HOW TO ADVERTISE ON YOUTUBE

At Lillian Purge, we specialise in Local SEO Services and have written a practical walkthrough on How to Advertise on Youtube so you can reach your audience and boost brand awareness with the right ad strategies.

YouTube is one of the most powerful platforms for online advertising, reaching over two billion active users every month. Businesses of all sizes can use YouTube Ads to promote products, build brand awareness, and engage audiences through visual storytelling. Setting up and managing a YouTube advertising campaign is straightforward once you understand how the platform works and what type of ad best suits your goals.

Understanding YouTube Advertising

YouTube ads are managed through Google Ads. When you create a campaign, you can target viewers based on demographics, interests, behaviours, or specific video content. This makes YouTube a highly effective channel for reaching both local and global audiences.

The platform offers a variety of ad formats:

  • Skippable in-stream ads: Play before or during videos, and viewers can skip after five seconds.

  • Non-skippable ads: Must be watched in full, usually lasting 15 seconds.

  • Bumper ads: Short six-second ads that appear before videos and can’t be skipped.

  • In-feed video ads: Appear in search results or related video sections.

  • Masthead ads: Featured at the top of the YouTube homepage (usually for large-scale brand campaigns).

Each format serves different purposes, from generating awareness to driving traffic or conversions.

Step 1: Set Up a Google Ads Account

To advertise on YouTube, you’ll need a Google Ads account linked to your YouTube channel.

  1. Visit the Google Ads homepage and click “Start Now.”

  2. Sign in with your Google account.

  3. Enter your business information and billing details.

  4. Link your YouTube channel by going to “Tools and Settings” → “Linked Accounts” → “YouTube.”

Once your accounts are connected, you can start creating campaigns that target YouTube audiences directly.

Step 2: Define Your Campaign Objective

Before launching your ad, determine what you want to achieve. Google Ads offers several campaign objectives, including:

  • Sales and leads: Designed to drive direct conversions.

  • Website traffic: Focused on getting viewers to visit your website.

  • Brand awareness and reach: Ideal for increasing visibility.

  • Product and brand consideration: Encourages users to learn more about your offerings.

Choosing the right goal ensures your campaign settings, targeting, and bidding strategy align with your desired outcomes.

Step 3: Choose Your Ad Format

Select the type of YouTube ad that fits your campaign objective and budget. For example, if you want to build awareness quickly, bumper ads or non-skippable in-stream ads might be suitable. For driving website traffic, skippable in-stream ads with clickable links are often more effective.

When creating your video, keep it short, engaging, and tailored to your audience. The first few seconds are critical for grabbing attention and preventing viewers from skipping.

Step 4: Set Your Budget and Bidding Strategy

YouTube Ads use a bidding system similar to other Google Ads campaigns. You can choose between:

  • Cost-per-view (CPV): Pay when someone watches 30 seconds of your ad or interacts with it.

  • Cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM): Pay for every 1,000 times your ad is shown.

  • Cost-per-action (CPA): Pay when a user completes a specific action, like visiting your website or making a purchase.

Start with a small daily budget to test performance, then increase spending once you identify which ads and audiences perform best.

Step 5: Target the Right Audience

YouTube’s strength lies in its targeting options. You can reach viewers based on:

  • Demographics: Age, gender, location, and income.

  • Interests: Categories such as technology, travel, or fitness.

  • Keywords: Videos or searches related to your product or service.

  • Placements: Specific YouTube channels or videos where you want your ad to appear.

  • Remarketing: Target users who have previously interacted with your website or videos.

Combining multiple targeting options helps ensure your ad reaches the most relevant audience for your business.

Step 6: Create or Upload Your Video Ad

You can upload an existing video from your YouTube channel or create a new one. Make sure your video aligns with your campaign objective. For example, an awareness ad should focus on storytelling and branding, while a lead-generation ad should include a clear call to action.

Optimise your video by keeping it concise, using captions, and maintaining high-quality visuals and audio.

Step 7: Write Engaging Ad Copy and Calls to Action

Even on a video platform, written text plays a role. Add compelling ad copy for titles, descriptions, and call-to-action overlays. These encourage users to take the next step, such as “Learn More,” “Shop Now,” or “Sign Up.”

The message should match the tone and style of your video while guiding viewers toward your goal.

Step 8: Monitor and Optimise Campaign Performance

Once your ad is live, use Google Ads’ reporting tools to track performance. Important metrics include:

  • View rate: The percentage of people who watched your ad.

  • Click-through rate (CTR): How many viewers clicked your link.

  • Conversions: Actions taken after viewing your ad.

  • Cost-per-conversion: How much you paid for each completed action.

Review this data regularly to identify which ads, keywords, or audiences deliver the best ROI. You can then refine your targeting, adjust bids, or test new creatives to improve results.

Tips for Effective YouTube Advertising

  1. Focus on storytelling. People engage more with emotional or relatable content than with overt sales pitches.

  2. Use high-quality visuals and sound. Poor production can reduce credibility and engagement.

  3. Keep ads short and impactful. The ideal length for most YouTube ads is between 6 and 30 seconds.

  4. Test different variations of your ad to find what resonates most.

  5. Add subtitles for accessibility and to capture viewers watching without sound.

How Much Does It Cost to Advertise on YouTube?

YouTube advertising costs vary depending on your bidding model, audience, and competition. On average, businesses pay between £0.05 and £0.25 per view. Campaigns with niche targeting or high competition may cost more.

You can set a daily or total campaign budget, giving you full control over spending. The flexibility of YouTube Ads makes it suitable for both small local businesses and larger national campaigns.

Measuring ROI from YouTube Ads

To measure success, track conversions and traffic through Google Ads and Google Analytics. You can also use YouTube Analytics to review engagement metrics such as watch time, likes, comments, and shares.

Focus on how well your ads contribute to business goals—whether that’s generating leads, increasing sales, or boosting awareness. Adjust your campaigns based on real data to maximise long-term ROI.

Final Thoughts

Advertising on YouTube can be an incredibly effective way to reach new audiences and build brand recognition. By targeting the right users, setting a realistic budget, and creating engaging video content, businesses can generate measurable results without overspending.

Start small, track performance closely, and refine your approach over time. With the right strategy, YouTube Ads can become a key component of your digital marketing plan, driving both visibility and revenue for your business.

We have also written in depth articles on How Much Does YouTube Pay? and How Much Does it Cost to Advertise on Youtube? as well as our YouTube Hub to give you further guidance.