The YouTube Ads course
Module 9 - Scope out video abilities and costs
Before you plan a video ad, work out your target market, your message, your budget, your timescale and your available equipment, because trying to do something ambitious on a budget or timeline that cannot support it is the most common way people waste their money.
Last updated 31 August 2026
Running time 3:24Watch it
What does this video cover?
- 01Your target market and what you are trying to communicate should drive everything else, including the ideas and the script.
- 02Budget has to match the ambition of the idea: a rocket-propelled bike stunt on the high street is not achievable on a £500 budget, and people will not even get out of bed for that sort of money.
- 03Timescales matter as much as budget: a stunt that needs council permission and a custom-built prop could take weeks to arrange, so committing to it for next week is unrealistic.
- 04Production values should match what you are actually trying to do, sometimes a camera on a simple tripod with natural light is good enough, other times you need a professional videographer or production company.
- 05Wardrobe, props and location, whether that is a bedroom, a studio, professional models or a mate helping out, are all worth thinking through before you commit to an idea.
- 06YouTube is a place where people go for authentic content, so filming on a phone is often good enough, given how good modern phone cameras and microphones have become.
- 07The simpler idea, well executed and genuinely engaging, usually beats an overambitious one, prior planning prevents a poor performance.
Full transcript
You need to think about your video capabilities before you commit to an idea. There is a sheet to download that gives some guiding notes, but the first thing to consider is who your target market is and what you are trying to communicate, because that drives the ideas and the script. From there you need to think about budget: you do not need a flying backpack and a spacesuit to fly down the high street, sometimes recording yourself talking to camera at home is exactly right. It is easy to come up with a zany idea, but if you have not got the budget or the capability to do it, you need to think differently about the idea itself.
Timescales matter just as much. Wanting to go down the high street on a rocket propelled bike means getting the bike made and getting council permission, which could take weeks, and people frequently make the mistake of planning something like that while wanting to shoot it the following week, and it simply will not happen. It really depends on what you are doing: sometimes a camera on a simple tripod with natural light is good enough, other times you need to raise the production values and bring in a professional videographer or production company. Wardrobe, props, whether you are filming from your bedroom or a studio, using professional models or getting a mate to help, all need thinking through. The great thing about YouTube is that it is a place people go for authentic content, it is a bit more real, and the quality of phone cameras and microphones is good enough now that you do not always need a lot of kit. My advice is not to try to do too much: it does not have to be war and peace or a half a million pound TV commercial, it just needs to be done as well as you can, with a nice idea that is genuinely engaging. Download the sheet, plan as best you can, and know your limitations, both in equipment and otherwise.
Where next?
The library holds every video we have published. The AEO pages explain the method behind them, what it costs and what the evidence actually supports.