Spend Smart, Win Big

Lessons from Top YouTube Advertisers in Congress

The media landscape is ever-changing. This year alone, we’ve seen Twitter change to “X” and Meta introduce “Threads” – and we still have months to go in 2023. With so many newcomers, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and think, “out with the old and in with the new,” or give up on keeping tabs on which platforms are best. Before you do, pause, breathe, and give the “old-timers” the respect they deserve (and by old-timers, we mean from 2005). 

YouTube has been the most popular online platform for the past five years, and its use continues to grow every year. While other social media sites remain popular, YouTube is one of the only platforms that is still experiencing statistically significant growth in its user reach. Pew Research Center’s 2021 study found significant YouTube use across age groups:

• 95% of adults 18 to 29 

• 91% of adults 30 to 49

• 83% of adults 50 to 64

• 49% of adults 65+

This begs the question for every advertiser and political organization: Are you spending where you need to be, and are you spending where voters already are?

Recently,  Change Media Group looked at 45 of the top YouTube spenders in congressional races for the 2022 cycle, and 30 of them won their race. A majority of the most competitive congressional races are included in that count, and make no mistake, spending on YouTube had a hand in delivering those wins. 66% of the time, the top YouTube spender won.

Katie Porter in California, Greg Stanton in Arizona, Elissa Slotkin in Michigan, and Susie Lee in Nevada were all 2022 battleground races, and every single one of them outspent their competitor on YouTube and won:

• Katie Porter spent $533K while her opponent $92.5K 

• Greg Stanton spent $166K while his opponent spent $2k

• Elissa Slotkin spent $344K while her opponent spend $54.5K

• Susie Lee spent $22K whike her opponent spend $9.5K 

These races spent strategically, met voters where they were already online, and got their messaging where it needed to be. We have seen this success in more than just congressional races, including advocacy groups, presidential races, and legislative and senate campaigns. Across the board spending on YouTube is critical. 

Now, this is not a fool proof path to victory. But it is a necessary tool in your toolbox, a can’t miss, an essential ingredient for the recipe – you get the gist. 

So where do we go from here? Remember that when developing media plans think about where people are spending time. Don’t forget new growing platforms but don’t leave out the old guys either. Learn how to best use each platform before starting. Users expect platform specific creative, so its critical to shape and test creative that actually lands. 

We would love to hear from you. What race have you seen or worked on where meeting voters where they spend time helped move the needle? Reach out to us at info@changemediagroup.com.