Back-To-School Advertising 101: YouTube Best Practices

With summer in full-swing, retailers and advertisers alike gear up for one of the busiest shopping seasons each year: Back-to-school. 

While YouTube has become a primary platform for back-to-school advertising, there are some key best practices advertisers should employ in order to reach the right YouTube audience in the most optimal way: 

Utilizing Reach to Reach Families:

With the highest reach across every age group, YouTube allows advertisers to be uniquely effective in targeting families at multiple touchpoints. According to @ eMarketer, YouTube’s reach engages historically core audiences of 18-34 year-olds (who remain highly active), but is also experiencing significant growth in view-time driven by older demographics. For back-to-school, brand messaging can resonate widely from parents doing research, to students looking for inspiration via their favorite channels. Leveraging this expansive audience ensures advertiser’s campaigns connect seamlessly with families at every stage of the back-to-school buying journey.

CTV Co-Viewing is King: 

CTV has become one of most important platforms for advertisers to get right, and for back-to-school in particular, co-viewing on CTV is the name of the game. Families are more frequently watching YouTube together on the big screen, which makes back-to-school ads more impactful through these shared family moments. This shared experience amplifies messaging and interest for both sides of the viewing party, connecting brands directly to household decision-makers and young consumers simultaneously. Further, with YouTube rolling out shoppable features directly on CTV, like QR codes and high-impact CTAs, advertisers now have an even better opportunity to turn this shared interest into immediate purchase action.

Demand Gen Drives Demand: 

While there are still some questions when it comes to the demand gen format, there are definite perks in making this the ad format of choice for back-to-school advertisers. High level, demand gen has proven to be a powerful, full-funnel tool for Gen Z, a generation accustomed to personalized digital experiences and a key demographic in this target audience. YouTube’s demand gen tools equip advertisers with the ideal “digital storefront” platform: Interactive, engaging, and seamlessly shoppable, resonating deeply with younger consumers’ preferences and buying behaviors.

Curating With Creators: 

While curating where content runs and identifying who sees it are most important, who’s promoting it matters too. Partnering with niche creators that align with back-to-school narratives can amplify these other efforts exponentially. For example, collaborating with student lifestyle influencers known for their study tips and school supply hauls, parenting & family creator channels that resonate with multiple segments of the target audience, and educational & productivity creators who offer productivity hacks, study skills, and tech product reviews all present great opportunities for enhanced visibility, relevance, and ultimately, conversion.   

Short-Form Dominance:

YouTube Shorts are another ideal platform for back-to-school advertising due to their alignment with younger audience behaviors, rapid consumption patterns, and high engagement rates. They work well as they’re easily digestible, are optimized for mobile-first viewing, as well as the fact that algorithm-driven discovery platforms often prioritize Shorts, therefore increasing the likelihood of organic reach. In short, Shorts are highly effective in helping brands quickly reach large, relevant audiences via their quick and easy nature and algorithmic recommendations, making them a great option for back-to-school advertisers. 

Ultimately, advertisers who best leverage YouTube’s entire arsenal of tools (CTV, demand gen ads, shoppable features, creator partnerships, and targeted short-form content), will most successfully capture consumers’ attention during the crucial back-to-school shopping season and beyond. This strategic approach doesn’t just drive immediate sales, it builds lasting connections with families and younger generations, ensuring brands remain top-of-mind as shopping patterns continue to evolve.