brings a major shift for creators and advertisers. While creators may notice minimal impact, advertisers must look beyond surface-level views and focus on true engagement to avoid misreading campaign performance.

This update is a chance to realign your strategy: prioritizing content that captures attention and ad tactics optimized for meaningful results.

Stay ahead with the latest on YouTube advertising and other paid social advertising insights. Follow us on LinkedIn and stay informed.

• LinkedIn

Article by
Syd Olivarez, Strike Social’s SEO Content Specialist

Syd crafts content on paid digital advertising strategies, blending 5+ years of writing expertise with 3 years in digital marketing. She keeps up with the latest trends to deliver valuable insights that keep brands informed and competitive.

The post YouTube Shorts Views Are Changing: How You Can Adapt Your Paid Ads Strategy appeared first on Strike Social.

Complete Guide to Moving TikTok Ads to YouTube Shorts Ads

If it’s a short-form domination battle between TikTok vs. YouTube Shorts, the former is the clear winner. According to Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile report, TikTok captures 55% of short-form video watch time in the U.S., while Instagram Reels holds 36% and YouTube Shorts at 26%.

However, TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains highly uncertain. After the app’s brief ban in January, concerns continue to grow among both creators and advertisers.

While U.S. content creators have started shifting to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, advertisers see YouTube as the strongest TikTok alternative—offering a stable platform and a massive audience base.

If you’re considering moving from TikTok to YouTube Shorts ads, you’re in the right place. This guide will walk you through the transition, helping you navigate the platform differences, optimize your YouTube Shorts ads, and effectively tap into YouTube’s 200-million+ user base.

Why YouTube Shorts Is the Smart TikTok Alternative for Advertising

While YouTube Shorts may be YouTube’s response to the short-form vertical video trend, the platform as a whole offers far greater opportunities for advertisers. Backed by Google’s ad ecosystem, YouTube had just become the world’s second-largest search engine where audiences look for new products or research new brands.

If you’re only thinking about YouTube Shorts as a TikTok alternative, you might be overlooking the full potential of advertising on YouTube and its broad network. Here’s what you’re missing:

TikTok’s Uncertain Future

TikTok may be back in the app stores for new users to download, but for advertisers, there’s still some turmoil.

As concerns about a potential TikTok ban continue to rise, many brands have considered cross-platform strategies to safeguard their advertising investments. In fact, ad spend forecasts show a significant shift, with 10.7% moving to YouTube and 12.9% shifting to Connected TV (CTV) channels in the near future.

Realistically speaking, YouTube offers a more stable and secure option for U.S. advertisers, both technically and operationally:

• YouTube is owned by Google (Alphabet Inc.) and operates under U.S. jurisdiction, which mitigates concerns about foreign adversary risks—something TikTok can’t fully avoid.
  • Unlike TikTok, YouTube faces no immediate legislative threats, making it a much more reliable long-term platform for ad spend.
  • In response to TikTok’s uncertainties, YouTube has been proactively courting creators, encouraging them to shift to YouTube Shorts and “find your community” on the platform. This is part of YouTube’s strategy to acquire as many creators and advertisers as possible before the looming April 2025 deadline that could impact TikTok’s availability in the U.S.
• As some U.S. advertisers have explored, VPNs were briefly considered as a workaround to access TikTok during the ban. However, this approach is risky, as VPN usage can expose devices to malware, thus is not advisable.
  • YouTube, in turn, has only since expanded its reach, from the original website YouTube.com to the mobile app. Now, it has Connected TV reach as well, with Google TV and YouTube TV placements that advertisers can utilize to increase brand awareness.

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Further Reading

Here’s Why Google TV Ads Expand Your Reach Even Further

Many advertisers wonder, “Should I opt into Google TV?” If you’re running reach-focused campaigns, the answer is yes. Adding Google TV as a placement in your YouTube strategy enhances audience reach, giving your ads greater visibility across connected TV screens.

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YouTube Shorts’ Growth By the Numbers

YouTube Shorts has seen massive growth in the U.S., with monthly active users (MAUs) rising from 118.1 million in 2020 to 164.5 million in 2024. With YouTube’s expansion into Connected TV (CTV), this reach has extended further, adding 8 million users from YouTube TV screens.

As an official ad placement, YouTube Shorts has positioned itself as a strong competitor to TikTok in the short-form video advertising space.

Still mulling over whether YouTube Shorts ads are the way to go? Here’s what the numbers say:

• 5.91% Engagement rate – the highest among short-form platforms (TikTok 5.75%; Instagram Reels 5.53%
• 106.28% More likes than regular video content on YouTube
• 3x Increased ad RPM (revenue for creators)
• 43% U.S. advertisers already leveraging YouTube Shorts ads for promotions

Advantages of Advertising on YouTube Shorts

Transitioning your TikTok ads to YouTube Shorts unlocks a range of benefits, thanks to YouTube’s established presence in video advertising. With years of dominance in the space, YouTube provides a more stable and scalable platform—especially if TikTok is no longer a viable option for your brand.

Strong Creator Ecosystem

If influencer marketing is central to your TikTok ad campaigns, YouTube Shorts offers a powerful alternative. YouTube has its own thriving creator community, and studies show that 59% of content is shared across multiple social platforms—primarily TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Before making the switch, check if your TikTok influencers have a YouTube presence—you may already have an existing audience to tap into.

To make partnerships easier, YouTube offers BrandConnect, a platform designed to connect brands and creators seamlessly. Announced during the Google Marketing Live Update, BrandConnect allows advertisers to:

• Find creators who have already tagged or reviewed your brand
• Propose collaborations for sponsored content
• Promote creator content directly in YouTube Shorts ads

Broader Audience Reach

TikTok’s user base skews younger, with 25% of its audience aged 18-24 and over 30% aged 25-34. While this is great for brands targeting Gen Z and Millennials, YouTube offers a more diverse audience, including older age groups with higher purchasing power.

Here’s a breakdown of YouTube’s U.S. demographic reach:

• Gen Z (25.1%) and Millennials (25.5%) make up the majority of users
• Gen X (19.9%) and Baby Boomers (15%) represent a significant portion of viewers
• YouTube Shorts’ audience mirrors this diversity, with:
  • 18-24 (15.7%)
  • 45-54 (12.9%)

This means that YouTube Shorts ads can reach not only younger audiences but also consumers with greater purchasing intent and spending capacity—a crucial factor for high-value brands and premium products.

By shifting your TikTok ad campaigns to YouTube Shorts, you’re expanding your reach to a wider audience with stronger conversion potential.

Expanding Reach with YouTube (and Google’s) Ecosystem

As part of Google’s extensive ecosystem, YouTube can be integrated with other Google platforms to maximize your campaign reach.

This allows advertisers to expand to multiple touchpoints within a single network, significantly expanding audience reach.

Thus, for advertisers transitioning from TikTok to YouTube Shorts ads, this can be challenging and overwhelming. Google offers a wide variety of campaign types, ad formats, and placements, making it easy to feel lost in the options.

While you might be tempted to explore display ads or Performance Max campaigns, YouTube is your best option if your focus is on video advertising.

Let’s break down how your TikTok ad campaign focused on reach can be expanded when shifting to YouTube Shorts or YouTube ads overall:

* For Efficient reach & Target frequency campaign sub-objective (includes bumper)
* For Non-skippable reach & Target frequency campaign sub-objective

TikTok ads are primarily limited to the app, appearing in the For You Feed, Following Feed, and Profile Feed. However, if you’re looking to expand your reach, you can also advertise through Pangle, TikTok’s ad network, which allows you to connect with audiences across 100,000+ global apps.

With YouTube Shorts, you can expand your audience reach and strengthen lower-funnel campaigns, allowing for precise targeting at different stages of the customer journey. Additionally, brand safety remains a top priority on YouTube, to make sure your ads appear alongside safe and suitable content. 

To avoid last-minute scrambling as TikTok’s future remains in flux, future-proofing your ads by transitioning to YouTube Shorts makes sense. While the shift from TikTok ads to YouTube Shorts ads may involve several steps, it will undoubtedly offer greater stability and benefits in the long term.

