YouTube Ad Fundamentals - Everything You Need to Start Running YouTube Ads

A Step-by-Step Guide to Start Running Youtube Ads

We're going to dive into how you can set up your video campaigns in Google Ads, also known as YouTube Ads. Before we jump into the step-by-step process for setting up ads, it's important to understand the five core principles that will make your video ads successful.

5 Core principles of strong Youtube Ads

1. Strong Hook

Your video ad needs to immediately grab the viewer's attention within the first six seconds. Give them a reason to watch your ad by building desire or highlighting a problem they're facing.

2. Introduce Your Product as the Solution

Once you've hooked the viewer, present your product as the solution to their problem or the way to fulfill their desire.

3. Communicate Trust and Brand Authority

After you've captured their attention and introduced your product, establish trust and credibility with your audience. Show them why they should choose your brand.

4. Strong Call to Action

Clearly state what you want the viewer to do and how they can take action, whether that's making a purchase or filling out a form.

5. High-Quality Video and Audio

While you don't need a massive budget, make sure your video ads have baseline video and audio quality. This will contribute to the overall success of your campaign.

Now that you understand the core principles, let's dive into the structure you should use for your YouTube campaigns. This structure works for both small campaigns and larger campaigns for companies like Suzuki.

Campaign Structure:

To set up your video campaign, start by separating your audience into different ad groups. The first ad group targets broader audiences based on their interests or affinity lists. The second ad group is more specific, allowing you to target users of specific channels or niche markets. This can be a more cost-effective way of reaching your core buying market.

You can choose to set up these ad groups as separate campaigns or within the same campaign. Running them as separate campaigns gives you more control over budgets and spending.

Running successful ads takes time. Success comes in the process of optimization.

Now that we've covered the five core principles and the campaign structure, let's jump into the step-by-step process of setting up a video campaign in Google Ads.

Step 1: Choose Your Campaign Objective

When setting up a new campaign, select either sales or leads as your objective. This will allow Google to use conversion data at the account level, providing better insights into the type of people who interact with your ads and are more likely to convert.

Step 2: Choose Your Conversion Goals

Select the conversion goals that align with your campaign objective. You can remove any goals that are not relevant to your specific campaign.

Step 3: Select Your Video Campaign Type

Choose the campaign type that aligns with your objective, such as driving conversions or sales.

Step 4: Write Your Campaign Name

Give your campaign a name that is easily recognizable and makes sense for the targeting and objective of the campaign.

Step 5: Choose Your Target Locations

Select the countries, cities, or specific areas you want to target with your campaign. This allows you to reach your desired audience effectively.

Step 6: Choose Your Language and Bidding Strategy

Select the language of your campaign and decide on your bidding strategy. Maximize conversions is a good starting point, allowing Google to optimize your campaign for the highest number of conversions. You can later switch to target CPA or target ROAS options.

Step 7: Set Your Daily Budget

Determine your daily budget, keeping in mind that video campaigns may have different spending patterns than other campaign types. You can set a daily amount or a total campaign budget.

Step 8: Add Site Links (Optional)

If applicable, add site links to direct viewers to specific pages or products related to your campaign. This can provide additional value and conversion opportunities.

Step 9: Write Your Ad Group Name

Choose a name for your ad group that is descriptive and easy to understand.

Step 10: Add Audiences

Define the audiences you want to target with your ads. This can include YouTube channel collections, remarketing lists, or audiences based on specific interests or demographics.

Step 11: Create Your Video Ads

Upload your video to YouTube, then copy and paste the share link into the ad creation process. Write compelling headlines, descriptions, and calls to action to engage viewers and encourage them to take the desired action.

Step 12: Save and Create Campaign

Review your ad settings, give your ad a name, and then create your campaign. Congratulations, your campaign is ready to go!

Running a successful video campaign takes time and ongoing optimization. Be sure to monitor your results, make adjustments as needed, and give your campaign enough time to gather sufficient data for accurate insights.