With over 1.8 billion users, YouTube is an excellent platform for reaching users interested in your products. So by creating a YouTube ad for ecommerce, you won't miss any opportunity to reach potential new customers and increase your sales.
In this article, we'll look at the three main types of ad on YouTube, as well as the best way to create an e-commerce ad. If your e-commerce business needs help getting started, don't hesitate to consult this guide.
3 best types of YouTube ads you can run
If you want to get into e-commerce marketing on YouTube, you need to know what types of ads you can use. To do this, we'll take a look at the three main YouTube ad formats below:
Bumper ads
Bumper ads are the shortest video ad option available for your e-commerce business. In fact, these ads last just six seconds and can't be ignored. You'll find these ads at the beginning, middle or end of YouTube videos.
If you use bumper ads, you'll pay on a cost-per-mile (CPM) scale. A CPM scale means you pay when people see your ad, not if they click on it or engage with it. Since bumper ads can't be deactivated, you pay for people who view the full six seconds of your ads.
Bumper ads are a great option for e-commerce companies looking to increase the awareness and reach of their products. You can draw attention to a new product and expose people to products that you believe meet their needs.
Pre-roll ads
Pre-roll ads are non-deactivatable ads that appear before, during and after a YouTube video. They last between 15 and 20 seconds. Their purpose is to entice users to click on the ad. What's more, they're delivered on a pay-per-click (PPC) basis, so you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.
If you're using pre-roll ads, you need to make them pleasing, because users can't ignore them. You need to make your ecommerce YouTube ad attractive and grab users' attention, so they don't get the impression that it's boring.
Overall, pre-roll ads are a great way for you to familiarize your audience with your products and entice them to check them out.
TrueVie ads
Trueview ads are YouTube ads that can be longer than other ads. There are two types of Trueview ads.
InStream announcements
InStream ads are a type of Trueview ad that runs at PPC scale. They last from 12 seconds to 3 minutes and can be skipped after five seconds. What's more, they appear at the start of any YouTube video. Users can choose to watch the entire video or access their video when the skip button is available.
Trueview InStream ads are invaluable for generating sales opportunities. You expose people to your brand and get them interested in your company. This can help you drive traffic to your website, so you get more interested leads.
Video discovery
The second type of Trueview ads are video discovery ads. They appear in search results and video streams in the sidebar. They look just like another YouTube video, except that they are marked with the word "ad".
Like in-stream ads, these work on a PPC system. You pay when someone clicks on your ad, probably because it overlaps with other videos. Your company will pay for the click, whether or not anyone watches the video.
Discovery video ads are ideal if you want to increase the visibility of your YouTube channel and spread the word about your products. Now that you know the best types of ads, we'll take a look below at how to create a YouTube ad:
How do I create a YouTube Ad?
In this section, we will list some simple steps to follow to create a YouTube ad for ecommerce:
Step 1: Connect to Google Ads
To get started, go to the Google Ads page (ads.google.com) and log in to your Google account. Then make sure you're using the account linked to your online store for optimal management.
Step 2: Create a new campaign
In the main menu on the left, locate and click on the"Campaigns" option. Once in this section, click on the blue "+" button, then choose"New campaign".
Step 3: Choosing the campaign objective
Choose the objective that best suits your needs. If you're looking to drive traffic to your website, select"Website traffic". This will focus your campaign on generating clicks and visits to your e-commerce store.
Step 4: Campaign configuration
When setting up your YouTube ad for ecommerce, be sure to provide the essential information to ensure your advertising strategy runs smoothly. Here's how to do it:
Explanatory name: choose a meaningful name for your campaign that clearly describes it. For example, if you sell sportswear, you could name your campaign "Sportswear Summer 2023".
Geographic parameters: define the geographic locations you wish to target. This can be a country, a region, a city, or even a specific radius around your physical store.
Target Audience Language: choose the language in which you want your ads to be displayed. Select a language that matches your target audience.
Daily or Total budget: determine how much you're prepared to spend each day or in total on your advertising campaign. For example, if you choose a daily budget of €20, Google will spread your spending over the day.
Bidding type: You have several options for bidding on your ads. Here are two common types:
Cost per Click (CPC): you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. For example, if you bid €0.50 CPC, you'll pay every time a user clicks on your ad.
Cost per thousand impressions (CPM): you pay for every thousand impressions, regardless of clicks. This can be useful if your objective is to increase the visibility of your ad.
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Name your ad group in a meaningful way to easily identify the content it contains. Under the"Campaign type" tab, choose"Video delivery" to have your ad delivered on YouTube.
Step 6: Creating the YouTube ad for ecommerce
Click on the"Ads" tab to start creating your video ad. Select "+", then choose "Video Ad".
Step 7: Download the video
Upload your pre-prepared promotional video. Make sure the format, size and duration of the video comply with YouTube specifications. Choose an engaging video that highlights the benefits of your products and inspires action.
Step 8: Create ad text
Compose a punchy title to grab users' attention. Then write a concise but informative description that encourages viewers to find out more by clicking on your ad.
Step 9: Choosing the destination URL
Insert the URL of the specific landing page on your website where you want to direct users after clicking on the ad. Also, make sure this page correlates directly with the content of your video ad.
