As a child, Brett Curry was fascinated by TV commercials. Now the proprietor of OMG Commerce, an ecommerce advertising company, he says YouTube advertisements are related. “A superb TV advert usually makes YouTube advert,” he advised me.
I requested for particulars. What’s YouTube advert technique for ecommerce? How a lot ought to an advertiser spend? Which merchandise work the most effective?
Brett addressed these questions and extra in our latest dialog. Our complete audio is embedded under. The transcript is edited for size and readability.
Eric Bandholz: Give us a rundown of what you do.
Brett Curry: I’m the founding father of OMG Commerce, a advertising company. We’re a staff of about 50, specializing in serving to ecommerce manufacturers develop profitably. Meaning buying clients at an appropriate price and rising income and margin. I launched the enterprise in 2010.
Our staff consists of strategists and channel specialists. We have now a full Amazon division with model managers and advert consultants. On the direct-to-consumer facet, we focus totally on Google and YouTube with help for Meta. Strategists oversee efficiency throughout channels, making certain knowledge flows between platforms resembling Amazon and Google to drive smarter selections and sustainable development.
I’m a long-time advertising fanatic. As a child, I used to be fascinated by TV commercials — particularly infomercials just like the Ginsu knives. I even tried to persuade my mother and father to purchase a set. That early curiosity led me to a advertising diploma, and I began an company proper out of school. I really like serving to manufacturers promote their merchandise by telling nice tales and profitably connecting with the correct viewers.
Bandholz: What causes client-agency relationships to fail?
Curry: The duty falls on each the shopper and the company, although the larger weight is on us because the company. Purchasers rent companies to ship outcomes. When relationships break down, it’s virtually all the time on account of poor communication or misaligned expectations.
Purchasers are typically quietly annoyed however don’t specific it, hoping issues enhance. Different occasions, our staff will make suggestions repeatedly, and the shopper dismisses them. That alerts both that the thought isn’t strong, or we’re not presenting it clearly or with knowledge.
One other widespread challenge is when companies obsess over platform-specific metrics resembling return on advert spend or price per click on, whereas model house owners need to know, “Is that this making me cash?” They care about enterprise outcomes, not whether or not we used YouTube or Meta.
I reminded my staff this week that if I’m a enterprise proprietor spending cash on advertising, I need to understand how a lot I’ll make from the funding, not the click-through charge or platform ROAS — actual return. We’ll miss the mark if we don’t align our metrics with shopper objectives.
Bandholz: How does an ecommerce model efficiently promote on YouTube?
Curry: YouTube blends the most effective of search, TV, and digital video. It’s the second-largest search engine and the most-streamed app on related TVs — greater than Netflix and Hulu.
Many core advertising rules apply. A superb TV advert usually makes YouTube advert, although YouTube has nuances. It’s extra advanced and more durable to measure than different platforms. Meta may be easier for manufacturers simply beginning with video, however YouTube is extremely incremental — it brings in new clients when accomplished proper.
Success on YouTube depends upon three elements: artistic, viewers, and measurement. You want compelling artistic, exact focusing on, and a strong plan for monitoring outcomes. We explored YouTube early as a result of I discovered it enjoyable and promising. We’ve developed a method over time that works.
I’ve all the time leaned towards direct response. Even in brand-building campaigns, I need a clear name to motion — whether or not that’s sending folks to Amazon, Walmart, or a web site. YouTube requires a distinct artistic strategy relying on the viewer’s machine — cell, desktop, or more and more, related TV, which now accounts for over half of YouTube views.
We’ve discovered CTV particularly efficient. We not too long ago gained a Google Company Excellence Award for an eight-week YouTube marketing campaign driving Arctic coolers and tumblers into Walmart shops. CTV was the top-performing channel.
As for advert construction, 60 to 90 seconds is the candy spot, however as much as 3 minutes can carry out for conversion-focused campaigns. In contrast to Meta or TikTok, YouTube advertisements should do all of the work — hook the viewer, overcome objections, present the product, supply social proof, and shut with a call-to-action.
Voiceover is essential. Excessive manufacturing worth helps, however mixing in user-generated content material or influencer clips can enhance relatability. Simply don’t assume what works on Meta will translate on to YouTube, although your finest Meta advert may present a superb hook for YouTube.
Bandholz: What’s an optimum spend for every YouTube advert?
Curry: When testing, the purpose is to spend sufficient to get significant knowledge with out going overboard. Usually, we suggest $100 to $1,000 a day. For those who’re okay studying slowly, spend on the decrease finish. However $500 to $1,000 per day is right for faster insights. The primary couple of weeks are normally tough — conversions are available slowly, particularly since YouTube is extra view-based than click-based.
We observe each micro and buy conversions to higher feed the algorithm. Normally, by the top of the primary month, we’ve recognized mixtures of artistic, viewers, and bidding that present promise.
One in all our favourite focusing on strategies is Customized Intent. As a result of Google owns YouTube, you possibly can goal folks primarily based on what they’ve searched on Google. So, for Beardbrand, your organization, it’s not simply beard-related key phrases — you may also goal searches that sign a high-spending D2C buyer.
Over time, patterns emerge. You’ll uncover which audiences and creatives carry out, and by month three, you’ll probably have readability in your winners and may confidently scale from there.
Eric Bandholz: What varieties of merchandise and worth factors carry out finest on YouTube?
Brett Curry: YouTube works finest for visually demonstrable merchandise with a novel hook. Suppose wrinkle-free costume shirts manufactured from athletic material, titanium sun shades that open bottles — something that makes somebody cease and watch. An important story or differentiator is essential.
By way of pricing, YouTube tends to favor merchandise with buyer acquisition prices between $50 and $150. A price-per-acquisition purpose under $50 might not be viable on YouTube — until you could have a killer front-end supply backed by robust upsells or continuity. For instance, an intro supply below $30 can work should you make up for the revenue on the backend.
For merchandise priced under $30, resembling our shopper Native Deodorant, YouTube can nonetheless work, particularly should you’re aiming for mass distribution. Native used YouTube to construct traction, then scaled into retail like CVS and Walmart, and now they’re in every single place. It’s also possible to drive low CPAs with natural YouTube content material amplified by advertisements, however that takes time to construct. In any other case, search-based platforms on Google or Amazon may match higher for sub-$30 merchandise with tighter margins.
Bandholz: The place can folks join with you?
Curry: OmgCommerce.com. I’m @BrettCurry on X and @TheBrettCurry on LinkedIn. My podcast is Ecommerce Evolution.
