Affiliate Marketing with YouTube Ads: The Top Techniques for 2024
Want my secret weapon for supercharging your affiliate marketing business?
In this article, we’ll cover how you can use YouTube ads to flood your business with qualified leads.
I’ve seen firsthand just how powerful YouTube ads can be. YouTube is full of intent traffic, meaning people are on the platform not just for entertainment, but to learn new skills, explore hobbies, or discover products. This intent-driven audience is gold for affiliate marketers like you and me.
In this post, we're diving deep into the top techniques for getting leads with YouTube ads in 2024. From claiming free ad credits to mastering advanced targeting strategies, I’ve got you covered with actionable insights to boost your affiliate marketing efforts.
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Claim Google Ad Coupons
One of the easiest ways to get started with YouTube ads is by taking advantage of Google’s generous ad credit offer.
When I first used Google’s ad credit, I got hundreds of leads without spending any money. It allowed me to test different strategies and find the most effective ones. So, take advantage of this offer and get a head start on your lead generation.
New to YouTube ads? Watch my YouTube ads A-Z tutorial for beginners:
So, how do you claim this $500 ad credit? It’s simple. Google regularly provides promotional codes to new advertisers.
Set up a Google Ads account: If you don’t have one, it’s easy to create.
Search for Google Ad Coupons: Just type “Google ad coupon” in your search engine.
Claim the offer: Follow the instructions on Google’s promotional page, and you’ll get your ad credit.
Starting with $500 in ad credits means you can experiment with different ad strategies without worrying about upfront costs. This is especially helpful for beginners in affiliate marketing who might be hesitant to invest their own money initially. Here’s why this is such a great deal:
Risk-Free Start: You can test various ad campaigns and find what works best for your audience without spending a dime of your own money.
Immediate Traffic: Using these credits, you can drive immediate traffic to your affiliate offers, which can lead to quicker results.
Learning Opportunity: This is a perfect chance to learn and understand how YouTube ads work, what kind of targeting works best, and how to optimize your campaigns.
Use TrueView Ads
Looking to maximize your ad spend? TrueView ads are your best bet.
TrueView ads on YouTube only charge you when someone watches your video for at least 30 seconds or interacts with it, like clicking on a call-to-action. If it's just an impression, you don't pay—so there's no real risk in spending on these ads.
People won't click on your video unless they're genuinely interested, ensuring you don't waste money on an uninterested audience.
The main benefits of TrueView ads are:
Cost-Effective: You only pay when someone is genuinely interested in your content.
Targeted Reach: These ads allow you to reach viewers who are likely to be interested in your affiliate offers.
Engagement: Since viewers choose to watch your ad, they are more likely to engage with your call to action.
Using TrueView ads has been a game-changer for my affiliate marketing campaigns. I’ve been able to reach highly targeted audiences and only pay for views from people genuinely interested in my offers. This not only saves money but also increases the chances of conversions.
So, make sure to use TrueView ads to get the most out of your YouTube advertising budget.
Leverage In-stream and In-feed Ads
Using YouTube ads effectively means knowing when and how to use different types of ads. In-stream and in-feed ads are powerful tools that can help you reach your audience in different ways.
Watch my recent conversation with Justin Sardi on the effectiveness of in-feed and in-stream ads:
In-stream YouTube Ads
Instream ads are the ads that play before, during, or after a YouTube video. You’ve probably seen these ads where you can skip after 5 seconds.
The beauty of instream ads is that you only pay when a viewer watches at least 30 seconds or interacts with your ad. This makes them highly cost-effective.
Instream ads are perfect for grabbing attention quickly and delivering your message to a wide audience.
Here’s when to use instream ads:
Brand Awareness: When you want to reach a large audience quickly and build brand awareness.
Product Introductions: Perfect for showcasing a new product or service to a broad audience.
Engagement: Use them to drive viewers to your landing page or website, especially when combined with a strong call-to-action.
In-feed YouTube Ads
In-feed ads, formerly known as discovery ads, appear in YouTube search results, alongside related videos, or on the YouTube homepage. These ads blend in with organic content, making them less intrusive and more likely to be clicked by users who are actively searching for relevant information.
The benefits of in-feed ads include:
High Intent Traffic: Since these ads appear in search results, they are seen by users actively looking for content related to your ad.
