Do you feel that your business hit the proverbial brick wall? Are you struggling to reach a specific target market? Are you looking to level up your advertising strategies?
YouTube is one of the best places to start. The popular video-sharing website boasts of over 1.8 billion monthly users.
It is also the second most-visited website in internet history. In the United States alone, 96% of American internet users aged 18 to 24 visits YouTube.
With its extensive reach and appeal, you need to advertise on YouTube. The question is, do you know how to start?
Check out the step-by-step process we prepared for you down below.
Steps to Advertise on YouTube
Yes, digital marketing on YouTube requires some work, but it’s not as complicated as you may think. Let’s break down the simple steps on how to make ads on YouTube.
1. Create a Google Ads Account
Begin by creating a Google Ads account. This is crucial since this allows you to run your ads both on Google and YouTube using the same site. Make sure to link your Google Ads account with your YouTube account.
2. Begin Your Campaign
The next step is to start your campaign. Like any other campaign, you need to give a name to yours. Head on to the toolbar section and hit “Campaigns.” Click on the blue-colored plus sign to add your new campaign.
Since you want to advertise with YouTube using videos, select “Videos.” Name your campaign then pick a format. You can choose from re-marketing ads, in-stream ads, or bumper ads.
You will notice that Google wants you to be specific with your targets. Thus, you will need to choose a specific goal for your YouTube ad.
3. Determine Your Budget
The next step is setting up a budget. It doesn’t matter if you are looking to spend all of it quickly or slowly. You can opt to go for an overall campaign total. You can also choose a specific amount that you will spend daily.
With Google Ads, you need to learn how to maximize your budget. This can be tricky since Google can charge you up to two times the amount of the budget you set.
For example, if your daily budget is $5, you may end up paying up to as much as $10 because of the charges. In case you go a little over the $10-mark, they will return the excess in the form of credits.
You can also choose the delivery method for your budget. Standard delivery means Google will spend your budget slowly throughout the day. The accelerated method, on the other hand, means Google will promote your ad aggressively and immediately until your budget runs out.
4. Pick Your Network
Choose where you want to showcase your videos. Do you want to show them on YouTube alone? Or you also wish to utilize the Google ad network?
You can also select the zip codes, cities, regions, and countries where your ads will appear. Align this option with your goals.
If you are targeting a select market, be specific with the cities or areas. If you want to increase your brand visibility, you should go broader in your options.
5. Prepare to Bid
This is the stage where you will put up the value you are willing to pay for every view of your ad. The key is to start low. A good number of businesses start at 10 cents per view.
From there, monitor the results over the next three days. If you see that you are spending faster than you should, lower your bid. If you are still within your spending range, you may opt to increase your bid.
6. Select Your Audience
After setting your bid, it is now time to select your target audience. The key is to be aware of the demographics of the viewers that you target. This includes their age, gender, parental status, and content.
If you are catering to the Japanese market, you should customize your video to use the Japanese language. Go through all of the options and select the ones that best match your requirements.
7. Upload
Now you are ready to upload your video. Uploading is easy, it is maximizing your options that are tricky.
Head on to “Advanced Settings” to pick the specific days you wish your ads to show. You can also choose the specific times of the day too.
Businesses tend to turn off their ads between 12 am to 6. You should go for the times when people are likely online. This can be during their lunch break or in the afternoon.
Tips for Optimizing Your Videos
Another important tool that will help make your YouTube ads a success is optimization. Check out these tips below:
1. Choose the Right Keywords
Use the right keywords so that your audience can find your videos faster. Try to be as specific as possible. Think of the possible words that your target market may type if they are searching for similar products and services that you offer.
2. Mobile-Friendly
You also need to make sure that your videos are mobile-friendly. Today, 77% of Americans own a smartphone. One in every five Americans relies on smartphones alone for internet browsing.
Go for a thumbnail that is visually-appealing even on a smartphone screen. If you are not happy with YouTube’s options, you can create your own thumbnail.
Make sure that your titles and descriptions are short.
3. Begin Strong
You only have about three to five seconds to capture the viewers’ attention. Start strong by opening with a catchy statement.
Your intro is like your way of making a strong first impression. Once the viewers bite the hook, they will likely watch the rest of your videos.
Conquer YouTube and Beyond!
Your decision to advertise on YouTube is great. But you shouldn’t stop there. You need to consider the different social media platforms for your advertising strategies.
Don’t know where to start or how to optimize your advertising campaign?
Get in touch with us today. Let’s discuss your options and take your business to the next level.
