YouTube Ads
When Time and Attention Reveal Clarity
YouTube ads don’t work the same way Facebook ads do.
They don’t interrupt. They don’t rely on quick hooks.
They don’t reward surface-level cleverness.
They ask a different question entirely:
Do you actually have something worth staying with?
Because on YouTube, people don’t scroll to escape.
They arrive to spend time.
And time has a way of revealing clarity or exposing its absence.
How I see YouTube ads today
I don’t see YouTube ads as a traffic source.
I see them as a presence amplifier. They amplify:
- how clearly you can articulate an idea
- how grounded your message feels over time
- whether your thinking can hold attention beyond a few seconds
Unlike short-form platforms, YouTube doesn’t forgive vague messaging. It doesn’t reward borrowed scripts.
And it quickly exposes when something sounds polished but empty.
If your thinking is clear, YouTube ads build trust quietly.
If it isn’t, the extra time makes the gap obvious.
Why YouTube ads feel powerful for some brands and painful for others
Many founders approach YouTube ads expecting scale. What they experience instead is discomfort.
Videos feel long. Attention drops. People skip.
This usually isn’t a production problem. And it’s rarely a targeting issue.
It’s an articulation problem.
YouTube ads don’t compress your message. They stretch it.
And when a message is stretched, inconsistencies surface.
What sounded confident in a short ad can feel rushed or unclear over 30 seconds.
What felt inspiring in text can feel vague when spoken out loud.
YouTube ads reveal whether your thinking can breathe.
A glimpse into the environments this work happens in
Time spent inside these systems makes certain patterns impossible to ignore.
What years of working with video Advertising taught me
After working across different markets, offers, and growth stages, one pattern is consistent.
YouTube ads don’t reward performance tactics. They reward coherence.
The brands that succeed here:
- know what they are inviting people into
- understand the moment their audience is in
- are comfortable letting meaning land slowly
The brands that struggle often try to force:
- urgency where reflection is needed
- scripts instead of presence
- optimisation instead of clarity
More spend doesn’t fix this. More edits don’t fix this. Only clearer thinking does.
When YouTube ads actually make sense
YouTube ads work best when:
- the decision cycle is longer
- trust matters more than impulse
- the offer involves transformation, not transactions
- the founder or brand has a clear point of view
This is why YouTube ads pair naturally with:
retreats, education, coaching and thought-led services
In these contexts, ads are not there to convert immediately. They are there to establish recognition.
People don’t click because they are convinced.
They click because something resonated.
How I approach YouTube ads with Founders
I don’t start with scripts or formats. I start with questions:
- what are you actually saying
- who is this moment for
- what does your audience need to hear before they act
- what will this ad amplify if we turn it on today
Sometimes the answer is yes, YouTube is the right channel.
Sometimes the answer is not yet. Both outcomes are valuable.
Because YouTube ads are unforgiving when used prematurely.
But incredibly powerful when introduced after alignment.
How YouTube ads fit into the larger system
YouTube ads don’t replace: content, email, conversations, and funnels
They reinforce them. When articulation is consistent:
- ads feel calm
- videos feel grounded
- follow-ups feel natural
- trust builds without pressure
When articulation is fragmented:
- ads feel heavy
- messaging resets repeatedly
- attention drops
- resistance increases
YouTube simply makes this dynamic visible faster.
Who this is most useful for
This approach is best suited for founders who:
- value depth over reach
- are comfortable slowing down before scaling
- want their marketing to feel coherent
- understand that attention must be earned
If you are looking for quick wins or plug-and-play scripts, YouTube ads will likely feel frustrating.
If you are willing to align thinking before amplification, they can become one of the most trust-building channels available.
Start with a Clarity Conversation
Before deciding whether YouTube ads make sense, it helps to pause.
This is not a pitch. There is no obligation to run ads. No pressure to move forward.
It’s simply a space to:
- make sense of what’s currently being articulated
- see whether YouTube would amplify clarity or confusion
- decide the right timing, or not
If it feels useful, you can book a clarity conversation below.
Just thinking, articulated.