Run YouTube Solo and See it Soar

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Feb 3

Contrary to popular belief, Performance Max isn’t a replacement for all your creative placements such as YouTube or Display and shouldn’t be treated as such.

For brand discovery, video is at the forefront for storytelling and messaging, as people are introduced to a brand, learn about its products, and then potentially take direct action then or further down the line. So why limit YouTube to an extension of Shopping?

In March, video opt out will be scrapped across all Performance Max accounts. This means those currently running PMax who have opted out of video will start running with a 15 to 20 second auto generated asset (the quality of these automated ads is usually terrible), or else have an option to upload a 10 second asset which they have made themselves.

In our ‘Performance Max, or Performance Meh?’ article, we touched on how PMax as a video channel shouldn’t be your first gateway to running video. Kinase recommends that you carefully consider the pros of unbundling YouTube and running dedicated campaigns in order to best optimise the platform - in this article we’re delving deeper into why.

The Audience

When it comes to audiences, Performance Max leverages automated bidding which results in less control over audiences. Instead of running a one size fits all automated bidding strategy, dedicated YouTube campaigns allow you to select the best KPIs and bidding strategy for your individual campaign goals.

Additionally, YouTube gives a full measurement breakdown in the interface whereas PMax only allows a top line view.

By limiting YouTube to an extension of Shopping (in PMax), you run the risk of missing out on a full funnel strategy for video. This means potentially missing the power of middle and top of funnel placements which will actually grow your audience and your brand. Google reports that a full funnel approach doubles the likelihood of conversion overall (Google internal data, 2020).

Sure, Bottom Funnel conversions are of course necessary; and if your prime KPI for running video is to drive conversions then PMax may be all you need. However, the benefit of running YouTube separately is having visibility across the entire funnel so you can follow the customer journey all the way through.

The Creative

A YouTube campaign allows a range of assets with different video lengths compared to PMax which has an automated 6 second video and is unable to have longer automated video.

As Performance Max doesn’t have the ability to sequence and build on brand story either, there’s more opportunity to build on brand awareness through unbundled YouTube. Performance Max automated creatives are limited to Shopping and there is less focus on brand, and none on storytelling and emotional connection. These are crucial pieces of a brand strategist’s craft - and they will be ruled out if video is wrapped up only in Performance Max.

Unbundled YouTube also has the ability to add in shoppable cards, and other extensions familiar from Search.

The KPI and Budget

In our previous articles we touched on how Performance Max struggles with multi-layered KPIs.

For YouTube, KPIs for brand awareness centre on reach, CTR and view rates with a real focus on those Top and Middle-of-Funnel audiences. For conversions, the KPIs are focused on overall ROAS and website traffic.

When you try to understand how you’re performing against these KPIs in Performance Max, you find that performance isn’t broken down or segmented at all and you can’t pull the analysis or the insights you need. With a standalone YouTube campaign, you’re given much more control with a full view of metrics - giving you the ability to change and optimise those campaigns.

For brand awareness you can spend less but for sales you need a decent budget behind to actually drive results.

Conclusion

As video becomes increasingly popular, it’s important to weigh up your options if you’re wanting to truly reap the benefits.

YouTube has huge reach and potential for brands - engaging with audiences across demographics. As such, there are only particular use cases for simply bundling it inside Performance Max. To get the most from it, a proper creative strategy and optimised, full funnel campaign will go much further while being properly optimised and attuned to your goals.