A while back, we published a post that looked at when advertisers should say yes to video advertising. For many advertisers, the budget required to produce a professional video asset prevents them from using channels like YouTube. However, a new offering from Google can get you a free professional video if you commit to spend $350 promoting it on YouTube. And it’s coming to 170 cities!

What Is YouTube Director Onsite?

In short, a filmmaker that has been vetted and approved by YouTube will call you to learn about your business, customers, product, etc. You work in collaboration with them to produce a script for a 30-second video ad. After scheduling a time, they come to your business location and film your video ad. Within 7-10 days of the filming session, they upload the video ad to your YouTube channel and you can begin using it in your advertising efforts.

Learn more about this program here.

Is It Worth It?

Google tested this in a few select cities before rolling it out further. I had a client in Seattle do a video through this program and we were impressed with the quality of the finished product. It’s easily worth the $350 you’re committing to spend on YouTube and you can use it anywhere you want (on your website, social media, as a video ad in other networks like the Google Display Network, etc.)

Where Is It Available?

I can’t find an official list (which is crazy) but I did find this map. If you think your city is one of these red dots then you’re good to go. Here is the site to book your shoot.

Lastly, a couple tips to help you get the most bang for your buck with YouTube Director onsite:

• The script is important – Spending extra time working on the script will pay off big-time.
• Have a good location picked out – The filmmaker is on site for a short time. Have some locations picked out in advance so you can quickly show them to the filmmaker & make quick decisions on where to shoot.
• Prepare your people – If the script calls for people, make sure they’re ready (appearance, lines, etc.)
• Pay attention to lighting – The filmmakers don’t bring in tons of equipment, so good, natural lighting is a must.

Start planning your shoot and while you’re at it, check out our guide to getting started with AdWords video advertising or our guide to video ad specs.

Have you checked out YouTube Director Onsite? What was your experience? We’d love to hear your thoughts about the program in the comments!