YouTube is adding more ways for brands to advertise via YouTube Shorts, the platform’s short-form video format. This is part of YouTube’s ongoing efforts to monetize Shorts and provide more revenue streams for creators. The new ad formats include pre-roll ads, mid-roll ads, and image ads that can appear in the Shorts player. The ads will be up to 15 seconds long, and users will be able to skip them after five seconds.
Google explains:
“With this update to Video Reach campaigns, you simply upload a 60-second (or shorter) vertical video along with your other assets. If you’d prefer to use existing horizontal creative, YouTube’s campaign setup tools include AI-powered features that automatically adapt and optimize your videos for the vertical screen.”
The addition of ad placement options for Shorts provides a significant opportunity for businesses to reach audiences through the format’s highly engaging and easily digestible content. Brands can use Shorts ads to raise brand awareness, drive website traffic, and promote products or services to a younger demographic.
With Shorts content now seeing over 50 billion daily views, YouTube has also introduced a new “Shorts Fund” to pay creators for their content. This initiative will initially be available in the US and India, and creators can apply to be part of the fund. The Shorts Fund will distribute a total of $100 million over the course of 2022 and 2023 to creators who produce engaging and original content for Shorts.
The Shorts format has seen significant growth in popularity since its launch, with over 15 billion daily views globally. With the addition of ad placement options and the Shorts Fund, the platform is poised to continue its expansion and attract more creators and advertisers.
You can read more about YouTube’s Shorts ad placement update here.
