What Do You Need to Know About Youtube Ads? [2021]

YouTube is the second most popular social media around the world. Almost 2 billion traffic visits on YouTube every month. Youtube Video Ads give you the capability to reach a huge amount of audience. You can run Youtube Advertising through Google Ads. This is an undeniably valuable platform if you wanna target a vast audience around the world.

In this blog, we’ll discuss the types, format, and payment methods. Lets’s have a peek at these-

Types Of Youtube Ads

Youtube lets you run a couple of compelling video ad formats. These prove fruitful in engaging the customers. So, there are 6 types of youtube google ads. Those are-

• Skippable in-stream ads
• Nonskippable in-stream ads
• Video Discovery ads/ In-feed video ads
• Bumper Ads
• Outsrteam Ads
• Masthead Ads

If you are streaming through the internet, you probably already know about these ads types. So, let’s talk about the differences among these 5 types of YouTube ads and how we can take the advantage of them.

1. Skippable In-Stream Video Ads

These ads can appear before starting the video, at the middle of the video, or the end of the video.

If it starts at the beginning, it’s called pre-role; if at the middle, it will be called mid-role, and if at the end, it is called post-role.

Length

The audience can skip the ad after 5 seconds. The video length should be between 12 seconds to 3 minutes. However, the most ad length is around 30 seconds.

Most interestingly, this ads type was known as Trueview ads before. But YouTube has changed its name.

Payment Method

The advertisers can pay via two methods, i.e. CPV and CPM. CPV stands for Cost Per View. On the other hand, CPM stands for Cost Per Thousand Impression. Therefore, in CPV if someone views your ad, you will have to pay. But in CPM, you have to pay if your ad appears before your audience. To clarify, if your ad appears on the search page or YouTube’s homepage, you have to pay for that.

In the CPV method, you will pay if someone watches your ad for 30 seconds. Because 30 seconds is equal to 1 view. However, if your ad is less than 30 seconds, for instance, 25 seconds, you will pay when someone watches the full ad. Because in this case, 25 seconds is equal to 1 view.

CTA

Most interestingly, you can add a CTA button in Skippable in Stream ad. To clarify, CTA means Call to Action. You can add a Call to Action button which will appear at the bottom left corner. The Character Limit of the CTA is 15. That is to say, you have to write a call to action within 15 characters. It is very essential for driving traffic to your website.

However, The CTA button has another crucial part to play than driving traffic to your site. To clarify, if someone doesn’t watch 30 seconds of your video but clicks on the CTA button and goes to your website, it will be counted as a view. For instance, let’s say someone watched 3 seconds of your video and then clicked on the CTA button, you will have to pay for that. Because as I mentioned, YouTube will count that as a view.

Where The Ad Will Appear?

This is a good question, isn’t it? So, the Skippable In-Stream Ad will appear on the Youtube watch page. It will also appear across the Google Video partner websites and apps.

But there is an option to choose between these. To clarify, you can choose only Youtube to run your ads.

What Goal Can I Accomplish?

You can accomplish the following goals through this campaign-

• Sales
• Leads
• Websites Traffic
• Brand Awareness and Reach
• Product and Brand Consideration

In Google Ads, you can also use this ad format by choosing “create a campaign without a goal’s guidance” in Google Ads.

2. Non-skippable in Stream Ads

As the name reveals, the audience can’t skip these ads. They have to watch the full ad before watching the video they intended to see. You can create Non-skippable youtube ads from Google.

Like the skippable video ads, Non-skippable in Stream Ads can appear at the beginning, middle, or end.

Length

The ad’s length has to be 15 seconds or less. Let’s say you have prepared an ad that is 30 seconds long. And you want to run a Non-skippable in Stream Ads. The question is would you be able to run it? Well, the answer is no. You can run 30 seconds long ad as a Non-skippable in Stream Ads.

CTA

As I have mentioned earlier, that CTA button is a must if you want to drive traffic to your site. So, Non-skippable in Stream Ads has the option of CTA. That means you can add a Call to Action button if you run this ad.

Where Will This Ad Appear?

Well, this field is pretty much the same as skippable ads. Non-skippable in Stream Ads appear on YouTube Videos, Google video partners, and across Google Partner Websites.

Payment Method

You have to choose Target CPM bidding for running the ad. That means you have to pay based on impression. There is no option for other bidding strategies.

What Goal Can I Accomplish?

This ad format is basically good for big brands and companies. Non-skippable in-stream ads are the best option for raising brand awareness and increasing reach.

So, Big brands like Apple who doesn’t actually need to drive traffic to their website as people already know about them, can run this ad for promoting new product launch or any big update.

3. Video Discovery Ads

Video Discovery Ads were formerly known as In-Display ads. However, Through this ad format, the advertisers promote their business. However, the ad consists of a thumbnail image from the video and also a headline and description.

Video Discovery Ads invites people to click to watch the video. So, after someone clicks, the video plays on the YouTube watch page or channel homepage. Additionally, the Video Length depends on where it appears. And also there are no options for adding a CTA button.

Where Will This Ad Appear?

This ad will appear in a couple of places, for example, YouTube search results, alongside related YouTube videos, and on the YouTube mobile homepage.

