YouTube Ads for Traffic and Action Campaigns: Do They Work?

YouTube is well known for brand awareness, and the numbers speak for themselves. Take Pringles’ Super Bowl bumper ad campaign—it generated 120 million impressions, proving the platform’s strength in reach-focused advertising. This is just one of many success stories demonstrating why YouTube ads are effective for awareness campaigns.

And it’s not just major brands that can maximize YouTube ads’ effectiveness. With the right strategy, businesses of all sizes can drive both brand awareness and bottom-funnel actions by using YouTube ads for website clicks, lead generation, and sales.

YouTube Video Campaigns For Every Stage of the Funnel

Indeed, YouTube is widely known for its strength in brand awareness campaigns, but its advertising capabilities go beyond just reach. 

Whether your goal is to drive website traffic, generate leads, or increase conversions, running ads on YouTube can be effective at every stage of the marketing funnel. Let’s break down how YouTube ads work across different campaign objectives.

Awareness – Top of the Funnel

Did you know that over 90% of users worldwide discover new brands or products through YouTube? That’s how effective YouTube ads are in maximizing visibility and brand recall.

YouTube’s Video Reach Campaigns (VRC) deliver ads to the most relevant audiences at scale, generating up to 41% lower CPM than traditional TrueView non-skippable ads. This cost-efficiency ensures that brands get the most out of their paid social media ROI while reaching high-intent users.

Additionally, Connected TV (CTV) has been an effective driver for brand awareness. In one of Strike Social’s YouTube ad campaigns, expanding placements to Google TV and YouTube TV resulted in 12% higher impressions and a 14% reduction in CPM.

Recommended YouTube Campaign for Awareness

• Video Reach Campaigns

Recommended YouTube Ad Formats

• Bumper Ads
• Non-Skippable In-Stream Ads
• Masthead Ads (Reservation only)

Results from Strike Social’s YouTube Awareness Campaigns

• 13% cost-efficiency boost with CTV placements for an industrial service brand
• 96% video completion rate (VCR) on CTV for a QSR campaign

Consideration – Middle of the Funnel

Is YouTube advertising effective for traffic campaigns? Absolutely.

YouTube video campaigns excel at keeping users engaged longer than other platforms, making them a powerful tool for nurturing interest and driving brand consideration. By running ads on YouTube that target mid-funnel audiences, brands can stay top of mind when potential customers are ready to make a purchase or choose a service.

Consideration campaigns are strategically placed where targeted audiences have either previously seen your ad or interacted with your brand. This makes engaged views (view-throughs) a critical YouTube advertising metric. Strike Social’s YouTube Video View Campaigns have achieved up to 27% cost-efficiency in CPV on mobile placements—even during peak holiday periods.

Despite increasing competition during high-demand seasons, Video View Campaigns prove to be a strong investment for keeping audiences engaged and moving them closer to conversion.

Recommended YouTube Campaign for Consideration

• Video View Campaigns

Recommended Ad Formats and Placements

• Skippable In-Stream Ads
• In-Feed Video Ads
• YouTube Shorts

Results from Strike Social’s YouTube Consideration Campaigns

• 59% cost-per-view (CPV) efficiency during Q4 peak advertising season for a US HVAC campaign
• 81% video view completion rate, indicating strong viewer engagement for a Canada HVAC campaign

Conversion – Bottom of the Funnel

Are YouTube ads effective for action campaigns? It’s a resounding yes.

When using intent-driven ad formats, YouTube conversion ads can effectively drive direct sales, leads, and store traffic. With the right strategy, you can transform engaged viewers into paying customers.

Formerly known as YouTube Video Action Campaigns, Demand Gen campaigns on YouTube are designed to turn views into high-value actions. These campaigns go beyond YouTube, expanding to Google’s action-driven placements like:

• Gmail
• Discover Feed
• Google Display Network (GDN)

A key feature coming to Demand Gen campaigns is integrated product feeds, allowing users to shop directly within the YouTube app. Similar to Shopping Ads, this feature removes diversion by eliminating the need to leave the platform to purchase or express interest in a product.

