Proud partner
Article
3-minute read
Four things we learnt at the YouTube Festival 2026
Written by Annerieke Treep
Advertising Marketeer
Irene and Annerieke attended the YouTube Festival 2026 on behalf of Traffic Today . As well as the YouTube Festival, they also attended an Agency Circle. Here are the key takeaways!
1. Video as part of the entire customer journey
‘How much video should we use?’ is actually no longer the right question. Video is now everywhere: in how someone discovers a brand, researches it and ultimately makes a purchase. People aren’t concerned with which channel they’re using. They simply watch the content that’s relevant at that moment.
This also calls for a different approach to video. Not as a separate component of the media plan, but as content that can be effective at various stages of the customer journey.
2. Create. Measure. Learn. Repeat.
In a world where AI makes content creation cheap, value no longer lies in volume. Relevance, creative strategy and astute choices are becoming increasingly important. The real benefit arises when a campaign leaves behind more than just isolated figures – namely, knowledge that can be reused. Every campaign is a learning opportunity that makes the next one better.
3. Offering more video variations leads to higher conversion rates
On YouTube, quality and quantity go hand in hand. For example, better creative content boosts your return on investment by an average of 1.7 to 2 times. And if you increase your video assets from 2 or fewer to 5 or more – including at least one vertical video – this delivers an average of 45 per cent more conversions in Performance Max and Demand Gen.
So forget about that one perfect 30-second advert. Win with variety: different hooks, lengths, vertical Shorts and a clear call to action.
At Meta, we also test new creatives every other month, build campaigns with as many adverts as possible to provide the algorithm with sufficient data, and make continuous adjustments. So why aren’t we doing the same with our YouTube and DemandGen campaigns yet?
4. YouTube’ Shopping me is coming to the Netherlands
65 per cent of Dutch people say that YouTube helps them make purchasing decisions. And 70 per cent of social shoppers use Google and YouTube to compare products before buying. YouTube is capitalising on these figures with the roll-out of YouTube Shopping in the Netherlands. Creators and brands can link products directly to their videos, rather than directing viewers to links in the description.
YouTube Shopping thus shortens the path from discovery to purchase. No more searching the video description for a product name or link; instead, users can click through to the product directly from within the content.
bol is a launching retail partner. This makes YouTube Shopping particularly appealing to businesses operating on marketplaces: an additional way to draw attention to products through video content and ensure they can be found straight away.
Would you like to find out more about the possibilities of YouTube Advertising?
Video is no longer just a side issue. By introducing more variety into your content and learning smartly from what works, you’ll get more and more out of your video strategy. Curious about how to take your video strategy to that level? We’d be happy to brainstorm with you.
Tomorrow’s winners
Also of interest
News, SEO
7-minute read
Want to grow together?
Our team is
ready to help you