How Targeted YouTube Ads Took Me From 0 To 6 Figures In 8 Months

The AdWords Video View Guarantee

I’ve always loved producing videos, it’s been a passion of mine my whole life. However, getting my videos distributed online can be quite frustrating. My eyes were opened in 2012 when I got a job at a company called Zag.

I was hired to create videos for their Youtube channel and the marketing team I worked with was really amazing. We became great at getting our videos seen and converting them into real sales.

We were so successful that Google actually invited us out to their HQ to discuss the future evolution of the platform.
I liked the new platform because we could basically guarantee that people would see our video by using Adwords..

We loved it! I then realized that I could probably help companies with their Youtube ads on my own, so I quit my job and started my own business.

I went from not having a single email on my list or any courses available to speaking at conferences with a full slate of clients within six months.

 

Doing Youtube Ads Right, AKA Becoming “Unskippable”

When people ask what I do,, I tell them I make the Youtube ads you see before your video plays. They tell me, “oh, I hate those ads, I always skip them!” I totally get that feeling and I don’t take it personally.

That’s because 99% of the people out there making Youtube ads are doing it wrong. They are still treating Youtube like TV. The question they need to be asking is, “how can you create a video that turns these viewers into customers?”

You have to grab their attention within that first five seconds when their fingers are hovering over the skip now button like an Internet age version of the gong show.
One of the strategies I use to get over this first hurdle is that I call out the audience I’m talking to. I’m primarily talking to entrepreneur’s and marketers, so in the first five seconds I say “Hey, are you an entrepreneur or marketer? If not, skip this ad.”

This immediately perks up anyone in those groups who may be watching. Everyone else gets a free pass to skip me, I don’t want to waste my ad spend on them. But my target audience have just been handed a powerful dose of FOMO if they don’t watch on.

Free For 29 Seconds

After you’ve gotten your audience’s attention it’s time to build trust and make them an inspiring offer. Let them know why you made this ad and how you want to add value to their lives or businesses.

Lastly, leave them with your CTA which needs to be clickable. Use a Youtube card overlay that links back to your website or landing page.

I keep my videos around 60 seconds. Youtube charges you at a cost per view, and a view equates to 30 seconds or half the video.

This means that the first 29 seconds of your video are free! My strategy is to place my “click” around the 28 or 29-second mark in the video because lots of viewers will click right away. For those who watch on, my CPC is an average of $0.07.

This strategy is great if your overall budget is limited.

That’s my simple 3 step ads formula to get people off of Youtube and onto your landing page.

 

Action Steps

1. Call out your target audience in the first 5 seconds of your video.
2. In the first 20 seconds, build trust and explain the benefits of your offer.
3. Place your clickable CTA at around 28 or 29 seconds and have it link out to your landing page.
4. Keep testing your ad and monitor CPC’s.

 

Result You Will Achieve

Targeted leads taken from YouTube and sent to your landing page.

This article is based on an EHQ interview with the mentor.