Further, advertisers will soon be able to choose preferred placements for better control, brand suitability, and audience alignment, solidifying the way your customers interact with your business and integrating your identity.

Recommended YouTube Campaign for Conversions

• Demand Gen (formerly Video Action Campaigns)

Recommended Ad Formats in YouTube

• Skippable In-Stream Ads
• YouTube Shorts
• Shopping Ads

Results from Strike Social’s YouTube Conversion Campaigns

• 7.8x ROAS through geo-targeted YouTube ads driving in-store foot traffic for a family entertainment brand

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Further Reading

Know the Difference: Demand Gen vs. PMax vs. Display Ads

Video Action Campaigns (VAC) were built to drive key actions like initiating clicks and driving website traffic with YouTube ads. Now transitioning to Demand Gen, how does this new format stack up against Performance Max and Display Ads within Google’s advertising ecosystem?

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Why YouTube Ads Are Effective for Lower-Funnel Campaigns

YouTube stands out in lower-funnel advertising by combining intent-driven user behavior with AI-powered ad delivery, making it a highly effective conversion tool. This unique combination proves YouTube ads’ effectiveness by serving ads to the right audience at the right time, strengthening engagement, and driving conversions.

Here’s how YouTube ads drive results for your traffic and action campaigns:

Leveraging User Intent and Behavior

One of the biggest advantages of YouTube ads for traffic and conversion campaigns is the platform’s ability to align with user intent. Unlike passive social feeds, YouTube users actively search and engage with video content, making them more likely to take action when presented with relevant ads.

For example, if you’re preparing YouTube traffic ads for Amazon Prime Day, positioning your watch brand alongside videos featuring “Best Amazon Prime Day Deals” or “Top Influencer Gift Ideas” makes sure your ad reaches high-intent shoppers at the right moment.

Beyond standard targeting options like location, device, and language, Custom Audiences allow advertisers to build highly specific audience segments that can be used and refined across multiple campaigns. This is particularly valuable for seasonal and holiday-focused YouTube campaigns, where granular audience segmentation can improve ad relevance and engagement.

By building Custom Audiences, you can tap into users’ existing intent to watch and engage with video content, with the ability to link your products or services to relevant user behavior. Even more, Demand Gen campaigns extend this reach beyond YouTube, providing broader brand visibility and higher conversion potential.

Integration with Google and Its Vast Ad Network

Another key factor making YouTube ads effective for traffic and conversion campaigns is its integration with Google’s advertising network. This allows precise targeting through in-market audiences and remarketing, allowing you to expand your reach to individuals who are already familiar with your brand or have profiles similar to your current customer base.

For lower-funnel campaign types like Demand Gen or YouTube video conversions, you can maximize your reach across a broad range of placements, including:

• YouTube (In-stream, In-feed, Shorts)
• Google Discover
• Gmail
• Google Display Network (GDN)

Even for awareness campaigns, YouTube’s reach extends beyond the app itself. For instance, Connected TV (CTV) placements on Google TV and YouTube TV provide even greater exposure with larger screen placements.

By opting into Google’s Display Network video partners, your ads can reach a broader audience, bringing your brand to users in various contexts and increasing the potential for both awareness and conversions.

Designed for Engaged Views Gearing Toward Conversions

YouTube campaigns like Demand Gen and Video View Campaigns are specifically designed to drive conversions, not just views. As highlighted in the full-funnel strategy earlier, YouTube’s closed-loop attribution creates a seamless synergy between each stage of the funnel—from awareness to conversion.

To help illustrate how this works, let’s walk through an example of a full-funnel YouTube ad campaign for a fast-food restaurant (QSR). This will show how initial awareness views can be nurtured into website traffic and ultimately drive purchases.

Full-Funnel YouTube Ad Campaign Strategy: Fast-Food Restaurant (QSR)

The expected outcomes of this full-funnel YouTube ad strategy include increased brand awareness and ad recall among sports audiences and food lovers during key seasonal events, ensuring a strong top-of-mind presence. Engagement rates will rise through interactive ad formats and remarketing efforts, driving users from awareness to consideration.

