The New Dawn Of YouTube Adverts
I have noticed over the past few months an emerging trend around YouTube advertisements, not only have advertisements on the platform been increasing but there also seems to be a new tactic in place.
What is this new trend?
Good question and I am glad you have asked, I have started to notice more businesses and mainly independent creators, are starting to use advertisements as a way to promote a full-length pitch or even a short course.
I had grown accustomed to waiting a few seconds, hitting skip, then continuing to watch the content I had selected. Although in some cases (especially when doing the dishes) the option to skip an advert is not always easy to do. Waiting a few seconds for the most part is not too bad, but that’s when I had noticed. I had not only finished the dishes but the same advert was still playing, and it had 15 minutes left! What is going on?
A change in behavior
Over the years advertising has changed to be more accurate we, as customers have. Throughout the evolution of the digital age, it has allowed us to watch and consume content, around our schedules. Almost long gone are the days of sitting down at a set time each week to watch your favorite show.
At the beginning of YouTube, it was almost a peaceful place, not yet tainted by the world of corporations, marketing, and advertising, bar a handful of sponsored content.
As the platform evolved and grew in popularity, more businesses not only started to see the benefit of working with influencers but started to advertise more across these digital channels.
Why? Well compared to a traditional advert on television, it was much cheaper, not only that it was more targeted. Take a TV Advert, it will be seen by everyone watching that channel, no matter if that advert is relevant to them or not, fast forward a few years and as digital channels grew in popularity, the potential for these platforms to make more money through advertising become more apparent.
The data-driven age
Take Facebook as an example, they have over time build a clearer picture of their audiences, through the data they have collected, and when advertisements were introduced, not only was it cheaper, you could specifically target your audience.
Selling accessories for pets in a specific area, you could target based on their interests. It was and still is a powerful tool for businesses, to target and grow their audience.
A new trend emerges
Getting back to YouTube and what seems like a growing trend in those approaching the traditional digital advertisement structure. Instead of spending the time to create a YouTube channel, and build an audience, there now seems to be a shortcut emerging around this. By creating these 30 minute or so videos promoting a product, book, or service, they can reach an audience directly through advertising, without having to build the audience through other means.
Is it working?
From a user perspective and from someone who has spent more time than I would like to admit on YouTube, this is nothing more than an annoyance, when I head over to watch the latest Metal Jesus Rocks video, I don’t want to be forced to watch an advertisement, around someone who is going to show me the secrets to earning more passive income.
Is History repeating itself?
It almost seems we have not learned our lesson from the past, take for example Television adverts in the past, I am sure most of us can agree, they do nothing more than annoy us and we have done everything in our power to avoid it. Heck, even when I was a kid, I would record a tv show so I could fast forward through the adverts and watch it later.
Where advertising and marketing shines, is when businesses try to give real value to their audience, whether that is through teaching valuable lessons, providing entertainment, or offering a solution that can help solve a problem.
Before you go
I am curious if anyone else has started to notice, these new long-form advertisements, and have you watched any, or just hit skip?
