Performance Video, Built for YouTube.
YouTube is the biggest performance video platform on the planet, and the most misused. I run YouTube as a full funnel demand engine: Video Action and Demand Gen for mid funnel capture, View Through retargeting for warm audiences, and Shorts placements to fill the gap between awareness and intent.
Direct response, not brand vanity
Vertical first creative for the new feed
Built from Search and YouTube signals
How I Build Profit on YouTube.
YouTube only works as a performance channel when the creative is built for it. I plan a creative slate per funnel stage, hook driven 15-30s for cold, problem solution 30-60s for mid, offer led for retargeting, rather than recycling TV cutdowns.
Targeting leans on Custom Intent audiences seeded from Search queries and competitor channels, layered with first party data lists and Demand Gen lookalikes.
Shorts placements are run as their own line item with vertical native creative, square reformats are how most accounts quietly waste their YouTube budget.
Video Action Backbone
VAC and Demand Gen as the workhorses, measured on CPA and ROAS, not view rate.
Custom Intent Targeting
Audiences built from Search queries, competitor URLs and watched channels, high intent, not lookalike soup.
Vertical First Shorts
Dedicated Shorts campaigns with native 9:16 creative, not reformatted in stream ads.