Strategic Placement: They appear alongside organic content, increasing the chances of engagement.
Cost-Effective: You only pay when a user clicks on your ad and starts watching your video.
Here’s when to use in-feed ads:
Educational Content: When you have tutorials, how-to videos, or educational content that aligns with what users are searching for.
Product Reviews: Perfect for promoting product reviews and getting them in front of an audience looking for information before making a purchase.
Targeted Campaigns: Ideal for campaigns where you want to reach users with a specific interest or intent.
By leveraging both in-stream and in-feed ads, I’ve been able to create highly effective ad campaigns that reach my audience at different stages of their buyer journey.
In-stream ads help build awareness and engagement, while in-feed ads capture high-intent traffic actively searching for solutions.
Use these strategies to enhance your affiliate marketing efforts and drive more targeted traffic to your offers.
Target High-Intent Keywords
YouTube’s the second-largest search engine on the web, right behind Google. A huge number of people use it to search for specific solutions to their problems or to learn something new.
Focusing on high-intent keywords increases the likelihood of your ads being seen by customers ready to take action.
So, what are some examples of high-intent keywords for affiliate marketing? These are keywords that reflect a user’s intent to learn, purchase, or take action.
For example:
How do I make money online
How do I lose weight
How do I do affiliate marketing
How can I earn a side income
These are search terms that if you can put your video at the top of the search result, you can start to see a lot of traffic—and not just traffic, but high-intent traffic!
Here are a few more examples that have worked well for me:
How to Make Money Online: This is a broad but highly effective keyword for targeting people interested in affiliate marketing and other online income opportunities.
Best Affiliate Programs: Targeting this keyword can attract users who are looking for recommendations on affiliate programs to join.
Product Reviews: Keywords like “Product X Review” or “Best [Product Type]” are excellent for reaching users in the decision-making phase.
How to Start Affiliate Marketing: This keyword targets beginners who are looking for guidance on getting started with affiliate marketing.
Earn Passive Income: Keywords focused on passive income appeal to those interested in long-term financial freedom through affiliate marketing.
Targeting high-intent keywords has been a go-to strategy for my affiliate marketing business, and it can work wonders for any business. Start integrating high-intent keywords relevant to your niche into your campaigns and earn more from affiliate marketing!
Use Placement Targeting for Maximum Impact
Placement targeting is an effective technique that allows you to put your ads in front of specific videos or channels on YouTube.
This strategy offers several advantages that can significantly boost your affiliate marketing efforts:
Highly Targeted Audience: By placing your ads on relevant videos, you’re reaching viewers who are already interested in your niche. This increases the likelihood of engagement and conversions.
Better ROI: Placement targeting allows you to focus your ad spend on high-performing videos, ensuring that you get the most out of your budget.
Enhanced Relevance: Ads placed on videos that match your affiliate products’ theme are more likely to resonate with viewers, leading to higher click-through rates and conversions.
Let's say I want to give away a lead magnet about the top five products to sell on Amazon. I can place my ad in front of other people's videos, such as a video about how to sell on Amazon.
My lead magnet might say, "Hey, here's a five-step checklist on how to sell on Amazon," and I can position my ad right in front of that video.
The key to successful placement targeting is selecting videos that are closely related to your affiliate products. Here’s how to do it:
Research Videos in Your Niche: Start by searching for popular videos that cover topics related to your affiliate products. For example, if you’re promoting a weight loss product, look for videos on fitness tips, diet plans, and healthy living.
Use Tools to Find Monetized Videos: Tools like TubeSift can help you find monetized videos that accept ads. This saves you time and ensures your ads appear on relevant content.
Analyze Video Performance: Look at the view counts, engagement rates, and comments to gauge the popularity and relevance of the videos you’re considering. High engagement indicates an active and interested audience.
Reaching success in affiliate marketing with YouTube ads requires hard work and dedication, but the 72-Hour Freedom Challenge makes it much easier. It removes many barriers and teaches you the best lead-generation techniques so you can focus on growing your business and reaching your financial goals.
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Build Custom Audiences
While YouTube Ads allow targeting based on age, location, and gender, custom audiences go deeper.
With custom audiences, you can target people based on their interests, browsing habits, video viewing history, and even past interactions with your brand.
