Google Ads is behind the promotional tools on YouTube, which means that matters can get complicated. Our guide will explain the different options at your disposal when setting up an advert. This way, you can learn how to make the most of your marketing campaign.
1. Go to YouTube Studio
There are many ways to get to your channel’s workspace. One of the most straightforward methods is clicking on your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen. When the menu appears, you’ll find YouTube Studio as one of the options.
Alternatively, you can also open up your channel from that same menu, and then click either Customize Channel or Manage Videos. Both buttons will take you to the Studio.
2. Choose a Video to Promote
In the Studio, select the Content tab, which lists all your videos. Find the one you want to advertise, and click on its Options icon—it has three dots.
From the menu that comes up, click Promote. This will open a new webpage, where Google Ads will prompt you to log in to an existing account or create a new one. Whichever your case is, click the Get Started button on the page.
3. Customize Your Advert’s Appearance
Your marketing campaign should start with a good video. It’s best to follow expert advice on how to create a strong YouTube presence, and learn how to establish a brand and engage viewers.
When creating your ad, the first decisions you need to make relate to where it should appear and what it should display. In terms of the first question, you can have it play before, during, or after a video. If someone clicks on it, they will jump to a landing page of your choice.
Alternatively, a thumbnail of the ad can quietly sit on the homepage, search results, or beside related videos. Selecting it just leads to a YouTube page where you can watch the promoted video.
For this placement, you get to choose a still from your video as the thumbnail’s image. You can then type in its headline and two description lines. Your words are limited, so make them count.
While making all these adjustments, Google provides a preview of your ad. You can see how it will appear on the screen of a smartphone and computer. Once you’re satisfied, click on the Next button to fine-tune your promotion further.
4. Choose Locations and Languages
This is a quick stage to get through. Just specify the countries your target audience is in and their languages. Of course, make sure your video delivers in the same languages.
A handy feature that sits alongside these options is Google’s estimates of your advert’s weekly performance. It gives you an idea of the impressions, views, and average cost-per-view you can expect. When ready, click Next again.
5. Choose the Gender, Age, and Parental Status of Your Target Audience
This is another very simple set of options, as you can leave all the boxes ticked to ensure very broad visibility. On the other hand, being selective can cover specific gaps in your audience.
It’s generally a good idea to plan your needs and goals before setting up any marketing ventures. There are plenty of online resources that can help you improve your social media marketing skills, as well as narrow down your target audience. And don’t forget to keep an eye on those weekly estimates attached to almost every step of the Google Ad process.
6. Target Specific Interests in Your Audience
Once again, you can select to reach for as broad a demographic as possible. This may not give you the results you expect, however.
If your video is about building a computer, for example, someone into green living probably won’t even glance at it. That’s why you’ll make the most of this step by narrowing down the types of people who are most likely to actually click on your ad.
Fortunately, YouTube’s options are less extensive than Facebook and the like. All you need to do is click the downward arrows, browse through available interests, and choose the best options. The weekly estimates will adjust themselves as you go.
7. Set Your Daily Budget
Google Ads isn’t free, unfortunately, but you can control how much you want to spend per day. Just fill in the presented field with your budget, and the system will automatically stick to it as the campaign runs.
If your marketing strategy is extensive and likely to trip you up, you could turn to extra solutions for support. You might want to explore the available budgeting tools to help you manage your finances.
You should also find out when your YouTube ad will charge you. If you choose to display your ad over a video, you’ll pay when someone watches 30 seconds or interacts with your ad, like clicking and jumping to your specified landing page.
If your ad is a thumbnail, you pay each time someone clicks on it, no matter where it’s located. Each time you reach the daily budget you set, Google stops counting for that day.
8. Review Your Ad and Set a Duration
At this stage, you can inspect your choices and make adjustments before submitting the campaign for review. When you click Next one last time, you’ll arrive at your Google Ads account. This is where campaigns become a bit of a maze.
Start exploring the system with something simple in mind, like setting how long your ad should run for. In the main or Overview page of your account, you’ll see all past and present campaigns, as well as their overall performance.
Your new advert’s default name will be a serial number, but you can change that if you want. Click on the name highlighted in blue, and you’ll see its dedicated dashboard. This will remain blank until the campaign is approved and live on YouTube.
To set your dates, just select More details from the menu at the top. It will show you some basic information about your campaign along with the Edit in settings button.
Clicking this will list several settings you can adjust, including the name, locations, and even the types of videos you don’t want your ad to appear in.
If you select the budget and dates field, it will open to display these exact details. By default, there will be no end date, so you may want to choose one to have more control over your campaign, especially in terms of budget.
To do this, click Edit, pick a date for your campaign to stop, and click Save. You can always come back and change it again.
Be Smart When Promoting YouTube Videos
Once it’s out there, your video will attract a lot of attention. The decisions you make when designing and marketing any such content affect how positive its impact will be.
Getting to know the ins and outs of Google Ads, including its endless tools, will help you grow a good audience for your brand. Developing your overall grasp of social media is also a step in the right direction.
