Categories
HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE MARKETING SOCIAL MEDIA YOUTUBE

Can YouTubers Control Which Ads Are Shown?

Yes, YouTubers can control some parts of which ads appear on their content, but they cannot hand-pick every ad shown on their videos.

That is the short version. The useful version is knowing exactly what creators can control, what YouTube controls automatically, and where people get confused between ad formats, ad categories, sensitive-topic blocks, and advertiser selection.

This guide breaks that down properly, so you know what is possible in YouTube Studio, what is not, and what creators should focus on if they want better monetisation without chasing myths.

Why trust this guide?

I am not writing this as an outsider. I am a YouTube Certified Expert. I have coached 500+ clients, built and grown multiple channels, earned six YouTube Silver Play Buttons, built a personal audience of 100k+, and spent years working across YouTube strategy, SEO, retention, metadata, channel systems, and monetisation.

Questions like this matter because monetisation myths waste a lot of creator energy. If you think you can manually choose perfect ads for every video, you will focus on the wrong lever. If you think you have no control at all, you miss tools YouTube does actually give you.

If you want the wider monetisation picture as well, read What Percentage of YouTubers Make Money?. If you want help applying any of this to your own channel, you can book a discovery call.

Quick answer: can YouTubers control which ads are shown?

Partly. YouTubers can control some ad settings, such as ad formats, mid-roll placement, and blocking certain ad categories or advertiser URLs, but YouTube still chooses which ads are actually served through its ad systems.

So the honest answer is yes, but only up to a point.

YouTube’s own Help pages make this pretty clear. When you monetise a channel, ads on your video are automatically chosen based on context such as your video metadata and whether the content is advertiser-friendly. At the same time, creators can still manage certain controls inside YouTube Studio.

What creators can control

This is the part people often overlook. Creators do have some meaningful levers.

Control area Can creators influence it? How much control?
Ad formats Yes Creators can choose which ad formats to allow on monetised videos
Mid-roll placement Yes Creators can manage and edit mid-roll positions on longer videos
Sensitive ad categories Yes Creators can block or allow certain sensitive categories
General ad categories Yes, to a degree Creators can block some general categories
Specific advertiser URLs Yes, to a degree Creators can block certain advertiser URLs in available controls
Exact ad selection for each viewer No YouTube serves ads automatically

YouTube Help confirms creators can block certain ads from appearing on or next to their content using blocking controls in YouTube Studio. It also says creators can choose ad formats and manage mid-roll ad breaks on monetised videos.

What YouTube controls automatically

This is the line that matters most: YouTube still decides what specific ad gets served to a specific viewer.

Creators are not sitting there hand-picking Nike for one viewer, Adobe for another, and Grammarly for someone else. Ads are served through YouTube’s ad systems, auctions, Google Ad Manager, and other YouTube-sold sources. YouTube says ads on monetised videos are automatically chosen based on context like your video metadata and whether the content is advertiser-friendly.

Creators are not sitting there hand-picking Nike for one viewer, Adobe for another, and Grammarly for someone else. Ads are served through YouTube’s ad systems, auctions, Google Ad Manager, and other YouTube-sold sources. YouTube says ads on monetised videos are automatically chosen based on context like your video metadata and whether the content is advertiser-friendly. https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7438625 

Plain English version: you can shape the playing field, but you cannot personally hand-pick every ad that appears.

That is why the cleanest answer is “partial control, not total control”.

Ad categories and sensitive-topic blocks

One of the clearest forms of ad control creators do have is category-level blocking.

If there are certain types of ads you do not want appearing next to your content for personal, business, or brand reasons, YouTube allows creators to block some categories, including sensitive ones, inside YouTube Studio.

Type of control What it does Why it matters
Sensitive categories Lets creators block ads from selected sensitive categories Useful for brand alignment and channel comfort
General categories Lets creators block some broader ad categories Helps reduce mismatched advertiser themes
Updates in Studio Changes may take time to reflect Useful to know if you do not see an instant change

This is especially useful if you have a family-friendly brand, strong personal values, or a niche where certain categories would feel wildly off-brand.

Can you block specific advertisers?

To a degree, yes.

Historically, creators and publishers have had access to advertiser URL blocking controls in the broader Google ads ecosystem, and YouTube support material has referenced these controls for YouTube-hosted monetisation as well. The practical takeaway is that creators can have some limited advertiser-level blocking options, but this is still not the same thing as curating every ad partner one by one.

So again, the right mental model is not “I can choose exactly who advertises on my videos”. It is “I can exclude some things I do not want”.

Can YouTubers choose ad formats?

Yes. This is one of the most direct forms of control creators have.

YouTube’s upload and monetisation guidance says that creators in the YouTube Partner Programme can choose advertising formats for their monetised videos. YouTube also supports multiple formats such as skippable in-stream, non-skippable, bumper, and other watch-page ad inventory.

Question Best answer
Can creators choose whether monetisation is on? Yes
Can creators choose some ad formats? Yes
Can creators choose the exact brand shown to each viewer? No
Can creators block some ad categories? Yes

Can YouTubers control where mid-roll ads appear?

Yes, and this is often more strategically important than people realise.

YouTube Help says creators can manage and edit mid-roll ad slots on longer videos in YouTube Studio. There are multiple ways to place mid-roll ad breaks, including automatic and manual approaches.

Why this matters: mid-roll control can affect viewer experience, retention, and revenue far more than obsessing over which exact advertiser appears.