Payment Method

The only available bidding strategy is Maximum CPV. As an advertiser, you will be charged when someone clicks your video ad on the Youtube search page or homepage.

What Goal Can I Accomplish?

Basically, the video discovery ad is a good fit for promoting-

• Contents in places of discovery
• Including next to related YouTube videos
• As part of a YouTube search result
• and on the YouTube mobile homepage

Generally, this ad format is useful for the Promotion of YouTube channels and Product and brand consideration.

4. Bumper Ads

Bumper Ads basically are the ads that would give you the chance to reach more people and increase the awareness of your brand with a brief but memorable message. In addition, there are no options for adding a CTA button. Similarly, Like other ad types, you have to create Youtube Bumper Ads from Google in the same vein.

Length

Bumper Ads are generally 6 seconds longer or even shorter than that sometimes. Like skippable and no-skippable in-stream ads, it can play before, during, or after a video ends. However, viewers can’t skip the ad.

Where Will This Ad Appear?

If you run this ad, it will appear on YouTube Videos, apps that are Google Ads video partners, and also across Google Partner Websites.

It also appears on Youtube TV depending on the availability and eligibility. Learn More.

Payment Method

The available bidding strategy for bumper ads is the target CPM. That means you will be charged when your ad is shown 1000 times.

What Goal Can I Accomplish?

You can create a bumper ad campaign for increasing brand awareness and reach.

Moreover, The difference between bumper ads and non-skippable ads is the duration. The maximum non-skippable video length is 15 seconds whereas bumper ads length is 6 seconds.

5. Out Stream Ads

Out Stream ads basically mobile-specific video ads that run on partner sites for reaching out to potential clients. So, The ad is specially made for mobiles and tablets. Outsream ads play in a mute mood, the viewers have to tap to unmute during watching the video.

Length

YouTube doesn’t say much about the maximum ads’ length. But the advertisers are charged once the ad is viewed for 2 seconds.

Where Will This Ad Appear?

This is a different category ad. Because outsream ads are not available on youtube. So, It only appears on partner sites. This ad format can appear as a banner when viewers are on a website from a mobile device. On the other hand, it can appear as in-feed, native, portrait, and full-screen modes in mobile apps.

Payment Method

The bidding strategy for outstream ads is vCPM. To clarify, vCPM means Viewable Cost Per Thousand Impression. So, you will be charged if your ad is Viewable.

Now the question is, when your ad will be considered viewable, right? Well, your ad counts as viewable if firstly, 50% of the ad screen space is visible. And finally, the viewers have to watch the ad for at least 2 seconds or more.

What Goal Can I Accomplish?

Advertisers use outstream ads when they want to expand the reach of your video ads on mobile. Because it helps to reach more customers. In conclusion, this ad type is useful for Brand Awareness and Reach.

6. Masthead Ads

Masthead ads are the best for few reasons, for instance, to showcase the brand, product, or service in a native and video-based ad format, etc.

Basically, It appears on YouTube Homepage at the top as a banner. The masthead ads in addition autoplay without sound. In addition, It plays on the desktop for 30 seconds. On the other hand, on the Mobile, and TV screen for the full duration.

Above all, you cannot create this ad by yourself. To clarify, you have to reach out to the Google Support team and book a Masthead ad for a particular day in a particular geography.

Usually, a masthead ad is reserved before 7 days of the campaign. But it always depends on the availability.

Normally, Google does not allow more than 5 advertisers in a row for a masthead. But sometimes there is an exception.

The advertisers are charged on a CPM basis. However, This type of campaign is really expensive. For example, it can cost you $10-15k on a daily basis.

So, these are the 6 types of ad formats available on YouTube. Hope you have found which one is the best fit for you during the read.

Now, let’s have a quick view of Youtube Ads Types and Formats that Google Allows-

Ad Type	Length	Payment Method/Bidding Strategy	CTA	Appear	Probable Achievement
Skippable in-stream ads	Can Skip after 5 Second. Length up to 3 minutes.  The most popular length is 30 seconds	CPV (Cost Per View) and CPM (Cost Per Thousand Impression) Not Charged until someone watches 30 seconds of the video	Yes	YouTube and Partner Sites. Can choose one option.	• Sales • Leads • Websites • Traffic • Brand Awareness and Reach • Product and Brand Consideration
Non skippable in-stream ads	Can’t Skip. Ad length 15 seconds or less	CPM	Yes	YouTube and Partner Sites	• Increase brand awareness and reach • Good for big brands and companies
Video Discovery ads/ In-feed video ads	No specific length is mentioned	CPV Charged when someone clicks to see the video	No	YouTube Search, Watch, and Home Page	• Promote Youtube Channel
Bumper Ads	Up to 6 Seconds	CPM	No	YouTube and Partner Sites. Youtube TV depending on the availability	• Increase brand awareness and reach
Outsrteam Ads (Only for Mobile)	No specific length is mentioned	vCPM charged when 50% of the ad screen space is visible & someone watches at least 2  seconds of the video	No	Partner Sites Gaming Apps	• Increase brand awareness and reach
Masthead Ads	30 seconds on the desktop/Mobile  and TV screen for the full duration No specific length is given	CPD (cost per day) CPM Very expensive	Yes	YouTube Homepage at the top as a banner	• Drive massive reach or awareness

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