3 Easy Tweaks to Stop Wasting Money on YouTube & Demand Gen Ads

Let’s be real: YouTube and Demand Gen campaigns can work like magic…But they can also drain your budget faster than you can say “skippable ad.”

If you’re seeing views, clicks, or impressions but not a lot of actual results, you’re not alone. The good news? You don’t need a full-on strategy reboot. Just a few quick (and surprisingly easy) tweaks can save you a chunk of change—and help your ads hit harder.

Here are 3 simple optimizations you can make today to stop the ad budget bleed.

1. Say “No Thanks” to Mobile Apps & Garbage Placements

By default, your ads are probably showing up in some very weird places. Like mobile games. Or apps your audience would never touch. That’s not strategy—that’s your budget going up in flames.

Here’s how to stop the madness:

• Check your placement report.

• If you see app names, sketchy sites, or content that’s way off-brand, exclude it.

• For YouTube, stick with YouTube search and YouTube videos only.

This one move alone can cut wasted spend big time—and put your ads in front of real humans who might actually convert.

2. Cap How Often People See Your Ads (Because Annoying ≠ Effective)

You ever see the same ad 12 times in a week and start to hate it? Yeah… don’t be that brand.

If your video ads are haunting the same people day after day, you’re burning money and goodwill.

Here’s what to do:

• 
  

• In your campaign settings, add a frequency cap. Something like 2–3 times per week per person.

• Keep an eye on unique reach vs. total impressions in your reports.

Less repetition = more breathing room for your brand and better results over time.

3. Tighten Up Those Audiences

Broad targeting might sound good (“more reach!”), but if your ads are showing to the wrong people, that reach doesn’t mean a thing. Unlike Meta Ads, broad targeting just isn't effective when it comes to YouTube.

A few easy wins here:

• Build custom segments based on actual search terms or competitor websites—none of that vague interest-based fluff.

• Use your email list or high-quality converters to create lookalike audiences.

• For B2B? Add filters like job title, company size, or industry where you can. You want decision-makers, not interns clicking around.

Bottom line: small, focused audiences beat spray-and-pray every time.

Bonus: Flip the Bidding Switch When You’re Ready

Still running YouTube or Demand Gen on a “get me clicks” setting? That’s fine at first—but once you’ve got conversion data, it’s time to upgrade.

Try shifting to Target CPA bidding as soon as your campaign has generated some conversions. It’s like going from a squirt gun to a laser beam. Precise, powerful, and way more effective.

Wrap-Up: Less Waste, More Wins

Cutting waste from your YouTube and Demand Gen campaigns doesn’t have to be complicated. Clean up where your ads show, who they show to, and how often—and you’ll be way ahead of the pack.

Need a Hand?

At Slaymaker Marketing, we help brands stop wasting money and start scaling smart. If your campaigns feel like a leaky faucet, we’ll find the drip and tighten things up.