YouTube Shorts vs. TikTok Ads: What You Need to Know

Before making the shift from TikTok ads to YouTube Shorts video ads, you must consider key elements such as ad creatives, cost structures, and campaign setup. While both platforms focus on short-form video content, YouTube offers a wider range of placements compared to TikTok. 

This means that your video advertising strategy will need to be adjusted to ensure optimal performance on YouTube Shorts.

Format Considerations

Short-form video content is best viewed in the 9:16 vertical format, but both TikTok and YouTube Shorts offer flexibility in aspect ratios, allowing for a variety of creative approaches. For instance, if you want your audience to focus on a smaller creative, you can easily adjust. However, maximizing screen space with vertical videos remains the optimal choice for capturing attention.

Here’s a quick guide on ad creative specs, safe zones, and how TikTok vs. YouTube Shorts compare:

As shown above, YouTube Shorts supports a broader range of file types. This allows brands and influencer partners to repurpose existing video content more easily and tailor ads to different viewing experiences. Moreover, YouTube Shorts’ structure for headlines and text enables clearer messaging and calls to action (CTA), regardless of where your ad appears.

Ultimately, scaling your advertising from TikTok to YouTube Shorts can enhance your creative flexibility, allowing you to produce more engaging content for your audience.

Cost Comparison

Budget considerations will naturally be a key factor when shifting your advertising strategy from TikTok to YouTube Shorts. While YouTube claims a 6% higher share in ad spend compared to TikTok, you might assume this means higher advertising costs—but that’s not always the case.

We analyzed Strike Social’s U.S. YouTube and TikTok campaigns, focusing on clicks and actions to determine how campaigns would perform if transferred. The reason behind this is simple: YouTube’s diverse campaign formats and objective options allow for greater precision in targeting your goals.

Instead of being limited to just one video view format, such as YouTube Shorts, you can also take advantage of other placements where your ads could perform even better.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the costs for TikTok ads vs. YouTube ads, helping you make a more informed decision:

YouTube’s CPC and CTR, while fluctuating, tend to be more stable and predictable than TikTok’s. This makes budgeting and campaign planning easier, giving advertisers more confidence in their decisions.

While YouTube CPC levels are not immune to the holiday seasons, TikTok also shows a rise, especially during Q4. As seen above, even with YouTube ad costs rising, driving clicks is managed well, as long as brands are partnered with the right YouTube advertising agency. 

Differences in Campaign Setup and Management

If you’ve worked with other ad management platforms like Facebook or Snapchat Ads Manager, you’ll notice some similarities in system navigation.

However, if your experience is primarily with TikTok ads, transitioning to Google Ad Manager for YouTube Shorts may require additional guidance. Here are the key differences to keep in mind:

Campaign Goals

In TikTok Ads Manager, campaign objectives are straightforward and tied to specific goals, with a simple setup process and consistent feed placements.

As for Google Ad Manager, you’ll need to select the appropriate campaign objective and format tailored specifically for YouTube Shorts ads. Here are some of the relevant formats for YouTube Shorts:

• Awareness & Consideration
  • Demand Gen
  • Video (Video views, Efficient reach)
• Conversion Goals
  • Demand Gen
  • Video (selecting Video as a sub-objective would also direct to Demand Gen due to the transition from Video Action Campaigns)

Targeting Options

Apart from the usual audience targeting features such as location, age, and interests, you can create Custom Audiences or Audience Segments. While this feature is also available in TikTok through Saved Audience, you’d have to prepare your audience list in the TikTok Business Center as there’s currently no option to do it within the campaign setup page.

• For YouTube, you can use a previously saved audience list or create a new one immediately without leaving the setup page. 
• YouTube advertising now allows users to target Nielsen DMA regions. TikTok launched this feature in 2021, and Google followed suit in 2023.

Ad Placements

Did you know that with CTV views growing 130%, YouTube has been thriving on both short-form and now bigger screens? Thus, there’s no harm in being flexible with where your ads can appear.

Although there isn’t a specific option to exclusively place ads on YouTube Shorts, with proper optimization, you can focus your efforts on this placement. Achieving this is made easier with the right software and a skilled team to help maximize your performance while staying within budget.

For example, during the Q4 season, we helped an HVAC brand leverage the power of YouTube Shorts ads, achieving 59% cost efficiency and generating up to 5.3 million total video views during the campaign flight.

Shifting Gears From TikTok Ads to YouTube Shorts

Transitioning from TikTok ads to YouTube Shorts is a significant shift, especially if TikTok has been a primary source of leads or sales, delivering strong results for your brand. However, the uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future in the U.S. raises questions about its long-term viability. Marketers and brands must adapt quickly, rather than waiting until it’s too late.

The good news is that your current TikTok ad campaigns can be successfully transitioned to YouTube Shorts, opening up copious opportunities. Ready to take the leap and thrive on a new platform? Send us a message below, and let us help you elevate your ad performance as you move from TikTok to YouTube Shorts ads.

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The post Transitioning TikTok Ads to YouTube Shorts Effectively appeared first on Strike Social.

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With Political Campaigns Driving Up Ad Spend, Should You Pause Your October Ads?

As of August 2024, $385 million has already been spent on political ads, with an additional $322 million scheduled. The total U.S. political ad spending is expected to hit $1.4 billion for this presidential election, with around $695 million projected to flood the market in October as campaigns make their final push before the November 5 election.

Political ad spending is set to be 35% higher than during the same period in 2020. With this surge, should you expect higher social media advertising costs in October? What should you be preparing for to optimize ad spending and maintain performance across your campaigns?

The Data: What Our Campaigns Reveal About the Political Advertising Season

To understand the impact of political advertising in October, we analyzed data from our YouTube campaigns spanning 2020 to 2023. Notably, the last U.S. presidential election occurred in 2020, coinciding with the height of the COVID pandemic when consumers were largely confined to their homes.

This unique context resulted in significant shifts in digital advertising strategies. From 2021 to 2023, we observed a notable increase in digital ad adoption across social media platforms. Advertisers adapted to changing conditions, and audiences grew accustomed to diverse advertising formats.

During election season this year, what trends should you expect as U.S. political ad spending rises again?

Mobile Viewing is Still Winning

According to the data from Strike Social’s proprietary tool, Campaign Lab, YouTube’s year-on-year Cost-per-View (CPV) trends may appear erratic from September to November. However, while there was a notable spike in 2021, the cost for Skippable Ads normalized by 2022. Despite some fluctuations in 2023, CPV rates remain relatively stable, particularly except for the weeks between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Video View Campaigns (VVC) offer flexibility that allows YouTube Skippable ads to reach highly engaged audiences already interested in similar content. Since the introduction of YouTube Shorts as an ad format in 2021, advertisers have explored new opportunities, and by 2022, ad costs had stabilized. According to Nielsen’s 2024 data, YouTube now holds the highest share of watch time among TV viewing platforms. With VVC’s versatile ad placements, YouTube Shorts are not only gaining traction on mobile but are also increasingly viewed on YouTube Connected TVs.

The steadiness in CPV costs during the 2022 U.S. midterm elections can be attributed to the localized nature of political advertising, which resulted in fewer significant spikes as ad spending was distributed across various states. Consequently, advertisers could maintain more stable auction bids without the pressure of dramatically increasing costs to reach broader audiences.

It’s no secret that people are spending more time on their smartphones, and this change has significantly impacted YouTube advertising. YouTube watch time in the U.S. has grown from 45 minutes in 2021 to 48.7 minutes in 2024, with mobile viewership increasing from 63% to 70% over the same period.

When examining the year-over-year CPV trends, it becomes evident that, by this year, CPV is either improving or remaining consistent with last year’s figures due to increased mobile viewing behavior.

Mobile ad placements are thriving with the rise of bite-sized content such as YouTube Shorts. Although CPV is likely to experience a spike in October, especially in the 1-2 weeks leading up to the key election date, it is expected to remain steady even during holiday campaigns.

Consistency in Engaged Views

Contrary to the belief that political ads might deter viewers from social media platforms, recent findings suggest they actually enhance attention to brand advertisements. In fact, 43% of Americans report that non-political ads are more acceptable or even more likable during periods of heightened political advertising.

As a result, view rates for YouTube Skippable Ad campaigns have remained consistent. We anticipate similar outcomes this year as the U.S. presidential election approaches.

