YouTube Ads aren’t just for big brands anymore — they’re a playground for creative entrepreneurs, small businesses, and tourism pros like you. In 2025, the playing field has leveled thanks to AI-powered tools, short-form video trends, and hyper-targeted ad formats.
Whether you’re promoting a local event, launching a tourism training, or helping visitors discover your destination, it’s time to step into the spotlight.
What Kind of YouTube Ads Can You Create in 2025?
Before you dive in, get clear on your goal. Are you trying to…
- Drive traffic to your website?
- Promote an event or service?
- Build brand awareness?
- Sell products?
Based on your objective, choose from these YouTube ad formats:
Skippable In-Stream Ads
Video ads that play before, during, or after other videos on YouTube and across Google video partners, allowing viewers to skip after 5 seconds.
Length
Typically 30-90+ seconds, but can be longer as viewers can skip.
Pros
- Cost-effective, as you only pay if viewers watch a significant portion (usually 30 seconds) or interact with the ad.
- Good for storytelling, teaching, or brand introduction, allowing for more detailed messaging.
- Can include clear calls to action (CTAs).
Cons
- Viewers can skip, so the first 5 seconds are crucial to hook attention.
- May not be suitable for messages that require full, uninterrupted viewing.
Why Choose This Format?
Best for educational videos, origin stories, or when you want to tell a comprehensive brand narrative and are looking for engaged viewers.
Non-Skippable In-Stream Ads
Description
Video ads that play before, during, or after other videos on YouTube and across Google video partners, and viewers cannot skip them.
Length
15 seconds or shorter (though sometimes up to 20 seconds in specific regions, 15 seconds is most common).
Pros
- Guaranteed full view, ensuring your message is delivered completely.
- Effective for strong brand recall due to forced exposure.
Cons
- Can be intrusive, potentially leading to negative viewer sentiment if the ad isn’t engaging.
- Limited time for complex messaging.
Why Choose This Format?
Ideal for time-sensitive promotions, events, or tourism launches where delivering fast facts or highlighting a clear offer is critical and requires full attention.
Bumper Ads
Description
Short, non-skippable video ads.
Length
6 seconds or shorter.
Pros
- Highly effective for frequent brand visibility and recall due to their brevity and non-skippable nature.
- Minimal intrusion due to very short length.
- Great for increasing reach and brand awareness through repetition.
Cons
- Extremely limited time for messaging; requires a very concise and punchy message.
Why Choose This Format?
Best for achieving brand recall, reinforcing taglines, or embedding slogans through punchy, memorable messages.
YouTube Shorts Ads
Description
Vertical video ads designed specifically for the YouTube Shorts feed, appearing between organic Shorts videos.
Length
Under 3 minutes. (While up to 3 minutes, shorter often performs better for this fast-paced format, under 60 seconds is common for impactful ads.)
Pros
- Designed for vertical viewing, perfect for mobile users on the go.
- High engagement potential within the Shorts ecosystem.
- Access to a rapidly growing audience on Shorts.
Cons
- Requires vertical video creative, which might mean repurposing or creating new assets.
- The audience is typically looking for quick, entertaining content, so ads must fit this style.
Why Choose This Format?
Best for reaching niche audiences with quick tips, short educational snippets, or fun destination clips, leveraging vertical content to grab mobile viewers on the move.
Demand Gen Campaigns (The Evolving Landscape for Video Ads)
Description
This is not a specific ad format but rather the campaign type in Google Ads that now increasingly manages and serves video ads, merging functionalities from Video Action Campaigns (VAC).
Key Shift
Google is merging Video Action Campaigns (VAC) into Demand Gen campaigns, meaning video ads on YouTube will be managed through Demand Gen.
Pros
- Broader Scope: Reaches users across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail, offering a more holistic approach to capturing demand.
- Expanded Reach: Target up to 3 billion monthly users across Google’s platforms.
- Multi-Format Flexibility: Combine video and image assets in a single campaign, providing more creative options.
- Enhanced Targeting: Access powerful targeting like lookalike segments to find new customers.
- Comparable Performance: Google indicates performance for video assets within Demand Gen is comparable to VAC.
