Is YouTube Promote Worth It? What Reddit Says
Reddit has dozens of threads from creators who tried YouTube's Promote button. The happy ones promoted a strong video to a clear audience. The unhappy ones mostly took the default settings and hoped for the best.
The short answer
YouTube Promote is a real ad, run through Google Ads, and it is worth it when the video is strong and the audience is right. It gives you few settings. If you want more say over who sees your video, Google Ads or a service like Sprizzy gives you that.
What YouTube Promote is
Google calls Promote "a simplified advertising tool on YouTube powered by Google Ads." You pick a goal, a budget and an end date, and YouTube shows your video as an ad. Reddit users like how quick it is, and point out how little you can change.
…its just google ads, with a bit different and simplified front interface … You can modify very little, like a country where the ad will be shown and the language people speak …
What Reddit users say works
Treat it as marketing, choose the audience with care and promote a video that is ready. Creators with a product or a service often see the fastest return, and channels use it to reach viewers who would not find them on their own.
It works. But you’ve really got to understand what you’re doing with it in regards to target audience. What countries to push in etc etc. it’s good to funnel people into your channel
I have a channel that promotes my consultancy, since launching a few videos I kid you not I have had at least 3-4 enquiries each week from businesses. … Promotion on YouTube for me is a no brainer …
People need to learn that videos are our products for the people and the channel is our store.
What to expect
YouTube's help page says "all views and subscribers you gain through a Promote campaign are legitimate." Like every ad on YouTube, they don't count toward the Partner Program. What builds the channel is the viewers who come back for your next video.
So it will shop your channel around. It definitely helped throw me over 1000 subs HOWEVER all "engaged views" ftom promotion do not count towards monetization, if that is your goal.
Promote, or have it done for you?
Sprizzy runs your video on Google Ads too, but it does the work. It writes the ad, tests 200+ audience combinations and moves your budget to the ones that work. You don't need a Google Ads account. YouTube Promote vs Sprizzy.
More from Reddit
YouTube Promote questions from Reddit
Is YouTube Promote a scam?
No. Promote is YouTube's own ad tool, powered by Google Ads. YouTube's help page says all views and subscribers from a Promote campaign are legitimate.
Does YouTube Promote hurt your channel?
No. YouTube's help page says promotions don't impact your channel's or a specific video's organic performance.
Do YouTube Promote views count toward monetization?
No. Watch hours and subscribers from ads don't count toward the Partner Program, for Promote or any other ad. Viewers who come back on their own do count.
Is YouTube Promote only for businesses?
No. Reddit users with a product see a fast return, but creators use ads to reach new viewers too. Promote your best video to people who already watch videos like it.
See your video as a YouTube ad first.
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