Full analysis of YouTube advertising models: from TrueView to bumper ads
As one of the world’s largest video sharing platforms, YouTube provides companies with a variety of advertising options to help them achieve their goals of brand exposure, product promotion, and market expansion. YouTube’s advertising formats are not only rich and diverse, but also compared to domestic video websites, its advertising model pays more attention to user experience, making advertising more efficient.
Display and overlay ads
Display ads (banners) are one of the common forms of advertising on YouTube. They can be displayed in any area of the website except the homepage. They are usually 300 mm x 250 mm in size. Overlay advertising is a transparent advertising format displayed in the lower half of the video. It does not interfere with the user’s viewing experience and also achieves a promotional effect.
Skippable and non-skippable mid-roll ads
YouTube’s mid-roll ads come in two forms: skippable mid-roll ads and non-skippable mid-roll ads. The former allows users to choose whether to continue watching after 5 seconds of playback; the latter requires viewers to watch the video in its entirety, but in shorter length. TrueView interstitial ads belong to the former, which allow viewers to skip the ad after 5 seconds. If they do not skip it, they will need to pay the ad fee. This setting not only ensures the effective reach of advertisements, but also respects the user’s viewing intention.
TrueView ads
TrueView ads include TrueView video discovery ads and TrueView in-stream ads. Among them, TrueView video discovery ads usually appear in video search results and rely on attractive titles and thumbnails to arouse user interest. TrueView in-stream ads play before, during, or after the video, and users can choose to skip them, allowing advertisers to spend their budget on viewers who are truly interested.
Masthead and bumper ads
Masthead is a special form of advertising located at the top of the YouTube homepage, suitable for rapid promotion of new products or services. In contrast, Bumper Ads are short video ads that are only 6 seconds long and cannot be skipped. They are suitable for use on mobile devices and help increase brand awareness.
Non-skippable interstitials
Non-skippable interstitial ads are similar to traditional TV ads, lasting 15 to 20 seconds. Although they may cause some disruption to viewers, they are more acceptable because they are shorter.
Search ads and sponsored card ads
Search ads will appear when users search using keywords, helping to attract new customers; sponsor card ads are small CTA windows that pop up during video playback, which can effectively increase the interaction rate.
When cross-border e-commerce companies use YouTube for marketing, they should comprehensively consider the characteristics of various advertising forms and choose the most suitable advertising strategy based on their own needs. It is worth noting that although YouTube provides abundant advertising resources, the ultimate success in attracting and retaining customers still depends on the quality of products and services.