YouTube has rolled out
Call-to-Action overlay ads
to its
paying advertisers
. Before, only specific partners and non-profit organizations could harness the benefits of this marketing feature.
Now businesses can explore one more aspect of
online video marketing
. By plugging in customized, semi-transparent pop-ups in their videos, YouTube advertisers can refer viewers back to their product sites. Although such YouTube overlay ads existed before, they were limited to only select partners, specific content and video genre. Today, as TechCrunch
reported
, "brands can link their commercials back to the products they're selling" and, as a result, increase their conversion rate.
How Do You Do It?
Promote Video
You need to be already promoting a video in order to use Call-to-Action Overlay ads. In order to do that, go to
YouTube Promoted Videos
and select (or upload) a desired video.
Then, simply follow the YouTube instructions to write a promotion description and enter keywords. Set the cost per click (
CPC
) rate for the amount of money you are willing to pay each time viewers click on your clip.
Edit Video
Once the clip gains a status of a promoted video, you should go back to your account and choose
My Videos
. Then, choose to edit your video and you will see a Call-to-Action Overlay option.
Fill Out the Call-to-Action Form
Filling out the Call-to-Action form is straightforward. First, you need to enter a headline and description. In addition, you can plug in a URL for an optional image (e.g. your brand logo) that will appear on the left-hand side of your ad. Lastly, choose the destination URL to which you will be referring interested viewers.
Refer to Landing Pages
Linking your Call-to-Action overlay ad to your existing
landing page
gives you the highest chance of lead conversion. Your destination URL should be a specific page on your website that requires leads to submit a form to get more information or try a free trial of your product.
Why Should You Use Call-to-Action Overlays?
Call-to-Action overlay ads have already been successful for non-profit organizations because, as blogger Ramya Raghavan reported , they "drive traffic to an off-YouTube web page, where they can collect signatures, email addresses or even donations." Charity: water best demonstrates the success potential of the new YouTube feature. This non-profit raised $10,000 in a single day by using the Call-to-Action overlay ads.
Why Shouldn't You Use Call-to-Action Overlays?
Some YouTube viewers consider overlay ads annoying outbound marketing . They easily get distracted from the video material they are watching and feel bothered by the pop-up URLs. To eliminate such distractions, viewers often close the ads (there is a close option available on the right-hand corner of the ad)."By habit, I always click the 'x,'" commented Spencer Schoeben on the recent news. That is why, many believe, a more successful marketing approach might be placing Call-to-Action ads at the end of featured videos insted of throughout them.
Inbound Marketing Blog Feed
Lori Robinson 9:26 AM on July 01, 2009
Although I like the idea, I have to agree with Spencer Schoeben in that I also click on the "x" to close the ad. And as a non-paying advertiser I find it just as easy to add the CTA at the end which gives more room to say what we need to say. - Lori
Jake Atwood 9:42 AM on July 01, 2009
Why not add a small call to action at the beginning of the video as well as the end? For example, I will flash a quick message at the beginning of each of my videos such as "for more videos, visit www.ovationsales.com." Many people won't watch your entire video, and putting your ad at the end could be too late. Thoughts?
Rakesh Sharma Jack 10:10 AM on July 01, 2009
Wonderful option I must say. Before commenting on its "ins" and "outs" I think we must give it a try and see it ourselves. Let's see what next YouTube has in its lap.
Magdalena 10:12 AM on July 01, 2009
@Jake: That is a good point. But you have to be careful in crafting your message. "For more videos" ad will be strange if placed in the beginning of your video clip. It will be more appropriate for the end.
Another interesting aspect, BusinessWeek had reported, is that once they click, 75% of viewers watch the whole ad.
Tom Guard 3:21 PM on July 01, 2009
You can pause or delete your campaign and still use the overlay without spending a penny.
annoyed 11:26 PM on July 01, 2009
i always always always click the X to get rid of the annoying ads - they obscure what i'm looking at, interrupt my enjoyment, and irritate the hell out of me. A call to action at the end of the video tells me what to do next and by that point i am ready to take the next step but slapping an ad in my face when i'm still trying to figure out what you're talking about or deciding how important the subject is to me is totally counter-productive.
Justin 9:09 PM on July 11, 2009
Thanks for the information on You-Yube. You-Tube is increasingly becoming bigger and bigger so any information on how to cash in on it's assets is appreciated.