YouTube is far more than just a collection of videos online, says the team at social media tracking company amaSocial.

Did you know that YouTube is the second biggest search engine in the world?

Plus, on top of that, take a look at these impressive stats:

These adverts are charged per view past the five-second mark, so you only pay for viewers who dont skip your ad. They have to be a minimum of 12-seconds long, but keeping it under three minutes is recommended.

Expect to be charged when a viewer has watched the first 30 seconds (if the video is longer than that), the whole video (if its between 12 and 30 seconds long), or they have interacted with your ad by clicking on something whichever comes first.

amaSocial top tip: YouTube uses the term TruView to describe adverts that are only paid for when they are viewed for 30 seconds, or the full length of the advert.

These adverts can either be displayed before a video (pre-roll) or in the middle of a video (mid-roll).

Wed suggest only using this option if youve got some really good creative work and youre sure that it will be able to keep users attention for the full 15 or 20 seconds that your ad plays. If youve got a really good ad, this can be a great option for increasing brand awareness.

Keep in mind that since users cant skip past these adverts, youll be charged per impression.

Generally, these adverts are best used to complement larger video campaigns, as its difficult to tell a good story in just six seconds. Use your time wisely, and only include brand elements that you want audiences to remember there is no room for extras in such a short advert.

Bumper ads are the best choice if your campaign aim is to increase reach and awareness.

These ads include up to three lines of text and a thumbnail. If someone clicks on your ad, they will be automatically redirected to your video page or to your YouTube channel.

If youre wondering why someone would choose a discovery ad as opposed to one of the other formats, keep in mind that YouTube is the biggest search engine after Google. Users are looking for answers, not just videos.

If your video looks more relevant to the organic search results that appear, a user can choose to watch your content instead.

amaSocial top tip: Discovery ads are classed as TruView, meaning that you only pay when they are viewed for 30 seconds, or the full length of the advert.

The platform offers two types:

To do this, youll need to log into your account and click the video camera icon on the top right of the screen and click the Upload video option.

From there, youll be taken to the upload window where you can choose the file you want to upload. You can simply drag your file across and it will upload.

Once its uploaded, be sure to fill in all the necessary details, like the title, description, and tags for the video.

Youll need to log into your Google Ads account to start. Once logged into your account, click on All campaigns in the left-hand sidebar and click the + icon to create your new campaign.

From there, a window will pop up asking you to select a campaign type from the five following options:

For example, if you want to use your YouTube ads to increase the number of visitors to your website, you would select the Website traffic goal.

Name your campaignThe campaign name is only for internal use, so it doesnt have to be the campaigns official title, just something that clearly describes it. If youre running multiple campaigns in Google Ads, this will help you to easily identify each one.

Set your ad budgetSelect the average amount you want to spend each day that your campaign is active.

Start small that way you can test options and refine your campaigns to ensure youre getting the best return on investment.

Youll have to choose between the following two advert delivery methods:

You also dont have to select an end date for your campaign you can keep it running indefinitely as long as you keep paying for it.

Choose your networksHere, you can select where youd like your adverts to appear. When creating a video ad, these are the three options that are available:

Pick a bidding strategyChoose how youd like to pay for your adverts. Remember that certain ad formats have their own cost structures, so your options may be limited based on the ad types youve selected.

Google Ads offers the following four payment options:

For example, if you are advertising products aimed at children, you dont want your ads to appear alongside violent or harmful content.

You can choose between three inventory types:

amaSocial top tip: Dont skip out on these selections, as doing so could lead to a branding nightmare!

Here, you can define who you want to reach by selecting options including age, gender, parental status, income etc. Google Ads offers a variety of options to ensure you find the perfect target market.

To start, input the keywords youre targeting. If youre unsure of the keywords to use, Google Ads has a nifty Get keyword ideas tool that can help you find related keywords to target.

Then, select topics that are relevant to your advert or your brand. This is where you can choose to show your ads on content about specific topics.

Now you can select specific places where you would like your ads to show. If you leave this section blank, your ad will appear on any YouTube or Display Network placements that match your other targeting selections.

If you havent uploaded your video to YouTube in step one fear not! You can upload it at this point. Once your video appears in the search bar, click on it to link it to your ad.

Google Ads will show you which options are available based on the campaign selections youve already made up to this point.

Be sure to add inthe necessary URLs, calls-to-action, and give your advert an SEO-friendly headline.

To finish up, simply click Save and continue, and then click Continue to campaign.

And thats it! Your very first YouTube advert is ready to publish!

For more information, visit amasocial.co.za or connect with the amaSocial team on Facebook, Twitteror LinkedIn.

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The complete guide to advertising on YouTube - Media Update