YouTube Ads can be a great way to diversify your brand’s marketing efforts beyond Facebook and reach a wider audience. But before you start, there are some important things to consider and understand. First, YouTube is a unique platform that’s neither purely search nor social, making it difficult to master. Second, YouTube users may not be looking for what you’re offering when they see your ad, so your messaging must be compelling enough to grab their attention. Finally, a brand that has an organic YouTube presence is more likely to outperform one that solely uses the platform for advertising.
However, there are reasons why DTC ecommerce brands should consider YouTube Ads. Unlike Facebook, YouTube Ads are interruptive, but if you’re able to deliver compelling content, you have a better chance of retaining viewers. A strong hook and interesting storyline can turn your ad into anything from a music video to a fix-it guide. YouTube Shorts can also be a great way to create snackable content that can be repurposed for advertising.
If you’re thinking about trying YouTube Ads, here are five recommendations to give your brand the best chance of success:
1. Understand the platform’s unique capabilities and limitations
YouTube has over 2.68 billion users, making it the second-largest search engine behind Google. However, Google’s attribution is largely click-based, so you may not see as many reported conversions, and campaigns will need more time before you start seeing the results in post-purchase surveys.
2. Pay attention to formats and targeting capabilities
YouTube Shorts only lets you upload vertical video assets that are less than 60 seconds, so it’s important to ensure that your content fits the format. Create a video action campaign that targets only mobile devices to help the system lean towards Shorts.
3. Have the right mindset
YouTube won’t deliver the same ROAS you get on Facebook, but it can provide similar incremental revenue and scale. Your approach should be geared towards creating brand awareness that drives conversions on other platforms.
4. Start small
Begin with one campaign to see how it performs before you invest too much money and time into YouTube Ads. The platform can be budget-intensive and may require sufficient investment before you see any significant scale.
5. Use your own attribution
Post-purchase surveys are a good way to understand where your customers first heard about your brand. However, you may want to consider additional measurement tools like Northbeam or Triple Whale to measure impact.
In conclusion, YouTube Ads can be a great way to reach a wider audience beyond Facebook, but it’s important to understand the platform’s unique capabilities and limitations. By creating compelling content and using the right approach, you can achieve incremental revenue and scale for your DTC ecommerce brand.
We want to thank the thought leader Menachem Ani as the source for this content and such awesome teachings on the subject and we hope that this article can help you and your business! Here’s the link to his post https://searchengineland.com/youtube-ads-ecommerce-guide-428130
