According to Think with Google, YouTube reaches more people aged 18 to 49 than any cable network. It has become a powerful platform for advertisers to connect with audiences in a more targeted and engaging way.
YouTube isn’t the only “social” channel seeing how powerful video can be for engagement. Short-form videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram have seen a 75% increase in consumption globally (Statista, 2024). On LinkedIn, video posts earn 3x more engagement than text-only content (LinkedIn, 2024). Moreover, social video generates 1200% more shares than text and images combined (SocialPilot, 2024).
Mobile video continues to dominate, with 70% of YouTube watch time coming from mobile devices. The rollout of 5G networks is expected to boost mobile video consumption by 30% in 2025.
The question that you should be asking yourself right now: is my target audience using YouTube and should I be running my advertisements on YouTube? Well, to help answer, let’s first look at some statistics about YouTube.
- YouTube has 2 billion logged-in monthly users. Yeah, that’s billion with a “B.”
- 73% of adults in the United States use YouTube as a social media platform. That’s more than Facebook’s 69% and almost twice as much as Instagram’s 37%.
- YouTube is the second most-preferred platform for watching video on TV screens among 18 to 34 year olds, after Netflix. This means that YouTube is beating traditional TV – both in basic cable and broadcast networks.
- 81% of 15 to 25 year olds in the United States use YouTube.
- Each visitor spends on average 11 minutes and 24 seconds per day on YouTube.
- Over 70% of YouTube views are on mobile devices.
YouTube offers several types of ads that businesses can buy, each with different formats and objectives. Here’s a breakdown:
- Skippable In-Stream Ads
- Non-Skippable In-Stream Ads
- Bumper Ads
- In-Feed Video Ads
- Masthead Ads
- Shopping Ads
In-Stream or Pre-roll ads are the most popular YouTube ad type.
These video advertisements automatically play directly before, mid-way, or after the main video, on mobile and desktop. These ads are commonly 15, 30, or 60 seconds long. Some are non-skippable (meaning the user has to watch the entire advertisement) while others are skippable after 5 seconds, which is why they must grab the attention of their audience within the first 6 seconds. The beauty of pre-roll is that running an ad before the user’s desired content or in the middle of a video means the audience is likely engaged, interested, and willing to sit through a brief ad to get to the content that they want to see. Because some pre-roll ads can’t be skipped, these video are optimized to have strong call-to-actions in the beginning. The audience is able to click on your ad and receive something in return, such as a landing page for your product or business. Keep in mind, though, YouTube sells pre-roll advertisements on a pay-per-click basis.
You can also run Bumpers. At 6 seconds in length, they are the shortest YouTube ads available. However, one running by itself doesn’t have a massive impact. The strategy with bumpers is to have multiple 6-second ads that play sequentially in front or in the middle of multiple videos that a user watches to tell a larger story of a video campaign of a product or business. These have been proven to be very successful as their length keeps the audience engaged and they have they potential to be just as effective as regular ads in generating brand awareness.
At just 6 seconds, Bumper ads are impactful without being annoying to viewers.
Here are some example Bumper ads:
Acorn Marketing specializes in helping their clients determine what types of advertising best fit each client’s target audience. And, as we develop both a digital marketing plan and a video production plan, we’ll discuss whether YouTube is a good fit based on your goals and budget. In every case, as we work together to develop video content, we’ll be sure you are recognizing all of the different ways you can utilize video to engage, educate and attract your prospects and move them toward your desired actions.
Want to know more about if YouTube advertising is right for your business? Give us a call.
