Sound familiar?
- You have good video but nobody outside your existing followers sees it
- A boosted video got lots of cheap views and no enquiries
- Your ads show next to content that doesn't suit your brand
- You're not sure whether you need awareness, consideration or conversion campaigns
- Your only video is a two-minute brand film and you need 6 and 15-second cuts
- Nobody links YouTube spend to what happens on the website afterwards
Key facts
- YouTube ads management from £150 a month + VAT, or 10 to 15% of ad spend, whichever is higher
- Skippable in-stream ads can be skipped after 5 seconds, per Google Ads Help
- On CPV bidding you pay when someone watches 30 seconds (or the whole ad if shorter) or interacts
- Bumper ads are non-skippable and up to 6 seconds; non-skippable in-stream ads run 15 to 60 seconds depending on campaign subtype
- Google renamed 'views' to 'TrueView views' in Google Ads in October 2025, with billing unchanged
- Video viewers can be added to remarketing lists for Search and Display
- YouTube ads are bought and billed through your own Google Ads account
YouTube ad formats and how you pay
YouTube ads are bought through Google Ads. Google Ads Help sets out the main formats:
| Format | Length | Key rule | Typical billing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skippable in-stream | No maximum, under 3 minutes recommended | Skippable after 5 seconds | CPV: 30 seconds watched (or full ad) or an interaction; or per impression on tCPM and conversion bidding |
| Non-skippable in-stream | 15 to 60 seconds, by campaign subtype | Can't be skipped | Target CPM |
| Bumper | Up to 6 seconds | Can't be skipped | Target CPM |
| In-feed | No maximum | Thumbnail and text in search, Home and next to related videos | When someone clicks to watch |
| Shorts | Under 60 seconds recommended | Swipe to skip | Views, impressions or engagements |
For Shorts, Google counts a view at 10 seconds watched, a click, or a like, comment or share. Masthead ads on the YouTube home feed are reservation-only through a Google sales representative, so they're rarely right for small businesses.
Picking the right campaign for the job
Awareness campaigns buy reach and frequency, usually with bumpers and non-skippable ads on Target CPM. They suit launches, events and local brand building. Consideration campaigns aim for views from people likely to care, using skippable in-stream and in-feed ads. Conversion-focused video now runs through Demand Gen: according to industry coverage such as Common Thread Collective's 2026 round-up, Google moved the old Video action campaigns into Demand Gen during 2025. Demand Gen serves across YouTube (including Shorts), Discover and Gmail with image and video assets together.
For most small businesses, the best start is modest: a skippable campaign aimed at a tight audience, plus video remarketing. Video ads can also run within Performance Max, which is another reason to supply your own video rather than letting Google generate one.
Targeting and brand safety
YouTube targeting can be precise. We build custom segments from the search terms and websites your buyers use, add in-market and life-event audiences where they fit, layer location and language, and use your data segments: website visitors, channel viewers and customer lists. Topic and placement targeting can put you on specific channels or content themes.
Brand suitability matters because YouTube is vast. We set an inventory type that suits your brand, exclude sensitive content categories, exclude children's content where appropriate and review placement reports for channels that don't fit.
Making the video work
Most YouTube ads are won or lost in the first five seconds, because that's when people can skip. Put your brand and the point up front, design for sound off as well as sound on, and make vertical 9:16 versions for Shorts. If you only have one long film, we can advise on cutting 6, 15 and 30-second versions. For new filming or editing, our sister studio dijitul media can help, or we work with your existing footage.
We measure more than views. View rate and cost per view tell you whether the ad holds attention; reach and frequency tell you how many people saw it and how often; and linked GA4 and conversion tracking show what viewers did afterwards. Video viewers then feed remarketing lists for Search and Display.
Price
Before launch we link your YouTube channel to Google Ads, so viewers can be added to audience lists and organic video stats sit alongside paid ones. We also agree what success looks like for each campaign, because an awareness campaign judged on enquiries, or a conversion campaign judged on views, will always look like a failure. Budgets start modest and grow only when the numbers support it.
YouTube ads management is from £150 a month + VAT, or 10 to 15% of ad spend, whichever is higher. Ad spend is paid directly to Google from your account. Video production is quoted separately. Monthly, cancel with notice.
What you get
- Campaign plan by goal: awareness, consideration or conversions
- Format choice and video specs for in-stream, bumper, in-feed and Shorts
- Audience targeting: custom segments, in-market, your data segments and Customer Match where eligible
- Content and placement exclusions for brand suitability
- Video remarketing lists linked to your YouTube channel
- Reporting on view rate, cost per view, reach, frequency and downstream conversions
How it works and what it costs
Google Ads management from £150 a month, social media management from £125 a month and email marketing from £95 a month, all + VAT. Ad spend is separate and paid to the platform. No long contracts.
Free review
We look at your current ads, social, email and analytics, or your plans if you are starting out, and tell you plainly what we would change.
Plan and price
You get a written plan with targets, budgets and a fixed monthly fee before anything starts.
Set up properly
Tracking and consent first, then campaigns, audiences, content calendars or email flows, all in accounts you own.
Run and improve
We manage it every week: search terms, bids, creative, posts and tests, cutting what does not pay and doing more of what does.
Report in plain English
A monthly report on leads, sales and cost per result, not vanity numbers, with what we will do next.
Frequently asked questions
How much do YouTube ads cost?
You set the budget and pay Google directly. On CPV bidding you pay for a view (30 seconds watched, the full ad if shorter, or an interaction), not for every impression. dijitul's management fee is from £150 a month + VAT, or 10 to 15% of spend if higher.
When can viewers skip a YouTube ad?
Skippable in-stream ads can be skipped after 5 seconds, according to Google Ads Help. Bumper ads (up to 6 seconds) and non-skippable in-stream ads (15 to 60 seconds by campaign subtype) can't be skipped. Shorts ads can be swiped away at any time.
Do YouTube ads work for small local businesses?
They can, with tight location targeting and a clear message. Local trades, clinics, venues and retailers can reach nearby viewers cheaply. We usually start small and judge by reach, cost per view and what viewers do on your website afterwards.
What video do I need for YouTube ads?
Ideally a short skippable ad (15 to 30 seconds) with the brand and message in the first five seconds, a 6-second bumper cut, and a vertical 9:16 version for Shorts. Existing footage can often be re-edited to fit.
What happened to Video action campaigns?
Google moved Video action campaigns into Demand Gen during 2025, according to industry coverage. Demand Gen now handles conversion-focused video across YouTube, Shorts, Discover and Gmail, and we set it up with proper conversion tracking first.
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Get a free marketing review
We'll look at your ads, social, email and tracking, and tell you plainly what we'd change. No obligation.