If you place mid-rolls badly, you can damage watch time and annoy viewers. If you place them sensibly, you can improve monetisation without trashing the viewing experience.

Fresh official facts worth knowing

This topic gets much clearer when you anchor it to official documentation instead of creator myths.

Fact Why it matters Source
YouTube says ads on monetised videos are automatically chosen based on context like metadata and advertiser-friendliness Confirms creators do not hand-pick every ad YouTube Help
YouTube says creators can block certain ads using blocking controls in Studio Confirms creators do have some real control YouTube Help
YouTube says creators can choose advertising formats and manage mid-rolls Shows practical levers inside monetisation settings YouTube Help
YouTube supports sensitive ad category blocking and changes may take up to 24 hours to reflect Useful for expectation setting YouTube Help

What this means for real monetisation strategy

If you are a creator, the right takeaway is not “I need to obsess over every advertiser”. The smarter takeaway is this:

  • Use the controls YouTube gives you for formats, categories, and mid-rolls.
  • Do not assume you can hand-pick every ad.
  • Focus on advertiser-friendly, watchable content if you want better monetisation outcomes.
  • Protect viewer experience, because retention still matters more than trying to micromanage the ad auction.

This is one reason creator earnings are better understood through RPM and the wider revenue system than through one ad event or one advertiser. If you want to widen the picture, read Do YouTubers Get Paid If You Have YouTube Premium?, Do YouTubers Get Paid More If I Watch the Whole Ad?, and Do YouTubers Get Paid If I Use AdBlock?.

Video pick: RPM vs CPM on YouTube

This is useful here because ad control questions make more sense when you understand the bigger revenue picture rather than one isolated ad event.

Tools that genuinely help you manage monetisation more intelligently

The old tools section needed a full rebuild. Tools should support a strategy, not pretend to replace one. These are the ones I would actually recommend first because they are relevant, trustworthy, and already supported by useful content on this site.

Tool Best for Why it earns a place here Best next step
YouTube Studio Monetisation settings, ad formats, mid-rolls, and analytics This is where nearly all meaningful creator-side ad control actually happens Learn how to read the right signals
vidIQ Topic research and search-led growth Useful because strong topics and audience fit influence monetisation far more than chasing individual advertisers Try vidIQ or read my vidIQ review
TubeBuddy Publishing workflow and optimisation support Helpful when your bigger issue is execution consistency rather than ad settings themselves Try TubeBuddy or read my TubeBuddy review
StreamYard Live formats and diversified monetisation Useful because many creators are healthier when they do not rely on watch-page ads alone Try StreamYard or read my StreamYard review
Syllaby Content planning and consistency Useful when your real bottleneck is publishing enough good content to create monetisation opportunities Try Syllaby or read my Syllaby review

Which tool should you pick first?

  • Start with YouTube Studio if you want real control over ad formats, category blocking, and mid-roll placement.
  • Use vidIQ or TubeBuddy if your bigger issue is content performance rather than settings.
  • Use StreamYard if you want a broader income mix that does not rely only on ads.
  • Use Syllaby if consistency is the bottleneck.

What I would do if I wanted healthier ad revenue

  1. Use YouTube Studio to set sensible ad formats and category blocks.
  2. Review mid-roll placement on longer videos.
  3. Focus on advertiser-friendly, high-retention content.
  4. Build a wider monetisation mix beyond ads.
  5. Stop trying to micromanage the exact ad auction outcome.

Final thoughts

If you came here for the fast answer, here it is again: yes, YouTubers can control some parts of which ads are shown, but not every specific ad.

Creators can influence formats, category blocks, some exclusions, and mid-roll placement. But YouTube still serves ads automatically through its ad systems based on context, suitability, and demand.

The smart move is not to chase total control. The smart move is to use the controls you do have, protect viewer experience, and build a channel that monetises well across the bigger system.

If you want help building that kind of channel, start with Who Is Alan Spicer?, read how I help creators and brands grow, or book a discovery call.

Frequently asked questions

Can YouTubers control which ads are shown on their videos?

Partly. Creators can control some settings like ad formats, mid-rolls, and some blocked categories, but YouTube still chooses the actual ads served to viewers.

Can YouTubers block certain ads?

Yes. YouTube provides blocking controls for certain ad categories and sensitive categories in Studio.

Can YouTubers choose the exact brand shown in ads?

No, not on a viewer-by-viewer basis. YouTube serves ads automatically through its own systems.

Can YouTubers choose ad formats?

Yes. Creators in the YouTube Partner Programme can manage monetisation and choose certain ad formats for eligible videos.

Can YouTubers control mid-roll ads?

Yes. Creators can manage and edit mid-roll ad breaks on longer videos in YouTube Studio.

Can creators block political or sensitive ads?

In many cases, yes. YouTube provides sensitive category blocking controls for creators in Studio.

Do blocked category changes happen instantly?

Not always. YouTube says changes can take time to reflect, sometimes up to around 24 hours.

What matters more than trying to control every ad?

Content quality, retention, advertiser-friendly topics, sensible mid-roll placement, and a wider monetisation mix matter more in practice.

Categories
HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE YOUTUBE

Do YouTubers Get Paid More if I Watch the Whole Ad?

Sometimes, yes — but not always.

If you watch the whole ad on YouTube, a creator may earn more in some situations, especially with certain skippable ad formats. But it is not a simple universal rule that “full ad watched = more money every time”.