From here, using optimized bidding strategies and audience targeting, the campaign will maximize online orders, particularly during peak periods like the holidays and the Super Bowl. Ultimately, the strategy ensures cost efficiency while maintaining high performance across all funnel stages, creating a continuous loop of audience engagement, re-engagement, and conversion.

Achieving Your Target ROI with Strategic YouTube Advertising

By now, we hope we’ve shown you just how effective YouTube ads can be—not only for brand awareness but also for traffic and action campaigns. Driving website clicks, online orders, and in-store traffic through YouTube ads is entirely achievable. Many brands have done it successfully, and with the right strategy, you can do it, too.

Partnering with an experienced YouTube ads agency can help you build a full-funnel campaign tailored to your goals and maximize your YouTube ads ROI.

Ready to take your YouTube campaigns to the launching stages? Get in touch with us below, and our team will be happy to reach out and guide you through your YouTube advertising journey.

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The post YouTube Ads for Traffic and Action Campaigns: Do They Work? 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.

How Strike Social’s YouTube VAC Strategy Delivered 3.4x ROAS

Strike Social and our aquarium park client aligned with a clear objective: to maximize Resident Pass sign-ups by targeting highly qualified audiences interested in family leisure and travel destinations. We were successful in achieving this goal.

Using YouTube VAC, the team harnessed its power to influence engagement and purchases. Our team closely monitored the campaign using Strike Social’s proprietary tool, Campaign Lab, ensuring efficiency through strategic optimization. The team optimized the campaign to drive conversions and lower ad costs. The campaign achieved an overall CTR of 0.42% and pushed specific creatives to a 1.40% click-through rate. It generated almost 3 million impressions, over 20,000 clicks, and more than 2,100 conversions.

Our YouTube VAC and traffic campaign successfully demonstrates the effectiveness of our targeted and dynamic strategies in driving user engagement and conversions. This YouTube VAC case study of Strike’s aquarium park client significantly increased Resident Pass sign-ups by utilizing a Shorts-centric ad format, performance-based budget allocation, and optimal timing, enhancing ticket sales and brand awareness.

Discover how Strike Social can elevate your YouTube video action campaign with tailored social media strategies. Contact us now to find out how we can improve your digital advertising efforts and achieve outstanding results.

The post Enhanced Conversions with YouTube Ads appeared first on Strike Social.

But what sets Video View campaigns apart from other YouTube Video ad formats? How do these campaigns fit into a marketer’s strategy? This article will uncover the potential advantages and distinctions this latest campaign type brings to YouTube marketing.

Choosing the Right YouTube Strategy

As of October 2023, YouTube boasts 2.6 billion unique users worldwide, with 246 million users in the United States alone. The average user invests approximately 19 minutes and 39 seconds daily on this platform. Within this window, your ad has the potential to capture their attention. Yet the key lies in reaching the viewers who’ll genuinely engage with your content rather than swiping or skipping past it.

This is where the different types of YouTube video ad formats come into play. YouTube provides a roadmap for aligning marketing goals with the right video ad strategy. Specifically, we’ll explore YouTube video views and action campaigns to help you choose which best suits your goals.

• What is the Difference Between YouTube Video View Campaign and Video Action Campaign?
• Which YouTube Campaign Type Should I Choose?
• Setting Up VVC and VAC: A Step-by-Step Guide
  • How to Set Up a Video Action Campaign (VAC)
  • How to Set Up a Video Views Campaign (VVC)

What is the Difference Between YouTube Video View Campaign and Video Action Campaign?

These different YouTube video ad formats are versatile tools with distinct objectives and advantages. Whether you’re new to setting up YouTube ad campaigns or seeking a quick refresher on these two fundamental types, we’ll provide a clear overview of their purpose and when to deploy them effectively.

Video Views Campaigns (VVC)

Video Action Campaigns (VAC)

Which YouTube Campaign Type Should I Choose?

YouTube Video View Campaign vs. YouTube Video Action Campaign: Benefits for Advertisers

Understanding the unique benefits and differences between a YouTube video view campaign and a Video Action Campaign is crucial for media buyers in selecting the most suitable approach. Let’s look into each YouTube video campaign type’s advantages:

Considering these benefits, you can decide based on the different types of YouTube video ad campaigns that best align with your objectives.

