YouTube Targeting

Targeting Categories:
├── Audience Targeting (WHO)
│   ├── Demographics
│   ├── Affinity audiences
│   ├── In-market audiences
│   ├── Life events
│   └── Custom audiences
│
├── Content Targeting (WHERE)
│   ├── Topics
│   ├── Placements
│   ├── Keywords
│   └── Categories
│
└── Remarketing (RELATIONSHIP)
    ├── Website visitors
    ├── YouTube engagement
    ├── Customer Match
    └── Similar audiences

Lifestyle-Based:
├── Beauty Mavens
├── Tech Enthusiasts
├── Sports Fans
├── Foodies
├── Travel Buffs
└── Business Professionals

Usage:
├── Top-of-funnel awareness
├── Brand building
├── Broad reach
└── Lower CPMs

Performance:
├── Reach: Very high
├── Precision: Moderate
└── CPM: Lower

Purchase Intent:
├── Autos & Vehicles
│   └── SUV shoppers, luxury cars
├── Consumer Electronics
│   └── Smartphones, laptops
├── Travel
│   └── Air travel, hotels
├── Real Estate
│   └── Home buyers, renters
└── Business Services
    └── Software, marketing services

Usage:
├── Mid-to-lower funnel
├── Active research phase
├── Higher conversion intent
└── Higher CPMs (worth it)

Major Transitions:
├── Starting college
├── Getting married
├── Having a baby
├── Buying a home
├── Starting a business
├── Retiring
└── Moving

Timing:
├── Capture during decision windows
├── High relevance moments
└── Premium targeting (higher CPM)

Broad Categories:
├── Arts & Entertainment
├── Autos & Vehicles
├── Beauty & Fitness
├── Business & Industrial
├── Computers & Electronics
├── Finance
├── Food & Drink
├── Games
├── Health
├── Home & Garden
├── Science
├── Shopping
├── Sports
└── Travel

Sub-Topics (example):
Technology
├── Consumer Electronics
│   ├── Smartphones
│   ├── Laptops
│   └── Wearables
└── Software
    ├── Operating Systems
    └── Applications

Placement Types:
├── Specific YouTube Channels
├── Specific YouTube Videos
├── YouTube Lineups
└── Google Video Partners

YouTube Lineups (Curated):
├── Beauty & Fashion
├── Entertainment
├── Food
├── News
├── Sports
└── Technology

Pro Tip:
├── Identify top channels in your niche
├── Use competitor channels
├── Test audience vs placement
└── Layer with audience targeting

Keyword Strategy:
├── Target videos about specific topics
├── Matches video titles, descriptions, tags
├── Broader than search keywords
└── Use 5-20 keywords per ad group

Keyword Examples (Fitness Brand):
├── "workout routine"
├── "home exercise"
├── "weight loss tips"
├── "gym motivation"
└── "fitness transformation"

Best Practices:
├── Group related keywords
├── Avoid too many per group
├── Monitor placement reports
└── Negative keywords important

Available Demographics:
├── Age
│   ├── 18-24
│   ├── 25-34
│   ├── 35-44
│   ├── 45-54
│   ├── 55-64
│   └── 65+
├── Gender
│   ├── Male
│   ├── Female
│   └── Unknown
├── Parental Status
│   ├── Parent
│   ├── Not a parent
│   └── Unknown
└── Household Income (top % tiers)
    ├── Top 10%
    ├── 11-20%
    ├── 21-30%
    └── etc.

Additional Signals:
├── Education
│   ├── High school
│   ├── Bachelor's degree
│   └── Advanced degree
├── Marital Status
│   ├── Single
│   ├── In relationship
│   └── Married
├── Employment
│   ├── Industry
│   └── Company size
└── Homeownership
    ├── Renter
    └── Homeowner

Audience Segments:
├── All Visitors (broad)
├── Product Page Viewers
├── Cart Abandoners
├── Past Purchasers
├── High-Value Customers
└── Time-Based Segments
    ├── Last 7 days
    ├── Last 30 days
    └── Last 90 days

Messaging Strategy:
├── All Visitors: Brand awareness
├── Product Viewers: Feature benefits
├── Abandoners: Urgency/incentive
└── Purchasers: Upsell/loyalty

Engagement Types:
├── Viewed any video
├── Viewed specific videos
├── Subscribed to channel
├── Visited channel page
├── Liked a video
├── Added video to playlist
└── Shared a video

Sequence Strategy:
├── Video viewers → Product ads
├── Engaged users → Demo offers
└── Subscribers → Exclusive content

Data Sources:
├── Email lists
├── Phone numbers
├── Physical addresses
└── Mobile device IDs

Requirements:
├── Minimum 1,000 matched users
├── Privacy policy compliance
├── Data must be first-party
└── Regular list updates

Use Cases:
├── Exclude existing customers
├── Upsell premium offerings
├── Lookalike seed audiences
└── Loyalty campaigns

Build Based On:
├── Keywords people search
├── URLs people visit
├── Apps people use
└── YouTube videos they watch

Example (Running Shoes):
├── Keywords: "best running shoes 2026"
├── URLs: competitor product pages
├── Apps: fitness tracking apps
└── Videos: running technique tutorials

Best Practice:
├── 50+ signals per audience
├── Mix data types
├── Test against in-market
└── Refresh quarterly