YouTube Ads remains an unparalleled force for boosting visibility and reaching niche audiences receptive to your products or services. Only recently, navigating the realm of top-tier reservation ad placements within Google Ads was only sometimes finding a needle in a haystack.
This, however, is changing. Google has streamlined its approach, granting advertisers increased self-service capabilities to make launching campaigns into popular placements and premium inventory quicker and more intuitive.
You might have notice a new Reservations option when setting up a new YouTube. We highly suggest you set one up and play around. If you miss the popular placements bid adjustment in YouTube, this ones for you…
Premier reach looks promising, but also, the ability to set up a Masthead ad was never available at the self-service level.
One of the most compelling features is the fixed quote option, to give you a sense of CPM for your targeting choices.
Let’s dig into new YouTube Reservation ad campaigns and explore some of the coolest new features.
Understanding YouTube Reservation Campaigns
In a nutshell, reservation campaigns (which go by several names, including ‘reserved media placements’) function on a cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM) model; advertisers pay a fixed rate for a guaranteed number of ad impressions. Compared to traditional auction-based ad campaigns, reservation campaigns offer distinct advantages when strategically focusing on initiatives such as:
- Boosting Awareness: Reservation campaigns offer unparalleled reach and frequency, solidifying your brand presence.
- Product Launches: Make a dramatic impact with premium video ad placement as you introduce a new product or service.
- Brand Storytelling: Reshape perceptions and reposition your brand by placing video ads on relevant channels and content.
Self-Service YouTube Reservation Setup
One of the major transformations centers around the ease of deploying some of these campaigns directly within Google Ads. Previously, securing those sought-after YouTube placements might have required navigating complex back-and-forths. Think endless emails with your friendly Google rep and intricate spreadsheets—fun times, huh? Now, eligible products let you directly explore campaign options and customize details on demand. Let’s break down several available choices:
- YouTube Select Lineups: Target the best of the best. YouTube Select compiles the top 5% of channels in diverse categories and popular genres (more on YouTube Select). These highly curated lineups grant access to loyal, pre-existing audiences highly aligned with particular interests.
- YouTube Select Shorts Lineups: YouTube Shorts have soared in popularity. Reservation campaigns allow you to tap into this explosive vertical-video format reaching massive audiences, especially younger demographics (find out more about Shorts reservation placements).
- YouTube TV Lineups: This live TV streaming platform features traditional broadcast networks alongside modern online channels. With a reservation campaign, your message can seamlessly merge with live events and shows (details on YouTube TV).
- Cost-Per-Impression (CPM) Masthead: The pinnacle of visibility. Secure prime real estate at the very top of the YouTube Home feed for maximum reach. CPM Mastheads allow you to dominate a significant portion of the visual landscape (explore how CPM Masthead campaigns work).
- Standard Run of YouTube Reservation: Manage traditional YouTube campaigns using the reservation campaign cost model. Operate impression and view campaigns more smoothly within the familiar Google Ads platform.
Important Notes: Market availability can impact the products you can access through self-service. Specific formats like CPM Masthead might still require assistance from your Google representative.
Choosing the Right Ad Formats – Premium Reach
Reservation campaigns come equipped with multiple format options to accommodate your message and marketing goals.
- Non-Skippable In-Stream Ads: Get straight to the point with impactful messaging played pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll. Keep these brief (between 15-30 seconds) for optimal engagement (learn more about non-skippable video ads.
- Skippable In-Stream Ads: This familiar format, usually appearing before a video starts, offers viewers the option to skip after five seconds. While there’s no maximum length, consider sticking to videos under 3 minutes for better view-through rates.
- Shorts Ads: Seamlessly blend in with Shorts content and the ever-popular Shorts vertical feed. Keep these dynamic and snackable with ads ranging from 6-60 seconds.
- Bumper Ads: Deliver your message succinctly with these bite-sized, non-skippable 6-second gems.
Precise Audience Targeting
Pinpointing your audience becomes easier and more intuitive. Reservation campaigns offer an impressive arsenal of targeting tools:
Contextual Targeting
- YouTube Select (Placements): These lineups grant direct access to viewers aligned with particular passion points or popular genres. Think fitness, beauty, entertainment, or niche hobbies.
- Topics: Dive into thematic targeting. Want to reach new parents? Family-related categories and content offer a tailored match.
- Exclusions: Advertisers can exclude topics and placements.
Audience Targeting
- Custom Affinity Audiences: Connect with audience segments demonstrating defined interests through viewing patterns and past search keywords. Sports fans, tech enthusiasts, movie aficionados…create whatever you need here!
- Affinity Audiences: Reach audiences likely to align with your brand message based on lifestyle interests and demonstrated affinity for certain things. You can even craft custom affinities specific to your brand directly within Google Ads.
