There are many types of advertisements available online for e-commerce businesses. Figuring out the right variety for you to use can be tricky. If you have been wondering if YouTube Ads could be the next step in order to grow your sales, it’s likely that a video ad could be exactly the solution for you.
The first step is to create a great video ad. Don’t skimp on the script and storyboarding process. Make sure you get the best possible actors or voice talents you can get for your ad and hire great editors for high-quality and professional results.
Once you’ve spent the time and money to create an awesome video advertisement for your business you certainly don’t want it to go to waste. Simply embedding it on your homepage isn’t going to do much for your business. After all, the people who will see it are already on your site. Even putting your advertisement on social media isn’t going to get big results.
Video ads are proven to work, but only if the right audiences see them. One great way to get a video advertisement seen is to place it where audiences are already watching videos. And there’s no better place on the internet for watching video content than YouTube. If you want to target your customers, it’s time to be using YouTube Ads.
YouTube’s Popularity Is Unquestionable
Did you know that Youtube has 2 billion users worldwide? That’s a huge potential audience for your business. Even if you limit yourself to just the YouTube users in Ireland you have a huge reach. With so many daily visits from a wide variety of age ranges and demographics covered, placing an ad on YouTube is a great way to get your E-commerce business to stand out.
In fact, every day, YouTube users watch one billion hours of video. If you do the math, that would amount to every single person on Earth watching about 8 minutes on YouTube. Obviously, some people are spending significantly longer on this website than others and you can tap into that audience with a targeted YouTube ad.
YouTube is the 3rd most visited website worldwide. It’s a safe bet that your target audience can use YouTube for something. You just need to find them. That may sound like a big ask, but it doesn’t need to be. Advertising on YouTube can be easy and beneficial if you understand how to do it well.
Place Your Ads in A Search-Based Way
Let’s say you are a small kitchenware e-commerce shop. When users in your geography search YouTube for “how to set the table” or “Christmas tablescape ideas” then seeing an advertisement for your shop would make perfect sense. And it may even result in a clickthrough and purchase. Worst case scenario, they have been exposed to your brand.
That is how YouTube’s search-based advertising works. It matches up ads with users searching for keywords that match your business. This can work out great because you are being strategic with who will see your ads, so you aren’t wasting resources on users who are unlikely to ever make a purchase or even visit your site.
Google has since made it possible to target YouTube viewers based on their Google search history as well as their YouTube viewing history. So they don’t need to be specifically looking for a video that is specific to your business model in order to see your ad that may still be relevant to their interests. Google search history doesn’t lie!
Targeting viewers by keywords makes a lot of sense from a marketing perspective. If an ad is relevant to something they’ve already been searching for recently, they are more likely to watch the ad all the way through. Watching an ad may even lead to a clickthrough, which is excellent for your business. If you’ve ever used YouTube you’re probably already familiar with the ads that play before, during, and after the videos, you are trying to watch. Maybe you’ve noticed the video ads that appear when you do a search. There are a few different types of ads on YouTube and only you can decide which version will work best for you.
TrueView Ads
The standard video ad you’re probably the most aware of is likely part of the TrueView Ads program and they can be a great way to be found. If you are looking to truly show off what your e-commerce business is about, TrueView Ads are a great option.
TrueView Ads are based on the idea that people should only watch your ads if they may be interested in what you have to offer. Since it takes about 20-30 seconds before a viewer is allowed to skip an ad, that gives you a chance to give your name and product the attention you’re seeking!
The good news about TrueView Ads is that you will only pay if a viewer watches your ad for at least thirty seconds. This is why there are length requirements for these video ads. Non-Skippable ads must be between twelve seconds and six minutes in length. Skippable ads are a little shorter and should be fifteen to twenty seconds long.
There are two types of TrueView Ads, one of which is an instream ad. Instream ads are played before someone watches the video they've selected on YouTube. While viewers will sometimes have the option to skip the ad after watching it for a time there are also unskippable ads. Your budget and goals can help you decide which kind of video ad you’d prefer.
