Up to two billion people sign in to their YouTube account per month, and on average one person spends almost 11.5 minutes a day watching videos there. These are a few of many stats that can convince you that paid YouTube advertising is a great way to attract new leads. If your previous blog convinced you about the benefits of paid YouTube advertising, learn now how to easily create such a campaign.
In our previous blog, we introduced various ad formats that you can use in your campaigns and also the benefits of paid YouTube advertising. In addition to placing your Google Display Network ads on YouTube, you can also create video ads there. We have prepared a simple guide on how to do that.
Already have a paid YouTube ad, but it does not produce the desired results? Learn more about how to optimize it!
Set up your video ad campaign in these seven steps:
- Upload a video
To run a paid video campaign on YouTube, you will need a video. Its length and content should be based on the type of ad you choose – TrueView, non-skippable ads, or bumpers. Once you have this video, upload it to YouTube and move to your Google Ads account.
- Create a campaign
In the drop-down menu on the right, click +Campaigns and select Video. Google will then ask you to name your campaign. Make sure that the “Video” campaign type is correctly selected under the title entry window.
Then, enter the budget you’d like to invest in your campaign on a daily basis, and the way you want your ads to appear – either evenly or accelerated. The first option will keep your ads running evenly throughout the day, while the second will focus on getting the most views possible in the shortest time.
- Networks and localities
Next, select where your ads should appear. In addition to selecting locations for which your campaign is relevant (and the language your potential customers are speaking), also select the YouTube networks on which the video ad should be displayed – Search or Video. If you choose YouTube Search, your ad will appear in search results, on the home page, or on channels. In the latter case, if you select YouTube video, your ad will appear within the video somebody’s watching.
- Devices and bid adjustments
Select the devices where your ad should appear – computer, tablet, smartphone. You can then adjust your bids for these devices based on how beneficial various displays are to you.
- Advanced settings
The advanced settings allow you to define the duration of the ad. It will either start as soon as it is approved or within an interval you specify. In addition, you can set a daily schedule to show your ads based on when your potential customers are most active. Finally, determine if your ad can show to one person repeatedly, or just once.
- Video settings
After you name your ad group, insert a link to the video you want to show as an ad. Other settings depend on whether you want your video to appear in display or stream:
- In-display video ads: Enter the video title (max. 25 characters) and its description (two lines of max. 35 characters each).
- In-stream video ads: Set the display URL to show in the ad and the final URL to link to. In addition, you can choose images for the companion banner that is showed on the right side. By default, stills from the video will be displayed there.
- Bids and targeting
Finally, bidding and targeting settings remain. You set bids for individual views of your video ad. You can target your ad by demographics (gender, age…), but also by interests. Define audiences that match your offer in the ad the best. You can also use keyword or website targeting in advanced settings or use remarketing with Google Ads for people who have already interacted with your site but did not complete a conversion.
If you haven’t already, link your YouTube account to your Google Ads account. After you click Finish, your video campaign is complete, and you must wait for the approval. Once your ad is approved, it will start showing to users.