Step 10: Select targeting options
Select targeting options based on your ideal audience. Set parameters for demographics, interests, behaviors and relevant keywords. This will enable you to reach the people most likely to be interested in your products.
Step 11: Preview and validation
Before finalizing, take the time to review all the steps and settings you've configured. Make sure that your ad is correctly structured, that all elements are correctly aligned and that the destination URL is correct. Once everything is in order, click"Save" to submit your YouTube for ecommerce ad. We've also put together a comprehensive guide to the best strategies for creating a Google ad for ecommerce. Don't hesitate to consult this guide if you want to develop your e-commerce business.
Best practices for a successful YouTube ad for ecommerce
Now that you know the steps involved in creating an ad, let's look at five best practices for YouTube ads for dropshipping or e-commerce:
Know your target audience
Before launching YouTube ads for e-commerce, you need to establish your target audience. You need to know who you're trying to reach with your ads, so you can run successful campaigns. When you set up your account, you'll need to know the following information about your target audience:
Type
Age
Interests
Profession
Buying habits
Problems
You need to know your audience in order to produce YouTube ads that resonate with them. If you're not familiar with your audience's wants and needs, you'll miss out on your advertising campaign. To that end, we recommend our guide to the best"tips for creating YouTube ads". It can help you create ads that resonate with your audience.
Immediately highlight the benefits of your product
This advice applies mainly to Trueview ads, as they are longer. When creating YouTube ads for dropshipping or e-commerce, you should immediately highlight the benefits of your product in the first five seconds. In the case of shorter ads, such as bumper ads, the benefits should be evident within the first six seconds.
It's important to show the benefits of your product right from the start to keep your audience interested in your ad. If people don't immediately understand the benefits of your product, they won't stick around and watch your ad.
Use emotion to make your ads more convincing
Many companies use emotion to create compelling advertising content that will get their audience interested in their products. You can use humor or sadness to try to attract your audience. These are strong emotions that often make ads more convincing. Humorous ads work very well for engagement and retention. While sad or emotionally compelling ads can increase brand awareness and recall.
Take a look at Hyundai's advertisement for its new Sonata. Hyundai used this ad as a Trueview InStream ad. In this ad, it announces the car's new feature called "Smart Park", which lets you get out of the car and let it park itself. This car manufacturer chose a humorous approach by having the actors speak in Boston accents. So, instead of calling it "Smart Park", they call it "Smaht Pahk" and imitate the Boston accent. This makes the ad fun and humorous, which immediately grabs viewers' attention.
If you click on the in-stream ad and visit their page, you'll see that it's all about the Boston accent. When you visit the home page, you can choose to view the page "plain" or "Boston-style". This YouTube ad is a great example of how to create an ad that appeals to emotion (humor) and create compelling ad copy that draws users in.
Make your ad as visual as possible
This tip may seem obvious, but it's essential nonetheless. If you want to succeed with your ecommerce YouTube ad, you need to make it as visual as possible. Some companies will create video ads and fill them with text. Videos are supposed to be visual, so it's best to use less text and more images and movies.
You can, of course, include text in your ads. In fact, text is probably essential to the success of your ad. However, it's better to use visuals to present your products.
When focusing on visuals, you need to make sure they're of high quality. You don't want to present your audience with grainy, poor-quality photos and films.
Always monitor ad performance
One of the best practices is to constantly monitor your advertising campaign. Many companies make the mistake of launching ads and never coming back to them. This practice is a waste of money, as you'll never know if your ads are generating the best results for your business.
You'll want to track statistics such as clicks, views and time spent watching the video. These statistics can help you understand whether your ads are generating results or whether you need to make changes.
Monitoring also lets you test your ad formats, ad content and more. By keeping an eye on your ad's performance, you'll create the most effective YouTube ads for e-commerce.
Conclusion
Are you ready to take advantage of YouTube advertising for your business? Running YouTube ads will help your business reach more people interested in your products. It's a great way to capture more leads, increase brand awareness, engage your audience and boost sales.
However, to really shine in the world of online advertising, it's not enough just to follow the steps involved in creating an effective ad. You also need to offer a winning product. And that's where Minea comes in.
Minea, a winning product search tool, is used by many e-tailers around the world. With its advanced filtering options, finding the perfect product is just a click away. But it doesn't stop there. It also features a competitor analysis function. You can examine your competitors' popular products and discover their strategies. This in-depth understanding gives you a competitive edge by informing your advertising decisions. To find out more about this tool, you can start a free trial of $0 per month.
Frequently asked questions
Are YouTube ads good for e-commerce?
Absolutely. YouTube ads stand out by offering a larger, more unique audience than other major PPC channels. Their appeal also lies in enhanced customer engagement. Indeed, these ads offer a more captivating way to connect directly with customers, by adapting to their interests. What's more, they're easy to create and optimize.
Do YouTube ads boost sales?
As far as the effect on sales is concerned, YouTube ads generate quick returns. By delivering your ads to a wider audience, you'll see increased clicks, website traffic and, ultimately, sales over time.
Which YouTube ad type performs best?
It all depends on your objectives. If you want to boost the visibility of your YouTube channel, discovery ads are a must. However, if your ambition is to reach a large audience with a substantial budget, YouTube mastheads are the optimal choice for making a significant impact on your audience.
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