In the world of marketing YouTube is always finding new ways to mix entertainment and shopping.
Recently the platform announced updates to YouTube Shorts ads to make them more interactive and easy to use.
By adding comment sections to ads letting creators link directly to brands and showing these ads in places YouTube is changing how businesses connect with their audience.
Let’s take a look at these changes, what they mean for viewers and how they help advertisers.
The Big Update: Comments for Shorts Ads
For a time there was a clear difference between a “Shorts video” and a “Shorts ad.”
When you watch a video from your creator you would like to share it and read or write comments.
When an ad popped up that interactive part was often missing.
YouTube has officially changed this.
Eligible Shorts ads can now show comment sections like regular videos.
Comments are important.
They let people talk to each other in the media.
By letting comments on ads YouTube is letting brands:
* Build Community: Brands can answer questions about their products away.
* Get Social Proof: Positive comments from customers make new viewers trust the brand more.
* Get Feedback: Companies can see what people think of their ads or products away.
How it Works
To make this work advertisers must link their YouTube channel to their Google Ads or DV360 account.
Once linked the comment moderation works like it does for videos.
Brands can use YouTube Studio to filter out spam hide remarks or highlight the best responses.
This keeps the comment section safe and helpful, for the community.
Direct Linking: Connecting Creators and Brands
YouTube is making a change to something called Branded Content. This is when brands work with YouTube creators to make videos that show a product in a fun and natural way.
Branded Content is a way for brands to reach people.
Previously if you saw a product in a creators Short you had to look at the creators profile or search for the brand to find out where to buy it.
Now YouTube is making it easier for you to buy things you see in Shorts.
People who make Shorts and work with brands can now put a link to the brands website in their video.
When you click on this link it takes you to the brands website.
This makes it easy to buy a product you like.
Branded Content and this new link thing are good, for both the creator and the brand.
It is a deal because it makes it easy to go from seeing a product to buying it.
This is what YouTube is doing with Branded Content.
Expanding to the Mobile Web
Until recently the full YouTube Shorts experience, including types of ads was mainly made for the YouTube mobile app.. Not everyone uses this app. A lot of people look at YouTube using Safari, Chrome or other browsers on their phones.
YouTube has now made Shorts ads available, on the web. This means that even if a person is not logged into the YouTube app they will still see quality, vertical YouTube Shorts ads when they scroll through their mobile browser. This change helps advertisers reach a lot people covering almost every way someone might watch videos on their mobile device.
Why These Changes
Why These Changes are Happening Now
YouTube did this on purpose. The holiday season and big shopping events are always coming up so YouTube wants people to think of YouTube Shorts as the place to go for shopping on media.
YouTube says that research from a company called Kantar shows that ads made by creators on YouTube Shorts are really good at getting people to buy things. The numbers show that these ads can make people 8.8 percent more likely to buy something. What is more interesting is that YouTube Shorts ads make people want to spend 2.9 times more than similar ads, on other platforms.
YouTube is trying to make ads look like videos by letting people comment on them and making it easy to buy things with a direct link. YouTube thinks that people will be more likely to shop while they are watching YouTube Shorts. YouTube wants YouTube Shorts to be the place where people go to shop on media and that is why YouTube is doing this.
Practical Tips for Advertisers
With these features the rules for making a good ad are changing.Here are some things brands should think about:Be Vertical: Shorts can be up to three minutes long but the first 60 seconds really matter.YouTube says it’s best to keep videos under a minute so they fit how people naturally watch Shorts.Talk to Users in Comments: Just turning on comments isn’t enough.Have someone from your team reply to users.When a brand talks back it feels more human and trustworthy.Work with Great Creators: Ads led by creators are really successful.So finding the right influencer to partner with is super important.Have a Clear Call-to-Action: Now that creators can link directly to websites make sure your video tells viewers to click the link to learn more.The video should say “click the link, below”.
Conclusion: A More Connected Experience
YouTube Shorts ads are getting an update to make YouTube feel like one place. They are adding things like comments to ads so ads do not feel like they are getting in the way. This makes ads feel like they are part of what people are talking about.
If you are someone watching a video and you want to ask about something you see or if you are making videos and you want to work with a company or if you have a business and you want to reach people on their phones these updates are helpful. YouTube Shorts is trying to be the best at helping people find things they want to buy. YouTube Shorts ads are. This is a good thing, for everyone who uses YouTube.
