Introduction
YouTube Advertising offers a plethora of YouTube ads targeting options for marketers, providing the foundation for successful ad campaigns. In this article, we’ll break down these options into manageable sections, allowing you to understand the possibilities and identify the strategies that work best.
The WA System
Before delving into the specifics of YouTube ad targeting, let’s briefly introduce the WA System. This concept, represents the essential components of a YouTube ad campaign. Each component is crucial, and when executed correctly, they form the foundation of a successful campaign.
Targeting Categories
YouTube’s targeting options can be broadly categorized into two main groups: audiences and content. But before we dive into these, let’s explore some other targeting options that don’t quite fit into these categories.
Location Targeting
- Allows you to target users in specific geographical areas.
- Options include cities, countries, zip codes, and more.
- You can also exclude specific locations from your targeting.
Language Targeting
- Target users who speak specific languages.
- Choose the language that aligns with your ad content.
Device Targeting
- Target users based on the type of device they’re using.
- Options include mobile phones, tablets, computers, and TVs.
- Advanced targeting for mobile and tablet devices allows for even more specific targeting.
Day and Hour Targeting
- Set a schedule for when your ads will run.
- Useful for campaigns focused on generating leads during specific times.
Audience and Content Targeting
Now, let’s delve into the core of YouTube ad targeting: audiences and content.
Audience Targeting Brief Explanation
When using audience targeting, you’re focusing on the user’s characteristics, regardless of what they are currently watching on YouTube. Here are the subcategories:
Demographic Targeting
- Target users based on age, gender, household income, and parental status.
- Age and gender targeting is highly accurate.
- Household income and parental status are determined based on online behavior.
Detailed Demographic Targeting
- Includes options like marital status, education level, homeownership status, and employment details.
- Offers precise targeting based on user profiles.
Affinity Targeting
- Targets users based on their interests and habits.
- Offers around 140 affinity audiences, such as food and dining, technology, and travel.
- Effectiveness can be hit or miss and depends on finding the right audience match.
In-Market Targeting
- Focuses on users actively researching products or services.
- Offers about 700 in-market targeting options, including specific product categories.
- Effective for products or services matching these audiences.
Life Events Targeting
- Targets users experiencing significant life events like starting a business, graduating, getting married, or buying a new home.
- Ideal for businesses aligned with these life events.
Content Targeting Brief Explanation
Content targeting is all about placing your ads on specific types of videos that people are watching. You can also layer this with audience targeting for precision.
Retargeting
- Targets users who have previously interacted with your business.
- Requires a minimum of 100 people in a retargeting audience.
Website Visitor Retargeting
- Create and target lists of people who have visited your website.
- Customize targeting based on specific website actions.
YouTube User Retargeting
- Target users who have engaged with your YouTube videos.
READ ALSO: How To Find Your Google Ads ID
What is Involved with Audience Targeting
Channel Audience Targeting
- Utilize your established YouTube channel and its audience.
- One of the most effective targeting methods for YouTube ads.
Customer List Targeting
- Upload a list of your customer data (names, email addresses, phone numbers, locations).
- Google matches your list with known users, creating a custom audience.
- Exclude audiences when needed, useful for retargeting campaigns.
Similar Audience Targeting
- Google automatically creates a “similar to” list when setting up a retargeting audience.
- Typically, similar audience lists don’t perform exceptionally well.
Custom Audience Targeting
- Four types of custom audiences available for YouTube ads.
- Choose interests or purchase intentions, keywords, website browsing behavior, or app usage.
- The most effective type is based on people’s Google searches for specific keywords.
- Experiment with various custom audiences to find what works best for your campaign.
What is Involved with Content Targeting
Topic Targeting
- Select from over 2,500 predefined topic categories (e.g., science, real estate, food).
- Effective if your product aligns with a chosen topic.
Placement Targeting
- Run ads on specific videos and channels.
- Provides high accuracy but limits ad impressions.
- Scalable by adding multiple video and channel links to your targeting.
Video Lineup Targeting
- Advertise on videos within YouTube’s curated video lineups.
- Limited visibility of the videos within a lineup.
Keyword Targeting
- Target specific keywords to display your ads.
- Ad placement may not always align with the targeted keywords.
- Works similarly to audience targeting, reaching interested and non-interested users.
Conclusion
YouTube ads offer a versatile targeting system, but not all methods will yield the same results. It’s essential to experiment with different targeting options to find what works best for your campaigns. While some targeting efforts may not pay off, others will excel, allowing you to scale your ad spend effectively.
