In the modern world, YouTube advertising has become one of the key strategies for brand promotion. It is especially important to understand how to interact with bloggers on this platform. In this article, we’re going to look at two types of ad buys: for collaboration on YouTube channel promotion and for branded advertising.

Types of integrations and their mechanics for advertising on YouTube with bloggers

1. Deep integration into content. Contests, sponsorship, native integration.

In my opinion, deep integration into content is the best way to interact with the audience. It can be a contest where participants complete tasks, or an organically woven sponsorship block that will provide viewers with an offer that will interest them. Native integration involves placing advertising content in the video script so that it does not look intrusive.

Important! Only by choosing the right blogger, whose target audience and content coincide with the potential audience of the brand or product you are promoting, you will get a good result.

2. Pre-roll, post-roll, or a compromise mid-roll. An ad unit at the beginning, middle, or end of the video.

The choice between a pre-roll and a post-roll depends on the goals of the advertising campaign. A pre-roll is shown before the main content, while a post-roll is shown after it. It is important to consider this when planning your ads. Usually, bloggers don’t want to insert pre-roll before the video so as not to spoil their viewability. And viewers simply turn off the post-roll because they have already received the content they planned to watch. A compromise option is mid-roll, which can be a solution in difficult negotiations with bloggers and provide sufficient audience engagement for the brand.

3. Purchase of placement on end-screens (end screensavers)

Placing ads on end screens is an effective way to grab viewers’ attention after the video ends. This method is usually used as an additional way to gain subscribers and engagement. The main condition for the success of this type of collaboration with a blogger is the coincidence of video topics and a good level of views that go to the “donor” video for a long time.

4. Publications in the “Community” section

Posting in the Community section is analogous to publishing an article on a blog or website. It is usually an additional tool to attract the most loyal audience of the channel. Pay attention to what and how actively the author publishes in this section, because it is not always actively filled with authors of YouTube channels.

5. Purchase a month in the playlist on the channel’s main page

Buying a month in the playlist on the channel’s main page is another non-obvious idea to draw attention to your video. This method is additional and will work if this playlist contains content from the blogger you plan to buy this ad placement from that is similar in meaning and mood. Purchasing placements on end screens, in the community section, or placing videos in playlists on the main YouTube channel are the cheapest, but treat them as additional tools.

Advertising rates for bloggers on YouTube

The most costly in terms of money that a blogger will ask for placement and time for implementation are all kinds of native integrations. Pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll are the most popular because it is much easier for a blogger to integrate them at the editing stage and they look like regular ads on the YouTube platform. But their effectiveness will be lower.

How to choose a YouTube channel for cooperation

1. Define your audience

First of all, determine what kind of audience you need for your product or service. Choose channels that target your target audience. This is almost the main factor without which all the other steps are meaningless. Look at the social demographics and geography of the channel’s viewers over a significant period of time (at least 6 months)

2. Analyze the audience engagement on the blogger’s YouTube channel

Investigate the level of audience engagement on the channels. It’s important to choose bloggers whose content generates activity and interaction among viewers. I usually analyze the average level of views per video over the past two months and look at the ratio of views, likes, and comments. I consider it normal for a YouTube blogger to have 100 likes and 10 comments per 1000 views.

3. Check the blogger’s reputation

A blogger’s reputation is important. Look for reviews and recommendations, make sure they are positive and meet your requirements. If you are planning to buy integrations or advertising from bloggers, regularly find groups that keep blacklists of bloggers so that you can check how responsible a potential author is, or whether he or she has collaborated with brands that can harm your reputation.

4. Analyze channel analytics

View channel analytics: views, subscribers, conversions. This will allow you to determine the effectiveness of the channel for advertising and identify possible cheats and problems with the channel. It often happens that a million-dollar channel has already lost its former reach and loyal audience.

How to choose a channel for paid cooperation

1. Set a budget

Set a budget for your advertising campaign and look for channels that meet these limits. Try to distribute the budget between several YouTube channels. If these are your first integrations with bloggers, don’t go for million-dollar channels, it’s better to buy integrations from 3-5 medium-sized ones or ten micro-influencers to spread the chances and get the desired result in the end.

2. Check the blogger’s rates

Each blogger sets their own rates. Check if they fit into your budget and if you can negotiate a discount. Usually, you will get a price per placement, which will not be difficult to convert to CPM (cost per thousand views) by estimating the average number of views on his previous videos.

3. Analyze the ad format

Consider previous advertising campaigns on the channel. Determine which ad formats attract viewers’ attention the most and which do not have negative feedback in the comments under the video.

4. Consider the relevance of the content

It is important that the blogger’s content is relevant to your brand. Choose channels where advertising will look organic.

How to buy brand or product integrations

1. Study brand integrations

Consider how other brands integrate into the blogger’s content. Learn what it looks like and how it works.

2. Pay attention to the audience

Make sure the blogger’s audience matches your target segment. This will make the integration more effective.

3. Discuss integration details with the blogger and keep the style consistent with the original content

Before buying, determine the details of the integration with the blogger. Discuss the format, duration, and other important aspects. If the integration is native, write a script together with the blogger or agree on it. The success of promotion and viewer engagement depends on its quality and how deeply the advertising integration will be integrated into the blogger’s content.

Organization of cooperation between channels for money

1. Set goals for cooperation

Before starting cooperation, define the goal: whether it is to attract new subscribers or exchange them if the integration is mirrored and you plan to post videos on both channels.

2. Review previous joint projects

Study the blogger’s other joint projects. If they were successful, this is a positive signal for cooperation.

3. Agree on the terms of cooperation

Discuss the terms of cooperation, including profit sharing, duration, and format of joint content.

4. Develop a creative concept

Create an interesting and creative concept for a joint video that attracts the attention of the audience of both channels.

Blogger exchange, direct purchase, or cooperation with an agency?

1. Blogger exchange

Blogger exchanges are online platforms where you can find bloggers to collaborate with. The advantage is a wide selection, mechanisms for controlling responsibility, but there is a risk of low quality and blogger engagement.

2. Direct purchase of advertising from a blogger on YouTube

Direct purchase of advertising from a blogger allows you to avoid commissions of blogger exchanges, but requires independent search and analysis of bloggers. Also, all management and risks will be on your side. Once again, I advise you to carefully check the blogger and study his analytics.

3. Cooperation with an agency

Working with an agency such as YouTubeBro provides you with expert help in selecting bloggers, developing a strategy, and managing your campaign. Of course, it’s for a fee, but as they say, money is a good thing, as it saves time on searching, negotiating, and sometimes it will save you from making rookie mistakes.

Conclusions

Ordering ads from a blogger on YouTube is an effective way to promote your brand or product. It is important to choose the right types of integrations, choose the right channels, and develop a creative approach. Regardless of whether you choose a blogger exchange, direct purchase, or cooperation with an agency, it is important to make a careful choice to ensure the success of your advertising campaign.
Discuss the terms of cooperation, including profit sharing, duration, and format of the joint content.