How to get customers with YouTube ads

We've spotted a massive shift in our data recently.

Remember when we said YouTube Shorts were king?

We weren't wrong.

Back then, Shorts were doing incredible for our 80+ partners who wanted to do YouTube.

But recently, the data is telling us a different story.

YouTube Shorts aren't dead, but they're not the golden ticket anymore.

Horizontal videos look way more promising. Our data shows horizontal video ads get WAY better retention.

Whereas on Shorts, viewers are dropping off almost instantly—sometimes within 1 second.

In practical terms, that means you only have 0.8 seconds to try to sell your product.

So we dug a bit deeper into this, why the shift?

User behavior on YouTube is changing.

Horizontal videos give you more room to tell your story and showcase your product.

But don't kill your Shorts ads just yet.

It's not about picking one over the other. It's about using both formats smartly.

Here's how we’re tackling this:

• Use Shorts for quick, attention-grabbing content.

• Retarget viewers of your Shorts with your horizontal videos that dive deeper into your product's benefits.

The key is creating a cohesive strategy that plays to each format's strengths.

Pro tip:

Your ad creative doesn't need to be Hollywood-level.

In fact, we've found that organic, authentic-looking content often beats polished commercials.

This goes for horizontal ads too.

Think vlog style, podcast clips, or unboxing videos.

Your goal is to educate and entertain while subtly selling your product.

Now, let's talk about a big mistake most e-commerce brands make with YouTube ads.

They're not segmenting their campaigns properly.

Here's our process (feel free to steal it):

1. Start with separate campaigns for:

• Prospecting (cold audiences)

• Remarketing (warm audiences)

• Seed audiences (lookalikes)

2. For prospecting, mix broad demographic targeting with custom intent audiences based on relevant keywords and topics.

3. Set up separate remarketing campaigns for different engagement levels:

• Video viewers

• Website visitors

• Cart abandoners

4. Use seed audiences to bridge the gap between prospecting and remarketing.

5. Scale winners by 20% every 3-5 days.

Remember, YouTube ads aren't just about quick sales.

They're about building brand awareness and nurturing potential customers.

YouTube has been a powerhouse for our top-of-funnel strategy.

Which, if you’re a serious brand, you need.

Every brand needs a system to consistently attract new customers.

Jackson

Founder and CEO of Echelonn

P.S. Got a friend interested in Google ads? Share the love and send them our way.

If you’re that awesome friend, you can subscribe here.