It's likely that everyone you know, from toddlers to retirees, have watched something recently on YouTube. A website that started as an online dating service has now become the standard for user generated video content worldwide - approaching nearly 3 BILLION users per month in 2023.
Research is showing that paid YouTube ads are 84% more likely to capture a viewer's attention compared to a traditional TV ad. As a small business owner, the next question is "how do we get in front of this massive audience?"
You've reached the right place. Flanker Media has partnered with many small businesses to place targeted video ad campaigns on YouTube. If you're considering YouTube as an option for your small business marketing efforts, here are a few things you should know.
Pinpoint Relevant Zip Codes to Maximize Your Budget & Reach
Similar to PPC advertising, you have the ability to accurately pinpoint the areas you'd like to target - by county, city, and even down to individual zip codes. This level of precision grants you tight control over the reach of your YouTube ads, ensuring that your budget is maximized by reaching the most relevant and valuable audiences. Most small businesses, especially retail locations, realistically have a pretty small radius to pull in customers. The more accurately you can carve out this radius with your ad campaign, the less budget you waste.
Target Beyond Basic Viewer Demographics
As you'd expect from a company like Google, a huge advantage of using their ad platform is the treasure trove of data they possess and categorize. You can target viewers beyond simple demographic information like age, gender or general location. Below we've included a short list of data points that can be layered into a localized YouTube advertising campaign for a small business owner:
Income Ranges
In-Market Audiences related to recent purchase intent
Recent Keyword Searches
Life Events such as Recently Moving or Starting a New Career
Home Ownership
Specific Brand Interests
Choose From Different Ad Lengths & Sequences
With a range of available ad format & sequencing options, selecting the right type is important to maximize the impact of your campaign. Below we've outlined a list of the available inventory options for YouTube ads and which options may be the best fit for your campaign.
Skippable In-Stream Ads:
These ads play before, during, or after a video and allow viewers to skip them after several seconds. They can be a cost effective option for brand awareness and reach. Ensure your content is engaging from the start, as your guaranteed face time is limited.
Non-Skippable In-Stream Ads:
As the title implies, these cannot be skipped and cap out at 15 seconds. By guaranteeing longer face time, less emphasis needs to be placed on the "open" of your ad. Use this format when you have a concise message or call-to-action that you want viewers to remember.
Bumper Ads:
Bumper ads are short, non-skippable ads of up to 6 seconds. They're ideal for delivering quick, memorable messages. Bumpers work well when you have a specific, catchy tagline, deadline or a brief showcase of your product or service. These ads maximize the total impressions you can serve by costing much less on a CPM basis.
Sequential Ads:
A campaign using sequential ads has several different creatives in mind with the intention of having them shown to targeted viewers in a specific order. If using several short ads with different priorities or time sensitive information, this may be the best format for you.
Campaigns Can Reach Beyond Just YouTube
Since YouTube is owned by Google, running campaigns within their network allows you to access streaming video ad inventory beyond just the YouTube website (should you choose to do so). By enabling Video Partners on the Google Display Network, your ads can now be featured on thousands of brand-safe websites and screens across the web. Many of these sites are locally based, such as broadcast TV affiliates or regional newspapers. Others may appear in popular mobile games or streaming services. Depending on the targeting layers you choose, your ad may also be shown to YouTubeTV streaming cable subscribers within the geographic area you choose.
Receive Thorough Campaign Reporting Each Month
Every month, you will get a full breakdown of how your YouTube campaign performed. This detailed reporting is coupled with the support of our account management team which, in combination, should provide a deep understanding of how your campaign is performing and enable us to make informed decisions for optimization and future strategies. It will include metrics like:
Total Impressions Served
Total Clicks
Breakdown of Devices (by Cost, Impressions & Clicks)
Breakdown of Identifiable Gender (by Cost, Impressions & Clicks)
Breakdown of Identifiable Age Range (by Cost, Impressions & Clicks)
Impressions Served by Time of Day
Content Your Ads Were Featured In
Performance By Each Targeted Location
Need Help Creating or Optimizing YouTube Ad Campaigns for Your Small Business?
Are you ready to get your ad in front of your hand-picked audience? Partnering with an agency that employs Google Ads certified staff to support your YouTube campaigns can be a more cost effective option than managing in-house. We've successfully managed YouTube campaigns for business owners in many different industries in the Cedar Rapids area and beyond.
Check out our agency YouTube channel for inspiration and then contact us here to get the conversation started.
Attack Opportunity with help from Flanker Media - the full service ad agency for small business owners.