The more useful answer depends on the ad type, whether the ad impression qualifies for payment, whether the viewer interacts, where the viewer is located, and how that view fits into the creator’s wider RPM and monetisation mix. This guide breaks that down properly.

Why trust this guide?

I am not writing this as an outsider. I am a YouTube Certified Expert. I have coached 500+ clients, built and grown multiple channels, earned six YouTube Silver Play Buttons, built a personal audience of 100k+, and spent years working across YouTube strategy, SEO, retention, metadata, channel systems, and monetisation.

Ad revenue questions get messy because people mix up impressions, CPM, RPM, ad formats, and viewer behaviour. The point of this guide is to untangle that in plain English.

If you want the wider monetisation picture as well, read What Percentage of YouTubers Make Money?. If you want help applying any of this to your own channel, you can book a discovery call.

Quick answer: do YouTubers get paid more if I watch the whole ad?

Sometimes. Watching the whole ad can increase what a creator earns in some cases, especially with skippable video ads, but it does not automatically mean more money every single time.

The answer depends on the ad format, whether the ad impression qualifies for payment, and how YouTube is monetising that specific view.

That is the short answer Google can quote and the reader can use straight away.

The more precise version is this: creators can earn from ad impressions in different ways, and the value of a single ad view is shaped by more than just “did the viewer watch the whole thing?”. Some ads are skippable, some are not, some may pay after a certain watch threshold or interaction, and some revenue is better understood through overall RPM than through one ad event in isolation.

Why it depends on ad type

The first thing to understand is that not all YouTube ads work the same way.

Ad type Does “watch the whole ad” matter? Why
Skippable in-stream ad Often yes These can depend on how long the viewer watches or whether they interact
Non-skippable in-stream ad Not in the same way The ad was already served fully, so completion is built into the format
Bumper ad Not really These are very short and non-skippable by design
Premium watch No ad to watch Premium uses subscription revenue instead of normal ad serving

YouTube’s ad format documentation confirms that creators can have skippable, non-skippable, bumper, pre-roll, post-roll, and mid-roll formats depending on the video and monetisation settings. Source: YouTube Help.

Skippable ads explained

This is where most of the confusion comes from.

For skippable ads, the advertiser may not pay in the same way if the viewer skips very early. A longer watch or an interaction can matter more than a near-instant skip. This is why people often say that watching the whole ad helps the creator more.

Plain English version:

  • If you skip quickly, the creator may earn less or nothing from that ad impression.
  • If you watch longer, the creator is more likely to benefit.
  • If you watch the whole ad, that can sometimes be even better, but it still depends on the ad and bidding model.

This is the part that makes the original question directionally right, but still too simplistic. Watching the whole ad can help, but it is not a guaranteed flat-rate bonus that applies the same way to every ad.

Non-skippable ads explained

Non-skippable ads work differently because the viewer cannot skip them in the first place. That means the creator is not relying on the viewer choosing to stay past a skip threshold in the same way.

In that case, the question is less about “did you watch the whole ad?” and more about the fact that the ad was served at all.

Simple rule: completion matters more for skippable ads than for non-skippable ads.

Does clicking the ad help creators earn more?

Sometimes, yes.

Some ad models can be influenced by interaction as well as watch behaviour. So if a viewer clicks, that can signal more value to the advertiser and can contribute to the economics of that ad impression.

That said, creators should not be telling viewers to click ads just to help them. It is not a sensible growth strategy, and it is not how serious channels build reliable income anyway.

Why watching the whole ad is not the whole story

This is where creator earnings become more realistic and less myth-based.

Even if a viewer watches the whole ad, that is still only one tiny event inside a much bigger system. A creator’s earnings are shaped by:

  • how many views they get
  • how many of those views are monetised
  • how many ad impressions are served
  • which countries the viewers are in
  • which niche the content is in
  • whether the audience is advertiser-friendly
  • whether the channel also earns from Premium, memberships, affiliates, or sponsors

YouTube’s revenue analytics documentation explains that a view does not always include an ad, and that monetised playbacks and ad impressions are different from total views. It also explains that RPM includes more than just ads, such as YouTube Premium and fan funding. Source: YouTube Help.

Question Best answer
Does watching the whole ad always mean more money? No
Can watching more of a skippable ad help? Yes
Do non-skippable ads work the same way? No
Is ad completion the main thing creators should optimise for? No, the bigger picture matters more

How this affects CPM and RPM

If you want to understand why two channels with similar views can earn very different amounts, you need to understand CPM and RPM.

Simple definitions:

  • CPM is what advertisers pay per 1,000 ad impressions before YouTube’s revenue share.
  • RPM is what the creator earns per 1,000 views after YouTube’s share and can include ads, Premium, memberships, and other revenue.

This matters because a single viewer watching a full ad might help at the margin, but the creator’s real business outcome is measured across the whole revenue system. YouTube’s own RPM help page confirms that RPM includes ad revenue, YouTube Premium, channel memberships, and more. YouTube Help.

If you want the deep dive, also read What Is YouTube CPM? and What Is YouTube RPM?.

Fresh official facts worth knowing

This topic becomes much stronger when you anchor it in current YouTube documentation rather than old creator folklore.

