by Jessica Klein
When you post an advertisement, what’s better—forcing viewers to watch, or letting them choose whether or not they want to engage with your content Let’s skip the pondering and focus on the latter (read: the obvious answer). Lucky for brands, YouTube offers TrueView video ads—you know, the ones that let you skip after the first five seconds (That’s why they’re also known as “skippable” ads.) This means that brands only have to shell out cash for advertisements people watch for at least 30 seconds.
However, that’s not the beginning and the end of TrueView opportunities on YouTube, as told by the YouTube Playbook for Brands. Figure out how to showcase your brand’s content best in each of the following ad formats on the digital video platform…
1. The In-Stream
As described above, these ads appear at the beginning of creator videos on YouTube. That familiar, black and white button in the bottom right corner of the video lets viewers say farewell to the ad after as little as five seconds, meaning that if you put your ad here, you’ve got to make those first, crucial seconds very compelling. Try for a video ad with a plot that viewers will want to watch unfold.
2. The In-Display
This video ad looks like any other thumbnail in the suggested videos section of YouTube (as well as on the Google Display Network, which means it shows up on a variety of websites outside of the video platform, too). Again, you only have to pay for every time your ad is clicked, and to get it clicked, you need a good-looking thumbnail. Read here for how to create one.
3. The In-Search
Those videos that show up on YouTube and Google video search above all else—that’s what “in-search” video advertising looks like. Viewers aren’t duped by this commercial tactic. They know that these ads are, indeed, ads. However, to make potential viewers click, you’ll need to compete with whatever they were actually searching for, which are often trending topics, because they’re words that people type into Google on a regular basis. Make your video’s title more intriguing than the latest, popular listicle to help steer internet surfers your way.
This article was originally posted on VideoInk and is reposted on [a]listdaily via a partnership with the news publication, which is the online video industry’s go-to source for breaking news, features, and industry analysis. Follow VideoInk on Twitter @VideoInkNews, or subscribe via thevideoink.com for the latest news and stories, delivered right to your inbox.
