SMX East speaker Brooke Osmundson explains how brands can use a series of videos – in a specific sequence you define – to engage audience on YouTube.
Every brand has a story to tell. But with the average attention span of adults being eight seconds (according to a study by Microsoft), how do you capture that user in the right moment with the right message?
Effective content marketing has become crucial because of this staggering statistic. As digital advances, content marketing tactics now encapsulate display and video strategies in order to keep a user engaged.
What is YouTube ad sequencing?
YouTube ad sequencing campaigns made its debut in the second half of 2018. However, I am convinced that not enough brands are taking advantage of this tactic.
Video ad sequencing is being able to show users a series of videos in a specific order that you define. The best uses for this type of campaign include:
- Building interest
- Reinforce messaging
- Create a unifying theme for your brand
What goes into a video sequencing campaign?
There are many settings to take into consideration while setting up your campaign for success. The first and most crucial piece is to select the right target audience to view in your first video in the sequence. If you’re not targeting your ideal audience, you will be wasting valuable marketing dollars on users that don’t fit into your key demographics. You’re able to use audiences and demographics within Google Ads, but not keywords, placements or topic targeting. Some of the audience options you can choose from include:
- In-Market
- Detailed Demographics
- Life Events
- Similar Audiences
- Custom Intent
The next pieces you’ll need to set up include:
- Bid Strategy
- Logical sequencing
There are only two bid strategies allowed in YouTube ad sequencing: Target CPM and Maximum CPV. The bidding strategy you choose will be dependent on the type of ad format chosen for your campaigns.
Lastly – make sure to pick logical sequencing for your videos. Meaning, if your goal is to tell your brand’s story through a defined sequence of videos, make sure placing those videos in an order that would make sense for the user. Pro tip – I tend to start with a longer video on the first step and narrow users out based on “views” of the first video. From there, I tend to see more engagement throughout the rest of the video sequence.