Looking to give your YouTube channel a boost for free? YouTube has answered the call with their latest advertising platform, aptly titled Fan Finder. Basically, owners upload their videos to their channel and can transform their video into a TrueVideo ad, the 5-second overlay ad on the video. From there, the viewer has the option to either skip the ad or jump directly to your channel.
“Fan Finder takes into account the interactions that viewers have with millions of YouTube channels in order to reach the people who are most likely to engage with your channel.”
Based on YouTube’s algorithm, the system weighs user behavior and interests with the hopes of connecting users with your channel. It’s also apparent that Google is treating Fan Finder as one big experiment that might lead to a more robust advertising model, which means it may cost you to get this free service. According to YouTube, “Fan Finder takes into account the interactions that viewers have with millions of YouTube channels in order to reach the people who are most likely to engage with your channel.”
To help you get started, YouTube offers some great tips for creating your Fan Finder ad:
Timing / Keep it short: Since you only have 5 seconds to work with, you need to keep your channel ad short and engaging: Introduce the viewer to your content; don’t assume they have heard of you or your channel before. Remember, your channel ad will run as a TrueView ad which the viewer can skip after 5 seconds, so get to the point.
Keep it entertaining: Show what your channel is about, don’t tell. If you have a comedy channel, make sure your ad is funny. If you have a music channel, make sure your ad has music. Avoid any time sensitive information that could feel dated quickly as you want a longer shelf life for your ad.
Aim for a strong message: Keep the ad focused on your channel and why users should subscribe or check it out. Include your call to action in the script and annotation and be sure to explain what it means to subscribe in case the viewer doesn’t know (example: want to see more content? subscribe here).
Showcase your brand: Make sure your branding is clear and repeat it throughout the ad so viewers remember your channel.
Are you ready to create your 5-second masterpiece? Give Fan Finder a try and share your thoughts.
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