YouTube is a digital powerhouse — the world’s second-most-visited platform and a cornerstone of video content. With over 2.7 billion monthly users, it offers endless opportunities for exposure. But here’s the catch: How do you make your video stand out when 500 hours of content flood the platform every single minute?
Nowadays, people want it all: quick, bite-sized clips and deep, story-driven experiences. YouTube gives you both, but even the best videos can’t count on organic reach alone. Its algorithms are a moving target, and hoping for viral luck means you’re leaving views on the table. That’s where ad networks like HilltopAds come in — as one of the best tools for YouTube promotion, they provide some of the lowest cost-per-view rates on the market, maximizing your budget’s impact.
In this case study, we’ll show exactly how we took a music video from zero traction to full-blown sensation with HilltopAds. We’ll walk you through our laser-focused campaign setup, smart ad placements, and everything in between that turned a simple clip into a shareable, binge-worthy hit.
Because in an era where content is king, even royalty needs a roadmap to claim the throne.
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Key Points
Offer: YouTube
GEO: PH (Philippines)
Traffic: Mainstream and Non-Mainstream High and Medium Activity
Ad Format: Popunder mobile
OS: Android
Ad campaign period: 20 April – 26 April
Why YouTube alone isn’t enough
YouTube isn’t just the world’s biggest video platform — it’s also the second most-visited site on the entire internet, trailing only its “parent” company, Google. Unlike a search engine, where users find what they need and move on, people spend hours on YouTube, devouring content after content — making it a true engagement powerhouse. In fact, YouTube outpaces Facebook and Instagram by nearly double in traffic volume, offering advertisers massive reach. That’s why it’s perfect for both ad network campaigns and affiliate marketing: you can drop your offer links directly into videos and drive real, large-scale conversions.
But you don’t have to limit yourself to YouTube’s own ecosystem. With ad networks, you can promote your videos across the web — even outside of YouTube. Take the Popunder format, for example: it lets you load a page hosting your video (or redirect straight to the video) in a discreet window when people visit other sites. This tactic works wonders on entertainment and mobile-focused sites, where users are already primed for fresh content. The result? Your video racks up views fast, and you gain exposure without head-to-head competition for YouTube’s internal traffic.
GEO strategy
YouTube is an essential channel for reaching Filipino audiences, thanks to its massive penetration and engagement. In the Philippines, YouTube averages 258.3 monthly sessions per user, far outpacing platforms like Instagram (127.4 monthly sessions) and demonstrating how deeply Filipinos engage with video content. Over 57.7 million Filipinos — 63.8% of the country’s internet population — actively use YouTube each month, making it the top social platform for both entertainment and information. Given that the average Filipino spends almost 9 hours online daily, with 60 % of that time on mobile devices, YouTube’s mobile-first format aligns perfectly with user habits and presents a goldmine for advertisers and affiliate marketers alike. Leveraging ad networks on YouTube not only taps into this enormous traffic but also enables direct app installs or content promotion — whether through in-video offers or external Popunder campaigns driving users to discover your videos even outside the YouTube ecosystem.
A mobile ad format built for engagement
After a deep dive into the Filipino market, we went with HilltopAds’ Popunder Mobile format. This approach is perfect for the Philippines’ mobile-first audience: a window with the target page (in our case, the YouTube video) quietly opens behind the user’s current browser tab. Since about 60 % of Filipino internet traffic comes from smartphones, this unobtrusive placement delivers strong click-through rates and an exceptionally low cost-per-view — all without direct competition inside YouTube itself.
What’s more, HilltopAds’ model is completely safe for your channel and video metrics: we never inflate views or likes with bots, but show your content to genuine, engaged users who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer. And for even more precise scaling and hypothesis testing, you can layer in keyword and interest-based targeting to ensure your video finds the right audience every time.
Now let’s dive into the campaign setup on HilltopAds.
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General settings for an advertising campaign on the HilltopAds platform
Before you can start your advertising campaign on HilltopAds, you’ll need to sign up as an advertiser. You can register through this link.
Once you’re all set up, here’s how to create your campaign:
- Head over to the Manage Campaigns section.
- Hit the Add Campaign button.
- In the campaign creation area, choose the Popunder mobile ad format.
- In the Traffic Channels section, pick Mainstream High and Medium Activity.