Fact Why it matters Source
YouTube distinguishes between views, estimated monetized playbacks, and ad impressions Shows that earnings are more complex than “one view equals one ad payment” YouTube Help
Not all views have ads Explains why total views and earnings do not map neatly YouTube Help
YouTube supports multiple ad formats including skippable and non-skippable ads Important because completion behaviour matters differently by format YouTube Help
RPM includes more than just ad revenue Shows why “watching the whole ad” is only one small part of creator income YouTube Help

What creators should actually focus on

If you are a creator, the right takeaway is not to obsess over whether one viewer watched one ad to the end. The better move is to build a channel that earns well across multiple layers.

What actually moves the needle more: stronger topics, better thumbnails, better retention, more monetised playbacks, better audience fit, cleaner ad-friendly content, and a broader revenue mix.

That means improving:

  • topic selection
  • title and thumbnail packaging
  • audience retention
  • mid-roll placement strategy on longer videos
  • overall RPM rather than one ad event

If you want to think more broadly about monetisation behaviour, also read Do YouTubers Get Paid If You Have YouTube Premium?, Do YouTubers Get Paid If I Use AdBlock?, and Do YouTubers Still Get Paid for Old Videos?.

Video pick: RPM vs CPM on YouTube

This is relevant because the whole-ad question makes more sense once you understand the difference between ad value and overall creator earnings.

Tools that genuinely help you build a better monetised channel

The old tools section needed a full rebuild. Tools should support a strategy, not pretend to replace one. These are the ones I would actually recommend first because they are relevant, trustworthy, and already supported by useful content on this site.

Tool Best for Why it earns a place here Best next step
YouTube Studio Watching RPM, monetized playbacks, and retention This is where you see the bigger picture rather than obsessing over one ad event Learn how to read the right signals
vidIQ Topic research and search-led growth Useful because better topics and stronger click-through usually matter more than one ad completion event Try vidIQ or read my vidIQ review
TubeBuddy Publishing workflow and metadata support Helpful when your bottleneck is process and optimisation consistency Try TubeBuddy or read my TubeBuddy review
StreamYard Live streams, interviews, webinars Useful if your monetisation mix includes live formats and fan-funding options as well as ads Try StreamYard or read my StreamYard review
Syllaby Content planning and consistency Useful when your real challenge is building enough good content to increase monetised view opportunities Try Syllaby or read my Syllaby review

Which tool should you pick first?

  • Start with YouTube Studio if you want the cleanest view of RPM, monetized playbacks, and audience behaviour.
  • Use vidIQ or TubeBuddy if your bigger issue is getting people to click and watch in the first place.
  • Use StreamYard if live content is part of your income mix.
  • Use Syllaby if consistency is your problem, not analytics.

What I would do if I wanted better ad earnings

  1. Stop obsessing over one viewer’s ad completion.
  2. Focus on stronger content that holds attention longer.
  3. Increase monetised playbacks and total watch time.
  4. Understand RPM instead of only thinking about ad clicks.
  5. Build more than one revenue stream.

Final thoughts

If you came here for the fast answer, here it is again: sometimes, yes — watching the whole ad can help a creator earn more, but not always.

That is especially true for skippable ads, where watch length and interaction can matter more than they do with non-skippable formats.

The bigger truth is that creators make money from a wider system, not from one simple rule. Ad type, monetized playbacks, CPM, RPM, audience fit, retention, and other revenue streams all matter.

If you want help building the kind of channel where those pieces work together, start with Who Is Alan Spicer?, read how I help creators and brands grow, or book a discovery call.

Frequently asked questions

Do YouTubers get paid more if I watch the whole ad?

Sometimes. Watching the whole ad can increase what a creator earns in some cases, especially with skippable ads, but it is not a universal rule that applies the same way every time.

Do skippable ads pay more if I do not skip?

They can. A longer watch or an interaction can make that ad impression more valuable than an instant skip.

Do non-skippable ads work the same way?

Not exactly. With non-skippable ads, the ad has already been served fully, so viewer completion works differently from skippable formats.

Does clicking the ad help the YouTuber?

Sometimes, yes, but creators should not build their strategy around encouraging ad clicks. The bigger revenue picture matters more.

Does every YouTube view include an ad?

No. YouTube’s own analytics documentation says not all views have ads, which is one reason total views and earnings do not match neatly.

Is watching the whole ad the best way to support a creator?

It can help, but better support usually comes from watching more of the video, engaging, subscribing, using affiliate links, joining memberships, or buying creator products and services.

Does YouTube Premium change this?

Yes. Premium members do not watch normal ads, but creators can still earn through Premium revenue sharing instead.

What should creators focus on instead of obsessing over ad completion?

Creators should focus on stronger topics, better thumbnails, better retention, more monetized playbacks, and a wider monetisation mix.

Categories
SOCIAL MEDIA YOUTUBE

Can YouTube Ads Be Blocked?

When talking about blocking YouTube ads, there are two ways in which it can be done; as a YouTuber, and as a YouTube viewer.

  • As a YouTuber, you can choose to block certain ads from your videos, such as would be the case if you are running a family-friendly channel and do not want certain brands associated with your content.
  • As a YouTube viewer, you might want to block ads which, as even many YouTubers who make their living from those ads can admit, can get a little excessive at times.

Whichever it is, we will cover the details of how you go about it and what it means for both you and the YouTubers or viewers in this post, so let’s dive in!

Blocking Ads as a YouTuber

So, as we mentioned above, YouTubers can block certain types of ads from appearing with your content. More specifically, you can block certain URLs from showing up in your AdSense ads (the ads at the side of your videos), and you can block ads in sensitive categories from showing up before, during, or after your videos.

