Harnessing the power of YouTube advertising
Influence generations, build audiences
and drive purchasing decisions
By Morgan Edge-Fosmire
Digital Media Manager
Whether at home, on the go, or in the office, you have likely used YouTube. Perhaps you tuned in to learn a new skill, catch up on the latest news or connect with accounts that share content about your interests. That makes you part of the 2.7 billion active users who frequent the free video sharing website, or among the 52% of internet users who access YouTube at least once a month.1
It is vital for advertisers to harness the power of YouTube advertising in their media mix. Not only does YouTube connect advertisers with an engaged and present audience, the platform taps into analytics ‒ views, click-through rates, watch time ‒ to help you understand and engage with a target demographic to optimize current and future campaigns.
The world’s second-most visited website (right after Google), YouTube is the most trusted U.S. platform for social commerce. Almost two-thirds of U.S. consumers regard YouTube as somewhat or very trustworthy for finding and purchasing products. Facebook comes in second with a 51% share, followed by Instagram at 45%.2
How the generations engage with YouTube
Regardless of an advertiser’s target demographic, YouTube can be an effective tool for informing consumers about products, services and programs. Let’s look at how three different age groups engage with YouTube.
1. Children: It may come as a surprise, but teens and young children are frequent YouTube users, with 80% of U.S. parents of children 11 and under saying their kids watch YouTube.3 With a plethora of videos, content and information, YouTube can be a tool for children and adults alike.
2. Generation Z and millennials: Young adults today are most likely watching how-to videos, tutorials and educational videos, as 53.5% of female Gen Z internet users and 52.2% of male Gen Z internet users have watched a video in this genre.3
3. Baby boomers: According to Google’s research team, 1 in 3 boomers report using YouTube to learn about a product or service.4 In fact, they are 1.3 times more likely to prefer watching a YouTube tutorial video over reading instructions.
YouTube advertising is highly targeted
Granular targeting is crucial for a successful campaign. YouTube ads allow you to get extremely detailed when it comes to targeting the exact audience that you want to reach.
Advertisers can direct their messaging based on topics of interest, age, gender or to those who have a strong interest in topics related to your business. YouTube also allows in-market audience targeting that gives advertisers the ability to reach customers searching for a business’s products or services.
In addition, YouTube offers a variety of advertising formats, including skippable and nonskippable video ads, display ads, overlay ads and sponsored cards so the advertiser can choose the format that best achieves its goals.
YouTube advertisement’s impact on purchasing decisions
Video advertisements have the power to capture attention and convey a brand’s message. If an advertiser is looking to influence purchasing decisions, it must consider how to best target its ideal audience.
YouTube users are likely to find an advertisement useful if the content is relevant to what they are watching. For example, a personal development coach would find the most success from placing ads alongside self-help videos.
YouTube ads encourage user engagement through features like clickable links, call-to-action buttons and interactive elements. Viewers can directly engage with the advertiser’s content, products or website from the ad itself.
Research reveals entertainment, customization and information are vital factors in creating a positive experience, which impacts advertising value and flow experience. Even with traditional media, the most successful ads are those that attract the consumer’s attention and trigger the intention to buy.
Research shows that 87% of consumers say YouTube helps them make purchase decisions faster.4
Advertising on YouTube offers a powerful platform to reach a large and diverse audience, engage viewers in creative ways, motivate potential purchasers, and achieve an advertiser’s marketing goals in a cost-efficient and targeted manner.
The MANSI Media team is here to assist with all your digital and print advertising needs. Please let us know how we can be of service to you.
Sources: 1Demand Sage, 2eMarketer, 3Hootsuite, 4Think with Google