Historically, during election years—both presidential and midterm—view rates exceed 60%, indicating that political ads do not negatively impact brand visibility. Instead, they drive increased engagement with non-political advertisements in users’ YouTube feeds.

Battle for Expanding Reach on CTV

Awareness campaigns are increasingly focused on expanding reach, particularly as YouTube Video Reach campaigns adopt a multi-format approach. This strategy combines bumper ads, skippable in-stream ads, in-feed ads, and YouTube Shorts ads.

In June this year, Google TV was added to Video Reach Campaigns, joining YouTube TV and other Connected TV placements within the Google Display Network (GDN).

With limited inventory for non-skippable ads on YouTube, brands are being nudged toward Video View Campaigns for greater flexibility in ad placements. While non-skippable ads remain a strong tool for reaching audiences, Video View Campaigns offer more dynamic options for ensuring your brand or ad is seen, whether users are scrolling through their feed or viewing YouTube video content.

As we look toward Q4 of 2024, current trends indicate that Cost Per Mille (CPM) rates are likely to exceed last year’s, with Q1 and Q2 showing significantly higher CPMs than the previous year. A striking 72% of YouTube Connected TV users report feeling a deeper connection to their viewing experience, leading to higher engagement rates. This increased affinity drives advertisers to allocate more ad spend toward reaching Connected TV audiences.

With approximately 8 million subscribers on YouTube TV, competition for CTV ad placements is intensifying. As more advertisers vie for these premium placements, CPM rates are expected to rise.

Put Your Video Ads Into Action

As the ad market for reach campaigns becomes increasingly congested, lower-funnel campaigns are emerging as a cost-effective solution this year. Our YouTube TrueView campaigns focused on clicks have shown an overall decline in advertising costs, although a notable peak occurred in 2022, just before Halloween weekend and the midterm elections.

This spike in 2022 can be attributed to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, which allowed businesses to reopen and encouraged brands to drive foot traffic back to physical stores through clickable ads. In the wake of the pandemic, many companies ramped up their digital marketing efforts to capture consumer attention, resulting in a bidding war for ad placements on YouTube that drove cost-per-click (CPC) rates higher.

By 2023, CPC rates began to stabilize, and many even fell below previous levels, indicating a shift back toward reach and awareness campaigns in YouTube advertising.

Looking ahead to 2024, we anticipate CPC rates will remain similar or lower than last year. YouTube Shorts are leading the charge in viewer engagement through Video Action Campaigns (VAC), enabling advertisers to gauge how audiences interact with content and creators, particularly those providing edutainment.

As VAC transitions into Demand Gen, advertisers are evaluating whether to continue their VAC ads in this new context. With a full transition expected by 2025, caution prevails, allowing CPC rates to remain steady and potentially drop even further compared to previous years.

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Further Reading

Key Events Shaping Political Advertising Spending in 2024

Numerous events have already shaped political ad spending during this U.S. election cycle, and more are likely to emerge as we near election day. Considering the evolving political dynamic, substantial shifts could still occur. Examine the major events and their implications for trends in political ad spending throughout 2024.

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The Verdict: Should You Pause Your October Campaigns to Make Way for Political Ads?

It’s clear that the surge in political campaign ads will lead to increased ad auction costs. However, Strike Social’s YouTube data indicates that costs can be volatile and unpredictable, particularly during the final three months of the year when major holidays, from Halloween to New Year’s Eve, begin.

With the anticipated rise in political ad spending this Q4 2024 likely to drive up auction costs, you may wonder whether it’s wise to pause your October campaigns. Fortunately, there are strategies you can employ to optimize your advertising efforts during this period:

Content Relevance & Viewability

Data from Ipsos reveals that 78% of U.S. audiences appreciate non-political ads as a welcome break from the often negative tone of political advertising. This suggests that now is not the time to pause your YouTube or any ongoing paid social media campaigns; instead, this period can prompt viewer engagement with your brand.

Strategic Location Targeting

As the U.S. presidential election draws closer, both Democratic and Republican parties are poised to invest heavily in key swing states with significant voting power. If your budget is limited or you aim to control your YouTube ad costs, consider shifting your focus to non-swing states while maintaining nationwide targeting.

Projected data indicates that 76% of total U.S. political ad spending for presidential campaigns will be concentrated in major states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. In addition, AdImpact reports that Democrats have already outspent Republicans by $100 million in August alone, highlighting the competitive ad rates in these “battleground states”.

In these seven critical swing states—Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin—ad costs are expected to increase significantly compared to non-swing states.

What should brands and advertisers do:

If your brand targets a nationwide audience, consider concentrating your ad spend on reach campaigns in non-swing states. As evidenced by our CPM data, reach campaigns are trending upward, but competition will intensify as presidential ads capitalize on Connected TV’s advanced geo-targeting capabilities.

On the other hand, if your target market includes any swing states this election, you can still succeed in ad auctions by pivoting to lower funnel campaigns. This year, costs for YouTube TrueView campaigns focused on clicks show a favorable trend, offering a viable strategy as brands and political advertisements increasingly vie for attention in the awareness and reach markets.

Timing is On Your Side

Political campaign ads operate on a tight deadline, while your advertising efforts can remain flexible.  In the ten days leading up to Election Day, we can anticipate another influx as the final 25% of U.S. political ad spending is invested in a last-minute effort to sway or encourage voters.

During election week, political advertising agencies will reduce or completely halt their campaign ads. For instance, Meta has a policy of blocking new political, electoral, and social issue ads in the final week of the U.S. election campaign.

What should brands and advertisers do:

As you run your brand’s ads alongside political campaigns this October, you have the advantage of capturing audience attention right as Halloween comes to a close. This period marks a transition into holiday advertising, making it an ideal time to engage consumers.

Don’t let this opportunity pass; Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. When political ad spending begins to decline, you can ramp up your advertising efforts to ensure your message reaches consumers before your competitors can make their mark. By strategically timing your campaigns, you can position your brand to stand out during a crucial moment.

Staying Visible Amid the Political Ad Spend Surge

October is not the time to pause but rather an opportunity to prepare for the holiday rush and capitalize on the ad space after the election. Pausing your campaigns can result in lost momentum, requiring you to restart the learning period, regain your ad auction positions, and relearn optimal bidding strategies—all due to the fear of rising costs from increased political ad spending.

The good news is you can partner with an agency that ensures you maintain your pace and strive to drive lower costs for your campaigns. At Strike Social, we focus on delivering consistent results throughout your campaign while minimizing ad costs, so you don’t have to worry about high additional fees when working with a YouTube advertising agency.

Request a personalized walkthrough with our team to explore our SWAS (Software with a Service) offerings and discover how we can help you thrive during this competitive season.

The post Should You Pause Your October Advertising with Political Ad Spending on the Rise? appeared first on Strike Social.

What are Safe Zone Guides, and Why Do They Matter?

In video advertising, the “safe zone” is the area within your video ad that is guaranteed to be fully visible to viewers across different devices and platforms. These safe zones vary across platforms due to different user interfaces and functionalities.

This area is typically centered within the frame and avoids the edges where elements like platform icons, captions, or user interface elements might overlap and obscure your content.

• Placing essential elements like your logo, key messages, and call-to-action buttons within the safe zone guarantees visibility and prevents them from being cut off or hidden.
• 87% of audiences associate trust in a brand with high-quality video ads, which means ensuring your CTAs are free from any obstructions. A clear message not only captures attention but also encourages viewers to engage—whether that’s watching the full video, clicking on links, or taking the desired action.
• Adhering to safe zone guidelines makes your video ads look more polished and professional.

Safe Zone Templates for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram and Facebook Reels

Social media platforms have specific safe zone guidelines to ensure the optimal performance of ads. Failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in ad rejection or underperformance.

Video ads on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels commonly encounter issues such as icons on the right side, text at the bottom, dead space at the top, and cropped content on the sides. Safe zone guides are crucial to prevent these elements from negatively impacting captions and screen shares.

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Further Reading

Instagram Safe Zone Guidelines for Ad Creatives

Discover best practices, precise specifications, and safe zone recommendations for various Instagram ad formats, including images, videos, carousels, Stories, and Reels. Tailor your creatives to fit each placement and deliver the most optimized version to your target audience.