Setting Up VVC and VAC: A Step-by-Step Guide

Once you’ve defined your advertising objectives and determined which type aligns with your goals, it’s time to start setting up. Below, we’ve outlined the steps to create the different types of YouTube video ad campaigns:

How to Set Up a Video Action Campaign (VAC)

A. Configuring the Video Action Campaign objective

1. Begin by logging in to your Google Ads account and clicking on New campaign.
2. If you are directed to the Smart Campaigns window, click on Switch to Expert Mode.
3. Choose your campaign objective. (Video Action is available for objectives: Sales, Leads, and Website traffic.)
4. Select Video as your campaign type and proceed by clicking Continue.
5. Configure the Campaign-specific settings. Fill in the required information, including:

• Campaign name
• Locations: Specify your targeted and excluded locations.
• Languages: Choose your customers’ languages (The default is set to All languages).
• Bid strategy: Opt for either Target CPA, Maximize conversions, Maximize conversion value, or Target ROAS.*
• Budget and dates: Define your budget type, budget amount, and campaign start and end dates.
• Networks: By default, both YouTube and Video partners on the Google Display Network are selected.
• Assets (optional): Include at least 2 site links to boost conversions for your Video Action campaign.
• Additional settings: Set up Devices where your ads will be displayed, Frequency (how frequently the ad can appear to one user), and Ad schedule. You can also enable Video enhancements (e.g., allowing Google to create additional videos for various formats).

6. Create an ad group by providing it a name and configure audience targeting under the People category.

* Note: Target ROAS and MaxConv Value bidding strategies require a minimum of 30 conversions to activate.

B. Creating the video ad

1. If your video ad is not yet on YouTube, upload it first to enable access from your Google Ads account. Once uploaded, paste the URL to add it to your Video Action campaign.
2. To complete your ad setup, provide the following details:

• URL and Display URL
• Call-to-action (customizable or select from options analyzed by Google AI based on your business information)
• Headline (customizable or select from options analyzed by Google AI based on your business information)
• Long headline (customizable or select from options analyzed by Google AI based on your business information)
• Description (customizable or select from options analyzed by Google AI based on your business information)
• Ad URL (optional): Add a tracking template, final URL suffix, or custom parameters to the final URL.

3. Choose either an automatically generated image from your YouTube channel’s videos (recommended) or manually upload an image as your companion banner. Note that companion banners only appear on computer devices.
4. Provide a name for your ad.
5. When you’ve completed these steps, click “Create campaign.”

How to Set Up a Video Views Campaign (VVC)

1. Log in to your Google Ads account and click on New campaign. 
2. From the Smart Campaigns window, click on Switch to Expert Mode to access more advanced options.
3. Choose Awareness and consideration as your campaign objective.
4. For the campaign type, select Video. 
5. Under the campaign subtype, select Video views. Click Continue to proceed.
6. Fill in the essential details for the campaign:
   • Campaign name
   • Bid strategy: Target CPV is automatically selected.
   • Budget and dates: Specify your budget type, budget amount, and campaign start and end dates.
   • Networks: By default, YouTube is selected. For VVCs, you can choose to opt out of displaying on the Video partners on the Google Display Network.
   • Locations: Add your targeted and/or excluded locations (the default is set to your business’s country).
   • Languages: Choose your customers’ languages (The default is set to All languages).
   • Related videos: You can enhance engagement by adding videos related to your ads. These related videos appear below your video ad, creating an immersive experience to reinforce your message.
   • Multi-format ads: VVC allows your ads to appear in various formats and placements, regardless of their original format.
   • Additional settings: Configure the Devices where your ads will be displayed and set the Frequency (how often the ad can be shown to the same user). Establish an Ad schedule, and decide on Video enhancements (e.g., allowing Google to create additional videos for different orientations and distribution formats).
7. Create a name for your ad group. Define your audience targeting and contextual targeting.
8. You can add up to 5 videos for VVCs. Google’s AI will recommend including videos with different orientations to boost views.
9. Specify the target CPV bid for your campaign. Google’s AI will optimize bids to maximize the number of views.
10. Thoroughly review all the campaign details. When you’re ready, proceed to click Create campaign.

