A display ad is a clickable image or animation that appears to the right of the feature video when the viewer is using a desktop. It’s above the video suggestions list. Here’s an example:

The specs for this type of ad are 300 x 250 or 300 x 60, and animations can run for a maximum of 30 seconds (although there is no sound so as not to interfere with the main video). The maximum file size allowed is 150KB, and file formats supported are: GIF, JPG, PNG, and HTML5.

Display ads can only be seen on desktops and if viewers choose to make their video full-screen then the ad will be completely removed from view. However, the spot of display ads (directly above suggested videos) is a prime location and the ad does not interfere with the viewer’s enjoyment of the video.

An overlay ad is a semi-transparent banner that appears in the lower 20% portion of a video. It is a clickable image or text box and is only visible to desktop users. Here’s an example:

The specs for this type of ad are 468 x 60 or 728 x 90, and the maximum file size is 150KB. Supported file formats are: GIF, PNG, and JPG.

Although they are simple and static, overlay ads are pretty genius. They demand attention without being too imposing. They are subtle enough that some viewers may leave them on while the video plays out, but even if a viewer does close the ad they have still seen it–and thus become aware of your brand, product, or service.

A skippable video ad plays within the video player either before, during, or after the main video. They can be anywhere from 12 seconds to 6 minutes in length, and viewers are given the option to skip the ad after the first 5 seconds. Here is an example:

These ads must be uploaded to YouTube in an MP4 format, but they can remain unlisted if you only want to use the video for advertising purposes. As such, the specifications are the same as any YouTube video–1080p is preferred but 720p is also accepted. A major benefit of skippable video ads is that they can appear on any platform: desktop, mobile, TV, and even games consoles.

The main downfall of skippable video ads is in the name: they can be skipped. However, if you make the first 5 seconds of your ad as compelling as you can then you should be able to keep viewers watching. Some advertisers even acknowledge that the skip button is there as a way to ‘break the fourth wall’ and hook viewers. Here’s a great example:

A non-skippable video ad must be watched in order for a viewer to continue to the main video. Like the above, these ads can also appear before, during, or after the main video. Here’s an example:

The specifications and maximum file size are the same as skippable video ads, but the length of the ad is different. Non-skippable ads can only be a maximum of 20 seconds (and in some regions the limit is just 15 seconds), so you’ll need to get your point across quickly.

The best thing about a non-skippable ad is that you are guaranteed the viewer’s full attention, and with YouTube’s impressive targeting capabilities you are also pretty much guaranteed that the viewer will fit the profile of your target audience.

A bumper ad is a non-skippable video ad with a maximum length of 6 seconds. They can be viewed in both desktop and mobile. Here’s an example:

The maximum file size is 1GB and the following file formats are accepted: AVI, ASF, Quicktime, MP4, or MPEG.

If you thought traditional non-skippable ads were limited, with bumper ads you have even less time to get your point across! But, despite their short length, there has been encouraging research around their effectiveness. According to a Google study of 489 bumper ad campaigns, 61% drove a significant lift in brand awareness!

A sponsored card displays content that is relevant to the main video, such as products featured within the video. They are similar to overlay ads but they only appear on screen for a few seconds. If viewers then want to find out more, they can click on the icon in the top right-hand corner of the video. Here’s an example:

Sponsored cards can appear within videos viewed on both mobile and desktop, and the following file formats are accepted: JPG, GIF, and PNG. The aspect ratio of the cards must be 1:1 and the maximum size is 5MB.

These clickable images are great way to advertise your products or services within one of your own YouTube videos, but aren’t the best option if you’re looking to roll out ads across the entire platform.

1. Setup

2. Targeting

3. Launch

First things first, you need a compelling ad. You can target all the right keywords and set the highest daily budget, but if your ad sucks then no one is going to click on it. Follow all of the tips above to make sure that your ad is the perfect size and resolution, then start thinking about the bigger picture.

Ask yourself:

“What is going to interest my ideal customers so much that they are willing to leave the video they have chosen to watch to learn more about my product, brand, or service?”

It’s a tough question! YouTube has algorithms in place specifically to keep people on their site (suggested videos, autoplay etc.) so you really need to put a lot of thought and effort into overcoming that.

When it comes to creating an ad, it’s best to seek the help of expert marketers who do this sort of thing all day, every day. They will be able to talk to you about your ideas and flesh them out into an ad that will blow your customers’ socks off!

How well do you really know your customers?

You may know their approximate age, where they live, how much money they make. But do you know why they are on YouTube? Do you know what they are likely to be watching?

Think about the intent of your customers on YouTube and try to match that with your ads. If your customers are visiting YouTube to be entertained, make your ad entertaining. If they are on YouTube to be informed, make your ad informing. Hint: a mixture of the two would be even better–like this ad we made for Be Natur:

You should take full advantage of YouTube’s advanced targeting capabilities to reach the people most likely to buy your product or service. You can not only target by demographics and keywords, but also by selecting affinity audiences. These are custom audiences put together by YouTube based on users habits, such as browsing history and time on pages visited, to help you connect with your ideal customers at scale.

It may go without saying, but don’t limit yourself to just one ad type. The more ads you have on the platform, the more exposure customers will have to your product, brand, or service. Take another look at this screenshot:

Monday.com are using a display ad and a skippable video ad simultaneously, essentially doubling their chances of interaction.

It’s not enough to know the types of keywords your ideal customers will be searching for, you need to also know how competitive and costly those keywords are. Here’s an equation to keep in mind:

High Volume + Low Competition = a great keyword

Use tools like Keywords Everywhere (which is a Chrome extension) to build a list of keywords applicable to your ideal customers. It allows you to search for keywords directly within YouTube, giving you important stats about competitiveness and cost:

And it even suggests similar keywords that you may never have thought of:

In order for your ads to be profitable, you need your CPV to be low and your CTR to be high.

When it comes to advertising, you never want to be standing still. There is always something that can be improved or tweaked to better the success rate of your campaign.

Experiment with different ad types and different call to actions to see what engages your customers more. You should also keep an eye on your analytics to monitor the success of your campaigns. If one keyword is generating a great return, consider manually increasing the amount you bid for a click. If another keyword is flatlining, make it a negative keyword (so that you no longer rank for it).

There is no right or wrong here. By continuously working on your campaigns you can continuously improve them to generate the best results possible from your YouTube advertising.