It’s been a relatively quiet couple of weeks in the digital marketing landscape (as quiet as it can be, anyway). So this week I thought I’d talk about YouTube, which comes up less in conversation with clients than I would expect.
YouTube sits in a weird spot. Everyone knows it’s massive, and I suspect a few people reading this have cited “the world’s second biggest search engine” in stakeholder meetings, but relatively few people I work with include it in their marketing mix.
Why? Well, it’s not really “social,” not quite “search,” so it tends to fall through the cracks. Leave it to the performance lot or other companies.
That’s a missed opportunity. YouTube combines intent, attention, and reach in a way no other platform can. So if it’s been a blind spot in your media mix, here are a few quick things to know.
1. How it actually works
You don’t buy ads on YouTube - you buy them through Google Ads. Which is possibly great news - if you’re interested in buying ads on YouTube, then you probably already have some kind of PPC presence.
If you do already use Google Ads, it’s the same setup - same dashboard, billing, and data. You’re just selecting a ‘video’ campaign rather than a ‘search’ one.
There are advanced options like Display & Video 360 or third-party programmatic tools, but for 99% of teams, Google Ads is the route. No new platform, no enterprise budget required.
2. “Isn’t YouTube just for awareness?”
Not anymore.
Yes, it’s great for reach - but formats like TrueView (where you only pay for views) and in-feed ads can drive mid-funnel performance too.
Add in remarketing or sequencing (showing one ad to people who’ve watched another) and you’ve got a surprisingly strong funnel.
3. “Do I need a TV-sized budget?”
No. You can start testing with £500-£1,000, and cost-per-view often sits between £0.01 and £0.05. Obviously the more targeted your placements and targeting gets, then the higher this goes and it can go as high as £0.30-£0.50.
4. “How does targeting actually work?”
Pretty much like Google Ads - only smarter.
You can target by demographics, interests, or behaviour, but the real power is in custom intent: reaching people based on recent Google searches.
Someone searching “best HR software”? You can show them your HR platform demo video minutes later.
That’s both intent AND need-state - a rare combination in social media.
5. “What if I don’t have video content?”
Then make something lightweight. Don’t let perfect get in the way of good.
Your creative doesn’t have to be cinematic - repurpose short organic clips, spokespeople interviews, product explainers, or even cleverly animated slides with voiceover.
As with Google Search ads, YouTube rewards clarity and relevance more than polish. The key: tell one clear story in the first 3-5 seconds. Don’t wait for your logo reveal; people won’t be watching by then.
6. “How do I measure success?”
As with any channel, it depends on your goal.
For awareness, track view-through rate and watch time.
For engagement, look at CTR and earned views.
For conversions, focus on, erm, conversions.
And because YouTube sits inside Google Ads, it integrates cleanly with GA4 for deeper insight and analysis.
TL;DR
YouTube isn’t just a home for viral cat videos or DIY how-tos. It’s the missing bridge between broadcast and digital - one that can actually be used to drive directly attributable conversions.
That’s it for this week! If you found this interesting, I would hugely appreciate it if you shared with your friends and colleagues.
If you’re feeling particularly generous and enjoyed this edition, I won’t stop you from buying me a coffee. Otherwise, I’ll see you next time 🫶