Shorter skippable ads are coming to YouTube

YouTube is introducing a new ad format, called TrueView for Reach, which will provide an option for advertisers to build advertisements as short as six seconds. These ads can be skipped after the five-second mark. According to the requirements of TrueView for in-stream ads, that air before or during the video, these ads can be longer but should not exceed the duration of 30 seconds.

Previously, the introduction of YouTube’s bumper ads had helped companies and advertisers to learn about raising brand awareness with only a few seconds at hand for storytelling. For in-stream ads, advertisers only pay when a viewer watches minimum 30 seconds or completes the ad, or take an action by clicking to learn more. TrueView for Reach will combine both features of short bumper ads and the in-stream offered user choice.

During the beta testing of the new ad format, 84 campaigns were launched that saw 20 percent increase in engagement. 9 out of 10 of these campaigns experienced a significant lift in add recall. Samsung Electronics America was able to reach over 50 percent more users at half the cost. Pepsi France also said that the format helped them achieve a high reach and completion rates for its 10-second video.

Apart from TrueView for Reach, there are other options available as well for YouTube advertisers. The newer ad format, TrueView for action will help advertisers who want customization for their call-to-action ads for leads and referrals.