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To simplify the process, we will explore the recommended safe zone guidelines for various short-form video ad platforms and develop a comprehensive safe zone preset that you can easily apply to your short-form video ads. This central guide will provide a clear and concise reference for creating effective short-form video ads that can be seamlessly uploaded to any ad platform you choose.

9:16 Safe Zone Guide for Vertical Video Ads

Download the safe zone guides for 9:16 ads here:

Let’s combine these concepts and establish a universal safe zone template for all vertical video ads across various social media platforms.

Safe Zone Guide for 16:9 Ad Formats

	Facebook Reels	Instagram Reels	YouTube Shorts	TikTok
Aspect Ratio	Not recommended		16:9
Safe Zone Recommendations (Avoid Placing Elements Here)			22% right, 40% bottom	11% left, 22% right, 28% bottom(up to 4 lines of text)

If you’re launching a landscape video ad campaign on YouTube Shorts and TikTok, use this safe zone guide on what areas you should avoid when adding your messages and important branding elements:

Click to download the 16:9 vertical format safe zone templates:

Safe Zones for 1:1 Ad Size And Other Considerations

While the 4:5 aspect ratio is not among the commonly recommended dimensions for Facebook and Instagram ads, it remains a supported option on the Meta platform. To ensure your 4:5 video ad displays optimally, we have compiled a safe zone preset that you can utilize during the ad creation process:

Another ad size supported by both YouTube Shorts and TikTok is the square format, or 1:1. We’ve converged these safe zone specifications to create a single template for video ads with this ad size.

Commonly Asked Questions On Video Ad Safe Zones

What tools can I use to visualize the safe zone in my video editor?

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• The safe zone templates provided in this blog can be easily copied and pasted into your video editor.

• In Adobe Express, for example, upload the safe zone preset and layer it over your video ad creative. This lets you see if any essential elements, such as your logo or disclaimer, are covered. Adjust to ensure your ad is safe from typically covered areas before uploading and launching your campaigns.

Is there a universal safe zone for all platforms?

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• Each platform has a unique user interface (UI), so you must consider their specific safe zones to create a universal safe zone template.

• Refer to the universal safe zone guides for the different ad sizes here.

Where should I place text and logos on Reels to avoid being cut off?

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• For a 9:16 video ad size, position your text and logos around the top left portion. This placement ensures they won’t be covered by the profile picture, ad copy, or like and share buttons.

• Use this merged safe zone template for Facebook and Instagram Reels in the 9:16 video ad format:

The Role of Safe Zones in Optimizing Ad Campaigns

As media buyers, you may assume that safe zones are solely the creative team’s responsibility. However, since video ads are a crucial part of the advertising campaign process, they also fall under your jurisdiction. Any obstruction in the important elements of the video ad creative can significantly impact your ads’ success or failure. Therefore, you must know and adhere to safe zone guidelines and templates before uploading to the ad platforms.

But what’s next once you’ve ensured your ad creatives perform optimally? Enhance your knowledge by exploring the Strike Social blog. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow our LinkedIn page to stay up-to-date with paid social media advertising trends and insights.

The post Maximize Ad Visibility and Cut Through the Noise with Safe Zone Guides appeared first on Strike Social.

This post was updated in February 2025 to provide you with the latest information.

What Exciting Features Does the YouTube Shorts Update Bring?

The popularity of YouTube Shorts, especially among the younger demographic, has only ever increased. Launched in 2020, YouTube Shorts emerged as a dedicated platform for short-form video content and later expanded to a global audience by March 2021. By September of the same year, YouTube Shorts ads became a staple, establishing itself as a standard ad placement.

With 135% YoY growth, YouTube Shorts provides unparalleled visibility. You can refine your strategies to engage viewers on this vast platform by staying informed about YouTube Shorts advertising updates. Seize the opportunity to showcase your brand to a broader audience and grab attention when your audience scrolls in YouTube Shorts. 

YouTube Shorts has undergone a remarkable transformation, consistently adapting to provide enhanced experiences for advertisers and increased viewer engagement. Explore the key milestones in the evolution of YouTube Shorts ads:

YouTube Shorts Advertising Updates: What You Need to Know

Which YouTube Shorts update truly matters for your campaigns? Let’s dissect the recent changes, focusing on what’s crucial for advertisers:

YouTube Shorts Usage by Advertisers

YouTube Shorts has quickly become a favorite amongst US advertisers in the span of the 3 years that it has been launched. 

• Statista shares that 43% of US advertisers in 2022 has listed YouTube Shorts on the top 3 list of ad buyer preferences for advertising on social video platforms. 

• In a 2023 study conducted by Fliki, YouTube Shorts showcased impressive growth despite its relatively recent entry into the short-form content arena. The experiment involved posting 20 videos across YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels over two weeks. The results, as presented below, unveil the platform’s significant traction:

The data speaks volumes: Instagram Reels exhibited minimal engagement, recording only a single view across all 20 videos over the span of two weeks. While TikTok stands out as a formidable force, it’s YouTube Shorts that takes the lead.

• Adding another layer to the narrative is VaynerMedia. By running campaigns tailored to maximize Shorts inventory, utilizing vertical video ad assets and concentrating ad delivery on mobile devices, they estimate a 20% to 30% reduction in cost-per-thousand-view (CPM) compared to traditional YouTube ad inventory. This cost-effective advantage positions YouTube Shorts as an attractive platform for advertisers seeking efficiency without compromising impact.

YouTube Shorts Ad Placements

Demand Gen Campaigns

Formerly Video Action Campaigns, Demand Gen aims to drive conversions on and off YouTube within a single automated campaign. YouTube Shorts feed on mobile devices is a key distribution channel for Demand Gen. Adding a vertical video asset to a VAC delivers 10-20% more conversions than using only horizontal videos for YouTube Shorts ads.

VVC (YouTube Video Views Campaigns)

Aiming to maximize views at a lower cost, VVC strategically places video ads where they perform best. With Video View Campaigns, YouTube recognizes more views at lower costs, counting views at 10 seconds autoplay or a click.

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Further Reading

5 Reasons Why Google TV Ads Should Be Part of Your YouTube Ads Strategy

To maximize the effectiveness of your video view campaign ads, they must be optimized for different YouTube placements and formats. Knowing these safe zones ensures your ads display correctly and maintain their impact, no matter where they appear.

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Ad Buying Program for YouTube Shorts

As of now, advertisers can purchase Shorts inventory bundled with other YouTube inventory through video campaigns via Demand Gen or video objective.

The new YouTube Shorts update has introduced the ability to exclusively target Shorts inventory – a notable addition to the platform’s product suite. This feature is currently in the testing phase, initiated over the summer. This update primarily aims to allow brands to advertise solely within the YouTube Shorts environment.

Advertisers can start by employing basic targeting such as age, gender, and geolocation. Taking customization a step further, advertisers can also target Shorts ads based on specific content categories. This update does not offer targeting based on specific channels or videos. However, with each YouTube Shorts update, there’s always a promise of potential advancements in future iterations.

Amid these developments, optimism resonates from the buyer side of the advertising spectrum. The evolving capabilities of YouTube Shorts generate positive anticipation as the platform continues providing advertisers with effective strategic campaign tools. 

In the Holiday Spirit: How Are YouTube Shorts Faring This Season?

The impact of VAC integration is vividly reflected in the substantial upswing in click-through rates.

By placing ads directly within the Shorts feed, we’ve enhanced the accessibility of our campaigns, encouraging users to engage and interact with our content more meaningfully.

The ability of YouTube Shorts to capture attention in as little as 10 to 60 seconds, has become a driving force behind the efficiency of our campaigns.

Our YouTube ad campaigns have experienced a festive flourish as the holiday season approached. There has been a discernible 12.1% drop in CPM and a concurrent rise in click-through rates (CTR). These trends accentuate the substantial impact of YouTube Shorts from November 2022 H1 to November 2022 H2. 

Could YouTube Shorts Advertising Be Your Brand’s Breakthrough?

