YouTube is one of the best social media platforms to advertise on. You can reach around 2.514 billion users if you choose to advertise on YouTube. Engage with a diverse audience while you grow your brand with effective advertising.

The key to being successful at advertising on YouTube is avoiding making one of the many mistakes that brands have before you. You can learn from what others have done in the past, seeing what's worked and what hasn't. Save yourself time and money in your advertising campaigns.

This guide will discuss the top YouTub video advertising mistakes to avoid. If used correctly, YouTube can be one of the biggest growth channels for your brand.

Target the Wrong Audience

You want the YouTube users who view your ads to be interested in your products or services. Many brands think that their videos will appeal to a wide range of people. They'll often select the wrong audience to target, resulting in a low amount of conversions.

Take the time to research your customer demographics. You can define them based on different categories, such as:

• Gender
• Age
• Relationship status
• Education level
• Background
• Location

Figuring out their interests and attitudes can help you understand their purchase intent. It'll also help you discover what types of videos they'll be watching so you can know where to place your ads.

Failing to Have a Clear Strategy

Any marketing campaign you launch needs to have an objective. Some examples of marketing goals include:

• Improve your conversion rates
• Grow your leads and sales
• Increase brand awareness

Your audience and your marketing objective will influence the type of ads you create. Create a content plan that has clear goals for what you want the ads to accomplish. These objectives will also help you determine how well the ads are performing.

You're Not Using In-Stream Ads

In-stream ads are short ads that play before, during, or after a video. They typically range from 60-90 seconds. They're set up to run automatically while a user watches a video.

There are two forms of in-stream ads:

• Skippable ads
• Non-skippable ads

A skippable ad can last up to six minutes. However, people can skip watching it after about five seconds.

Non-skippable ads can last around 15 seconds. People can't skip them and the ad only ends when the video starts.

It's important to understand that people don't head to YouTube to watch advertisements. They go there to watch funny videos or to learn something new. They'll more often than not skip your ad if they're able to.

Brands only pay for the amount of time a person watches an ad. You'll only pay for a skippable ad when they watch at least 30 seconds of the video.

The skippable feature makes view rates an important metric to watch. YouTube will let you know how many users watch your entire ad or at what time mark they skip it.

Setting Too Low of a Budget

YouTube ads are a cost-effective way to reach your target audience. Setting your budget too low on a per-view or daily basis means that your ad likely won't be seen by your target audience.

Most default ad bids are set at 20 cents per view or $20 each day. Brands in popular industries might need to increase their budget to improve their chances of getting seen. You might want to consider raising your budget to 50 cents or $1 per view.

Bidding on TVs Instead of Handheld Devices

A lot of users watch YouTube videos on their smart TVs or Roku devices. You need to make sure you're placing your ad on the right display based on what your goals are.

For example, say the goal of your video advertising campaign is to increase your website traffic. If users are watching your ad while viewing YouTube on TV, they're not able to complete your desired action. They can't click on the ad to go to your website.

Unfortunately, you'll still get charged for impressions and views, depending on what your bid strategy is. Having ads appear on TVs isn't an effective use of your marketing budget if increased website traffic is your goal.

If your campaign objective is to improve your video views or brand awareness, TV placements are a great option. That's because the viewer doesn't have to take action.

Not Including a Clear Call to Action

You have just a few seconds to grab someone's attention while on YouTube. They'll want to quickly move past your ad so they can get to the video they want to watch.

Users should know who your brand is and what you have to offer in the first few seconds of your video. Once you've got them hooked, you need to create a clear CTA so they know what steps to take next.

Examples of CTAs you can include in your ads are:

• Watch one of your YouTube videos
• Subscribe to your channel
• Visit your website
• Sign-up for an event
• Follow your brand on social media

Not Repurposing Successful Ads

Look at your past YouTube ads if you've been running your campaigns for a while. Which ones performed well? You can repurpose old ads to make them into something better.

Some ways you can repurpose old ads include:

• Making them shorter or longer
• Including new pop culture references
• Adding relevant information or topics

You don't need to completely redo your video. The video was already giving you the results you wanted. Look for areas you can improve that'll make it more interesting to your audience.

Maximize Your Success in Advertising on YouTube

Advertising on YouTube can be a great and affordable way to grow your brand. Knowing what your goals are and who you're targeting should be the first step you take when starting your campaign. Avoiding common pitfalls will ensure your campaign is more successful.

The experts at Viva Media can help you learn how to advertise on YouTube. Our video editors have experience creating captivating video ads. Contact us to learn more.