Today, I'm talking about the 7 biggest mistakes I've seen businesses make when launching YouTube ad campaigns.
And trust me, I've seen it all – I've helped my clients generate hundreds of millions in revenue from YouTube ads, and I've personally spent $7.7 million of my own money on YouTube ads for my businesses.
These aren't just minor setbacks – they're money pits that can drain your ad budget faster than you can click “Skip Ad”.
I've seen businesses burn through cash, wasting tens of thousands because they didn't know what to avoid.
So buckle up, because I'm about to share the seven critical YouTube ad campaign errors and how you can sidestep them to supercharge your ROAS (return on ad spend)!
As a Reminder, Our Goal with this Newsletter is to Give You the Highest Level of Value Possible. That’s my Promise to you & I intend to Over-Deliver!
Here’s a Sneak Peek at What’s Inside This Email:
How to target your ideal clients on YouTube using Custom Audiences (and why broad audiences could be killing your ROI)
The critical metrics you MUST track daily to optimize your YouTube ad campaigns
Why your ads might be failing (hint: it's not selling, it's about providing value)
The “sweet spot” budget to start testing YouTube ads without breaking the bank
How to craft irresistible calls-to-action that turn viewers into leads and clients
Alright, let’s Dive In…
The Biggest YouTube Ad Mistakes & How to Avoid Them:
1. Targeting too Broad
Here's the deal: YouTube isn't like other platforms. People come to YouTube to learn – they're in what we call the “learner's mindset”. Your targeting needs to reflect that.
The Mistake: Throwing money at broad, pre-built audiences and wondering why you're not seeing outsized results. (The fact is that everyone has access to these same audiences & they’re often a lot broader than what you can build yourself)
The Fix: Start narrow. Focus on your ideal client avatar and the people ready to take action now. Build custom audiences based on what people are searching for on YouTube or Google, and the websites they've visited. Get specific!
Here’s a quick training on how to build Custom Audiences on YouTube using AI
2. Not Tracking Data
If you're not analyzing your traffic using all the core metrics, you're flying blind.
The Mistake: Not understanding or tracking key metrics like CPM (cost per thousand views), CPC (cost per click), CPA (cost per action), and ROAS (return on ad spend).
The Fix: Track your data daily. Understand what each metric means and how it impacts your campaign. Remember: what gets measured, gets managed.
3. Providing No Value In Ads
This is a silent killer because most people don't even realize it's happening.
The Mistake: Not providing real value in your ad. Just saying “Hey, do you have this problem? Buy my solution!” doesn't cut it anymore.
The Fix: Create a “Value Ad” with three components:
Hook: Capture attention
Educate: Provide genuine value and give an “aha” moment
Call to Action: Clear and concise next steps
Remember, you need to wine and dine your audience a little. Show them you can solve their problem by actually helping them in the ad!
4. Budget Blunders
There's a sweet spot when it comes to YouTube ad budgets.
The Mistake: Starting with campaigns that are either too small to get meaningful data, or so large that you're wasting money before optimizing.
The Fix: Aim for $50-$200 per day total, spread across 2-4 campaigns. Start with about $25-50/day per campaign. This gives you enough data to make informed decisions without overspending before you’ve optimized.
5. Cold vs. Retargeting Confusion
Cold traffic and retargeting require completely different strategies.
The Mistake: Treating cold traffic (people who've never heard of you) the same as warm leads in your retargeting campaigns.
The Fix:
For cold traffic: Introduce yourself, establish credibility, then provide value.
For retargeting: Address objections, remind them why they were interested, and give them a reason to take action now.
6. Not Testing
Marketing is all about testing, testing, and more testing.
The Mistake: Creating just one YouTube ad and one audience.
The Fix: Test at least 3-6 different hooks, video variations, and audience types. Use a tool like KeywordSearch (shameless plug) to quickly build dozens of audiences in minutes.
7. Call-to-Action Confusion
This is where the rubber meets the road – turning viewers into leads or clients.
The Mistake: Unclear, inconsistent, or poorly timed calls-to-action.
The Fix:
Introduce your CTA early and reinforce it throughout the ad
Be specific about what you're offering (free guide, strategy call, training, etc.)
Ensure congruence between your ad and landing page
Always be testing different CTAs and landing page elements
These are 7 critical YouTube ad mistakes and how to avoid them.
Want to dive even deeper? I've got something special for you…
For just $27, you can get my entire YouTube Ads Kit – over 6 hours of step-by-step content on creating highly profitable YouTube ad campaigns. It's backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you'll even get a free month of KeywordSearch (my AI ad targeting software) as a bonus!
Remember, in the world of YouTube ads, knowledge isn't just power – it's profit. So take these lessons, apply them to your campaigns, and watch your ROI soar!
How to Avoid The Biggest YouTube Ad Mistakes
Watch the Full Video on YouTube:
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Here’s a Sneak Peak at What’s Coming Next:
More Free Trainings & Resources — In your Inbox!
Real Case Studies & Examples of the Marketing Funnels that Scaled Coaching Businesses past 7 & 8 Figures
The REAL on-the-ground insights into what’s going on in the Online Marketing & Coaching/Consulting/High-Ticket Industry (Based on our Insights working with Thousands of Clients)
The Latest YouTube Ad & Marketing Strategies as we Discover Them – So that you’re Always on the Cutting Edge
Guest Articles, Videos & Podcasts from the Top Marketing Minds of Today — Stay tuned for some exciting announcements around this 😉
And a LOT More…
I’m serious when I say I want this to be The Most Valuable Newsletter You’re Subscribed to — Look out for us in your Inbox Every Friday!
I’ll see you in the next one!
To Your Success,
– Aleric Heck |Â Founder & CEO of AdOutreach
