YouTube is one of the biggest players in the digital marketing today. With over 2.49 billion active users, it is no wonder that advertisers are increasing their investments every year. As the second most visited website in the world, harnessing its potential can significantly elevate your brand's visibility and engagement.
I am here to help equip you with actionable strategies to supercharge your YouTube presence, helping you connect with your target audience more effectively and drive meaningful results. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your approach, these insights will empower you to elevate your YouTube strategy to new heights.
Not only is YouTube one of the largest global digital platforms with a diverse audience, it also has the ability to connect advanced targeting options with diverse ad formats that support different goals. Think of all of those potential eyes on your brand. YouTube viewers are highly engaged and are spending more time consuming long-form content which makes it the perfect spot for an advertiser to capture users’ attention and drive brand awareness, ad recall, or engagement.
The Rise of CTV
According to Emarketer, CTV is the fastest growing ad channel and ad spend is predicted to match Linear TV by 2028, and according to Statista, 88% of American households have at least one CTV streaming service. If you have kept eyes on the market, you have probably seen new offerings and ad-supported tiers from some top dogs, like Netflix and Amazon. With all the different CTV placement opportunities out there, why YouTube CTV?
As Connected TV (CTV) continues to skyrocket in popularity, YouTube is no longer something you just watch on your phone or laptop, it is on your big screen too! In fact, YouTube CTV counts for more than 50% of ad-supported streaming. Imagine bringing the power of traditional TV ads to your living room, but with all the smart targeting magic of digital marketing. That’s what YouTube + CTV does! It lets brands reach an audience who’s all cozy on their couch, soaking in your ad in a premium viewing setup. It’s the best of both worlds: TV-style impact with digital precision, right where your audience is most engaged. Another surprising stat is that Nielsen reported Youtube as the #1 network on TV! Not only that, but Youtube said viewers are 2x more likely to buy something they have seen on Youtube, [with] 70% of viewers saying Youtube is responsible for introducing them to new brands. All these data pieces point to a strong argument for brands to be advertising on Youtube.
The Top 3 Reasons We Love YouTube CTV
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Ad and Goal Varieties
Since YouTube has so many ad types, you have the ability to test so many different creatives at every stage in the consumer journey. You can inform, engage, and convert which offers the opportunity to establish differentiated Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) at all stages. You can drive awareness with Reach campaigns, build consideration with Video View Campaigns, and drive action with Video Action campaigns.
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Audience Targeting
Another benefit to investing more in YouTube CTV versus traditional TV is the ability to have granular targeting and reach users based on interest, search behavior, demographics, and remarketing. Since YouTube is under Google’s ownership, it has access to all the most advanced and highly detailed targeting options in digital advertising. There are also a large range of brand safety measures in place, and you can utilize placement and topic exclusions.
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Measurement
Linear TV performance is difficult to measure, but with YouTube CTV, all of your favorite YouTube analytics are available. Measurement features like brand lift, search lift, and full funnel reporting down to the conversion level are accessible. This is music to my data-loving ears. The near real-time reporting feature gives it a testing advantage with the ability to make quick and nimble adjustments and decisions.
Getting Started
Now that you’re on board to test YouTube CTV, how do you do it? If you’re running YouTube campaigns, you’re already there! YouTube CTV placements are already included in traditional YouTube campaigns, but you can break it out into its own campaign and only use the TV Screen device placement in settings, to test this placement specifically.
Now’s the time to take advantage of this growing trend and supercharge your YouTube presence with CTV. So, go ahead and start experimenting with YouTube’s CTV offerings—your audience is ready, and your brand's next big leap is just a click away!
Setting up your first YouTube campaign? See this blog for tips and tricks on how to get started!
