YouTube tests shoppable ads

YouTube is experimenting with making video ads more shoppable by adding buttons such as 'Shop Now' that opens a carousel of products.

With the new shoppable ads, advertisers will be able to drive performance along with awareness from within the YouTube app with options such as 'Shop Now' and 'Test Drive'.

Previously, whenever a user saw a (for example) pre-roll ad, they only had an option to 'Visit Advertiser' which in most cases redirected a user to their website.

With the new shoppable ad formats, advertisers & marketers will be able to generate leads, attain conversions, and drive sales from within the YouTube app.

Drive Sales

YouTube is adding browsable product imagery with a carousel that can be accessed with a 'Shop Now' button that complements a video ad.

An advertiser has to sync their Google Merchant Center feed to the video ads, and feature products of their choice that would work the best and drive traffic to these products' pages.

Conversions

YouTube is introducing Video action campaigns, a cost-effective way to drive conversions across YouTube. It automatically brings video ads that drive action to the YouTube home feed, watch pages, and Google video partners, all within one campaign.

The platform will also include any future inventory that becomes available.

Also Read: Testing: YouTube’s ‘Products In This Video’

Lead Generation

Lead Forms will help advertisers attain personally identifiable and contact information of a qualified lead i.e. a viewer that is interested in the product or service advertised within the video ad.

A lead form will help obtain potential consumers. Marketers can add a lead form to a video campaign running TrueView for action.

Google Ads Attribution Reports

Google has included YouTube in their Google Ads attribution reports, that provide insights and information into the allocation of budgets, to aid advertisers to increase efficiency across YouTube, search, and shopping campaigns.

The report will also provide more transparency around consumer insights, that can accompany the utilization of the new shoppable ad formats.