There are also video discovery YouTube ads that are TrueView ads. These are ads that will show up on the YouTube homepage under search results and as related videos after watching a video on YouTube. If a user clicks on the ad the destination video page will also feature a companion banner display ad on the right-hand side of the screen.
Because true view ads can be skipped you want to make your video as entertaining as possible. Give your audience a reason to keep watching, a simple product plug is not usually the best way to get the views or results you're looking for.
Pre-roll Ads YouTube Ads
If you are looking for a way to avoid users passing by your ad, then a pre-roll YouTube ad is the way to go. Pre-roll ads are non-skippable and can play before, during, or after the main video. These ads can be 15 to 20 seconds long. An engaging pre-roll ad can be incredibly successful for any business, especially e-commerce.
Since any YouTube video that is ten minutes or longer in length can also have a mid-roll video ad, these ads are excellent. The viewer is already watching the content and is unable to skip it if they want to continue their video.
Pre-roll ads are best when paired with a call to action. This optimizes the attention you have from the viewer who can't skip your ad. How you want to encourage your viewers to click on your ad is up to you. YouTube’s pre-roll video space is pay-per-click so make sure that your clicks are worth it or you'll be paying unnecessarily.
It’s true that pre-roll ads can be interruptive. Make sure that you provide an interesting or even entertaining break to lead people to become customers of your business. These video ads are a great way to raise awareness for your e-commerce business. Pre-roll ads can target specific geography and language demographics. This gives you a wide scope available to tailor your ad to the right audience.
With any video advertising, It's likely you can't avoid it appearing to people who won't be interested in your product. Be sure your video ad shows the benefits of your business and the problems you can solve for a consumer. Even if someone isn't interested you've still created brand awareness.
Bumper Ads
The simplest YouTube ad is a bumper ad. At just six seconds long, these will run right before a video plays. They can’t be skipped because they’re so short. But because they’re so short they aren’t great for stand-alone marketing campaigns. These can work best when they are paired with a full-scale ad that a user will see in another area.
Bumper ads are incredibly straight forward. The major benefit is that video consumers are often becoming “ad blind”. This means that ads are ignored either consciously or subconsciously. A bumper ad’s shortened length gives a viewer less time to ignore the content.
Bumper ads also feature a countdown letting a user know exactly how much time they have before the video they want to see begins. With a typical video ad for thirty seconds, a viewer, especially one on a desktop computer, could tab over to social media or another website while waiting. A bumper ad is more likely to be watched all the way through.
Finding Your Audience on YouTube
Because YouTube allows you to target certain geographies, you won’t have to worry about paying for a bunch of views in Australia who will never purchase from your Irish business. Having full control over the content and distribution of a YouTube ad can be incredibly beneficial to any e-commerce business.
If you have a specific gender or age of customers that are more likely to become your client base you can target them directly with YouTube. Advertising needs to be strategic and YouTube makes it incredibly easy to find the exact audience you’re hoping for.
All In On Video Advertising
Take some time to plan out your YouTube marketing strategy. Understand that advertising on YouTube can be an effective way to advertise and allows you to do so without breaking the bank. It’s all about reaching the right viewers at the right time, and that’s easy to do with YouTube ads.
The bottom line is that creating a YouTube video ad is a great way to target your potential customers. Create a professional ad and decide which format of ad you’d like to have and then get rolling. Any e-commerce business should look into advertising on YouTube since that’s where their audience is anyway, don’t miss out on potential.
With many people watching YouTube on their phones to pass the time when they’re waiting, your customers don’t even have to be at home in order to be reached via YouTube. Reaching your target audience is easier than ever before with a YouTube ad, giving you the potential for a ton of growth.
Conclusion
Now that you know the ins and outs of using YouTube ads to target Irish customers, it's time to get started. Start by creating an account with Google Adwords. The process is secure, free and takes only a few minutes to complete. Once you have your account created, run some tests to make sure the platform is set up correctly and working for you. You'll be a YouTube video marketing pro in no time!
Reaching Irish customers on YouTube is a great way to introduce them to your products and grow your sales. With the right strategy, you can make this platform work for your business.
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