YouTube's Shorts ads program is getting a glow-up with the introduction of new content categories for brand advertising.
The move, announced through a Google Blog post on Wednesday, aims to provide advertisers with more options to appear alongside popular creators in areas such as sports, entertainment, beauty, fashion & lifestyle, food & recipes, gaming, and automotive.
An example provided by Google, YouTube's parent company, shows a Brooks Brothers ad made together with a YouTube Creator and served via YouTube Select Shorts.
According to the company, this campaign drove a "best-in-class" 15.9% view-through rate.
In addition to the change, YouTube has also expanded its ABCDs of effective video ads, adding a creative guide for video ads on YouTube Shorts.
In its analysis, the video-sharing platform listed down key traits of a top-performing Shorts ad:
- Authentic and relatable videos that feel like they're part of a viewer's feed
- Casual ads with everyday people to give that personal touch
- Upbeat, fun, and entertaining ads that are worth sharing
Expanding Options for Advertisers
The initiative comes as part of YouTube's broader strategy to provide advertisers with premium-tier ad inventory options, particularly in mobile-first video formats.
Melissa Hsieh Nikolic, director of product management at YouTube Ads, emphasized the platform's effort to offer advertisers greater flexibility in targeting their desired content categories.
"Advertisers can now key into different types of categories, lineups, and programs," she told Ad Age.
Notably, the expansion of the Shorts program also comes ahead of YouTube's upcoming Brandcast event in May, where exclusive ad inventory is typically showcased.
And Hsieh Nikolic remained cryptic about the selection process for content in the Shorts program.
"I can’t give away too much of the secret sauce, but for Shorts, specifically, we’re looking at what content is resonating on the platform, what’s popular with the viewers."
Since launch, Shorts has already garnered over 70 billion daily views among two billion logged-in viewers, with its viewership jumping over 100% globally from January to September 2023.
Due to its popularity, it's often seen as one of the most effective social media platforms by marketers globally. If you're interested in creating your own social media campaign, consider checking out our list of top social media marketing agencies.
Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang