YouTube is rolling out new ad formats to its Shorts feature, expanding the reach for advertisers. As part of its NewFronts presentation, YouTube announced that it’s introducing a new ad format that combines skippable and non-skippable ads to improve reach using Google AI. This new feature enables advertisers to upload a 60-second vertical video to engage with viewers. With the update, advertisers can use video reach campaigns to promote their products, which was previously limited to Video action campaigns and App Install campaigns.
Additionally, YouTube is expanding reach ads into the home feed and bringing YouTube Select, a targeting solution for advertisers, to Shorts later this year. YouTube Select will allow brands to present their ads alongside popular and relevant short-form videos. The company is also allowing advertisers to have their ad appear as the first video a viewer sees when scrolling through Shorts. With 1.5 billion viewers each month and 50 billion views daily, Shorts is proving to be a popular feature among YouTube viewers.
While YouTube’s ad revenue has decreased for three consecutive quarters, it continues to focus on Shorts as its primary feature. In the recent earnings report, YouTube earned $6.69 billion in ad revenue. YouTube’s VP of agency and brand solutions, Kristen O’Hara, mentioned that many brands are exploring how they can use Shorts since its launch and that viewers are discovering brands while bouncing between long-form videos and Shorts. By expanding ad formats and reach into Shorts, YouTube aims to provide a better advertising experience for both viewers and advertisers.
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