What You Need to Know to Launch a Successful Campaign: What’s Required, Why It Matters, and Tips to Improve Results
With over five years of experience in social media advertising for higher education, we’ve developed a strong understanding of what drives students to engage with content when exploring their educational options.
This expertise enables us to effectively reach the right students on YouTube—connecting them with schools that align with their goals and interests.
YouTube ads are especially powerful for building brand awareness. Even if your institution isn’t widely recognized in certain markets, strategic video advertising can quickly introduce your brand, convey credibility, and stay top of mind with prospective students.
Your creative decisions play a critical role in campaign performance. Clients who follow our creative recommendations frequently hit the upper range of our performance benchmarks—even if they aren’t yet well known in their target regions. That’s why we’ve included additional best practices below the creative requirements.
Below, you’ll find what we need from you, why each element matters, and actionable tips to help improve your campaign’s effectiveness.
Creative Requirements
Visual Requirements:
For YouTube campaigns, we only accept links to videos that have already been published on your official YouTube channel. Please provide the link to the specific video you would like to promote.
Video Guidelines
- Format: Horizontal videos (16:9 aspect ratio)
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD recommended)
- Length: 10 seconds to 3 minutes, with an ideal duration of up to 1 minute.
- Subtitles: Highly recommended for accessibility and engagement, but not required
Copy:
- Relevant headline, up to 100 characters.
When running YouTube Ads — especially topics like education, there are specific Google Ads policies you must adhere to. Violating these can result in ad disapproval or account-level enforcement actions.
- Misleading Claims or Unrealistic Promises
Avoid exaggerated claims like “Guaranteed admission,” “100% job placement,” or “Earn your degree in 3 months with no effort.
- Sensitive Events & Crisis Exploitation
Don't use sensitive topics like student loan forgiveness, immigration policy changes (for international students), or geopolitical events to promote programs.
Avoid urgency tactics tied to crises (e.g., “Due to the pandemic, now is the best time to enroll!”).
- Prohibited and Restricted Content
Restricted: Student loan services, visa services.
Use clear disclosures: If you mention funding, scholarships, or job outcomes, cite your source or clarify it's not guaranteed.
Prohibited: Deceptive diplomas, degree mills, or anything not officially recognized by government-accredited bodies.
Recommendations
- Use clear disclosures: If you mention funding, scholarships, or job outcomes, cite your source or clarify it's not guaranteed.
- YouTube campaigns are served via Google Ads manager. Sometimes Google Ads policies are separate from YouTube's and therefore we'd advise reviewing YouTube's own ad policies to ensure compliance.
Landing Page:
In this case, you have two options: you may either link to your own landing page—ensuring that UTM parameters are included for proper tracking—or link directly to your educations.com listing profile.
Note on Competing Ads:
Make sure not to run identical video ads and simultaneously Keystone's campaigns on your own Google Ads account. Overlapping could create ad fatigue, data fragmentation, and make the Keystone campaign seem like spam, reducing its effectiveness and affecting user experience.
Best Practice for YouTube Ads
Adhering to established best practices is essential for achieving optimal results with YouTube advertising. Whether you are promoting an entire university or specific academic programs, creating engaging content and effectively targeting the appropriate audience are critical components of a successful campaign.
This guide provides key strategies and recommendations for developing compelling YouTube ads that not only capture viewers’ attention and enhance brand awareness but also generate meaningful conversions. By focusing on elements such as visual optimization and precise audience targeting, these best practices will enable you to maximize your ad performance and effectively reach students who are actively seeking educational opportunities.
Creatives That Convert
Content and Messaging:
- Start strong: Capture attention within the first 5 seconds with a clear hook — showcase campus life, unique programs, or student success stories.
- Be clear and concise: Highlight the university’s key benefits, such as program variety, campus facilities, faculty expertise, and career outcomes.
Visuals and Audio:
- Use high-quality visuals — footage of campus, classrooms, students, and events.
- Include engaging, clear narration or on-screen text to complement visuals.
- Subtitles or captions are highly recommended to make the ad accessible and effective even without sound.
Include branding early
Maintain consistent university branding — colors, logos, and tagline — to build recognition and trust.
Targeting That Fits
Targeting the right audience is essential, and we handle most of the targeting for you. However, there are some things you can do to make your campaign even more effective.
University vs. Program Promotion:
If you are promoting your university, focus on what sets it apart—such as rankings, global reach, or unique student experiences. Pair these messages with a clean image of the campus and a headline that sparks curiosity (e.g., “What makes [University] different from others?”).
For program-specific campaigns, speak directly to the interests of prospective students. Use imagery tailored to the field of study to increase relevance and engagement.
Geographic Targeting:
If you’re looking for a balanced geographic distribution of students, try to target countries within the same economic tier / purchase power. Also, consider how your video might be perceived by students from different cultures.
Please note that YouTube prohibits you from targeting certain countries.
Countries with Restrictions or Prohibitions on YouTube Ads
Google Ads, the platform used for YouTube advertising, adheres to sanctions imposed by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). As a result, advertising is restricted or entirely prohibited in the following countries and territories:
- Crimea (including Sevastopol)
- Cuba
- Iran
- North Korea
- Sudan
- Syria
- Russia (highly restricted)
In these regions, you cannot target, exclude, or serve ads. Attempting to do so may result in wasted time and spent without reaching the intended audience.
By following these guidelines and best practices, you'll be well-equipped to create effective, high-performing campaigns that resonate with your target audience. Our team is here to support you throughout the process, ensuring your YouTube ads deliver the results you’re looking for. Let’s collaborate to connect students with the educational opportunities they’re seeking.