Imagine watching a television commercial in the comfort of your home and having the power to purchase it right there and then from your remote control. Though this concept has been talked about and pondered for many years in the broadcast industry, the fact is, they never brought it to fruition. The Home Shopping Network or QVC might get you a step closer to that concept but there's a chance the product or service you want will never appear on those outlets. Enter YouTube. Yes, YouTube just became more shoppable as Google is making it easier to connect viewers of content, advertisers and consumers.
Google recently introduced new video advertising formats for AdWords and YouTube.
TrueView for Shopping enables marketers/advertisers to display video ads (cards) along the right side of the videos. These cards can contain specific pricing and details for the product advertised. Because it's Google you can specifically target people who have watched your other videos or who have visited your sites (retargeting).
Shopping Ads on YouTube allow marketers/advertisers to overlay shopping "cards" on top of product videos on YouTube. Viewers who research a product on YouTube will be able to click on a window to see pricing and product details, easily allowing them to click through to a purchase page.
While the new service will not let consumers buy directly from YouTube, retailers can list their products alongside video ads so viewers can easily click on a link and purchase from a brand’s site. A one-click process that makes it easier for viewers to buy from retailers' websites instead of having to search for it.
Though companies have long had abilities to insert ads over their videos on YouTube, these new feature helps companies expand their e-commerce footprint to more specific categories of videos like how-to videos and product reviews. This can help marketers and companies reach a whole new level of success when it comes to their content marketing and YouTube strategy.
Both TrueView and Shopping Ads are available to all marketers/retailers through Google AdWords. If you're interested in trying TrueView ads for your business or upping your Adwords gains, then click for a complimentary review.