There are several ways to build custom audiences, including:
Website visitors: Target people who have visited your website or specific pages on it.
Customer list: Upload your email list or other customer data to target existing customers or high-value leads.
App users: Reach people who have used your mobile app.
Search terms: Target people who have searched for specific terms on Google.
Interests and demographics: Combine demographics with interests like "Fitness enthusiasts" or "Foodies" for a more precise reach.
Video watchers: Target people who have watched or interacted with your YouTube channel or specific videos.
The real power comes from layering different targeting methods. For example, you can target people who are interested in "running shoes" AND have recently visited a running website.
As an affiliate marketer, custom audiences on YouTube Ads can be a game-changer to reach people highly likely to be interested in your offers. Here's how:
Target in-market viewers: Use Google's data to target people actively searching for products related to your affiliate niche. Imagine promoting a fitness watch. Target folks searching for "fitness trackers" or "best smartwatches."
Retarget website visitors: Did someone visit your affiliate review but didn't buy? Retarget them with a YouTube ad reminding them about the product's benefits. This rekindles interest and can lead to conversions.
Leverage competitor audiences: Build custom audiences based on competitor channels or websites. These viewers are already interested in similar products, making them receptive to your affiliate offer.
Optimize Campaign Settings
Optimizing your campaign settings is crucial for maximizing the effectiveness of your YouTube ads. By fine-tuning your targeting options and budgeting strategies, you can ensure that your ads reach the right audience while staying within your budget.
Watch me build a custom YouTube ad campaign using the techniques of keyword targeting, placements, and other ad optimization settings in this video:
Here’s how you can refine your targeting:
Demographics: Start by selecting the demographics that best match your target audience. This includes age, gender, and parental status. For example, if you’re promoting a product geared towards young professionals, you might target an age range of 25-34.
Household Income: Targeting by household income can help you reach viewers who are more likely to afford your affiliate products. If you’re promoting a high-ticket item, consider targeting the top 30% of household incomes.
Device Type: Consider which devices your audience is most likely to use. You can target users on computers, mobile devices, and tablets. For instance, if your target audience is likely to watch YouTube on their mobile phones, make sure to include mobile devices in your targeting settings.
Setting the right budget and cost per view (CPV) is key to managing your ad spend effectively. Here’s how to do it:
Daily Budget: Start by setting a daily budget that you’re comfortable with. This controls how much you spend each day. If you’re just starting, you might want to begin with a modest budget, like $10 per day, and increase it as you see positive results.
Cost Per View (CPV): The CPV is the maximum amount you’re willing to pay for each view. Setting a competitive CPV can help your ad get more impressions. For instance, you might set a CPV of $0.10 to ensure that your ad is shown frequently without overspending.
Transform Your Affiliate Marketing in 2024! Join the 72-Hour Freedom Challenge
YouTube ads have immense potential to drive success in affiliate marketing. By targeting the right audience, optimizing your campaigns, and using the powerful techniques we’ve discussed, you can achieve impressive results.
And now, imagine combining these powerful strategies with an all-inclusive system that allows you to clone a 7-figure business in just 72 hours.
The 72-Hour Freedom Challenge takes everything you’ve learned about YouTube ads and integrates it into a comprehensive business-building system.
In the challenge, you’ll discover how to:
Use unfair software to build your business and brand in minutes.
Promote multiple programs simultaneously, just like I did to leave my 9-5 job in just 9 months.
Implement a passive income business model with automated sales systems.
Drive unlimited traffic to your offers using proven methods, including the advanced YouTube ad strategies we discussed.
Don’t wait any longer to transform your affiliate marketing game. Begin your journey to financial freedom and build a truly sustainable online business!
About the Author
Jonathan Montoya is the founder of the 72 Hour Freedom Challenge, which has empowered over 55,000 people to leave their 9-5 jobs and achieve their dream lifestyles.
After starting his own online business in May 2019, Jonathan transitioned from Electrical Engineer to full-time entrepreneur within nine months. His mission is to help others reach their financial and lifestyle goals quickly and easily.
Jonathan's unique approach to affiliate marketing has enabled him to reach over 600,000 people who are working to quit their 9-5.
Outside of his professional achievements, Jonathan cherishes time with his wife and children, who have been a constant source of support and inspiration throughout his journey. Read more about Jonathan here.
