YouTube Creates a Playbook for Creative Advertising

Advertisers, when learning how to succeed on YouTube go to the source.

The world's most popular video sharing site wants to help advertisers get more out of the platform. That's why it just published the Playbook for Creative Advertising. Considering that the best YouTube guides have always come from YouTube, this is required reading for newcomers and experienced video advertisers alike.

In creating the playbook, YouTube had three goals. First, to help advertisers increase the attention their videos get. Learn how to reach a target audience and create videos that resonate with them. Second, to help advertisers understand YouTube's culture. A new generation of megastars was born on YouTube, and that can be hard for ad veterans to grasp. The playbook teaches how to work with influences and win over their fans. And third, the playbook explains the metrics and reports available to YouTube streamers, showing how they can use the numbers to create even more successful videos in the future.

Rather than being a single volume, this playbook is broken into courses. Advertisers can choose from courses called YouTube Introduction, Make Great Video, and Reach Your Audience. Each one includes clear lessons and bulleted points, as well as plenty of video examples for whatever that lesson is teaching. Some include external links. The module on building a content plan includes links to analytics and data sources, for example.

The playbook also includes multiple topic areas organized in the same format. Here, advertisers can drill down on just what they need to know, such as running paid promotions or partnering with YouTube creators (that section includes a link to YouTube's Creative Services Directory, which lists companies that help brands find the ideal influencer partner).

Because ad jargon can seem impenetrable to newcomers, the bottom of the playbook's homepage includes a list of terms advertisers need to know. Unsure what the "Hero, Hub, Help" strategy is or what Google Preferred is all about? This is the place to look.

The YouTube brand ecosystem is always changing, so even experienced advertisers need a refresher now and then. Look to the Playbook for Creative Advertising as every brand's own in-house YouTube guru.

Troy Dreier's article first appeared on OnlineVideo.net