While acknowledging the accomplishments of each YouTube Shorts update, it’s clear that there’s still room for innovation. The platform’s rapid growth to 50 billion daily views solidifies its standing as a powerful stage for advertisers globally. YouTube Shorts, though still in its early stages, has already demonstrated considerable promise. 

The central question now beckons advertisers—are you ready to jump into the YouTube Shorts advertising hype? Is this platform the right fit for your brand’s advertising endeavors? With its expansive reach and evolving features, YouTube Shorts presents a compelling opportunity for those seeking to impact short-form video advertising significantly.

The post What’s the Latest: A Comprehensive Guide to YouTube Shorts Updates appeared first on Strike Social.

This post was updated in September 2024 to provide you with the latest information.

Make the Most of YouTube TrueView with Shorts Ads

YouTube TrueView ads offers an effective way to reach your target audience and drive engagement. If you are looking for a powerful way to advertise your brand on YouTube, this has been a long-proven staple for YouTube advertising campaigns which makes sure that your ads appear to those truly interested and engaged with related content to your ads.

What Are TrueView Ads and How Can Advertisers Benefit?

With this advancement, both audiences and advertisers receive a better experience when viewing ads and promoting ads on the YouTube app. Designed to enhance the viewer experience, TrueView ads ensure you only pay when users actively choose to watch your video content.

Types of TrueView Ads

• TrueView in-stream ads: By its name, YouTube TrueView in-stream ads appear within YouTube video content.
  • YouTube TrueView Skippable ads: These ads appear before, during, or after videos and can be skipped after 5 seconds. Advertisers pay only if viewers watch the ad for at least 30 seconds or interacts with it. This format is useful for quickly presenting your brand and generating recall, even if the viewer skips the ad.
  • YouTube TrueView Non-skippable: With a duration of up to 15 seconds, these ads must be watched in full before the viewer can proceed. Advertisers are charged based on impressions using a CPM model. This format is effective for ensuring that viewers see your entire message, making them effective for conveying a complete message within the ad duration.
• TrueView discovery ads: These ads appear alongside other YouTube videos, on search results pages, or on websites within the Google Display Network. They attract viewers’ attention by appearing in contexts relevant to their interests, increasing the likelihood of engagement with your content.

How YouTube TrueView Ads Benefit Advertisers

With its vast reach and ability to cross-promote content, YouTube Shorts offers a range of benefits for brands looking to increase their brand visibility. By integrating vertical video ads into TrueView Ads campaigns, advertisers can effectively boost awareness while staying cost-effective.

One of the significant benefits of in-stream ads is that advertisers only pay when viewers watch their ad for at least 30 seconds or until the video’s end, whichever comes first. Advertisers also incur charges when viewers click on cards or other in-stream creative elements. This advertising format allows advertisers to target specific audiences and track their campaigns’ success through YouTube’s analytics tools.

How YouTube TrueView Ads Benefit Creators

YouTube allows Shorts creators to keep 45% of the revenue generated from views, providing a reliable and rewarding compensation model. This change makes YouTube Shorts a compelling option for both creators and brands interested in influencer marketing.

Additionally, Google Marketing Live 2024 introduced a new feature for advertisers looking to leverage influencer content and user-generated content (UGC). Brands can now identify which video creators have tagged their products and select these videos for sponsorship as paid ads, facilitating more targeted and effective collaborations.

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Further Reading

What’s the Latest in YouTube Shorts Advertising?

YouTube Shorts has evolved significantly, continuously improving to offer better experiences for advertisers and enhance viewer engagement. Learn more about the major developments in the evolution of YouTube Shorts ads.

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Understanding YouTube TrueView Ad Formats on Mobile

As of Q2 2024, YouTube, with its $8 billion platform, has simplified both viewing and ad distribution on mobile devices. Besides traditional ad placements within standard YouTube videos, the platform has followed the short-form video trend with YouTube Shorts.

YouTube Shorts presents an excellent opportunity for advertisers to broaden their reach. YouTube Shorts Ads are swipeable videos or image ads between Shorts in the Shorts Feed. Combining YouTube Shorts with in-stream ads allows for a robust video advertising strategy where ads play before or during another video from a YouTube partner. Viewers can watch the advertisement for five seconds before choosing to continue or skip it.

How YouTube Shorts and TrueView Ads Work Together

YouTube TrueView ads seamlessly integrate with YouTube Shorts, appearing between Shorts in the feed just as they do in long-form videos. Viewers have the option to swipe past or engage with these ads.

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Further Reading

Best Practices for Advertising on YouTube Shorts

Before launching your YouTube Shorts campaign, ensure you’re well-prepared by reviewing the ad specifications, setup process, and best practices for maximizing this ad format.

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For instance, if a user’s feed predominantly features cooking and food-related content, and you’re promoting a food ordering app, the algorithm will likely place your TrueView ads in their Shorts feed, targeting users who are already interested in related content. The algorithm tailors ad placement to match user interests, ensuring that your ad reaches viewers who are most likely to be interested in your product.

Best Practices for TrueView Ads Creative

For your YouTube TrueView ads to capture attention, they must be optimized for all viewing platforms, including the YouTube app, desktop and mobile views, and YouTube TV. To do so, make sure your ad creatives align with the latest YouTube ad specs.

Boost your TrueView ad success with these top 10 best practices. Want to make your TrueView ads stand out? Follow these guidelines to create video ads that grab users’ attention and drive engagement:

• Hook viewers in the first five seconds. Remember, users can skip your ad after this time. Use this crucial period to convince them to keep watching.
• Keep it short and sweet. Aim for 30 to 60 seconds to maximize user engagement.
• Include clear calls to action. Tell users what to do after watching your ad.
• Give viewers time to act. Reserve the last ten seconds (or more) for a static call-to-action, giving users time to click and explore.
• Use a compelling, descriptive title. Reinforce your call-to-action and branding.
• Choose an eye-catching thumbnail. Entice users to click and view your video.
• Make your ad interactive. Use annotations and cards to enhance user engagement.
• Tailor your ad for the platform. Create targeted advertisements that cater to specific YouTube content.
• Experiment with multiple ad variations. See what resonates best with your target audience.
• Create great content. Consider using emotionally compelling, entertaining, and informative.

Following these tips, you can create TrueView ads that captivate viewers, drive engagement, and help you achieve your advertising goals.

What is the True Value of YouTube TrueView Ads?

With TrueView, you pay only when someone completes the view, but there’s much more to gain from the actions users take beyond that initial view. Understanding the full value of TrueView is crucial to optimizing your campaign’s performance.

How to Set Up TrueView Ads for YouTube Shorts

To organize your campaign and make sure YouTube Shorts is included in your TrueView ads placements, follow these steps:

1. Create a new campaign under your selected Google Ads account.

2. Choose “Create a campaign without a goal’s guidance” as your objective, then click “Continue.”

3. Select “Video” as your campaign type and click “Continue” again. Choose the appropriate campaign subtype based on your goals for your YouTube ads. 

For this example, let’s use “Video Views”. Then hit “Continue”.

4. In the Campaign settings section, enter the required details as follows:

• Campaign name
• Bid strategy
• Budget and dates
• Networks
• Locations
• Languages

To make sure your ads appear in different formats suitable for your target audience’s algorithm, make sure the checkbox under “Multi-format ads” is ticked.

Proceed to fill out the details under the Ad group section.

5. In the Ads section, add your YouTube video ad by pasting the URL. Once you do so, you will see a preview of how your videos will appear as in-stream and Shorts ads. 

You can upload up to 5 videos in both horizontal and vertical formats. Vertical video formats will only appear as YouTube Shorts ads, and horizontal formats can appear on both in-stream, and Shorts.

6. Finish setting up your campaign by completing the Bid section, then click “Create campaign”.

Curious to Explore the Untapped Potential of YouTube Shorts Ads?

Short-form video content will continue dominating digital screens, with YouTube Shorts leading the trend. Creators are increasingly focusing on Shorts, driving the demand for engaging video content and prompting YouTube to continually evolve to meet new viewing habits.

At Strike Social, we take your YouTube campaigns to new heights. Our team works tirelessly to optimize your campaigns 24/7. Our data-driven approach ensures we achieve your advertising goals at the lowest possible cost. Trust us to be your partner in success.