- Cons
- Requires understanding a broader campaign structure beyond just YouTube.
Campaign management might become more complex due to multi-platform integration.
Why Choose This Format?
For students, understanding Demand Gen is crucial because it’s the future of video advertising on Google. It offers a powerful way to leverage YouTube video ads with expanded reach and creative flexibility across Google’s ecosystem, moving beyond just YouTube to capture demand more comprehensively.
Make Your Ad Pop with the ABCD Framework
YouTube recommends this proven creative formula:
- Attention: Hook viewers in the first 5 seconds.
- Branding: Show your logo and product early.
- Connection: Speak to your audience’s values or emotions.
- Direction: Always include a clear CTA like “Book now,” “Learn more,” or “Subscribe.”
Student Tip: Start with a strong visual or question. Try something like: “Want more visitors at your event this year?” or “What’s the #1 travel tip for [Your Town]?”
Tools to Build Winning Ads and Navigate the Evolving Landscape
You don’t need a film degree. Here’s how to get it done and understand the future of YouTube ads:
Understanding Demand Gen Campaigns for Video
Google is making a significant shift by merging Video Action Campaigns (VAC) into Demand Gen campaigns. This means that your YouTube video ads will increasingly be managed and served through Google’s broader Demand Gen platform. For you, as someone looking to run video ads, this is an evolution that offers expanded capabilities and targeting.
What does this shift mean for your YouTube video ads?
As Google makes this transition, students and advertisers need to understand that YouTube videos are becoming a more integrated part of broader Demand Gen campaigns. This shift fundamentally changes how you’ll manage and scale your video advertising efforts:
- Broader Scope: Demand Gen campaigns are designed to reach users across various Google platforms, including YouTube, Discover, and Gmail, giving you a more holistic approach to capturing demand.
- Expanded Reach: You can now target up to 3 billion monthly users across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail.
- Multi-Format Flexibility: Demand Gen allows you to combine video and image assets within a single campaign, offering more creative options.
- Enhanced Targeting: Access powerful options like lookalike segments and other advanced targeting options to help you find new customers.
- Comparable Performance: Google indicates that using video assets within Demand Gen campaigns has shown performance comparable to traditional Video Action Campaigns (VAC).
In essence, while the platform for managing campaigns is shifting, you are still running video ads, but with greater reach, creative flexibility, and enhanced targeting across Google’s entire ecosystem.
Use AI-Powered Creative Tools
Google Ads’ Asset Generator automatically creates headlines, visuals, and CTAs.
Target Smarter
Targeting requires clear knowledge of your audiences and customers. Consider being more specific and use:
- Custom Segments: Target by search behavior.
- Life Events: Graduation, travel, new jobs.
- Customer Match: Use your email list to re-target.
Experiment Like a Pro
Use Google Ads Experiments to A/B test ad copy, visuals, and formats. You can also simply build different types of ads and make sure your creative assets are diverse and multimedia. Track what sticks or gets the best response.
Launch Your First Campaign with Confidence
Here’s your quick-start plan:
- Set a Small Daily Budget: Start with $5–$20/day.
- Choose Your Format: Shorts, skippable, or non-skippable.
- Create a Simple Video: 15–60 seconds, include your CTA.
- Launch on YouTube via Google Ads (now increasingly through Demand Gen campaigns).
- Track with Google Ads + YouTube Studio + your CRM (example: HubSpot).
Bonus:
Use YouTube Shopping if you sell products or test Local Services Ads if you offer things like tours, events, or consulting.
What Worked and What’s Next?
After your ad runs for a week:
- Check views, watch time, and click-through rate in YouTube Studio.
- Review conversions in Google Ads.
- Adjust your copy, audience, or visuals based on performance.
Now reflect:
- What surprised you?
- What would you try differently next time?
- What kind of content resonated most?
Ready to Take Action?
Here’s your mini-assignment to integrate what you’ve learned:
- Step 1: Choose ONE ad type from the chart above.
- Step 2: Draft a 30-second script that follows the ABCD framework.
- Step 3: Use a free tool like Canva or CapCut to create a sample ad.
- Step 4: Upload it to your YouTube channel and run a test ad!
Need help building your first campaign?