Customer needs are constantly changing, especially due to the development in technology. A decade ago, they were glued to their TVs and, to reach them, brands would spend exorbitant amounts of money to advertise their products on different channels. Traditional advertising was all the rage back then. But digital advertising is now more popular among brands. Why?
Today, take one look at people while commuting and you’ll conclude that they’re still immersed in whatever’s happening on their screens. However, a different device holds their attention now — a smartphone. Their mobile phones give them access to a variety of content, especially videos. Even the New York Times says we’re living in a post-text world. So, what does this mean for digital marketing?
Well, it means that it has had to shift its attention from written posts to video content. This is thanks in no small part to the fact that 78% of people watch online videos every week. To capitalize on this, brands need to combine sound with moving images and ensure that their brainchild will strike a chord with customers all over the world.
Thanks to the development in technology, video advertising has come a long way. Every marketer from New York to Beijing has a vast number of options to advertise their companies through the use of video. But if you’re a new kid on the block, you may not be aware of all video ad formats you can use.
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So, to help you, we’ve singled out various video ad types that are dominating the advertising world. And if you’re wondering why they should be an integral part of your marketing strategy, we’ll just tell you this: they can help you increase brand awareness, among other things. In fact, videos were the number one way customers learned about a company they later bought from.
Now, let’s go over those video ad formats you must know if you plan to advertise your brand on the internet!
Display Ads
Display ads’ main purpose is to catch customer’s eye while they’re on a website or social media platform. By getting their attention, display ads then encourage consumers to take a specific action. Also known as banner video ads, they consist of designed images, text, or videos. After clicking on the ad, users are redirected to the corresponding landing page. While there, they can make a purchase, subscribe to a newsletter, or whatever the brand chooses.
Unlike text ads, display ads don’t appear in search results but only on websites. One of their features that appeals to advertisers is retargeting. For instance, a user places an item in their cart and suddenly leaves the website without buying it. This is where display ads come in as they advertise that item to the consumer to get them to complete the purchase. This makes them one of the most popular video ad formats among marketers.
In fact, a 2017 study revealed that online display ads accounted for 50% of all marketing strategies. This isn’t surprising at all. Namely, display ads are moderately priced, and they target specific consumers, thus allowing marketers to easily reach their audience.
Instream Video Ads
Believe it or not, almost every Internet user has been exposed to instream video ads. They appear before, during, or after the content in your selected video player. To be specific, they involve pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll ad placements within a particular video. Back in 2014, it was revealed that customers watched 72% of instream online video advertisements until their end. It’s safe to say that this is one of the most widespread video ad formats.
Today, this figure has probably decreased because more people are using ad blockers. Nevertheless, marketers still perceive instream as the most reliable system for placing video ads within a specific video.
Although this system interrupts the viewer’s experience, it’s still effective for brands. Namely, you can take advantage of someone’s successful video to reach a larger audience. Also, whether they like it or not, people will be exposed to the ad during the course of watching their favorite video.
While we’re at it, let’s further examine the two most common instream ad formats: linear and non-linear.
Linear Video Ads
Linear video ads are very much like your standard TV commercials in that they appear before (pre-roll), in the middle of (mid-roll), or after (post-roll) the video. Their noticeable feature is that they take over the full video player space. Advertisers call them linear because they run in line sequential with the content being watched. They last anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds, and viewers watching this ad type cannot fast forward through it.
Non-Linear Video Ads
Unlike linear ads that pause the selected video, their non-linear counterpart runs simultaneously with it. To avoid disrupting video content, non-linear ads appear in the form of an interactive banner in an overlay. So, if a viewer decides to watch these ads, their video will immediately pause. Then, two things can happen — the viewer will be redirected to a brand’s website or the ad will be shown in the full screen.
What’s more, this video ad type runs for 5-15 seconds, before collapsing into a smaller size. In general, non-linear ads will take up around 20% of the screen, thus not forcing users to watch the ad before looking at the intended content.
What other video ad formats should you be aware of? Let’s find out.
