New YouTube campaign type: TrueView for Action

Video campaigns on YouTube have been around for a very long time. They have largely turned out to be a campaign type similar to the traditional TV advert. A message is sent to the target audience, who take note of it, after which they may, at a later stage, think of the advertiser and thus return to the company in question.

With TrueView for Action, Google has developed a video campaign format that focuses more on direct action. TrueView for Action campaigns can generate leads and conversions by adding eye-catching calls to action and/or text overlays to video adverts. This will make the target audience much more likely to explore the product or service. This format has been available in the United States for several years and has been available in the Netherlands for around three months.

Why video advertising?

People are watching more and more online videos these days, and consumers are increasingly visually oriented. The possibilities for using video advertising are also growing. The message can be conveyed through sight and sound. This opens up new possibilities compared to text and image adverts on YouTube.
Using TrueView for Action, advertisers can easily add a banner at the bottom of the video. The call-to-action can be customised as desired, depending on the character limit. Options include ‘Order now’, ‘Book now’ or ‘Find out more’. See the Mazda campaign below as an example.

Reach the right target audience via Custom Intent audiences

As is the case with virtually every type of campaign, reaching the right target audience is essential. The new ‘Custom intent’ targeting method aligns very well with YouTube TrueView for Action.
Custom intent is a new feature that allows you to create custom intent audiences. Using this new feature, you can build audiences comprising users who are more likely than average to purchase the product or service you offer.
These target audiences can be built in two ways;

• 1. Through machine learning
• 2. Build your own package

In the first option, Google itself will build the target audiences using machine learning. This is done using data from Google Ads campaigns, the website and the YouTube channel.
The second option gives you a little more control. With this method, you can add your own keywords and URLs to create a target audience based on the products and services that your ideal target audience is actively searching for. Please note that the keywords are all broad match. It is therefore advisable to add long-tail keywords so that you create as specific a target audience as possible.

A handy feature of Trueview on YouTube is the estimated target audience size that is displayed. This allows you to see quite quickly whether you have defined your target audience too narrowly or far too broadly.

A common mistake, for example, is to base the target audience solely on the keyword ‘Holiday’. This encompasses literally everything related to the holiday sector. A more specific example would be ‘Holidays in Thailand’, if you rent out apartments in Thailand.

Who is Trueview for Action suitable for?

Advertising on YouTube can be approached in a wide variety of ways. As soon as video is mentioned, people are quick to think, ‘that’s not realistic for me’. The fact is that, especially now with TrueView for Action and Custom Intent targeting, the barrier to entry can be significantly lowered. Don’t have a polished advert that can be adapted for YouTube? No problem! With a simple animated video within TrueView on YouTube, you too can reach your target audience using this tool. What’s more, there’s room for everyone when it comes to budgeting. Make your target audiences as specific as possible if your budget allows.

More information about YouTube TrueView for Action

Has this brief introduction sparked your interest in the power of YouTube TrueView for Action? Please feel free to contact us, with no obligation, so that we can explain all the ins and outs of this new campaign type to you. We’d also be happy to show you a few examples of simple adverts to give you some inspiration about the possibilities. We’re really looking forward to working with you to harness the wonders of YouTube!