Deciding Between YouTube Video View Campaign vs. YouTube Video Action Campaign

Both YouTube Video Views Campaigns and Video Action Campaigns hold significant potential to elevate your brand’s presence. What truly counts is aligning your goals with the ideal YouTube video ad formats to chart your course to success.

While Video Views Campaigns may be the new tool for advertisers when choosing from a list of video ad solutions, their promising beginnings are undeniable. On the other hand, Video Action Campaigns, with their seasoned presence in YouTube advertising, continue to shine.

The insights provided now equip you to make an informed choice. Embark on an exciting journey to thrust your brand into YouTube advertising’s limelight. You hold the choice, and endless possibilities await.

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

• 
  Demand Gen Campaigns: A Complete Guide to Specs and Campaign Setup
• 
  Strike Social Named a 2025 Google Premier Partner
• 
  Is Advantage+ Audience Effective? How It Impacts Your Ad Performance

The post Picking the Perfect YouTube Video Ad Format: YouTube Video View Campaign vs. YouTube Video Action Campaign appeared first on Strike Social.

Optimizing Video Length for YouTube Ads For High-Performing Campaigns

Let’s explore the significance of the video length of YouTube Ads. Specifically, we’ll discuss whether the duration of your video ads can influence the success of your YouTube campaigns. We will uncover patterns and insights to guide the creation of YouTube ads that truly resonate and engage.

What is The Recommended Video Length for YouTube Ads?

The suggested YouTube video ad length should be between 12 seconds to 3 minutes. However, adhering to these upper limits does guarantee success and efficiency. The platform permits you to tailor your video ads within these boundaries.

YouTube doesn’t offer a one-size-fits-all video length. Instead, the ideal YouTube ad lengths hinges on your video creative’s nature and message. Here’s a closer look:

• Skippable ads: up to 6 minutes, but ideally around 60 to 90 seconds (with viewers having the option to skip after 5 seconds)
• Non-skippable ads: ideally within 15-20 seconds
• Bumper ads: capped at 6 seconds

Remember, while these are the maximum timeframes allowed, they are not rigid constraints. The question remains: Which YouTube ads video length is truly effective?

Striking a balance: Short vs. Long YouTube Ads

Data from our 2023 YouTube campaigns reveals a correlation between ad duration and viewer stickiness—ads within the 15 and 30-second range account for a significant portion of total views. As most advertisers would desire lower costs on their campaigns, remember that It’s not just about getting eyes on the ad; it’s about maintaining that gaze. Striking the balance offer enough time to provide the value of brand messaging.

Zooming into our 2023 YouTube instream skippable ads reveals evolving preferences. While most of our partner brands lean heavily towards the “0 – 15 seconds” video ads, advertisers still see long-form content as valuable. Ads that span 60 seconds or longer might be fewer in number, accounting for 5% of our mix, but they signify a trend. Brands see value in storytelling, taking the time to weave narratives that resonate deeply with viewers.

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Further Reading

Enhance Your YouTube TrueView Campaigns with Shorts Ads

TrueView ads now blend effortlessly with YouTube Shorts, displaying between clips in the Shorts feed just like they do in longer videos. Leveraging Shorts alongside in-stream ads creates a powerful advertising strategy, showcasing your message before or during other creators’ content.

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Looking further into CPV progression, our data reveals that all ad lengths witnessed a rise in CPV from Q1 to Q2. Leading the list, video length for YouTube ads with a 31-60 second duration experienced the steepest increase.

Meanwhile, shorter videos of 0-15 seconds still hold the crown as the most cost-effective. On the engagement side, despite a dip in View Rate across other video lengths, ads “61 seconds or longer” maintained the highest View Rate.

Using the Efficiency Index to Find the Optimal Video Ad Length for YouTube Ads

Imagine crafting a YouTube campaign without insights on whether the creative is too lengthy to hold attention or too brief to convey its message. Every advertiser grapples with this question: What is the optimal video ad length for YouTube ads?