It is no longer possible to opt-out of ads entirely, however. It used to be the case that being ineligible for the YouTube Partner Programme—or choosing not to participate it—meant that you would not see any ads on your videos. YouTube has since changed its policies to state that it will run ads on content regardless of whether the YouTuber uploading it is part of the YouTube Partner Programme.

You can’t block all ads, and you can’t block specific ads, but you do have some control over what ads are shown on your channel.

Can YouTube Ads Be Blocked? 1

Blocking Ads as a YouTube Viewer

There is all manner of ad blockers available in various forms, such as browser plugins and stand-alone applications. These use various tricks—such as denying access to certain URLs—to keep ads from cluttering your pages and interrupting your content.

In theory.

In practice, this is an arms race, and ad providers—including YouTube—are constantly finding new ways to stop ad blockers from working. Ad blockers are also ineffective at stopping the disruption that ads cause in many cases. For example, they may prevent an AdSense ad from loading, but the space dedicated to that ad could still be there.

Similarly, YouTube does not verify its ability to load an ad before breaking up the video you are watching, meaning that your viewing will still be interrupted by ad breaks in most cases. The difference lies in the fact that once the video has been interrupted, you will get an awkward pause while YouTube tries to load the ad, and then a half-hearted request to click on a button when the ad didn’t load.

What this means is that in many cases, you are making a personal stand against ads, but not actually avoiding the disruption they cause.

Is Ad Blocking Ethical?

Bearing in mind that you will often still suffer a disruption of some kind, is it ethical to block ads anyway? This is one of those questions that has a very simple answer.

In short, no, it is not ethical to block ads on YouTube. Whichever way you look at it, you are depriving revenue of someone who is providing content for free. Whether that someone is your favourite YouTuber or the YouTube platform itself is irrelevant. You may disagree with something the YouTuber (or YouTube) is doing, but the proper response to that would be to not watch their content. If you are consuming their content, it is only fair that they be compensated for providing it. And, whether you are viewing it for enjoyment or hate-viewing, it’s worth remembering that your ad views may be keeping them going. If you stop, they may stop, too.

If you want to keep supporting your favourite YouTubers but think the ad placements are egregious, you might consider YouTube Premium. The content may no longer be free, but the ads are gone and you are still supporting those YouTubers.

What the Law Says About AdBlockers

The law is a tricky beast at the best of times, and that doesn’t change here. Also, remember that laws may differ depending on where you are in the world. Generally speaking, however, AdBlockers themselves are not illegal.

As a user of the Internet, you have the right to filter your browsing experience however you see fit. Or, to put it another way, nobody has the right to make you watch something you don’t want to.

However!

The catch here is that platforms like YouTube also have the right to decide to who to serve their content to. If they decide to withhold access to their content from people who use AdBlockers, you would be in violation of the relevant laws by circumventing that.

Or, to sum it up more succinctly, you are well within your rights to block ads, and YouTube is well within their rights to refuse to show you videos if you do.

Final Thoughts

Ads can certainly be a nuisance. And, as mentioned above, even YouTubers who make a living from ad revenue can probably admit the pairs of unskippable 18-seconds ads, seeming ad breaks every two minutes, and unskippable ads that are longer than the video you’re trying to watch is a bit much. Unfortunately, however, no one is forcing you to watch YouTube, and your only legal and ethical recourse to excessive advertising is to stop giving YouTube your custom.

You can, of course, complain about things to YouTube representatives, or try similar avenues such as raising social media awareness, but things like that typically require a lot of interest to get noticed and take time to build up that interest.

Ultimately, the best way to get around ads on YouTube without still being disrupted by the attempt to serve the ads and without depriving your favourite creators of their earned revenue is to purchase YouTube Premium. This way, you get your content ad-free, and they still get paid!

Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube

Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.

1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search

I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.

Within 12 months I tripled the size of my channel and very quickly learnt the power of thumbnails, click through rate and proper search optimization. Best of all, they are FREE!

2. Adobe Creative Suite helps me craft amazing looking thumbnails and eye-catching videos

I have been making youtube videos on and off since 2013.

When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.

Big mistake!

I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.

That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.

Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.

3. Rev.com helps people read my videos

You can’t always listen to a video.

Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.

This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.

Rev.com can help you translate your videos, transcribe your videos, add subtitles and even convert those subtitles into other languages – all from just $1.50 per minute.

A GREAT way to find an audience and keep them hooked no matter where they are watching your content.

4. PlaceIT can help you STAND OUT on YouTube

I SUCK at making anything flashy or arty.

I have every intention in the world to make something that looks cool but im about as artistic as a dropped ice-cream cone on the web windy day.

That is why I could not live on YouTube without someone like PlaceIT. They offer custom YouTube Banners, Avatars, YouTube Video Intros and YouTube End Screen Templates that are easy to edit with simple click, upload wizard to help you make amazing professional graphics in minutes.

Best of all, some of their templates are FREE! or you can pay a small fee if you want to go for their slightly more premium designs (pst – I always used the free ones).

5. StoryBlocks helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways

I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.

And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.

I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.

I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the StoryBlocks website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.

They have a wide library of videos, graphics, images and even a video maker tool and it wont break the bank with plans starting from as little as £8.25 ($9) per month.