Next, we set the necessary targeting settings:
- GEO – PH (Philippines)
- Device type – mobile/smartphone and Tablet
- OS – Android
We opted out of both Proxy and WebView traffic so that our Popunder ads target authentic, full-browser mobile sessions rather than in-app or masked visits.
We set a clear, disciplined budget for our campaign, running from April 20 to April 26, 2025, by fixing the CPM at a custom rate of $0.13 — specifically tailored for advertisers promoting YouTube videos. In addition to these bespoke CPM rates, YouTubers can also take advantage of our API to spin up unlimited campaigns on the fly. This approach ensured our ad spend stayed precisely within target, avoiding any surprises. Even better, every impression stayed high-quality and on-target. Our aim wasn’t to game the views or likes — it was to build real buzz around the video and make sure each dollar we spent sparked genuine engagement.
Use the features of HilltopAds!
- Advanced targeting options
- Direct traffic sources
- Self-serve platform
- Fully-managed service
- Postback tracking
Optimization & Tracking
We applied the automatic optimization tool from the first day of the campaign, setting the analysis parameters to 24 hours (1 day) with a threshold of 1,500 impressions and a number of conversions of less than 1. This allowed us to reduce spending on inefficient ad sources and focus the budget on more promising audience segments.
To learn more about the capabilities of automatic optimization with HilltopAds, you can check out the article on the website.
To filter out unprofitable ad zones from your campaign, you can apply the Auto Optimization feature. This will automatically detect and exclude low-performing traffic sources, and include the non-profitable zones in your BlackList to make your performance more efficient.
Results
This short-term campaign (April 20–26) shows what’s possible when geo-strategy and ad format align: for only $199.86, we earned 268,491 YouTube views in the Philippines. By sticking to a set daily budget and that custom $0.13 CPM, we managed to keep our cost per view at an astonishingly low $0.00074 (that’s just $0.74 per thousand views). The result proves how a mobile-focused, entertainment-hungry audience can be reached at scale with the right Popunder approach.
Why is HilltopAds the best tool for YouTube promotion?
While YouTube creators, bloggers, influencers get thousands of views with the lowest price, the HilltopAds platform offers other useful tools to make it easier to promote YouTube videos. Here are TOP benefits YouTube advertisers will get with HilltopAds:
Lowest CPM rates
Our managers will set up a custom CPM rate for YouTube advertisers, so you can rest easy knowing you’re not overpaying — and that the traffic you get is real. We deliver genuine, human views at the lowest possible cost.
100% safe ads
We don’t use bots, fake engagement, or artificially inflated metrics like likes or shares. Instead, we promote your video directly to real people who are actually interested in watching it and potentially subscribing to your channel. That means you can trust the quality and integrity of every view.
Unlimited API
We also offer unlimited API tools to make campaign creation even easier. If you’re advertising on YouTube, you can launch as many campaigns as you need through our API — no limits, no restrictions.
Instant approval
YouTube advertisers don’t have to wait around for moderation. As long as your campaign links to a YouTube video, it gets approved the second you hit publish.
These tools are built to help you maximize your results, scale faster, and focus on growing your channel — not fighting with red tape or wasting time on manual setups.
Unleash the full potential of your YouTube channel!
Сonclusion
This case study demonstrates that, in a landscape flooded with content, relying on organic reach alone won’t cut it — especially on a platform as vast and competitive as YouTube. By blending our insights into the Filipino market with HilltopAds’ mobile Popunder ads, we connected with an audience that’s ready for fast, seamless video discovery, all without putting your channel at risk.
Key takeaways:
Geo-Precision
Filipinos are on their phones all day, so our Popunder mobile ads find them exactly where they’re already scrolling.
Format Fit
Popunder’s discreet placement drives high CTRs and low CPVs in markets where competition inside YouTube can be fierce.
Budget Discipline
A custom CPM of $0.13 kept spend predictable and efficient, focusing purely on raising video awareness rather than vanity metrics.
Channel Safety
HilltopAds serves your videos only to genuine, interested viewers — no bot traffic, no fake views, and no risk to your YouTube standing.
If you’re ready to amplify your next YouTube release — whether it’s a music video, product demo, or influencer collab — consider a holistic promotion strategy that goes beyond YouTube’s walls. HilltopAds’ network makes it easy to scale views, drive genuine engagement, and ensure your content finds its audience. Because in today’s digital age, even the most compelling video needs a targeted push to reach its full potential.