It’s essential to understand the importance of video content in the advertising industry, especially with YouTube’s dominance. Keeping up with trends and evolving your advertising strategies is crucial to meeting consumers’ demands. Contact our team and we’ll help you achieve your goals and stay ahead of the competition.

The post Make the Most of YouTube TrueView with Shorts Ads appeared first on Strike Social.

The battle for dominance in the short-form video content space is currently being fought among three major platforms: TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Reels. Although TikTok got the ball rolling, Instagram and YouTube quickly entered the fray with their versions. 

Advertisers should carefully consider which platform offers the most benefits for their budget and campaign goals.

The Future of Ads: TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Reels

Short-form videos, such as those on TikTok, Shorts, and Reels, highlight the potential of this medium for advertisers, with over 50% of marketers already using short-form videos in their social media strategy. In comparison, 87% of businesses have reached new audiences through snackable videos. Therefore, it’s essential to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each platform.

At Strike, we compare and contrast the three major short-form video platforms- TikTok, Shorts, and Reels. We aim to help brands choose the most suitable one for their budget and campaign objectives. With our expertise, your brand’s short-form video ads will stand out and connect with your target audience, maximizing your ROI.

In a Nutshell: Comparing TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Reels 

Each platform offers unique features, including a broad user base and the ability to reach a larger audience. However, selecting the right platform for advertising can be challenging because each has different characteristics; the table below compares them.

Snackable videos: Who started the short-form trend? 

TikTok’s massive success has answered the market’s call for bite-sized videos and firmly established it as a top and fast-growing social media platform. The app’s popularity soared after the discontinuation of Vine, and it has continued to maintain its fan base despite updates and modifications.

However, the app’s success has not gone unnoticed by competitors. In response to the trend towards short-form video content, Meta introduced Reels on Instagram and Facebook, enabling users to upload videos up to 60 seconds long on these platforms. This feature mirrors TikTok’s influence and reflects Meta’s desire to meet the growing demand for shareable and easily digestible content. YouTube has also joined the trend by launching its version of short-form video, YouTube Shorts.

TikTok’s contribution to the rise of short-form video content cannot be overstated. Its success has influenced competitors to incorporate similar features, creating a flow of shareable and engaging content for social media users. The trend toward short-form videos will likely continue, and brands and advertisers should pay attention to this trend to create more compelling and relevant content for their audiences.

How Short-Form Video Advertising Became So Popular Very Quickly

While TikTok’s success cannot be ignored, the entry of YouTube Shorts and Meta Reels into the short-form video content arena has introduced potential shifts in the dynamics of this industry. With their vast user base, these platforms have a significant opportunity to capture a substantial share of the market, which could potentially impact the dominance of TikTok.

Swipe, Scroll, Repeat: How Short-Form Algorithm Works

TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts are popular social media platforms for creating and sharing short-form videos. Each platform has a unique algorithm that recommends personalized content based on the user’s interests and behavior.

According to Eugene Wei, former Amazon and Oculus product exec, TikTok’s algorithm is designed to show personalized content to its users. Furthermore, TikTok’s fast-paced videos and tight feedback loop have contributed to its popularity and frequent sharing on other platforms, highlighting its powerful video editing tool.

YouTube Shorts’ recommendation algorithm, as explained by Pierce Velluci, YouTube’s Product Manager, matches uploaded Shorts with viewers’ profiles based on their watch history and engagement with accounts. Even new channels with low engagement can succeed if their Shorts are similar to successful content and gain engagement through views, likes, and comments. Building engagement is essential for Shorts to go viral.

On the other hand, Instagram has updated its algorithm to operate differently across its various segments. Hootsuite’s report notes that the Feed, Explore, and Reels sections’ algorithm is unique and based on how users interact with them. For example, the Explore page is where users find new content while viewing Stories from their closest friends.

According to Eugene Wei, former Amazon and Oculus product executive, TikTok’s algorithm is designed to show personalized content to its users. Furthermore, TikTok’s fast-paced videos and tight feedback loop have contributed to its popularity and frequent sharing on other platforms, highlighting its powerful video editing tool.

The algorithms of these three social media platforms vary in how they recommend personalized content to their users. Brands and content creators must understand these algorithms to optimize content and target specific audiences effectively. 

Like a Pro: Editing Tools

YouTube Shorts is at a disadvantage compared to TikTok and Instagram Reels due to the lack of a wide selection of special effects creators can use to enhance their videos. TikTok and Instagram Reels provide creators with various augmented reality (AR) options, green-screen features, and tools such as Duet/Remix, which enable them to add excitement and creativity to their video content. Additionally, these platforms offer a range of engagement tools such as stickers, polls, shout-outs, and hashtags to boost user engagement.

While YouTube Shorts is catching up by adding several TikTok-like features such as Voiceovers, Comment Stickers, Green screens, and Remix, it still lacks the breadth of options available on the other platforms. To empower creators, Bytedance, the parent company of TikTok, has further strengthened its ecosystem by owning the video editing tool CapCut. This tool makes it easier for creators to upload videos directly to the app and create, edit, and upload videos seamlessly, offering a one-stop shop for creators.

Trading Video Lengths: TikTok Stretches Out, While YouTube and Reels Shorten Up

As a leading platform for long-form video content, YouTube has recently shifted its attention towards Shorts, recognizing its potential as a crucial platform feature. The vertical video feed has become a significant factor in enabling over 50 billion daily views on the app. However, YouTube is not the only platform looking to expand its offerings to other spaces. According to Tom Alison, Head of Facebook, Reels are getting more than 140 billion views daily. 

TikTok is testing and launching several new features to increase its appeal to creators and expand into more YouTube territory. The features include video scrubbing thumbnails, full-screen, horizontal mode, increased character limits for video descriptions, and the ability to upload 10-minute-long videos. Its latest move introduced TikTok Series, allowing creators to upload videos for 20 minutes. By doing so, TikTok is making a solid case for creators to share longer-form video content. 

To achieve sustainable revenue growth, TikTok might focus on longer-form video content that captures and retains viewer attention, thus enabling the platform to sell more advertising space.

TikTok vs. Shorts vs. Reels in Revenue Sharing with Content Creators

Social media platforms compete for content creators whose loyalty and engagement attract large audiences. The bidding war highlights how important these creators are to the success of platforms.

To keep up with its competitors, TikTok launched its Pulse Program and offered qualified creators a generous 50% revenue share. However, only the top 4% of daily performers can monetize their content. 
On the other hand, YouTube Shorts announced a 45% ad revenue share based on the creators’ Shorts views. Under the YouTube Partner Program, creators with 1,000+ subscribers and 10M+ views in the past 90 days can now earn a share of the revenue from ads shown between Shorts videos. Aside from revenue sharing, YouTube also offers low-tier payments for micro creators.

To keep up with its competitors, YouTube Shorts announced a 45% ad revenue share based on the creators’ Shorts views. Under the YouTube Partner Program, creators with 1,000+ subscribers and 10M+ views in the past 90 days can now earn a share of the revenue from ads shown between Shorts videos. Aside from revenue sharing, YouTube also offers low-tier payments for micro creators. 

TikTok, on the other hand, launched its Pulse Program and offered a generous 50% revenue share to qualified creators. However, only the top 4% of daily performers can monetize their content. 

Additionally, Meta has Instagram Branded Content ads to simplify collaboration with influencers for businesses and creators. Currently, Meta is working on ad revenue share on Facebook and Instagram Reels as part of their focus this year. 

Ultimately, the battle for content creators is crucial to winning the short-form video market. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and Facebook are all competing for the top spot, and the platform that can attract and retain the most creators will emerge as the winner. As the popularity of short-form video continues to grow, businesses must adapt to this trend and integrate it into their social media marketing strategy to stay relevant and competitive.

By The Numbers: Strike’s Case Study

Strike recently launched three campaigns for a brand across multiple markets on paid social placements, including TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Reels, to increase brand awareness and drive user acquisition. The results of the case study are outlined below. Values per metric are shown as % total of all three campaigns, except for CPV.

After analyzing the cost efficiency of different platforms, it was found that TikTok had delivered the most cost-effective option with a 60% and 73% lower cost per view (CPV) than YouTube and Instagram, respectively. Furthermore, TikTok’s CPV was 61% lower than its projected cost. Regarding views, TikTok contributed 30.61% of the total views while only utilizing 20.92% of the overall budget.