Categories
SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS & TRICKS VIDEO YOUTUBE

5 Unknown YouTube Tips And Tricks

Secret Unknown YouTube Tips & Features

YouTube for most people is the the aggregator of fail compilations, the disseminator of cat related humour and a beacon for everything viral. Killing time on YouTube is the most productive way to be unproductive, but there’s so much more to it than salacious thumbnails and unrelated debates about political theory in the comments section, there is also hidden unknown youtube tips and tricks

Aside from a few easter eggs to please medium-core trekkies and Star Wars fans, there are some genuinely useful hacks that can enhance your YouTube viewing experience ten-fold. I mean, if you’re prepared to sign away three hours of your life by watching late-nineties wrestling videos, then you should do it in style, right?

Ever heard of YouTube Leanback? Or how about turning any video into a GIF? No? Then there’s so much more to show you. Here’s a run-down of my top five YouTube hacks:

1. Make any YouTube Video into a GIF

You can turn any video into a GIF by simply adding “gif” just after the “www.” in the URL. For example “www.gifyoutube.com/watchx

Once you type that in, you’ll be taken to a simple gif making tool page that lets you cut out a section of the video and export it.

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Select the point at which you want to start the gif and then select how long it lasts, and you’re done. You’ve made a gif in a matter of minutes.

2.  YouTube Disco Your YouTube Videos

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You already knew that you can use YouTube to stream music, but did you know it can be a DJ too? YouTube Disco automatically puts together a playlist of songs from your prefered genre or artist.

Go to www.youtube.com/disco and enter any artist, song, or genre and YouTube will populate a playlist of the most watched/popular videos from your search.

You can also set it to play the current top hits and it will tell what videos are most popular at the moment.

3. Slow Motion YouTube Videos

There are a couple of ways to slow down a YouTube video, with the simplest way being to hold down the spacebar during a video. This cause the video to rapidly play and pause, which creates a budget slow motion effect.

If, however, you want some more advanced controls, head to www.youtubeslow.com and enter your video’s URL into the specified field. You can then either speed up, slow down, play on repeat or set a loop.

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4. YouTube Leanback – YouTube and Chill

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YouTube Leanback is the friendlier version of YouTube on the big screen. If you’ve ever tried to watch videos on the normal desktop version of YouTube on your TV, you’ll know it’s a pain. Entering characters into the search field with your TV is just not practical, and you need to get right up close to the screen to see what’s going on.

This is where YouTube Leanback comes in. It’s a simplified YouTube UI that only requires use of the arrow keys to control. Also, if you have a smart TV, you can connect your phone or tablet to control what’s on the screen – and you don’t even have to be on the same Wi-Fi connection to do it.

Anyone in the room, providing they’ve gone through the verification process, can connect to the YouTube page and chuck videos into the communal playlist.

All you need to do is go to www.youtube.com/leanback and begin flicking through the availble sub sections of videos. To pair up your phone or tablet, go to www.youtube.com/pair on your mobile device and follow the instructions.

5. Google Video Quality Report

Buffering. Endless, rage inducing, buffering. But whose fault is it? Well, it’s your throttling, lacklustre ISP, according to Google.

Google’s YouTube Video Quality Report was launched earlier this year to help consumers understand why their videos take so long to load and can’t be streamed in the best quality. Some childlike illustrations show you how video makes its way to your screen, but don’t let the welcoming graphics fool you. This is video report is a shaming exercise, designed to embarrass ISPs for providing little bandwidth.

The report, which isn’t available everywhere, will tell you how good your connection is in the area and which ISPs are offering the most YouTube friendly internet speeds. This is done via a verification system, which labels each ISP as either ‘HD verified’ or not.

Check it out here (as I said, it may not be available in your area) and see if your connection can sustain 20 minutes of 1080p footage.

https://www.google.co.uk/get/videoqualityreport/

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SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS & TRICKS YOUTUBE

5 Tips For New YouTubers – YouTube For Beginners

Tips For New YouTubers Just Getting Started

YouTube has 1+ billion users. While not all are content creators, it’s safe to say that several million are uploading consistently, with thousands of new creators joining every day – Here are 5 Tips For New YouTubers to help them get started.

If you’re just starting out as a video creator, your first few videos will be buried among the millions of videos uploaded each week. So how can you increase your chances of being discovered amid the massive haystack that is YouTube?

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1. Brand yourself early on

Say two people follow you on Twitter. One has the default ‘egg’ as their profile picture; one has a well-designed image. Which are you more inclined to check out and follow back?

One of the most important first steps you can complete as a new YouTuber is your branding. Attractive channel art can drastically increase the chances that a viewer will check out your other videos and subscribe.

2. Create a regular schedule

Just like popular TV shows, releasing your YouTube videos on a schedule can ensure that they get in front of the maximum amount of viewers. To start, aim to release one video per week, and be sure to tell your subscribers when to expect new content!

  • Mention your schedule at the end of each video
  • Include your schedule as part of your channel art
  • Remind fans on social media

3. Strive for originality

Creating truly original content will be your biggest advantage when starting out—and no one can do that but you. At this very moment, there are more than 60 million Minecraft videos on YouTube. So if you’re set on creating gaming videos, for instance, spend time thinking about how you can make them stand out from the very large crowd!

Here are some more tips for new youtubers in our blogs!

