Anyone using YouTube ads to reach their audience knows it can be a real challenge to get people to watch past the first few seconds. At least with Instagram, viewers can scroll backwards to do a double-take. Once a YouTube viewer clicks on “Skip,” that’s it.
If you can’t grab your viewer’s attention in the first five seconds or less, those ads are money down the drain. So, how do you start your ads in a way that will make your audience forget the “Skip” button even exists?
You take a page (or four) out of Shane Burgman’s book—or, more accurately, out of this brilliant Instagram carousel he posted a few days ago.
Read on to learn more about each of Burgman’s four unskippable YouTube ads, along with takeaways you can put to work now to maximize your advertising ROI and get more leads.
#1: New Developments
The first ad starts off with a lighthearted jab at YouTube ads, which immediately gets the viewer’s attention. If you can get people thinking, “What was that again?” or “Did they just…?” they’re more likely to stick around for something that explains the hook.
Burgman uses this technique more than once in his YouTube ads to get his viewers doing a double-take and pausing long enough to hear what the ad is all about. At that point, if they’re part of his target audience, they’re likely to stick around. If not, no hard feelings.
Here’s the script for this ad, with emphasis added:
“Oh, crap! Another ad? Should’ve bought YouTube Premium. Anyways, I thought you should know, Viera Real Estate is our team’s speciality. We live in the area, and, like most Viera residents, we’re interested in new developments, whether it’s hot new restaurants, schools, new residential developments, or where the next dentist office is going to be.
“Our team covers all these topics on our YouTube channel. And we just surpassed a million views. That’s a LOT of views!
“We facilitated the first resale in the new community Pangea Park, one of the first new builds in Aripeka, and we’ve already helped a handful of buyers in Viera’s newest luxury community, Laurasia.
“And in 2023, no single agent, nor team, listed more real estate in West Viera than the Burgman Group. If you have any questions about buying in Viera, or maybe you’re considering selling your Viera home, we’re the team for you.
“And if you don’t believe me, please go check out one of our 100+ five-star Google reviews and hear it directly from our clients….”
The first three sentences take the viewer from “What was that?” to the specific area the Burgman team specializes in to the central focus of the ad (new developments).
Shortly after that, we learn about the Burgman Team’s YouTube channel, which has over a million views, before Burgman highlights some of the new developments his team has worked with, a quick statistic that sets his team apart, and their 100+ five-star Google reviews.
#2: Listing Strategy
The first thing you see in this ad is the bottoms of Burgman’s shoes, right before he gets up out of his lounge chair to address his intended audience.
The message is clear: Burgman and his team are far from overwhelmed by all the details that go into creating the best experience for their seller clients.
They’ve got a system that works, and they love what they do.
“Viera homeowners, if you’re thinking about selling, here’s how our team operates.
“This is one of our team’s newest listings in Trasona Cove. Step one is to strategize. We discussed pricing, timelines, and our team’s marketing plan.
“Step two, we sent in a professional cleaning crew and had all the carpets deep-cleaned (takes a deep sniff of the air) Smells new.
“Step three, stage the home. Our team works exclusively with designers to get your home show-ready. And in the event it’s vacant, we can bring in furniture like this (We don’t even know who owns this).
“Step four: professional photos, videos, and 3D tours on all listings, no exceptions.
“And step five: host a mega open house, a.k.a. launch party. We go all out with food, drinks, and we make it a splash. A well-planned open house will capitalize on exposure and is the most effective way to show a property. Our team loves to host open houses.
“Go check out one of our team’s listings. You’ll see the difference.”
This ad has been Burgman’s top performer, showing that being direct about the team’s value proposition is paying off.
#3: New construction
The first thing you see in this ad is Burgman spitting something out over the edge of a wooden fence overlooking a lake. It’s not apparent what he was spitting out, and instead of explaining what it was, Burgman gets right to the focus of his video ad.
“The thing with most new construction is when a builder first goes in, they have to demolish everything. Arikpeka is a lot different because the builders here have left a lot of the natural Florida landscaping that you’re seeing.
“It’s one of my favorite communities, and if you don’t know anything about Aripeka, check out one of these (three) videos where we have covered Aripeka and then some. We talk about the builders, the lot sizes, and the pricing.
“Our team helps a lot of homebuyers in this area with the building process. Now, if it’s something that you want to explore, go ahead and click that link below because I’d like to see if our team is the right fit for you.”
#4: Staging
Here, Burgman is standing in the middle of an airy, immaculate living room—the kind you might see in the pages of a magazine like House Beautiful or BHG. He gets right to the point in the first sentence (which, by now, shouldn’t surprise anyone).
“We’re here at another one of my listings in Viera, and here’s what it looks like now, after paying for staging.”
At this point, Burgman shows a few “before” and “after” photos of different rooms, showing the difference professional staging makes to the general feel of a home.
“So, clearly, staging makes a huge difference. And you’re probably wondering, ‘Who pays for that?’
“I do. I view it as an investment. I view it as my obligation to my clients to make their home look in the best possible condition that it can. Because, after all, they hired me to sell their house.
“Whether you’re thinking about selling—or maybe you’re currently trying to sell and just not having any luck—click the link to see if our team is a fit for you.”
The call to action text, “Click the link to learn more about our team” is superimposed on the video to get the viewer’s attention and double-down on the verbal invitation.
As Burgman points out in his Instagram caption, these YouTube ads are not posted to any of his social channels. So, by sharing these in an IG carousel post, he’s giving viewers a “look behind the curtain.” And we’re here for it.
Our main goals with these YouTube ads are to encourage people to watch past the 5-second ‘Skip Ad’ button, and to show off my personality with a mix of serious and entertaining clips.
Take a moment to list a few ideas of your own for each of those goals. What could you do differently with your YouTube ads to hook your readers in the first few seconds?
And what impression do you want to leave with your viewers about your personality—or something else that makes your business stand out?
Check out Burgman’s post on Instagram and share your thoughts in the comments. What takeaways will you be using in your next YouTube ad?
