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Banner advertising in video, especially in short formats like YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels, is becoming a goldmine for those who understand the numbers. While some complain about CPM and influencers, others are already getting millions of views for pennies. Forget about bloggers and their exorbitant prices — there are much more effective and transparent schemes that allow you to get banner advertising in Shorts with maximum return.
Why YouTube Shorts is the new Klondike for advertising?
According to experts, YouTube Shorts is actively increasing advertising budgets. Leah Askew from Digitas and Bryan Binder from Tinuiti confirm a significant increase in investments in this format. Skyler McGill from Wpromote notes that Shorts is becoming an increasingly prominent segment in the overall volume of video investments.
CPM cheaper than 50 rubles: Many arbitrageurs are already noting that the cost per thousand impressions here can be significantly lower than on other platforms.
Mass reach for pennies: Thanks to YouTube’s huge audience, Shorts offers the opportunity to get millions of views without incurring huge budgets.
Alternative to influencers:instead of expensive bloggers, whose effectiveness is often questionable, you can use direct programmatic video banners.
Placement nuances: not so simple, but profitable
Despite the growth, Shorts has not yet reached the level of TikTok and Reels in terms of advertising placements. One agency executive notes: “If Meta and TikTok take 60% of the budget, then YouTube Shorts will be somewhere around 10%. They can’t scale to that extent yet.”
“Most impressions still go to in-stream advertising when you group campaigns. The algorithm clearly favors in-stream inventory because there is so much of it. But Shorts inventory is definitely not avoided by anyone,” says Bryan Binder.
Experts advise allocating Shorts to a separate campaign. “It’s usually more profitable to allocate this to a separate position to get more scale and targeted efficiency, rather than just keeping it as part of a general Demand Gen campaign,” says Skyler McGill.
Content features for Shorts: social strategy rules
You can’t just take a long video and put it in Shorts. “You really shouldn’t take a long video and apply it there. You shouldn’t even think that vertical video fits there. You really need to bring social strategy and social assets to it,” emphasizes Leah Askew.
Brian Binder adds: “We are increasingly seeing conversations about the ‘lift-and-shift’ strategy. This is an opportunity to take what you are currently doing on traditional social media and simply transfer it to YouTube Shorts.”
Where does YouTube land in agencies?
An interesting point: often, YouTube is not managed by SMM specialists. Leah Askew says that at their company, they had to hold meetings to figure out who and how to buy ads on YouTube. In the end, they decided that it should happen through programmatic, but with a close connection to the social team.
“One of the things that I think brands and agencies are trying to grapple with is where YouTube sits from a management perspective versus social. The social team will manage Meta and TikTok, but sometimes YouTube is managed by the search team or the programmatic team. So you have to start thinking about where it actually sits and what is the baseline that we’re going to compare against,” says Brian Binder.
For now, TikTok and Reels are leading in terms of investment volume, but Shorts is catching up. “Performance is comparable to TikTok and Reels. But given that these platforms operate at higher cost levels, we expect Shorts to deliver higher efficiency as it is at a lower investment level,” notes one agency executive.
Facts and figures to consider
450,000: The number of “clippers” in YouTube creator Eric “Airrack” Decker’s ClipFarm network.
$500 million: Alex Cooper’s Unwell company valuation after the latest funding round.
$12.99: The new monthly price for Peacock’s premium ad-supported subscription.
Starting August 24, YouTube will change its view counting approach, equating it to Instagram and TikTok: a view will be counted as soon as the video starts playing. This is already applied to Shorts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How cheaply can you buy reach on YouTube Shorts?
Many arbitragers note that a CPM cheaper than 50 rubles is a very real goal for YouTube Shorts campaigns, making it one of the most effective channels for mass reach for pennies.
Can I place banners in Shorts without creating videos?
Yes, this is a key advantage. You can use auto-placement on hundreds of videos without the need to shoot your own content. This is ideal for promoting mobile applications, infobusiness, or crypto projects where quick and wide reach is needed.
How does Shorts compete with TikTok and Reels in terms of effectiveness?
According to experts, Shorts’ performance is comparable to TikTok and Reels. At the same time, given the lower investment in Shorts at the moment, higher efficiency and the lowest CPM in shorts can be expected.
Where to find experts to order banner advertising in Shorts?
Look for specialists in programmatic video banners or agencies that have experience with YouTube Ads and specialize in short formats. It is important that they understand the specifics of a native banner in Shorts and can provide a non-skippable banner.
Conclusion: Act before the market overheats
YouTube Shorts is not just another channel, it is a strategic tool for getting cheap reach and rapid scaling. While major players are still debating who should manage budgets, you have the opportunity to buy reach without creating a video and get real profit metrics. Test hypotheses for 1000 rubles, use a banner for infobusiness or any other project. Don’t wait until CPM skyrockets – start working with banner advertising in video today. And remember, real profit is where others only see difficulties.
