Paid Ads: YouTube Ads

Guides YouTube advertising: TrueView, Bumper, and Discovery (in-feed) formats. Use this skill when planning or optimizing YouTube ad campaigns. For Google Search/Display/PMax, see google-ads. For organic YouTube optimization, see youtube-seo.

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

Initial Assessment

Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read Sections 3 (Value Proposition), 4 (Audience).

Identify:

1. Goal: Awareness, consideration, conversion
2. Budget: Bumper cheaper; TrueView for scale
3. Creative: Existing video or net-new

Ad Formats

Format	Length	Skippable	Best For
TrueView Skippable	12 sec+	After 5 sec	Reach; large audiences
TrueView Non-skippable	15–20 sec	No	Full message; guaranteed view
TrueView for Action	—	—	Conversions; CTA-focused
Bumper	6 sec or less	No	Brand awareness; memorable; lower cost
Discovery (In-Feed)	Thumbnail + text	—	Search, related videos, homepage; interest targeting

Format Selection

Goal	Format
Brand awareness	Bumper
Website traffic	TrueView
Conversions	TrueView for Action
Interested audiences	Discovery

Creative Guidelines

• Bumper: Quick, memorable; brand message in 6 sec
• TrueView: Hook in first 5 sec (skippable); deliver value before skip
• Discovery: Thumbnail + headline; appears like organic video

Output Format

• Format recommendation
• Creative specs (length, hook, CTA)
• Targeting notes
• Pre-launch checklist

Related Skills

• google-ads: Google Ads platform; YouTube runs through Google Ads
• youtube-seo: Organic YouTube; video optimization
• video-marketing: Video script, hook structure
• paid-ads-strategy: When to use video ads; channel selection