This index illuminates the equilibrium between these two pivotal view metrics. An elevated Efficiency Index signifies a more optimal ad length. Our 2023 analysis indicates that ads of “0 – 15 seconds” consistently emerge as the most efficient, highlighting the importance of higher view rates and lower ad costs. Yet, a quarterly assessment reveals that ads “61 seconds or longer” took the lead in efficiency during Q2. This shift suggests that while shorter ads often dominate, there are instances where lengthier get the spotlight.

While advertisers can discern which video ad length yields a superior Efficiency Index, it’s vital to remain adaptable, adjusting video ad lengths based on the campaign intricacies.

YouTube Ads View Rate Benchmark by Industry and Video Length

Every industry is distinct, with viewers’ reception to ads varying across verticals. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Data scientists from Strike Social have compiled industry benchmarks for YouTube TrueView skippable campaigns to guide advertisers in determining the optimal video ad length.

While understanding the industry benchmark for View Rate or prevailing YouTube ad costs is crucial, other underlying factors can significantly influence a campaign’s performance. For example, a fast-paced tech ad might engage viewers in just 15 seconds, whereas a luxury travel brand might need a more extended narrative to convey its story effectively.

Is There A Magic Formula for Effective Video Ad Length?

Advertisers can choose to sprint or run a marathon when trying to capture and retain consumers’ attention. That initial effort to grab the audience’s attention has always been crucial to the creative process. However, investing resources in a YouTube Ad campaign can be disheartening, only to see viewers skip the content. Brands can mitigate this through meticulous campaign planning, which includes determining the right video ad length.

The real magic lies in deciding the ad’s duration based on historical data and continuously adapting to changing viewer preferences, industry trends, and YouTube campaign goals. While the debate over the “optimal video ad length for YouTube” persists, one fact stands firm: quality over quantity. Whether you’re designing a brief 15-second ad or crafting a lengthier narrative, the crux is the content’s relevance, quality, and value to viewers.

The post Optimizing Video Length for YouTube Ads For High-Performing Campaigns appeared first on Strike Social.

Advertisers can take advantage of the opportunities presented by the popularity of vertical content. Media buyers can strategize to stay in front of their audiences at all times, whether in long or short-form video formats.

YouTube Video Action Campaigns and Merchant Center enable marketers to integrate products into In-stream video ads, scaling consumers’ journey from product discovery to purchase. According to a Google Ads & Commerce article, VAC Campaigns with Product Feed on shorts saw an average of 70% increase in conversions over those without.

Related article: Google Offers Full Advertising Solution with YouTube Shorts Ads

Add a Product Feed to YouTube Shorts Ads

Scaling your digital storefront using video ads on YouTube is easy with the help of the Video Action Campaign and product feed in Google Merchant Center. Displaying real-time on-hand inventory stimulates consumers’ intent and leads to ad action, eventually driving purchases.

Before you start, here are some things you need to know:

1. Set up your Google Merchant Center account.
2. Plan and organize your Product Feed.

Setting Up Google Merchant Center and Product Feed

a. Sign in using your Google Merchant Center account.

b. Click the Products tab.

c. There are several ways how to set up your Product Feed

1. Upload Directly: You can upload directly to Merchant Center by clicking All Products in the Products tab.

• Enter all required details. To increase extensive reach, provide more detailed information and relevant keywords.

• Click Save once done.

2. Upload by Feed: Use Upload by Feed for more extensive inventory or bulk upload.

1. Click Feeds under the Products tab.
2. Press on the (+) button to begin creating your Primary Feed. Make sure to select the correct country and language of your target audience.
3. Add a Feed Name and select an input method. You can choose from the following:

• Scheduled Fetch: Schedule your product feed to be delivered when, where, and how often you want.
• Upload a Feed: Keep a file on your computer that contains data and manually upload it to your account.
• Content API: Google’s Content API for Shopping lets you simultaneously add, update, and delete your structured data items directly from your server.

In populating your Primary feeds using Google Sheets, here’s a handy template when filling out your product data. Download .CSV file of Sample Google Product Feed Template.

