Let’s talk about why YouTube ads are so popular. To make a long story short, YouTube is the perfect place for A/B testing the most engaging thumbnails and ad copy. Traditionally, YouTube ads involve routinely uploading video content and testing it out with various captions and descriptions. 

Skippable In-Stream Video Ads

Have you ever skipped an ad after 5 seconds of watching it? Those only charge advertisers if the ad was seen for 30 seconds or more, making it a good format for those who prize engagement. These kinds of ads are highly effective for organizations that have well-defined stories. Skippable ads offer brands and services the opportunity to hook their target audience without any upfront expenses based on vanity metrics like impression.

Non-skippable In-Stream Video Ads

If you’re not a Premium Youtube subscriber then you’ve probably had to endure multiple unskippable ads back to back. While they may feel annoying, it’s how YouTube makes their money & people have largely grown to accept this reality, however inconveniencing it may be to the viewing experience. These ads are unique in that they can provide full exposure, positioning you for high-impact branding using concise messages.

Bumper Ads 

If you’ve ever seen an unskippable ad and got mad, but then felt relief immediately because it was only six seconds long, that’s called a bumper ad. This format is good for increasing brand awareness, i.e., supplementing your other video ads. These ads are built for memory recall: if you can use brevity to your advantage, then bumper ads are, perhaps, the fastest way to leave a lasting impression on viewers.

In-Feed Video Ads (Formerly “Discovery Ads”) 

Ads appear on the side of youtube as a thumbnail with a few lines of text. Those are ads you click on, meaning, the viewer opts into seeing the content voluntarily. That property is what makes this format such an excellent tool for captivating the attention of users who show intent signs of having been previously exposed to those contents or topics.

YouTube Shorts

This is YouTube’s latest and greatest new ad format: it’s for videos that are under 60 seconds long, and it works amazingly well for demand gen and video reach goals. The scroll-friendly full-screen view positioned vertically (not square or horizontally) lets you maximize the use of the entire screen, capturing viewers’ attention instantly.

Until you can start to see which ads deliver the best results for you, spread your budget across all 4 types to start. From there, measure and iterate from the data that you collect, focusing on what’s been working and changing or halting elements that haven’t delivered.

YouTube ad costs for 2024-2025 generally range from $0.10 to $0.30 per view. The median cost per view is about $0.15 to $0.25, which means that the estimated total cost to reach 100,000 viewers can be expected to shake out between $1,500 and $2,500.

Skippable In-Stream Video Ads: These typically cost around $7.39 – $10.01 per one thousand views.

Non-skippable In-Stream Video Ads: Since viewers must watch this type of an ad regardless of their interest, these are priced slightly lower, averaging about $4.74 – $7.09 per one thousand views.

Bumper Ads: These short ads cost approximately $2.87 to $8.02 per 1,000 impressions.

In-Feed Video Ads: Costs for these ads can vary significantly, making it an especially cost-effective option when implemented as part of a robust retargeting strategy.

YouTube Shorts: Similar to in-feed ads, pricing is determined based on the specified target audience.

While YouTube ads on their own present an extremely powerful advertising strategy, combining it with one other strategy – influencer marketing – can elevate your ad performance and take it to new heights. In a nutshell, influencers have built a reputation and trust with their audience, and by partnering with them, brands can tap into their influence and reach a wider audience.

Working with widely-recognized figures will take your strategy to the next level. Beyond mere ad format choices, choosing the best spokesperson for a social media outreach will require an out-of-the-box approach, every time. From fashion and beauty to finance and technology, YouTube advertising becomes very nuanced, very fast. 

YouTube can become a profit-multiplier when used correctly, and when the message is dialed in, you will significantly improve the 3 most coveted metrics in video advertising: watch time, click through rate, and conversion rate. A comprehensive strategy helps to keep all the moving parts together. Whether you ultimately decide to just rely on standard YouTube ads, or to go all-in on influencer marketing – or perhaps combine both for maximum impact – this content discovery platform offers unparalleled opportunities.

Layering on top some additional methods like affiliate marketing, influencer marketing or other forms of “social proof” in your YouTube ads can give you yet another creative lever to ensure that YouTube remains your most powerful ally.

With the right influencers and good practices, businesses can run a successful influencer marketing campaign that produces real results. We’re passionate about helping businesses succeed in the digital landscape at inSegment. Whether you want to reach a new audience, increase brand awareness or increase sales, inSegment can help you. 

For full scope development and implementation of your YouTube ads and other marketing strategies, our experts team is here to help. If you would like to know more about how we can assist you in providing top notch brand awareness and reaching a wider audience, get in touch with us today. If you want to see what is possible, contact us and set up a time to chat.

For inquiries, contact us today.