Video Advertising
Introduction
Video advertising has become essential to successful digital marketing strategies, offering an engaging way to captivate audiences across platforms. With the rise of streaming services, social media, and video-first platforms like YouTube, video ads are more important than ever. In this blog post, we’ll dive into video advertising, explore its various formats, and uncover why it’s a game-changer for businesses.
What is video advertising?
Video advertising is promotional content delivered in video format to engage audiences, increase brand awareness, and encourage specific actions such as visiting a website or making a purchase. These ads can be found on a variety of platforms, including websites, social media, YouTube, and streaming TV services.
In contrast to static ads, video advertising utilizes motion, audio, and storytelling to capture attention. This makes it one of the most effective methods for connecting with audiences on an emotional level.
What are the different types of video advertising?
Video advertising encompasses a variety of formats tailored to different platforms and audience behaviors:
– OTT (Over-the-Top) ads stream over the internet via services like Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, or Disney+.
– CTV (Connected TV) ads are shown on smart TVs and devices like Roku or Amazon Fire Stick.
– Pre-roll Ads: Play before a video starts.
– Mid-roll Ads: Appear during longer videos.
– Discovery Ads: Appear in YouTube search results.
Short, engaging videos designed for platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
Ads that play within streaming content or live broadcasts.
Ads that play outside video content, such as within articles or social feeds, and often autoplay when scrolled into view.
What is Streaming TV Advertising?
Streaming TV is viewing live or on-demand, professional digital content through:
– Smart TV: An internet-enabled TV that connects directly to services and apps. Examples include Roku TV, Fire TV, Google TV, and Smart TV.
– Puck, stick, or dongle: A portable streaming device that plugs right into your TV’s HDMI port. Examples include Amazon Fire TV Stick, Chromecast, and Roku.
– Gaming consoles: A gaming box or device primarily designed to play games connected to a TV. Examples include PlayStation 4 and Xbox.
– Laptops, tablets, or mobile devices: When connected directly to programming or streaming sites. Examples include hulu.com, discoveryplus.com, www.max.com, peakcocktv.com.
Streaming TV has two popular delivery options. Over-The-Top (OTT) is for digital ads played during professional TV or movie programming on TV-sized devices, computers, tablets, and mobile phones. Connected TV (CTV) is for ads shown only on TV-sized (large screen) devices.
What is Pre-Roll Advertising?
Pre-roll ads are short video advertisements that play before streaming video content on platforms such as YouTube or news websites. When you click on certain online video links, a pre-roll ad will play before the main video content. Essentially, pre-roll ads serve as the video equivalent of programmatic display advertising.
Pre-roll ads are non-skippable or skippable after a few seconds, depending on the format, and are typically :15 or :30 seconds in length. Pre-roll ads capture the viewer’s attention when engagement levels are high, making them an effective tool for building brand awareness or driving specific calls to action.
How do I advertise on YouTube?
YouTube is an online video-sharing and social media platform owned by Google and is the second most visited website online, right after Google itself. Ads can be purchased in many ways depending on the campaign’s goal. As a Google Ads Certified Partner, Sky Digital Media builds custom YouTube advertising strategies and manages campaigns.
Advertising on YouTube is highly customizable, leveraging Google’s extensive data for targeting. Brands can target audiences based on keywords, interests, demographics, and specific video topics. YouTube ads are ideal for boosting visibility and engagement due to user engagement and the platform’s massive reach of over 1.7 billion unique monthly visitors.
There are two main types of ads on YouTube:
– Skippable: A viewer can skip these after 5 seconds. These ads are sold on a cost-per-view (CPV) basis. You are charged only for views (30 seconds or the length of the ad, whichever comes first).
– Non-Skippable: The viewer must watch the full length of the ads. These are charged on a CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions). These are more expensive than skippable ads.
Why Is Video Advertising Important?
Video advertising is crucial for modern marketing for several reasons:
– Engagement: Videos are 12 times more likely to be shared than text and images combined.
– Reach: Platforms like YouTube and other Over-The-Top (OTT) services host billions of monthly active users.
– Storytelling: Video allows for immersive storytelling that evokes emotions and builds connections with the audience.
– Conversions: 88% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video.
How Does Video Advertising Work?
Video advertising effectively reaches audiences by delivering targeted video content where they spend their time online. The process involves several key steps:
Create compelling and visually engaging video ads tailored to your specific audience. Sky Digital Creative can assist with creating video ads.
Utilize platform targeting tools to define your audience based on parameters such as demographics, interests, and online behavior.
Distribute the ads across relevant channels, including YouTube, over-the-top (OTT) services, pre-roll ad placement, and social media platforms.
Monitor performance metrics, such as views, clicks, and conversions, to refine and improve your campaigns.
What Is the Difference Between OTT and CTV?
While OTT and CTV are often used interchangeably, they actually have different meanings:
– OTT (Over-the-Top): This term refers to streaming content delivered over the internet, bypassing traditional cable services. Examples include platforms like Netflix and Hulu.
– CTV (Connected TV): This refers to smart TVs and devices that stream OTT content on large devices. Examples include Roku, Apple TV, and gaming consoles.
In summary, OTT is the streaming service, while CTV is the device used to access that service.
What Audiences Can Be Targeted with Video Advertising?
Video advertising provides precise targeting capabilities, which include:
- Demographics: Age, gender, income, education level.
- Geographic Location: Local, regional, or global targeting.
- Behavioral Insights: Past purchases, online activity, or lifestyle preferences.
- Site Retargeting: Retargeting users who have engaged with your brand.
- Interest-based Targeting: Categories like travel, luxury, fitness, or technology.
Advertisers can effectively reach valuable audiences with tools like device ID targeting and advanced platform algorithms.
What Are the Benefits of Video Advertising?
– Increased Brand Awareness: Videos are more memorable than static ads, making them ideal for enhancing brand recognition.
– Higher Engagement Rates: Dynamic content captures attention better, resulting in more clicks and shares.
– Cross-platform Reach: Video ads can be displayed on multiple platforms, maximizing visibility with different audiences.
– Detailed Analytics: Track performance in real time and adjust strategies accordingly.
– Return on Investment (ROI): High-impact visuals and targeting help reduce wasted ad spend and increase returns.
– Adaptability: Video ads can be customized to meet various objectives, building awareness or retargeting potential customers.