However, regarding engagement activity, YouTube and Instagram campaigns generated 98.73% of the total engagements, indicating relatively low results on TikTok during this campaign. It’s also important to note that the creative’s nature suits the YouTube Shorts community, resulting in over 215% higher engagement than its benchmark and contributing to 53% of the total engagements across all campaigns.

Overall, the campaign’s success relied on finding the right creative, placement, and targeting social media strategy for each platform. Each platform had its strengths and weaknesses, and Strike’s campaigns utilized these to achieve their goals.

Continued Appeal of Short-Form Content in 2024

Heading into 2024, paid social media advertisers prefer short-form content when marketing to audiences and prospects. Statistics indicate that despite an anticipated plateau in growth, 58.8% of US adults still predominantly engage with videos and reels on social media platforms over other forms of online engagement. Additionally, 44% of consumers express a preference for short-form videos as a means of discovering new products or services.

However, as short-form content maintains relevance, the question remains: which platform will emerge as the preferred choice for short-form advertising in 2024?

Reflecting on last year’s trends, Instagram Reels outshone both TikTok and YouTube Shorts regarding viewership rates. Reflecting on last year’s trends, Instagram Reels outshone both TikTok and YouTube Shorts regarding viewership rates. However, in assessing engagement rates and preferences among marketers, TikTok leads the pack:

As you plan your content calendars, the decision on which platform to utilize should be influenced by the target audience’s preferences, the nature of the content, and the desired outcomes. The potency of video advertising remains clear, offering a dynamic and engaging way to connect with audiences via short-form content.

What Should You Use: TikTok vs. YouTube Shorts vs. Reels?

TikTok has disrupted the social media landscape with its unique connectivity approach, making it more popular than its competitors. The algorithm creates an endless stream of videos based on user engagement, providing over 100 million monthly active users in the US with a personalized experience. TikTok’s growth and cultural impact have propelled it to global fame, influencing global trends and pop culture. While the platform faces geopolitical scrutiny, it remains a dominant player in the digital platform. It gradually expands into the long-form content territory, further strengthening its impact on society and daily life.

However, TikTok is facing some uncertainty in the US, particularly with state and government-owned or managed campuses and the future of ad campaigns. Therefore, some companies may explore alternatives like YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels. 

When choosing between these platforms, it’s essential to consider your target audience, budget, and marketing goals. TikTok has unparalleled popularity and cultural significance, while YouTube and Reels’ platforms offer wider audience reach and stability. Ultimately, the platform you choose should align with your business objectives, ensuring maximum return on investment and brand awareness.

Expand your expertise. Browse Strike Social’s blogs here:

Marketing to Gen Z: Social Media Strategies for Performance-Driven Brands

The complete list of YouTube ad specifications (2025 Update)

TikTok News and Updates Q1 2025: What Advertisers Need to Know

How to Build an Influencer Marketing Strategy That Drives Paid Social Results

YouTube Shorts Views Are Changing: How You Can Adapt Your Paid Ads Strategy

7 Social Media Advertising Trends You Should Know in 2025

The post Short-form Showdown: TikTok vs. YouTube Shorts vs. Reels appeared first on Strike Social.

This post was updated in September 2024 to provide you with the latest information.

YouTube Shorts Ads: Best Practices, Specs, and Set Up Guide

YouTube Shorts ads are a surefire way to get audiences’ attention as platforms race to catch up with the short-form vertical video trend. YouTube Shorts has reached the milestone of attracting more than 70 billion views daily, and brands can quickly get in front of a large audience. With the subscriber button in full view, Shorts viewers can easily follow channels after watching bite-size entertaining content. 

Now that YouTube Shorts is in full swing, advertisers can create short-form video ads ranging from 15 to 60 seconds, with sound-on, designed for vertical viewing. Viewers can discover a broader range of formats similar to the ones they enjoy on TikTok and Instagram Reels.

YouTube Shorts Becomes A New Way to Reach Consumers

As Gen Z viewers become more accustomed to short-form content, advertisers can tap into YouTube Shorts to deliver vertical snack-sized video ads, with up to 40% of ad views now coming from Shorts placements alone.

In addition to broader audience reach, YouTube Shorts advertising has become more accessible for brands and businesses. Initially, ads in Shorts were only available through YouTube Video Action Campaigns, but now Shorts inventory is integrated into nearly all YouTube campaign objectives, including Video Views and Video Reach. This shift has made YouTube Shorts a rapidly growing hotspot for advertisers, garnering the highest engagement rates among short-form video platforms.

What You Need to Know Before Advertising on YouTube Shorts

Are you ready to scratch the surface and run ads on YouTube Shorts? Take note of these key statistics and must-knows before utilizing YouTube Shorts content to promote your brand:

• YouTube Shorts content receives almost nine times more engagement than regular videos on YouTube, which is attributable to the engagement buttons such as like, share, and comment, which are directly available on the same UI without stopping the video play.
• According to an Adobe Study on short-form content on YouTube, YouTube Shorts videos receive 27% more views than long-form videos.
  • Purchase influence through YouTube Shorts is strongest among millennials (34%), followed by Gen X (29%) and Gen Z (23%), according to the same study.
  • Moreover, one in three marketers reported a 15-25% boost in web traffic from YouTube Shorts ads, while 50% noted an increase in new subscribers.
• Among all major social media advertising platforms, YouTube has the lowest average rates of invalid traffic, due to its integration with Google’s robust security systems, which help prevent viewbot fraud and inflated web traffic.

Note: If you’re running both YouTube and Performance Max campaigns, be aware that PMax campaigns can see up to a 51% increase in invalid traffic. Extra caution is advised when managing these campaigns.

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Further Reading

Discover What’s Behind Google’s Performance Max Campaigns

Though Google’s PMax campaigns offer extensive reach, advertisers must be aware of the potential drawbacks, especially concerning ad placement. The unpredictability of online advertising means that with Performance Max, managing where and how your ads are shown can become quite complex.

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How To Set Up YouTube Campaigns with YouTube Shorts Ads

If you’re not yet convinced that promoting ads on YouTube Shorts is essential for 2024, consider this: 32% of brands on YouTube are already increasing their Shorts content to boost brand awareness and expand their reach. By integrating Shorts into your strategy, you can be part of this growing trend and effectively engage with a wider audience.

But to maximize the capability of this video format, brands must consider exploring paid media to reach even more targeted audiences and still get the right amount of engagement and impressions you’re looking for.

By tapping highly-qualified audiences, businesses can achieve up to 70% more conversions with YouTube advertising campaigns that include a product feed. 

To make sure you’re fully prepared before launching your YouTube campaign with YouTube Shorts, follow the succeeding guide:

YouTube Shorts Ad Specs for Creatives

Like other video advertising formats, media buyers must ensure their creatives adhere to the corresponding YouTube ad specs. So your ad creatives appear appealing to audiences’ views on their YouTube app, here are the YouTube Shorts ads specs to follow:

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Further Reading

Safe Zone Guidelines for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Meta Reels

Discover our guidelines for safe zones across different short-form video ad platforms and access a versatile preset that ensures your ads fit perfectly on any platform you choose.

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How to Set Up YouTube Ads with Shorts Placements

Setting up a campaign to advertise your content on the YouTube Shorts feed is easy. It helps promote your videos and drive views, likes, and shares. Here’s how to do it:

1. On your Google Ads dashboard, make sure you’re on the Overview screen. Then, click on New campaign.

2. Select the campaign objective that suits your goals. Most YouTube ad objectives already support Shorts placements. In this example, we will select Awareness and consideration.

3. Choose Video as your campaign type.

4. For the campaign subtype, choose the one that best aligns with your Shorts and YouTube ads campaign goals. For this example, let’s choose Video reach. 

For VRC, Efficient reach should allow you to advertise through in-feed, in-stream, and Shorts placements.

5. In Campaign settings, enter the usual campaign details such as:

• Campaign name
• Bid strategy
• Budget and dates
• Locations
• Languages

6. To ensure your ads appear in the YouTube app as Shorts ads, make sure the checkbox for Shorts ads is ticked under Multi-format ads.

