It is hard to name the advertising format more powerful than video. Engaging and memorable, video content impresses the audience and helps advertisers succeed. Videos are proved to have the power to increase conversion rates and therefore – sales.
For that reason, in-stream ads are great options for companies’ investments. The popularity and efficiency of video content ads has significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemics. After a notable drop in Q1, video impressions share increased by 40% in Q2. Mobile and desktop video ads will definitely stay on top even when the lockdown is over because the pandemics inculcated new watching habits and so advertising changed as well.
Video content takes the leading position due to its long-lasting effect and engagement. Compared to banners that were popular not so long ago, videos are significantly more catching. The amount of banners we see on web pages is unbearable, that is why people willfully or unconsciously ignore them. The so-called banner blindness makes these ads almost invisible for visitors’ eyes. On the contrary, videos can do a lot of things – surprise, entertain, inform, and captivate. Let’s focus on a couple of popular video ad formats and discuss them.
Contents
What Are the Most Popular Video Ad Formats?
Publishers should be aware of ad format options and stick to the most appropriate ones – this is the right way to ensure positive user experience. Here are the most popular ones:
In-banner video ads are great for websites where users stay for a while. They are not as fast as static banners, so publishers should consider the time metric when implementing such ads in their inventory. These videos have high viewability since they stay in the viewpoint when users scroll the page.
In-stream video ads
In-stream advertising is implemented in streaming videos, games, and music videos requested by viewers. They can be placed at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end (pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll) of the main content. They are usually short and skippable.
In-read video ads
In-read ads require strategic implementation – they should be located within a long-read aimed to retain users for a long time. Like in-banner ads, these ones also have high viewability.
These ads are similar to in-read ads – they stay at the viewpoint even when users scroll the page. Footers usually include audios, so make sure that you set them properly and turn the sound off by default. Otherwise, the ad will blast your visitors off right after they enter the site.
The first two formats – in-banner and in-stream video ad – require special attention, since they are the most popular these days. Let’s continue our investigation and talk about them in detail.
Advertisers in-stream display their content as a part of the played video. This format is perfect to increase publishers’ income, especially when they stick to CTV. As we have already mentioned, these ads can have a different placement (beginning, middle, and end of the main video). Depending on the place, ads will solve various tasks – for instance, pre-rolls improve brand awareness, and post-rolls boost conversions.
Pros:
- Pre-rolls are non-skippable, so viewers will definitely see them before the main content begins;
- Viewers don’t mind watching in-stream ads – they are not very obtrusive;
- In-stream ads can be interactive, so they encourage consumers to react immediately;
- When playing a video of their interest, people have their attention active, which decreases the rate of abandonment.
Cons:
- Viewers can leave the page before the ad completes – this is especially the case for end-rolls;
- Viewers can also leave if the main video is short – this makes in-stream ads annoying;
- The ads must be relevant to users’ interest, or they will hardly interact with them or watch them entirely.
To highlight the distinction, let’s consider in-banner video ads’ pros and cons now. Here they are:
Pros:
- People decide to click in-banner ads themselves, which excludes intrusion;
- Website visitors are used to banners.
Cons:
- Visitors use ad-blocks too often since most in-banner ads are annoying and cannot be stopped;
- These ads are more annoying than in-stream ones, especially for those who read long texts on web-pages;
- Banners are everywhere and therefore people overlook them too often.
Summary
Video ads can increase your chances to boost conversions. Whether you choose in-stream or in-banner format, make sure to use it wisely. Mind the time users spend on particular pages, find the best place for your promotions, and the most important – make them relevant. Remember that people view and click only those ads that really make their interest. This will put you ahead of the competition for sure.