3. Other ways: Use Google API to connect your eCommerce partners or digital storefront.

Related Article: Advertisers’ Guide To YouTube Video Action Campaign Targeting

You’re almost ready with your Google Product Feed…

1. Make sure to have at least four active products on your Google Merchant Center account.
2. Include a picture of your product (aspect ratios ranges from .6 to 1.4). The ad will feature only the primary image.
3. To meet Google’s advertising policies, product listing must follow shopping ads guidelines.
4. Connect your Merchant Center account to DV 360 to get started.

Showcase your products using Video Action Campaigns 

Now that you created your product data feed, it’s time to add it to your Video Action Campaign

1. Log in to your Google Adwords account.

2. Add a campaign and choose your objective. In this example, we’ll select a Sales objective with a purchase goal. This should help the campaign drives sales efficiently.

3. Choose shopping as your campaign type.

4. Link your Merchant Center Account 

• Select which country you want to sell your products.
• Choose the Smart Shopping campaign as your campaign subtype.
• Set your budget, then upload your assets.

5. Once prepared, Google will suggest allowing machine learning to optimize your campaign for 15 days before making changes.

Related article: YouTube Shorts Under YouTube: Platform for Social Commerce

Driving Social Commerce with YouTube Shorts Ads using VAC and Product Feed

YouTube Video Action Campaigns is the perfect platform for brands wanting new eyeballs and maintaining buyer interest. Access to video content on traditional long-form video and YouTube Shorts feed, VAC campaign helps elevate brand experience.

YouTube will continue to dominate digital screens regardless of size, length, or orientation. Consumers demand to find the most relevant video content, and the supply of extensive YouTube inventory will continue to grow and be a factor in developing new shopping and viewing behavior.

We will have eyes on your campaign 24/7. Our team will optimize your campaign and help you achieve the advertising goals at the lowest cost possible. Winning at YouTube Shopping has never been more critical. And with our help, it can be easy.

The post YouTube Product Feed On Video Action Campaign: A Step-by-step Guide 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.

The Anatomy of a YouTube Video Action Campaign

Ad formats: 

For the Video Action Campaign, YouTube responsive ads can run skippable in-stream and in-feed video ads under a single campaign.  

Languages: 

YouTube Video Action Campaign can target the most used dialects or choose a specific language per your targeting.

Locations:

Google Ads location targeting allows you to show your ads to people who live within the specified region or place of interest. Initiate hyper granular locations by utilizing location-targeting options. This includes:

• Airport
• Autonomous Community
• Borough
• Canton
• City
• City Region
• Congressional District
• Country
• County
• Department
• District
• Governorate
• Municipality
• National Park
• Neighborhood
• Okrug
• Postal Code
• Prefecture
• Province
• Region
• State
• Territory
• TV Region
• Union Territory
• University

With Google Ads location targeting, you can select your target location using three methods — manual search, by radius, and bulk entry.

Your current location will appear first in these options.

Individually entry of target location

Manually type the target location in the search box. You may use the dropdown bar for quicker access.

Radius targeting entry

Type any location as your initial target area. The map also provides a helpful chart showing each location’s radius. You can reduce or increase the distance based on your desired areas.

Bulk-location entry

 You can enter and target multiple locations per line for your targeting and exclusion list. 

Download a copy of the latest US Google Geotargeting

Bid Strategy

In VAC campaigns, you can only choose two bid strategies as follows:

Target CPA – allows you to set the average budget allocation. 

Maximize conversions- The Google ads system automatically sets your bids to help you get the most conversions within your defined budget. 

Audience Targeting options

Demographics:

It includes Gender, Age, Parental Status, and Household Income

Detailed Demographics: 

It includes Parental Status, Marital Status, Education, Homeownership Status, and Employment.

Affinity:

Banking & Finance, Beauty & Wellness, Food & Dining, Home & Garden, Shoppers, Sports & Fitness, Technology, Travel, and many more

In-Market: Apparel & Accessories, Arts & Crafts Supplies, Autos & Vehicles, Business & Industrial Products, Computers & Peripherals, and many more.