If you’re good with advertising on all placements, you can simply tick the checkbox for “Reach more unique users with multi-format video ads.”

7. Open the Networks dropdown. Here, you’ll see that aside from YouTube, your ads can appear on Google TV* and other video partners on the Google Display Network.

Know that YouTube also has Connected TV distributions on YouTube TV, so your reach can also be maximized to CTV audiences. (*Google TV is currently only available for reach campaigns running in the United States.)

Proceed with the rest of the setup within the Campaign settings section.

8. In the Ad group section, you can now add your YouTube Shorts ads and see a preview of how they look on Shorts placements. (*You must also include a horizontal video ad for in-stream and in-feed placements.)

9. Complete the remaining campaign setup steps. Once everything is in place, click Create campaign.

Best Practices for Running YouTube Shorts Ads

Here are marketers’ best practices when working with short-form content to increase the possibility for ads to be shown on YouTube Shorts.

1. Always remember that vertical ads go with vertical viewing. Adjust your ad creative to fit the space perfectly.
2. Use Google Ads templates in its video creation tool. If pressed for time, utilize available resources and finish your video in minutes. 
3. Quality over quantity approach works. Consider each content as an investment. The more effort you put into each video can eventually bring higher returns for your channel.
4. Keep your videos short and to the point. 15 to 60 seconds is all the time you have to tell your story. Successful #shorts capture the audience’s attention with a clear and compelling message in a short amount of time. Start your video with an attention-grabbing opening, build your story and then wrap it up with a conclusion or an action.
5. Some content niches perform better with Shorts than others. YouTubers are well-received by their audiences because they can break down comedy, travel, science, and information content into bite-sized individual videos.
6. Emotion sells. Use emotions to your advantage- include them in your pitch.
7. Hashtags matter. Based on our observation, the community is using #shorts, similar to how TikTok users put #FYP on their content.

Scaling Your YouTube Campaigns to Guide Viewers from Awareness to Purchase

With YouTube Shorts proving reliable and effective as an advertising tool for growth strategy, brands and advertisers should consider investing in vertical videos to reach more engaged audience groups. Google will continue to provide various advertising solutions to help marketers drive social commerce — combining YouTube Shorts with different advertising formats that advertisers can take advantage of.

Strike Social’s YouTube advertising strategy is always evolving, just like YouTube continuously creates improvements that help brands get their names and products out there. We have more than a decade of mastery of YouTube campaign management and optimization, which helps brands reach up to 96% completed video views with a 28% reduction in costs.

Interested in learning more about our YouTube advertising expertise? Reach out to our team and we’ll help you achieve your advertising goals at the lowest cost possible. 

The post YouTube Shorts Best Practices for Video Ads appeared first on Strike Social.

Making YouTube Shorts a Core Part of Your Video Ad Strategy

Since the launch of YouTube Shorts, marketers have awaited how Google will utilize this new feature. Rion Austin, Director of Global Solutions, noticed the shift in consumer behavior when deciding to purchase a product. People spend more time discovering brands and evaluating products than buying abruptly after seeing an ad. This trend gave more reason for consumers to spend time browsing on their sofas.

In the U.S., users spend an average of 26.21 hours monthly on the YouTube mobile app, translating to roughly 6.5 hours weekly. Video platforms, especially YouTube, exert a significant influence on consumer buying decisions. Notably, nearly 60% of short-form videos retain viewers for 41% to 80% of their length, demonstrating strong engagement and retention rates.

Marketers utilize short-form videos to provide organic bite-sized information or inspiration content. In a short time, YouTube Shorts has captured 2.71 billion logged-in users each month, with an average of 90 billion views daily. Brands and creators have experienced growth in viewership and channel subscription. In the same effect, advertisers can leverage bottom-conversion campaigns by riding on the popularity of short-form content.

YouTube Shorts Ads Boosts Conversion Campaigns on Mobile Devices

Micro video ads have shown better performance on mobile devices based on Yume and IPG Media Lab research. The content surrounding short-form videos has brought knowledge or entertained app users. Younger generations, Gen Zs and Millenials, have browsed longer on their mobile phones than they intended when watching UGC — typically snackable videos.

Strike Social data echoes the same success in how smartphones drive more ad engagement. Various YouTube Video Action Campaigns results show that mobile has delivered more output than costs.

Based on the data gathered, 7% of video viewers engage entirely with the ad after watching it—three times more than desktop users. With the ease of mobile usage, handheld devices continue to impact every touchpoint in the purchase journey.

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Further Reading

Keep Your YouTube Shorts Ads Within The VVC Safe Zone

When using YouTube Shorts for Video View Campaigns, it’s crucial to ensure that your 16:9 video ads and key messaging remain clear and unobstructed. Adhering to the safe zones ensures your content is displayed flawlessly, no matter where it appears, allowing your message to reach audiences just as you intended.

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Video Action Campaign Guide: Create More Action in YouTube Short Ads

Advertisers cannot just rely on budget allocation and ad placements. Understanding the benefits and ad specifications is essential to achieving the desired results. Here are the advantages and guidelines for Video Action Campaigns in preparation for the rollout of YouTube Shorts Ads.

What are YouTube Video Action Campaigns?

Video Action Campaign (VAC) is one of the YouTube advertising solutions that make shopping more convenient through digital video ads. During Q1 of 2022, campaigns running in TrueView for Action transitioned to VAC. The change of name came with an upgrade in performance and efficiency. As of 2024, VAC has been further upgraded to Demand Gen, enabling advertisers to use YouTube Shorts ads more effectively to convert audiences into customers.

What are the benefits when running Video Action ad formats? Google scales campaigns across all devices and inventories. With the addition of YouTube Shorts ads placements, optimizing to drive conversions will be more efficient with consumers spending on short-form videos. 

What are the benefits when running Video Action ad formats? Google scales campaigns across all devices and inventories. With the addition of YouTube Shorts ads placements, optimizing to drive conversions will be more efficient with consumers spending on short-form videos. 

Video Action Campaign Ad Specs

Skippable In-Stream and In-Feed Video are placements that can display VAC ads, but the layout and functionality differ based on the device. Other ad placements are: YouTube Home Feed, YouTube Watch Page, YouTube Watch Next, YouTube Search Results, Google Video Partners, and the latest addition is YouTube Shorts.

With the possibility of video ads appearing on the YouTube Shorts feed, the ideal video length should be shorter than 60 seconds but at least 10 seconds long. Check the image below for other creative guidelines.

Ideal video length should be less than 60 seconds, but at least 10 seconds or more, as video ads can appear in YouTube Shorts feeds. Check the guide for comprehensive creative specifications and best practices.

Best Practices for Video Action Campaigns

Budget Allocation

Winning in the auction requires the suitable distribution of the daily budget. Google recommends a 15x or more budget than your target CPA for 7 to 8 days of optimization time. The daily budget for a two-week learning curve will be 10x to 15x of the desired CPA.

Audience Targeting

Create an audience based on search keywords, Customer Match, Data, and Similar segments. Google recommends opt-in optimized targeting. For StrikeSocial clients, our team creates hyper granular targeting and optimizes to campaign with high output efficiency.

Developing Creatives

Hook viewers right from the start. Ideally, for YouTube Shorts viewers, capture their attention in the first 2-5 seconds of your video. Always echo call-to-action on video clips, compelling graphics, or voiceovers.

YouTube Shorts and Long Form Video Ads: Full-Funnel Advertising Solutions

Ads on Youtube are becoming more and more popular among advertisers. Marketers can develop full-funnel video advertising strategies with growing video inventory, offering long and short-form video content.

From scaling views or impressions via co-viewing on Connected TV to influencing purchasing decisions using a micro video ad, YouTube provides a one-stop solution across all devices and objectives in generating more advertising output.

Ready to build up your YouTube advertising strategy from brand awareness to conversions? We’re here to help. Our SWAS (software with a service) AdTech solutions can optimize your campaign outcomes while ensuring cost efficiency year-round. Reach out to our team, and let’s discuss your paid social needs.

The post Google Offers Full Advertising Solution with YouTube Shorts Ads appeared first on Strike Social.