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. “ TV advert usually makes an excellent YouTube advert,” he instructed me.
I requested for particulars. What’s an excellent YouTube advert technique for ecommerce? How a lot ought to an advertiser spend? Which merchandise work one of the best?
Brett addressed these questions and extra in our current dialog. Our whole 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 workforce of about 50, specializing in serving to ecommerce manufacturers develop profitably. Meaning buying clients at an appropriate value and growing income and margin. I launched the enterprise in 2010.
Our workforce contains strategists and channel specialists. We now have a full Amazon division with model managers and advert specialists. On the direct-to-consumer aspect, we focus totally on Google and YouTube with help for Meta. Strategists oversee efficiency throughout channels, making certain knowledge flows between platforms comparable to Amazon and Google to drive smarter choices 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 dad and mom 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 fitting viewers.
Bandholz: What causes client-agency relationships to fail?
Curry: The accountability falls on each the consumer and the company, although the better weight is on us because the company. Shoppers rent companies to ship outcomes. When relationships break down, it’s virtually all the time attributable to poor communication or misaligned expectations.
Shoppers are generally quietly pissed off however don’t specific it, hoping issues enhance. Different occasions, our workforce will make suggestions repeatedly, and the consumer dismisses them. That alerts both that the concept isn’t strong, or we’re not presenting it clearly or with knowledge.
One other frequent concern is when companies obsess over platform-specific metrics comparable to return on advert spend or value per click on, whereas model homeowners 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 workforce 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 price or platform ROAS — actual return. We’ll miss the mark if we don’t align our metrics with consumer targets.
Bandholz: How does an ecommerce model efficiently promote on YouTube?
Curry: YouTube blends one of the best 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 ideas apply. TV advert usually makes an excellent YouTube advert, although YouTube has nuances. It’s extra complicated and more durable to measure than different platforms. Meta is perhaps less complicated for manufacturers simply beginning with video, however YouTube is very incremental — it brings in new clients when completed proper.
Success on YouTube is dependent upon three elements: artistic, viewers, and measurement. You want compelling artistic, exact concentrating 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 components 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 individuals to Amazon, Walmart, or an internet site. YouTube requires a special artistic strategy relying on the viewer’s gadget — cellular, desktop, or more and more, related TV, which now accounts for over half of YouTube views.
We’ve discovered CTV particularly efficient. We lately received 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 important. Excessive manufacturing worth helps, however mixing in user-generated content material or influencer clips can increase relatability. Simply don’t assume what works on Meta will translate on to YouTube, although your greatest Meta advert would possibly present a superb hook for YouTube.
Bandholz: What’s an optimum spend for every YouTube advert?
Curry: When testing, the objective is to spend sufficient to get significant knowledge with out going overboard. Sometimes, we suggest $100 to $1,000 a day. Should you’re okay studying slowly, spend on the decrease finish. However $500 to $1,000 per day is good for faster insights. The primary couple of weeks are often tough — conversions are available in slowly, particularly since YouTube is extra view-based than click-based.
We monitor each micro and buy conversions to raised feed the algorithm. Normally, by the tip of the primary month, we’ve recognized combos of artistic, viewers, and bidding that present promise.
One in every of our favourite concentrating on strategies is Customized Intent. As a result of Google owns YouTube, you possibly can goal individuals based mostly on what they’ve searched on Google. So, for Beardbrand, your organization, it’s not simply beard-related key phrases — you may additionally 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 might confidently scale from there.
Eric Bandholz: What sorts of merchandise and worth factors carry out greatest on YouTube?
Brett Curry: YouTube works greatest for visually demonstrable merchandise with a singular hook. Suppose wrinkle-free costume shirts product of athletic cloth, titanium sun shades that open bottles — something that makes somebody cease and watch. An excellent story or differentiator is vital.
When it comes to pricing, YouTube tends to favor merchandise with buyer acquisition prices between $50 and $150. A value-per-acquisition objective under $50 is probably not viable on YouTube — until you’ve got a killer front-end supply backed by sturdy upsells or continuity. For instance, an intro supply beneath $30 can work should you make up for the revenue on the backend.
For merchandise priced under $30, comparable to our consumer 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 all places. You may also 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 would possibly match higher for sub-$30 merchandise with tighter margins.
Bandholz: The place can individuals join with you?
Curry: OmgCommerce.com. I’m @BrettCurry on X and @TheBrettCurry on LinkedIn. My podcast is Ecommerce Evolution.
