The answer lies in the nature of the purchase cycle – it’s neither linear nor direct.
Before a user takes action, there’s a necessary phase of exploration, evaluation, and experience.
To drive conversions, you must know where to hook, engage, illustrate the problem, pause strategically, and qualify the user.
This process takes time. In-feed ads provide a powerful opportunity to inspire and introduce users to your brand as they navigate their purchase cycle.
In-feed = Inspire
Where? Mobile and Desktop.
3. Shorts ads
Shorts are especially valuable for many brands I work with, particularly those with a background in media buying on Instagram and Facebook.
Shorts offer a personal and engaging ad format, making it essential to:
Capture attention quickly.
Respect the viewer’s time.
Drive them to take action.
The goal is to keep people watching as long as possible, signaling to the algorithm that the ad is effective and should be shown to more users.
A key advantage of shorts is their versatility across platforms and placements.
A single vertical ad can run seamlessly on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, across multiple placements.
This allows us to evaluate how the creative performs in different contexts, adding value to the user experience.
Our agency is even testing dashboards to analyze this data more effectively.
What’s particularly interesting is how YouTube prioritizes Shorts in its app.
They’re prominently placed above the fold, making them the second thing users see after the first video.
This reflects YouTube’s investment in shorts as part of the user journey.
Whether transitioning from a long-form video or catering to viewers seeking quick, engaging content, YouTube positions Shorts as a key part of the platform’s experience.
This is a creative and humanistic type of advertising.
Shorts, in comparison to regular videos, have a multitude of different things.
People who come and watch Shorts are primarily in the “People and blog” type of content and entertainment.
And that’s what you should build for when it comes to Shorts.
Shorts = Entertainment
Where? Mobile.
Moving forward and building content on YouTube
Building content on YouTube doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s a simple approach to get started:
Set your budget
Start small with $5, $10, or $20 per day across three campaigns:
Shorts (9×16) and long form (16×9): In-stream (CPV).
TV: CPM.
In-feed: CPM or CPV.
Plan your content
Focus on creating multiple variations with different intros, outros, and voice types.
But more importantly, think about how your video content can transition across formats:
A 2-3 minute video should flow naturally into an in-stream format.
That in-stream video should translate into a 60-second in-feed video.
Finally, condense that 60-second video into a dynamic short with fast-paced action from the start.
Each format serves a purpose:
In-stream educates.
In-feed inspires.
Shorts entertain.
These straightforward strategies can transform your brand’s trajectory.
Dig deeper: What YouTube learned by analyzing over 8,000 top ads
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