4. Be patient about income

Everyone likes extra money. But when you first start out as a creator, it should be strictly to have fun and grow your audience. Most creators who are making a living from their content have spent years building up their channel and are seeing more than a million video views per month. So try to be patient and focus on creating amazing content, and it’s more likely that the money will eventually come.

5. Be yourself

It may be tempting to model your content after another successful creator verbatim. But that strategy can sometimes come off as fake—and audiences can tell. Whether you’re quiet, loud, or awkward, be yourself! No matter what type of personality you have, there will be people out there who will enjoy your content.

Finally, there’ll be plenty of time to refine. As you grow on YouTube, your style will grow as well. Listen to feedback from your viewers, and most of all, have fun. Good luck with your videos!

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Get Advertiser Friendly #Adpocalypse – Advertising Guidelines & Monetization on YouTube

Are You YouTube Advertiser Friendly?

In 2012, YouTube began de-monetizing non advertiser friendly videos based on new advertising-friendly guidelines. This is not done by people, but by an algorithm that looked at the metadata of videos and other factors to decide whether it is likely to be something an advertiser wouldn’t want to be associated with.

Over the last five years, this advertiser friendly algorithm has regularly removed videos from the pool of advertised-upon content. However, when much of the YouTube community started looking into this process after it hit the news in August 2016, they realized that the algorithm can be over-sensitive. Creators provided examples of videos that talk about subjects like depression, LGBT rights, world events and news, acne scars, refugees, antibiotics, and more, which were deemed advertiser-unfriendly and de-monetized. Many of these videos, when reviewed by a human, were manually granted monetization.

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What is Advertiser Friendly? Advertising-Friendly Guidelines

YouTube’s guidelines cast a broad net (a little too broad, in my opinion).

Sexually suggestive content, including partial nudity and sexual humor

Violence, including display of serious injury and events related to violent extremism

Inappropriate language, including harassment, swearing and vulgar language

Promotion of drugs and regulated substances, including selling, use and abuse of such items

Controversial or sensitive subjects and events, including subjects related to war, political conflicts, natural disasters and tragedies, even if graphic imagery is not shown

While the exact criteria aren’t known, key words in title & tags seem to play a significant role. For example, the channel “Healthcare Triage,” which talks about healthcare policy realized they had 27 videos flagged because–in talking about prescription drug costs, the opioid epidemic, and treatments for diabetes–the algorithm thought those videos were celebrating illegal drug use. This was possibly due to the tag “drugs.”

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WHY DOES YOUTUBE DO THIS? 

YouTube needs to create a brand-safe (advertiser friendly) environment in order to maintain and grow the platform, including the Adsense monetization that creators benefit from. They need to be able to guarantee to blue chip companies that there is control over what their brand appears alongside. The Internet Creators Guild is aligned in finding ways to increase ad rates in order to make careers for professional online creators more sustainable. However, we expressed some concern about this issue and suggested (1) more human spot checks (2) an easier way to sort and review in video manager (3) refining the algorithm.

NOTIFICATIONS & APPEAL

Whereas it was previously unclear if a video had been demonetized, YouTube started rolling out features in 2016 in order to:

  1. Let you know when a video has been de-monetized.
  2. Show a notice next to all de-monetized videos.
  3. Allow you to request a manual review of a de-monetized video.
  4. Re-monetize videos that the appeal process finds to be not in violation of YouTube’s ad-friendly policy.

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When your video is de-monetized, this little yellow $ shows up.

Based on the ICG’s investigations, it looks as if re-monetization (if it happens) occurs in between 12 and 24 hours after a manual review is requested.

According to a YouTube representative, overall, less than 1% of partner videos have been de-monetized, and the appeal process is currently taking around 24 hours with a high rate of re-monetization.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW AS A CREATOR?

It’s not the case that YouTube won’t be monetizing channels that cover current events or world news. But it’s worth being aware that creators who speak on sensitive subjects may be particularly affected by the algorithm erroneously de-monetizing videos.

Erroneous de-monetization will always result in lost income. Even now that the notification & appeals process is in place, a video could still be de-monetized for hours or days after upload while the manual review is pending. That could particularly hit hard at timely or viral content (which often means news-related and sensitive-subject videos).

We hope the new appeals process can help YouTube refine this system. In gathering data on videos that creators are submitting for manual review and studying what gets re-instated, the platform has the opportunity to refine the algorithm.

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How Do YouTube Adverts Work?

How does the YouTube decide which YouTube Adverts play on your videos?

Turns out YouTube Adverts work a lot like Google and Facebook ads do. Like on other free sites, the advertisers help fund the YouTube experience in return for exposure to ads. You’ll see certain ads over others because of your demographic groups, your interests (which is judged in part by what you search on Google and YouTube) and the content you’ve viewed before, including whether or not you’ve interacted with the advertiser’s videos, ads, or YouTube channel.

YouTube Adverts algorithms also try to make sure that people aren’t overloaded with ads while watching videos — so it actually sometimes won’t show ads on monetizable videos, even when there’s a demographic match.

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Here are the five ad formats you can expect to see on YouTube, and how they work:

a) YouTube Adverts – Display ads, which show up next to the video and only appear only on desktop and laptop computers. The advertiser gets paid when you see or click on the ad, depending on their selection.

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Image Credit: YouTube’s Creator Academy

b) YouTube Adverts – Overlay ads, which appear across the bottom 20% of the video window and currently only appears only on desktop and laptop computers. You can X out of the ad at any time.

