You have finally made the decision to invest in video content to boost your brand. But how do you ensure that your video is watched or reaches your target audience? If no one watches your videos, it is no better than not making videos in the first place. One way to ensure that your videos are being watched by your target audience is to run YouTube ads. They are a cost-effective way of distributing content, improving brand awareness, and acquiring customers.
But are all YouTube ads the same? Not really. They are at least 5 major types of YouTube ads you can run in 2022. Choosing the right type of ad is critical to the success of your campaign. Here are the types of ads you must be aware of before setting up your campaign.
5 types of YouTube Ads
- Skippable in-stream ads (Truview ads): This is one of the common types of YouTube ads and can be skipped after watching for 5 seconds. They commonly appear at the beginning of the video on YouTube but can also be spotted anywhere on the Google Display Network. As the name ‘Truview’ suggests, advertisers only pay for these ads when a viewer watches them for at least 30 seconds or interacts with the ad by clicking on the CTA. For these ads, it is crucial to capture the viewer’s attention within the first 5 seconds so that they continue watching. Starting with a problem statement or a popular scenario will help the audience empathize and stay connected. One of the advantages these ads have over others is the amount of insights marketers can get. You can get information such as partial views, full views, interactions, etc.
- Non-Skippable in-stream ads: Unlike the above ads, these cannot be skipped by the viewers. They are 15 to 20 seconds in length and can play either at the start, middle or after the main video has ended. Advertisers pay per impression for these ads i.e CPM. These ads are great for either brand awareness or conveying a quick call to action. Ensure that your messages are crisp and clear for these ads.
- Bumper ads: These are a sub-category of the non-skippable ads and are 6 seconds long. These are the shortest form of YouTube ads. Here too, advertisers pay per impression. They are great for short messages and brand awareness. You may not be able to tell a great story in 6 seconds, so use the duration for direct and sharp communication. The shorter duration also calls for better visuals to connect with the audience and create brand recall. They are usually played before the main video. If used judiciously, bumper ads can be great for conveying very memorable brand messages.
- Masthead ads: This isn’t a very well-known ad format but is ideal for creating massive brand awareness. These ads will be displayed on the YouTube homepage and will stay on top of the feed for 24 hours. Unlike the rest of the ad categories these cannot be purchased online. You will have to contact a YouTube sales respresentative or a Google Ads representative to buy these slots. You also cannot target specific audience with mast head ads. You can only choose a country to target. The ads are automatically shown to everyone in that location. Because these ads cost a whopping amount, they are generally not used by small or medium brands. These ads cost much higher when run on special days or events. If you are looking to run these ads, ensure that your messaging is suitable for a broader audience. Keep the ads short and catcy.
- Video discovery ads (also known as in-feed video ads): These ads appear alongside organic search results. They do not appear before or while playing the actual video. If the audience feels the ad is more relevant to their search than the other videos, they can watch it. These ads usually appear with a thumbnail and text. When a user is watching these ads, a banner ad appears along with these ads. These ads can also be found in the suggested videos section while you watch other videos. These are also considered ‘Truview’ ads and advertisers pay only when users watch the video for 30 seconds or longer.
It is important to get a hang of the types of YouTube ads before you start running them. Check out what your competitors are doing and what the industry is doing. Get a hang of the messaging, create good quality videos, and hooray! you can get started! You can also learn more about the types of YouTube ads from Google blog, Hubspot, Hootsuite etc.
To get started on YouTube video ads you can take a look at our advertisement production services and get in touch with our video experts. We’ll help you identify the goals of your campaign and narrow down the possible strategic and creative treatments.