Last week, we covered some of the best tips and tricks out there for helping you create YouTube ads that actually connect with your fans. While, previously, we focused more on the creative elements to your ads — content advice and editing tips — this week, we’ll be getting into more of an analytical mindframe. This time around, we’ll be exploring things like how to analyze your ads’ performance, incite viewers to take action, and utilize the best formats to dissuade people from clicking away.
After all, without investigating the results of your ads, you’ll never know what worked and what might be worthwhile the next time you run an ad. The more you learn, the better your ads will perform and the more their messages will stick.
Check out these six additional tips to make your YouTube ads more effective!
- Keep mobile in mind. Most people watch YouTube from their (small!) mobile devices, so keep that in mind when framing shots and using text graphics — not everything will look as big as on a desktop or television screen. Consider YouTube’s six-second bumper-ad options tailored for smartphones.
- Consider making a highlight reel. Let’s face it: Most people won’t watch an entire pre-roll ad, so it’s safe to say that less is more. Putting together a quick recap video of some of your best live performances is an efficient way to show a potential new fan what your sound is all about.
- Include a call to action (CTA). Make sure there’s a clear-cut end goal at the close of your ad. Whether you want people to click a pop-up link to your Spotify page or purchase tickets to an upcoming show, you’ve got to clearly give the viewer next steps at the end of your ad. You can send people to your website, to your YouTube channel, to another video you want them to watch… the possibilities are virtually endless.
- Target your ad to the right audience. We’ve discussed a lot about ad targeting on the AWAL Blog before, and YouTube is no exception. As an AWAL member, using the demographic data the AWAL App offers can significantly help you target your pre-roll ad to an audience that’s more likely to be interested in your sound. Similar to the guide in this article about how to create Facebook ads that connect with new fans, the AWAL App offers location and demographic data that will come in handy when catering to the right audience via YouTube.
- Link your YouTube account to an AdWords account. Besides viewing video statistics like completion rates, engagement, and earned views, linking your YouTube channel to an AdWords account allows you to create CTA overlays to drive interest to and action from your videos. You can also use AdWords to create remarketing lists, which brings us to…
- Retarget viewers. Retargeting or remarketing is just a fancy way of saying your videos will show up for viewers both on and off YouTube after they view your ad. Doing this reinforces your message, giving you a much better chance to get a higher return on your ad spend. To start, create a list in your AdWords account and specify who you’d like to retarget, from people who viewed certain videos to those who simply visited channel pages. For starters, create a “viewed any video” list, which aggregates users who, well, view any video. You can also create lists based on a specific video or various other criteria.
Like anything, the more armed with knowledge you are going into the process of creating your YouTube ads, the better your results will be. We recommend taking both parts of this series to heart before launching your first YouTube ad in order to plan its entire lifecycle. After your ad wraps up, make sure to record its results somewhere so you and your team can brainstorm about what worked, what didn’t, and what to try next time. Happy YouTubing!
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