- Demographics: Laser-focus your campaigns with granular demographic criteria. From age groups to parental status, this granular targeting helps zero in on specific customer profiles.
- Others: Additional targeting options include Life Events, Detailed Demographics, In-Market Segments, Custom In-Market Segments.
- Exclusions: It is important to point out the only audiences you can exclude are Affinity, Life Event, and Detailed Demographic and In-Market. There is no pure acquisition with this campaign type, so there is a chance you will reach users already familiar with your brand.
Maximizing Your Brand Awanress – YouTube Masthead
Let’s be real – every company on the planet with an ad budget craves attention. The internet is great, but there’s just something special about reaching that TV-sized audience. Don’t despair – YouTube Masthead Ads give your brand a primetime showcase with an online twist.
Masthead Ads 101 – The YouTube Billboard
YouTube’s Masthead placement is the envy of all other ads. This bad boy takes over the absolute most important piece of real estate on the YouTube homepage – whether people are on their computers, phones, or binge-watching puppy videos on their Smart TV.
Here’s why Masthead ads rock:
- You can’t miss ’em: The first thing anyone sees (except maybe that cute kitten compilation… priorities, people!).
- All about the visuals: Think high-quality images, short but impactful videos, and killer text to tell your brand story.
- Laser-focused audience: Tailor your ads to target specific viewers based on their interests, where they hang out online, and whether they’ve checked out your stuff before.
YouTube gives you ways to pay:
- CPM (Cost-per-Thousand Impressions): You shell out a set amount every time a thousand eyeballs meet your ad. Perfect for when you want everyone on the planet to know who you are.
- CPH (Cost-per-Hour): You’re essentially renting the Masthead for a set time. Expect maximum attention and zero ad competitors—great for big launches or special sales.
Masthead Ads – Built for All Screens
Mastheads automatically adjust to fit the viewer’s device:
- Desktop: Think of it as the classic banner ad…except on the biggest, most popular site.
- Mobile: Image carousels your viewers can swipe through… it’s like having a tiny personal billboard (without the pigeons).
- TV Screens: Static image paired with an autoplay video to grab attention when your audience settles in for the long haul.
Creating strong creative, you gotta’ have:
- Eye-Catching Image: 16:9 ratio, crystal clear resolution (even when blown up big), under 1MB in size.
- 16:9 Video: Autoplay to get attention (sound off initially – we don’t want to scare anybody), but let people turn the sound on if they’re intrigued. Keep it short and sweet!
- Companion Banner: 300px by 250px for desktop
- Words Matter: Clear headline, brief but punchy description, and tell people what you want them to do (“Sign Up Now!” beats “Maybe click this?”).
- The Preview Tool: Google has your back here! Make sure your work of art looks amazing on every screen with the YouTube Masthead Preview Tool.
Mastheads are less about driving immediate sales and more about:
- Impressions: How many people actually saw your ad (bragging rights matter!).
- Brand Lift: Google has fancy ways to measure if via Brand Lift Study. It measures if people start seeing your brand more positively after a Masthead campaign.
Got ideas swirling? Start brainstorming those Masthead-worthy campaigns – it’s time to give your brand that blockbuster feel!
Campaign Measurement In Reservation Inventory
As with any advertising campaign, keeping a watchful eye on key metrics is vital. In these campaigns, your CPM is fixed on the quote set at launch, so aside from Impression based metrics, there are ways to evaluate how strong the creative performs for the given audience. Thankfully, Google Ads provides robust analytical tools. Pay close attention to:
- Impressions: How many times your ad was displayed.
- Reach: How many unique individuals were exposed to your message.
- View Rates: A gauge of views per impression for skippable ads. VR 35%+ = 🔥! This gives you a sense of your thumbstop rate and how effective your ad’s hook is to viewers.
- Cost-per-view (CPV): How much you spend per view (especially with skippable formats).
- Engagement metrics: Click-through rates, likes, comments, and shares provide insight into how deeply your message resonated with the audience.
How We Are Using YouTube Reservation Campaigns
If you do a lot of creative testing, especially cross-channel creative testing, or are using a full funnel strategy in your paid media channels, YouTube Reservation can be a direct buy for your most top performing audiences, with your most top performing media.
We see this as a final launch for final creative concepts that have gone through testing and have a clear winning iteration. Likewise, carefully selecting the audience based on goals, past top performers, or creative resonance helps situate the creative in front of the most responsive people, through the most premium inventory.
YouTube and the realm of digital marketing are in constant flux. The updates to Google’s reservation campaign system represent a shift towards accessibility and transparency. While it’s wise to consider this article a launching point, further investigation is always essential.
Don’t hesitate to experiment with new YouTube Reservation Campaigns and leverage self-service options to unleash powerful YouTube advertising.