Google announced several new advertising initiatives to help brands capitalize on YouTube Shorts, the company’s short-form video platform.
In a blog post, Google unveiled YouTube Select Shorts, a curated content lineup where advertisers can place Shorts ads alongside popular videos.
The announcement comes as YouTube Shorts surpassed two billion monthly logged-in users and 70 billion daily views globally, with viewership on connected TVs jumping over 100% in the first nine months of 2023.
ABCDs Framework For Shorts Ads
To help brands create more effective Shorts ads, Google has expanded its “ABCD” framework for video advertising success to include specific short-form format guidance.
Kantar research showed that applying these ABCD principles can lift short-term sales likelihood by 30% and long-term brand impact by 17%.
The key ABCDs principles for powerful YouTube Shorts ads, as outlined by Google:
- Attention: “Hook and sustain attention with an immersive story.” Creative tactics like jumping straight into the action, supporting with audio/text overlays, and using bright, high-contrast visuals.
- Branding: “Brand early, often, and richly.” Integrate branding from the start, reinforce with audio mentions, and maintain a strong brand presence.
- Connection: “Help people think or feel something.” Humanize with relatable talent, focus on a clear message, and use engaging storytelling techniques like humor or surprise.
- Direction: “Ask them to take action.” Include a clear call-to-action, supercharged by audio voiceovers reinforcing the desired action.
Google adds:
“We’ve learned that the top-performing Shorts ads are often unlike other ads on YouTube. They feel like part of a viewer’s feed – authentic, relatable, casual, fun, entertaining and worth sharing.”
In Summary
With YouTube engaging billions of Shorts viewers monthly, the new ad products can help brands take advantage of this burgeoning video format and connect with audiences in new ways.
The new YouTube Select Shorts lineups will be available in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Korea, and India in the coming weeks.
FAQ
What is YouTube Select Shorts, and how can it benefit brands?
YouTube Select Shorts is a new advertising platform curated by Google that allows brands to place their YouTube Shorts ads alongside popular and trending short-form videos. This initiative benefits brands by providing:
- A targeted approach to reach engaged viewers within a curated, high-visibility context.
- An opportunity to be featured on a platform that has over two billion monthly logged-in users and 70 billion daily views globally.
- Increased exposure on connected TVs, which have seen viewership for YouTube Shorts increase by over 100% in early 2023.
By leveraging this new lineup, brands can connect with a vast audience through immersive and innovative short-form content.
What impact does authentic and relatable content have on Shorts ads performance?
Creating authentic and relatable content in Shorts ads impacts their performance.
Google emphasizes that:
- Ads that blend with a viewer’s feed by appearing casual, fun, and entertaining tend to align better with user expectations of the platform.
- Content that feels genuine and share-worthy typically resonates more with audiences, potentially leading to higher engagement rates.
- Adopting such an approach can make ads feel less intrusive and more like a natural part of the user’s viewing experience on YouTube Shorts.
This strategy of creating content that is both authentic and relatable can increase ad effectiveness and contribute to brand affinity.
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