YouTube Ads Are Getting Seriously Boring. Here’s What We Can Learn From Them And How Not To Repeat Their (Costly) Mistakes
When boring becomes more boring.
YouTube, in a funny way, is inserting more boring advertisements into a 10-minute clip. Before 2021, all I had to do was skip one advertisement (ad) in the middle of my video clip. Today, I might have to skip over 1 ad every 3 minutes.
I get it. Advertisers pay good money to YouTube to reach out to the correct customer profiles. That is the marvel of the digital economy.
The funny thing is, many of the ads are actually targeted at my spouse. There is no reason for me to watch ads for future travel, 7-star hotel stays, and happy ladies strutting themselves down the lane of Mongkok in Hong Kong.
Weird.
Today, it happened to me again. I was watching a webinar on investing and trading that was put on YouTube.
That clip was 30 minutes long, with 4 ads sprinkled in between. Instead of skipping them, I decided to watch them for once.
I was curious.
Ad # 1 — Selling Me An Online Course For Investment Trading.
Make sense. I watch a lot of such videos, plus I search for such materials on Google almost daily.
The lady in the ad was as sharp as a tack. She throws hard punches on people quietly dying in their cubicles and correctly pointed out that our day jobs will not guarantee us full retirement by 60.
She told her story about her professional life, how her boss is sucking her spirit bit by bit in the office. To top it up, she never had the time to be home and watch television with her aged parents.
Well, her story is boring.
Why I think It Is Misleading.
2 simple reasons.
- She did not mention how much money she lost when she first started trading in the financial markets.
- She repeatedly chimed that we can earn from the markets while watching television with our parents, just by following her method step by step.
I will leave the judgment call to you.
Ad # 2 — Selling Me An E-Commence Success Blueprint.
As again, it makes sense. Everyone knows that E-Commence is hot.
The young chap spoke about his personal experience, much like a rant stapled to a sob story. The storyline goes like this.
“I started working as a realtor, and I had to work for 20 hours to earn $X of commission that is not enough for me to buy a pair of cotton socks. I had to borrow money from my dad to survive, and for many months, he looked down on me as if I am a terrible son. So, I started Business A and B, which flopped even before I started. When I finally learned how to generate sales 24–7–365 from my E-Commence platform, my life finally took a turn for the better. Today, I will share with you my secret recipe for success …”
Boring.
Why I think It Is Misleading.
2 simple reasons.
- He did not mention how long it took for the E-Commence business to take off, covering all his living expenses.
- He mentioned that the first step is to source products that have immense potential, and the way to execute that first step is to attend his class for $3,000.00 over the weekend.
I know many people will see opportunities. I see red flags all over.
Ad # 3 & 4 — Selling Me Anything By Pointing Out That Real Estate And Stock Markets Are Going To Crash.
I call them distractions.
They start first by pointing out the obvious and then work to convince us to buy A, B, C because D, E, F are happening today.
This is one example from Ad # 3.
If you are a professional trader and have been losing money, you need a system you can follow. This is my system, and I netted 100% profits during the market crash of 2008 and 2020. It will be available to you at …
This is another example from Ad # 4.
The stock markets and real estate markets are at all-time highs. What happens to your mortgage and retirement fund when the bubble burst? Fear not, I will teach you to invest in the real estate market correctly. You can be a landlord, living happily with your rental income …
Dooms-day prediction tends to be highly seductive. That, I admit.
Why I think It Is Misleading.
2 simple reasons.
- Pointing out the obvious does not mean I have to buy your stuff. Of course, thank you for telling me all this.
- Telling me the pervasive impact of systemic collapse does not build credibility to your products and services. You told me nothing about your work.
I Am Not Attracted By The Ads At All.
In part, because they are boring.
I do not believe that everyone goes through the same down-and-out, rising-through-the-ashes storyline of success. It appears so because people are taught that the hero’s story resonates deeply with others.
- You can appeal to sympathy, and it does not hit me.
- You can appeal to emotion, and I am yawning away.
- You can appeal to my wallet, and it clams tight like a shellfish.
I mean, thanks for trying.
However, all it tells me is humankind is good at one thing.
Observe and copy.
Maybe, you can try offering me free pistachios and coffee black?
I might be willing to watch your ads again.
Aldric
About the Author:
As a content contributor, I write my observations from daily life and my business exposure.
Because our life experience is the bedrock of our unique perspectives.