Pre-Rolls are one of the key tools I use to increase response.
It’s one of the most powerful ways to be able to generate leads or create sales today.
It’s the awesome and amazing commercial before the video that you see on YouTube and other video platforms that you may be watching. This is called pre-roll.
I use videos for clients all the time. I’ve created over 400 videos, VSLs, TV commercials and 13 infomercials, plus pre-rolls for almost every project I do in a multichannel campaign.
I love this media. But it keeps getting better. Now with the ability to use pre-rolls that can better target your audience, it has supercharged your ability to create greater profits.
This is how it works: If you’ve ever watched a video on YouTube, you’ve probably had to wait anywhere from a few seconds to a couple minutes to watch the video you clicked on.
For example. on Google’s TrueView, pre-roll places the advertising spot before you see the video. The average cost per view for TrueView is $.10 – $.30.
You can target your audience with a growing set of variables, allowing you to accurately target the prospects you’re looking for.
Your pre-roll video can be targeted to a specific audience of prospects: you can use a custom list or look-a-like audience and choose specific channels to run it on.
Traditional pre-rolls typically run between 15 – 30 seconds but can be longer depending on the platform. For example, TrueView skippable ads can be as long as you want – although we recommend not going over 3 minutes.
Keep in mind, on YouTube you will be charged per view. A view is counted when someone watches 30 seconds of your video ad (or the duration if it’s shorter than 30 seconds) or interacts with the ad, whichever comes first. There are several different kinds of YouTube Ads:
- Skippable – after 5 seconds, viewers can skip
- Non-skippable – play before, during, and after other videos. 15 – 20 seconds MAX
- In-Feed – place your brand / service alongside content that is likely to be viewed by target – i.e. search results in YT
- Bumper – 6 seconds
- Outstream – outside of Google, no max
Here’s an example of how I am currently using pre-roll videos for my clients.
- Email List: I use our pre-selected email/postal lists to run the ads only to your target audience when they watch a video on YouTube.
- Custom List: I’m using pre-rolls to serve my videos to specific audiences- for example, only customers, or only a subset of customers.
- Look-a-like: I am using a look-a-like audience of prospects to target the pre-roll video, based on the prospect list provided. Google will use their algorithms to identify prospects just like the list I provided.
In 2023, pre-rolls should be a powerful part of your targeted marketing strategy and your integrated multichannel program.
As with any direct response marketing program, pre-rolls are driven by ROI. You know your cost per lead and cost per sale. It’s never a surprise.
Easy first step: Start with YouTube and then try other platforms.
Give us a call at 615-933-4647 or email Michael at [email protected] to discuss your pre-roll strategy… we can help you create a successful campaign and media buy.