Life Events: Business Creation, College Graduation, Home Renovation, Job Change, Marriage, New Pet, Purchasing a Home, or Retirement.

How they have interacted with your business: Similar Segments, Custom Combination segments, website visitors, YouTube users, and customer lists.

Call-To-Action Buttons

Pairing an eye-catching video and a custom call-to-action button can initiate engagement with ad viewers leading to a higher rate of conversion or lead generation. Here are the available Call-To- Action when setting up a YouTube Video Action Campaign.

• Learn more
• Shop now
• Sign up
• Buy now
• Watch now
• Start now
• Book now
• Download
• Order now
• Play now
• Subscribe
• Apply now
• Donate now

Head to our Video Action Campaign guide to know the optimized ad details for your next YouTube VAC setup.  

The post Advertisers’ Guide To YouTube Video Action Campaign Targeting appeared first on Strike Social.

So how does the new YouTube Shoppable Ads work? As mentioned in Google’s Blog, when a viewer sees action ads, they would be invited through a URL at the bottom of their screen to continue shopping on the brand’s website from their desktop or mobile device — with no viewing interruption. 

According to Romana Pawar, the Director of Product Management – YouTube Ads, they have seen over 90% of conversions coming from Video action campaigns for CTV that are not reachable on mobile and desktop devices.

With 108 million household users and 4.6% expected growth in the next three years, Connected TV is on the verge of overtaking its predecessor. Despite the swing, big screen co-viewing is still a popular communal family activity, and it’s just getting better. With Google Ads being more shoppable on CTV, advertisers have the opportunity to generate more sales, convert leads and open their digital storefront for a unique shopping experience. 

Trueview for Action Transitioning to Video Action Campaigns 

What exactly are TrueView Ads? These are standard video ads on YouTube where advertisers only pay when the audience has engaged or watched most of your video ads. One strong point of the TrueView campaign is its effectiveness in increasing awareness to highly interested audiences only. In addition, the TrueView Optimization Playbook has shown the positive effect of giving consumers the power to skip the ads, resulting in 75% more engagements.

Video Action Campaigns offer more scalability and ad effectiveness. With this upgrade, advertisers will be able to leverage their campaigns on more engaging platforms. As a result, ad campaigns will be more cost-effective and help drive more conversion in a single automated campaign. The Video Action Campaign will be released by early 2022 and will automatically upgrade all running TrueView for action campaigns. 

Here are some of the benefits that await marketers:

• Enhance ad conversions:  By having a new set of active eyes set on Connected TV, YouTube can help drive more online sales, lead conversion, and optimize effectively, giving brands a cost-efficient advertising platform.
• Accessibility to high-quality inventories: YouTube offers a list of proven and traffic-generating inventories such as Youtube Home Feeds, Watch Pages, and more.
• Scale through cross-device advertising: Advertisers can manage an ad on one roof without worrying about setting bids and budgets for different inventory sources.

Learn more about Google’s announcements, ad format upgrades, and things to do before transitioning to the Video Action Campaign.  

Lights. Camera. Action. Advertise.

Google is transforming YouTube into one of the primary tools for companies developing their direct-to-consumer business model. Brands have been using this video platform in many forms: sharing product knowledge, teaching new skills, connecting with the target audience, and increasing brand value.  Based on research, 70% of viewers’ buying behavior was affected when seeing brands on YouTube. The giant tech company knows how to utilize its supply and keeps a foothold in its dominance versus other video advertising platforms.

Our partners with ads setup using Video Action Campaigns saw weekly growth last September, leading to a 140% increase on MoM comparison. At the same time, it ranks second best, next to mobile, as it outperforms tablet conversion by 46% higher. 

In a nutshell, YouTube Shoppable Ads is a revolutionary update from Google for brands to incorporate YouTube action ads and shopping functionality in a single campaign. It’s specifically designed to be viewed on connected CTV and enhance consumers’ journey in online purchases.

Header image: Technology photo created by DCStudio – www.freepik.com

The post YouTube Makes Ads on Connected TV More Shoppable appeared first on Strike Social.