While every other brand is knee-deep in TikTok, some forward-thinking brands are diversifying their focus and taking a different path. For the brands we work with, YouTube is taking center stage in 2025.

We’ve always believed in getting brand foundations right first—focusing on brand-building strategies and engaging content, to build vibrant brand communities. Great results on YouTube stem from strong brand foundations and the ability to connect with audiences meaningfully.

But surprisingly, very few indie brands are taking advantage of YouTube ads—a platform with untapped potential and the ability to deliver a more cost-efficient CPC compared to Google or Meta ads, right now. For indie brands looking to scale effectively, it’s a powerful yet underutilized channel for driving more impact and efficiency

YouTube is becoming an indie brand’s secret weapon, and smart brands started diversifying their media spend years ago. But for every brand that gets it right, many others have tried and said, “We gave it a go, and it didn’t work.” That’s often because they were making one (or all) of these three common mistakes.

Repurposing TikTok & Meta UGC for YouTube Ads

One of the biggest missteps we see is brands taking user-generated content (UGC) straight from TikTok or Instagram ads and putting it on YouTube. It’s not the same.

YouTube ads require a unique set of best practices, with a distinct structure and approach to storytelling—especially for brands in the beauty and fashion space. Success on YouTube isn’t about copying and pasting TikTok trends; it’s about crafting content that aligns with the platform’s specific playbook and audience expectations.

No Recruitment SKU Strategy

Another common mistake we see? Brands using YouTube ads only for short-term or seasonal campaigns, rather than as part of a long-term recruitment strategy.

YouTube works best when it’s used to scale your most profitable or high-value SKU over an extended period of time, leading with the gateway product that hooks customers into your brand. The longest single ad we’ve seen on the platform has been going for 3+ years. Whilst there is room for short-lived campaigns to succeed, outsized returns come from leveraging your bestsellers or evergreen products that drive loyalty and repeat purchases.

Ask this question: What’s the product customers can’t stop talking about once they’ve tried it? Your ad strategy should begin by focusing on that product. When done right, it builds consistency and momentum, turning YouTube into a sustainable growth channel.

Serving One Ad to All Audiences

In some cases (but not all) the “one ad fits all” approach is another common pitfall. In beauty, particularly, brands serve incredibly diverse customer bases. While your ads should reflect the same brand ethos and proposition, dialling in the message of your ads, for select demographic segments can be a smart play

We’d suggest this approach works best, by thinking about your highest value customer segment, and then dialing in a variation of ads just for them. This kind of segmentation is particularly effective in the beauty space, where individual needs and preferences vary so widely. A little extra thought into who you’re speaking to—and how—can lead to significantly better engagement and conversion rates when your ad speaks just to them

The Bottom Line

YouTube ads remain one of the most underutilized opportunities for indie beauty and fashion brands. If your brand has tried them without success, chances are these common mistakes were holding you back. With the right focus on storytelling, recruitment, and segmentation, YouTube ads have the potential to become a cornerstone of your marketing strategy. Could 2025 be the year YouTube ads finally deliver for your brand?

If you're interested in a free YouTube CPC calculator tailored to your product category, we'd be happy to provide insights to help you gauge potential ad costs and expectations for your YouTube campaigns. >> Click here to get in touch >>

Author: Effie Asafu-Adjaye
Effie Asafu-Adjaye is the Founder of Beautiful Sparks. Beautiful Sparks helps beauty and fashion businesses get more fanatics in love with their brands, by refining their brand strategy, messaging, branding, content storytelling, and community-building strategy. Read more about Effie here. Linkedin.