How to use YouTube Promotions and advertise your content
Learn how to advertise and push your videos and Shorts to new audiences with this YouTube feature.
For independent musicians, YouTube is one of the best platforms to reach new listeners and build a fanbase. But with so much content uploaded daily, it can be difficult to stand out. YouTube Promotions offer an opportunity to boost your videos and Shorts by running them as ads across the platform.
This article will explain what YouTube Promotions are, how they work, and how you can keep an eye on whether they’re performing.
What is Promotions on YouTube?
YouTube Promotions is a tool that lets you advertise your videos to a wider audience. When you use Promotions, your video is shown as an ad in several places across YouTube, including search results, the home page, Shorts feed, or even before other people’s videos.
You can choose your promotion’s goal, such as getting more views or clicks on your website, and YouTube will then show your content to people who are likely to be interested in it. Promoted videos are always labelled as “Sponsored” to differentiate them from organic content.
Who might use YouTube Promotions?
Anyone can use YouTube Promotions – you don’t need to be a part of the YouTube Partner Program. It’s designed for creators who have clear goals, like reaching new audiences, promoting a new song, or driving traffic to a website where fans can buy merchandise or concert tickets.
For musicians, it can be a great tool to introduce your music to potential new fans, boost engagement with your existing content, or even promote an event like an upcoming gig or album release. However, keep in mind that any subscribers or watch time gained through YouTube Promotions won’t count towards the YouTube Partner Program.
How do you use Promotions on YouTube?
Setting up a promotion is just like setting up an ad campaign online. If you’re not a paid advertising pro, don’t panic – you don’t need to be! Here is how you can promote your content with this tool by following these simple steps:
- Access the Promotion Option:
- On your content’s watch page, click the “Promote” button, or go to your content list and tap the three-dot menu next to your video, then choose “Promote.”
- On desktop, you can also navigate to YouTube Studio, select “Content,” then “Promotions,” and click “New promotion.”
- Link Your Google Ads Account:
- You’ll be prompted to link an existing Google Ads account or create a new one. This is required to run any promotions.
- Set Your Goal:
- You’ll be presented with three goals: audience growth, video views, or website clicks. Pick the one that best matches what you want to achieve with your promotion.
- Select the Video:
- Choose the video or Short you want to promote. You can also edit the headline and description that will appear alongside the ad.
- If you chose website clicks as your goal, you’ll also be able to enter the landing page URL that you want viewers to visit.
- Target Your Audience:
- Decide which viewers you want to reach by setting parameters like location. For example, you might target specific countries or regions where you want to build a fanbase.
- Set Your Budget:
- Choose how much you want to spend on the promotion and for how long it should run. You can set a daily budget and select the total duration of your campaign.
Once your promotion is live, you’ll be able to monitor performance using metrics such as impressions, views, and subscribers. You can also make adjustments while the campaign is running if necessary.
Do you need Promotions to have successful content?
In short, no.
You don’t have to promote your content to be successful on YouTube. Many musicians grow their channels organically by consistently uploading good content and engaging with their audience. YouTube Promotions is simply another tool you can use to help you reach your goals faster.
If you have the budget, it’s a good option to get more eyes on your music, especially if you’re launching a new single or trying to drive more traffic to your website or other social media platforms. However, channels can absolutely thrive without running ads.
Best practices for running YouTube Promotions
If you decide to run a YouTube Promotion, here are some best practices to ensure you get the best results:
- Run Your Promotion for at Least a Week
- Give your promotion time to generate meaningful results. Running it for at least a week will allow enough data to come in so you can see how your audience responds.
- Be Intentional with Your Targeting
- The viewers you target, such as their location or interests, will affect the cost per view. Think carefully about where your fans are likely to be and select your targeting options accordingly.
- Monitor and Adjust
- Use YouTube Analytics to track the performance of your promotion. You can monitor metrics like impressions, views, and subscriber growth. If something isn’t working, adjust your targeting, budget, or goals.
- Test and Learn
- You may not get everything right the first time. Use promotions to test different approaches, and over time, you’ll learn what works best for your content and audience.
Do promotions hurt organic reach?
No, promotions do not negatively impact your channel’s organic reach. YouTube Promotions are kept separate from YouTube’s organic recommendation systems. While some of your metrics, like audience retention or click-through rates, may drop because your video is being shown to a broader audience, it won’t harm how the YouTube algorithm recommends your content. These metrics may drop because your content is being shown to people who may not necessarily chime with your videos – think of it as taking a chance at fishing in a bigger pool.
You can always check how your organic and paid traffic is performing separately through YouTube Analytics, giving you a clear understanding of what’s driving your success.
Summing up
YouTube Promotions offer independent musicians a valuable tool to reach new audiences and promote their music. Whether you’re trying to build your subscriber base, promote a new release, or drive traffic to your website, YouTube Promotions can help accelerate your growth.
However, promoting your content in this way isn’t essential for success. Many musicians grow organically through consistent uploads and strategic engagement. If you do decide to invest in Promotions, follow the best practices and monitor your results to ensure you’re getting the most out of your investment.