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Image Credit: YouTube’s Creator Academy

c) YouTube Adverts – TrueView in-stream, skippable video ads, which are most common ads. These are the ones you can skip after watching for five seconds. Advertisers can put it before, during (yikes!), or after the video plays, and they get paid only if you watch at least 30 seconds of the clip or to the end of the video ad — whichever comes first.

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Image Credit: YouTube’s Creator Academy

d) YouTube Adverts – Non-skippable video ads, which are those longer, 15-or-more-second ads you see before plays and can’t skip after any period of time, no matter how much you shout at your screen.

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Image Credit: YouTube’s Creator Academy

e) YouTube Adverts – Midroll ads, which are ads that are only available for videos over 15 minutes long that are spaced within the video like TV commercials. You need to watch the ad before continuing through the video. How the advertiser gets paid depends on the type of ad: If the midroll is a TrueView ad, then you’d have to watch 30 seconds of the end or the entire ad — whichever is shorter. If it’s a CPM-based ad, then you have to watch the entire ad no matter how long it is.

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Image Credit: YouTube’s Creator Academy

f) YouTube Adverts – Bumper ads, which are short- non-skippable ads up to six seconds long that play before the video the viewer has selected. Bumper ads are optimized for mobile devices and must be watched in their entirety before viewers can progress to the video they want to view.

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SEO TIPS & TRICKS YOUTUBE

How to Increase YouTube CPM

Increase YouTube CPM – Earn More On YouTube

YouTubers are sometimes called the most well a paid people, when you see YouTubers like PewDiePie raking in millions as reported by mainstream media from making videos in his bedroom somewhere. What the mainstream media dont get is that its a passion  but its also a full-time job based on views and CPM to generate ideas, record and edit the video – So how to you Increase YouTube CPM?

Its a dream of many YouTubers to one day become a full time YouTuber and to achieve that they need to be making enough money from YouTube to sustain themselves.

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What is CPM? – Increase YouTube CPM

CPM stands for Cost per mille which means cost per 1000 views on a video and YouTubers can see their CPM in their adsense earnings reports. When an advertiser starts advertising campaign they can pay per 1000 views of the ad or cost per click on the advert. Therefore if the advertisers CPM was set to a max of $1 per 1000 views, and 900 of your viewers saw the advert they would pay $0.9 theoretically.

Introducing eCPM

eCPM is the effective cost per mille basically the same as CPM but is the cost for every 1000th ad view or impression regardless of what buying method of advertisements is being used for example Fixed, Cost per click, cost per action or CPM.

For example you run a CPC campaign with a cost of $1 per click, you get 200 clicks on the advert but 2000 impressions on the advert. the eCPM is $100 dollars because you made $200 from 2000 impressions. If it was a CPM advertisement and the price you paid was $5 per 1000 views the eCPM would be $10.

How to Improve CPM – Increase YouTube CPM

There are a few ways to improve your CPM (Increase YouTube CPM) on YouTube from targeting high CPC keywords, increasing engagement and watch time and making more videos which I will explain a bit more below.

1. Target strong CPC keywords – Focus your content to Increase YouTube CPM

This is a great way to increase your eCPM rates, Increase YouTube CPM. Since you are paid with a mixture of CPM and CPC adverts on YouTube This is a sure way to increase your income. So each keyword has a value which is assigned by advertisers that ‘bid’ on that keyword with the price they want to pay per click or per impression. If you make a video on Favourite Dog Collars for example, and the cpc of a dogs advertisement is 0.5 cent, you will earn 0.5 cent per click or have a cpm of $1.20 per thousand views then you will earn $1.20.

You can find the CPM of keywords that are related to your video on the google keyword tool. You will need a google account and signed up for Adwords, Googles Advertising platform which is free to sign up to. 

If you’re solely focused on making money you may want to research keywords before you make a video. Eg. Looking up video ideas on Insurance, finding the highest keyword such as “Bluewater insurance which has a CPC value of 4.50”   You might make a video on Bluewater Insurance – My Experience/Review. Now this may not get a ton of views but the CPC/CPM will be quite high due to advertisers paying high amounts for insurance keywords.

I would not recommend switching from your niche area to accommodate CPC. You cant go from being an established beauty blogger with a ton of subscribers to becoming an insurance reviewer as you will lose your audience and will get negative feedback. So try and stay within your niche area as much as possible, although you can deviate if it relates someway to the niche or just a “Storytime/experience” video which have gotten very common.

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2. Increase your watch time and user engagement rates – Quality = Increase YouTube CPM

Watch Time. I’ve mentioned this in a previous post, watch time and engagement rates are vital for CPM. The better the engagement, the more likely google is to serve higher paying ads to your video as they see that your video has a good active audience who are paying attention.

3. Create more content – More videos = Increase YouTube CPM

Now this is a no brainer, the more content you have the more views you will bring in cumulatively. This will Increase YouTube CPM without a doubt. Create a content schedule of daily videos or a video every 2-3 days. This will allow your channel and your revenue to grow effectively. Don’t post a flood of videos as it looks spammy and may not get the attention it needs from your subscribers.

My CPM Is going down, whats happening? Seasonal Boosts to Increase YouTube CPM

CPM is determined purely by advertisers and which ads are being served to your video. Ad budgets are usually a lot lower at the start of the year, don’t worry about this.  Ad budgets pick up around the summer time and towards Christmas you will see the highest CPM/CPC rates due to holiday advertising.

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