Our Blogs

We all know the drill…open up any how-to video, product review, or vlog posted to YouTube, and it is a given that you’ll see an advertisement before, during, or after your video. You’ll also see other ads posted around the frame of the video you’re watching. Have you ever thought of advertising your business through YouTube ads?

Before you answer, consider this—YouTube is the second most popular website…in the world…bested only by Google. And 90% of people, worldwide, say they discover new brands or products while on YouTube.

The bottom line here is this—YouTube ads should be a part of your small business marketing strategy. Without them, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of your market. To help you make the leap to YouTube ads, we’ve gathered everything you need to know about why YouTube ads are worth your consideration and what options are available.

Are you sure YouTube ads can work for small businesses?

The short answer…absolutely. Let’s look at a few reasons why.

1. They’re Affordable

You may be surprised at just how low the advertising cost can be with YouTube—the average video ad costs just $0.10 – $0.30 depending on video quality and targeting. Another bonus…you only pay for the ads visitors watch or choose to engage with.

Finally, the videos you create for YouTube can easily be shared across other platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, giving you more bang for your proverbial buck.

2. They’re Viewed by an Audience Who’s Ready to Buy

Many people head to YouTube when they’re ready to make purchase but want some help choosing between two options. In fact, 68% of users report watching YouTube to help them make a purchase decision. And the amount of time people spend viewing “shop with me” videos on mobile devices has grown over 10x in recent years.

The takeaway here is this—people are coming to the site ready to make a purchase and looking for guidance. Your well-crafted, relevant ad could grab the attention…and wallets…of eager users.

3. People Actually Like Watching Ads on YouTube

It may seem counterintuitive, but there are quite a few people out there who watch YouTube ads, and not just the first bit before skipping through the rest. According to the gurus at Ad Scholars, a whopping 72% of users watch in-stream ads in their entirety.

Considering nearly 5 billion videos are viewed on YouTube in a single day, the odds of getting your ad in front of interested eyes make jumping on the YouTube ad bandwagon a no brainer.

What kind of ads are available on YouTube?

True View Discovery Ads

Discovery ads are little sneaky in the best possible way. Here, your ad video will come up in a search results page along with other related videos. Your ad will display as a thumbnail of your video, along with a headline and brief description. Users who click on your ad will be taken to your YouTube channel where they can watch your video.

Discovery ads are a great way to build brand awareness and give visitors a clear understanding of who you are as a business and what services/products you provide.

Non-Skippable Ads

As you’ve probably guessed, non-skippable ads cannot be skipped and must be watched in their entirety (usually 15 – 20 seconds) before the video begins.

For advertisers, the biggest perk of this format is having a captive audience…but it can also be a double-edged sword. Because your audience is forced to watch your ad, it is important the content is enjoyable and engaging. Forcing potential customers to watch a boring or annoying ad is a surefire way to lose leads.

True View In-Stream Ads

Think back to the days of traditional television marketing. As a child, your Saturday morning cartoons were occasionally interrupted with kid-centric ads for the latest toy or board game. In-stream ads are the modern version of traditional commercials as they interrupt the YouTube video and momentarily steal the user’s attention.

Unlike non-skippable ads, in-stream campaigns can be skipped after about 5 seconds of viewing. These are often a win/win for the ad creator—if viewers find the content engaging and interact with it, you’ve just generated a lead. If they choose to skip, you aren’t charged for the ad and you have valuable information about the watchability of your ad and can adjust future ads accordingly.

Bumper Ads

Bumpers are six second, non-skippable ads that play before a YouTube video and are great to use as follow ups to longer non-skippable or in-stream ads. Let the longer ads build brand awareness for initial viewers, then follow up with bumper ads for returning viewers to keep your brand fresh in their minds.

When used correctly, YouTube advertising can be a valuable tool small business owners can use to build brand awareness and generate leads that convert to sales. Knowing which ad campaign is right for your goals is critical to your success. If you find you’d like an assist getting your YouTube ad campaign started, contact us at Digital Canteen. Our team has over 18 years of experience helping clients get their businesses noticed online. We’d love to add yours to the DC family.

Thanks for reading,
Digital Canteen Team
02-9025-4304