At the end of April, YouTube had started testing ads on Shorts, this short video feature introduced in 2020 and similar to what Instagram Reels offer, but especially TikTok. From now on, this advertising option is accessible to all…
YouTube Short ad test: encouraging first results
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, had announced its first quarter results. Creators know that this is the opportunity not to miss to know all the news and updates on YouTube.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, for example, said the number of YouTube channels that generated at least $10,000 in revenue increased by 40% year over year. Remember that creators earn a 55% share of advertising revenue on the platform, which is not the case on other sites like TikTok for example, which offers constantly decreasing creator funds.
To get ahead of the competition, YouTube introduced a $100 million creator fund for Shorts last year. This update aims to entice TikTok influencers to flock to YouTube and especially YouTube Shorts.
And while the latter is no longer entirely new, YouTube had been experimenting with ads in Shorts to increase ad revenue.
Verdict?
Ruth Porat, Alphabet’s chief financial officer, announced encouraging early feedback and results from advertisers.
And YouTube has decided to continue in this momentum. Video action campaigns and app campaigns will automatically adapt to short videos on the platform.
A company spokesperson said that although the company has started running ads in the Shorts feed, there will be no direct revenue sharing from those ads at this time.
“Instead, we will continue to reward thousands of creators and artists each month through the YouTube Shorts Fund while we develop a long-term model for creator monetization in Shorts. We are actively working on a monetization solution for short film creators and will use learnings from this launch to inform that. »
YouTube launched its $100 million creative fund for short films last year. Under the program, YouTube is inviting thousands of eligible creators to claim a payout ranging from $100 to $10,000 based on viewership and engagement with their Shorts videos.
To be eligible, creators must meet several conditions in order to benefit from the fund:
- Produce original content – not videos that have been re-uploaded from other channels or those with watermarks from other social networks;
- Be at least 13 years old in the United States or have reached the age of majority in other countries and regions.
According to Google, YouTube’s short videos are generating 30 billion daily views, four times more than last year.
Now that the platform isn’t entirely new and is racking up a significant number of views, the new ad initiative will help YouTube increase ad revenue while potentially competing with the monetization opportunities offered by other platforms, like TikTok.
Short video: THE type of content to adopt in 2022
Whether it’s YouTube Shorts, TikTok, or Instagram Reels, short video has the highest ROI compared to other types of content used in digital marketing strategies. 30% of marketers plan to invest in it more than any other trend in 2022.
We all know that video content is increasingly becoming an important part of every brand’s content marketing strategy. A 2020 study by Wyzowl reported that:
- The users share videos twice as much faster than any other form of content;
- 84% of people were convinced to buy a product or service based on the brand’s video.
Other studies have also found that:
- A little more than half videos under 90 seconds are watched to the end;
- Over 85% of businesses use video as a marketing tool.
Despite all these compelling numbers, don’t lose sight of your target. Short video on social networks in particular is more popular with young consumers, mainly Generation Z. More than 70% of them spend at least 3 hours a day watching videos online.
It’s up to you to see how to adapt it to your brand, your target and your digital marketing strategy.