Skippable and Non-Skippable Video Ads
Instream video ads can be further divided into the following two categories: skippable and non-skippable. The former enjoys a better reputation among users because this ad type doesn’t force them to watch the ad until the very end. Specifically, they can skip the ad in a matter of seconds.
On the other hand, non-skippable video ads make viewers watch up until completion. Only when they end do consumers have a chance to see their selected video content. These ads can be 15-20 seconds long, and they get better engagement. However, they also have a higher viewer abandonment rate compared to other video ad formats.
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Outstream Video Ads
And now moving on to outstream video ads.
This relative newcomer to online advertising is sometimes called in-read or native video. The main characteristic of this ad format is that it shows up in a non-video environment. So, you can scroll through your social media feeds or read an article from your favorite outlet and you’ll see outstream video ads. Although relatively new, outstream shouldn’t be neglected as it has a major benefit. Namely, this system helps you run your ads practically anywhere you want. What more would you want from video ad formats?
If you’re wondering, the system is referred to as outstream because the video ad isn’t dependent on online video content — it exists outside of it. Not only that, but you also don’t even need to have videos on your page to run these ads.
Another great aspect is that, if you were to watch the ad, you’d see that it would pause when you decide to scroll down your feed. But, if you were to scroll back up, then the ad would resume.
Rewarded Video Ads
Out of all the above-mentioned video ad formats, rewarded video ads are probably users’ favorite. The reason for this is that they offer a clear value exchange. You want more lives so you can continue playing your mobile game? Then watch a rewarded video ad, and you’ll have your wish fulfilled!
Obviously, this in-app ad leads to a win-win situation for everyone involved, i.e. users and advertisers. In other words, users receive a reward, while advertisers increase viewability and click-through rates. In fact, 79% of mobile players said they preferred rewarded ads to any other ad type.
However, rewarded ad videos aren’t exclusive to mobile games — you can use them in entertainment apps as well. For instance, Spotify offers its users a chance to receive 30 minutes of unobtrusive music if they watch an ad.
Bumper Ads
Think it’s plausible to strike a chord with your target audience in just six seconds with video ad formats? Well, YouTube does. In 2016, this tech giant started providing advertisers with a new video ad type — bumper ads. They are the shortest video ad format (their duration is six seconds) that YouTube has to offer, playing before a user’s selected content.
Obviously, bumper ads can’t really tell a compelling story in just six seconds. However, they are useful additions to your larger marketing campaigns, especially if you’re advertising a new product launch. With brief and memorable messages, you’re sure to stick in the minds of your customers. Just make sure to use the given six seconds wisely to have bumper ads work for you. Although short, these ads can help you increase brand awareness and reach.
Let’s see which other video ad formats you have at your disposal.
Companion Ads
Let’s not forget about companion ads! This format allows you to serve ads to display ad slots at the same time as those served to a video player. Also, it is quite useful for your brand. Namely, a companion ad provides continued brand presence after a video ends, and users are able to click on it whenever they want.
In-Banner Video Ads
In-banner video ads are HTML5 video creatives embedded in a standard display banner ad slot on a webpage. They are usually displayed in a 300×250 pixels ad unit size, according to the standard of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). However, they can also be of the following sizes: 160×600 or 728×90. On some occasions, in-banner video creatives can expand outside the initial dimensions if initiated by the user.
Marketers often like to compare different video ad formats to decide which one will help them reach their goals. They do this with instream video ads and in-banner video creatives. What they conclude is that the latter video type doesn’t interrupt the user’s online experience. It just appears subtly on the sidebar, allowing users to decide whether or not they want to watch the ad.
Conquer the Video Advertising World
If everything we’ve gone over has sparked your interest in video advertising, then you can tap into this world and start monetizing today!
There’s a wide range of ad networks out there, so you should be careful when selecting your go-to platform. Alternatively, you can save time and select TargetVideo because we can meet all your requirements and offer numerous video monetization solutions. If you want to take the marketing world by storm, just reach out, and we’ll assist you in this endeavor!
