Videos, a word that echoes more often than ever before. This form of multimedia has undergone a tremendous transformation and given rise to video marketing. A marketing tactic that has changed the digital world. And continues to showcase its prominence with various types and videos ads. In this blog’s context, specifically pre-roll video ads.
Native advertising, i.e., sponsored posts and content, are still relevant. There benefits like;
Better click-through rates.
Better engagement due to relevant targeting of ads.
And better reception amongst the audience.
All this walks in when opting for the native way.
But pre-roll ads have also made a considerable impact on business growth. There’s a lot more to deal with in terms of pre-roll video ads. And we will see how it is helping in today’s scenario in the following blog. Before we begin, here’s an overview of the content here.
- What is a pre-roll video ad?
- Types of pre-roll ads
- Benefits of pre-roll video ads
- How can you use them for your brand?
What is a pre-roll video ad?
A pre-roll video ad is one among the in-stream video ads. Now, what are in-stream videos? In-stream videos are short promotional video commercials that are specific. There are three types of in-stream ads. They are:
Pre-roll: These ads are displayed before the video content begins
Mid-roll: These ads are displayed in the middle of streaming
Post-roll: These ads are shown post the video content is over.
So, that would be the gist of what a pre-roll video ad is. It is a short video that airs before the video begins. It looks like a TV commercial with shorter durations up to 15-30 seconds and runs automatically. This video ad format is almost 3.5 times less interruptive to the audience.
So, in short, pre-roll video ads are the modern-day TV commercial liked across. These are also more beneficial today due to reduced attention spans. (8 seconds now) And grab better attention.
Types of Pre-roll ads
Over the years, marketers have tried hands-on with a lot of video types. Be it demo videos, tutorials or how-to videos. Different businesses now use it a lot. In addition to this, there are also types in terms of video ads. To be specific, pre-roll ads here.
The most common types of pre-roll ads today include;
Skippable Ads
These ads can be skipped. Hence skippable. But after 5 seconds of watching, it’s on the viewer to continue watching or leave it. An obvious benefit of using these ads is that they help brand recall and establish better if the brand name comes before.
They are one of the interactive ad forms where users get to decide. And often serve better as platforms charge based on complete viewership. So skippable ads are helpful that way.
Non-skippable Ads
As the name suggests, these ads are non-skippable in nature. Their average duration is around 15-20 seconds. And streaming videos can be resumed only after the ad is complete. These ads are instrumental in getting out the entire message in front of the audience. If targeted well on platforms, they can be helpful with campaign boosts and conversions.
In these ads, placing the brand name after a high stimulus can improve brand recall. Just the opposite of skippable ads.
Bumper Ads
These ads are known for their briefness. They are non-skippable and up to 6 seconds long. These work better with platforms like Google ads and YouTube. So don’t forget to include them in your campaign plan.
In action to this, here’s an overview of the ad type over YouTube.
Benefits of pre-roll video ads
Pre-roll ads also come with a lot of benefits now. A few of which are mentioned here.
Quick responses
These ads are the most easily accessible in terms of results evaluation. Results like;
Views
Clicks
Subscriptions
Purchases
And the like is identified when the ads go live. Thus, helping in better measurements of the campaigns success trajectory.
They are more interactive
This observation was drawn with skippable ads as people often interact with shorter videos now. Pre-roll video ads seem to address the purpose well. With different platforms, this idea works differently. As YouTube helps in creating questions and survey graphics to promote interactivity.
Branding works best with them
These video ads do the deed in shorter durations and boost a brand’s visibility manifold. They are clear, concise and to the point. Thus, helping with better recall.
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Lead generation
Video marketing takes the credit of lead generation. In which pre-roll video ads play a vital role. Suppose you target your audience well based on their demographics. Then lead generation comes in handy with these types of ads.
Online visibility surges
Pre-roll video ads are also very effective in building the visibility of your business. The reach multiplies if the platforms they are placed on have a larger audience.
Helps in competition
We all know, video marketing is a very competitive arena now. If your business uses pre-roll videos ads, then you can stay way ahead of the competition. Because these ads have all the necessary information that should be out and understood.
Uninterrupted in nature
These ads play in the very beginning of the video and are 3.5 times unlikely as interruptions. So having them for your brand promotion works with brilliance.
Better engagement
Pre-roll ads establish engagement. One of their many potentials is in making the video content interesting. They boost engagement due to the shorter duration and are audience favorites.
How can you use them for your brand?
We have now come to an understanding that pre-roll video ads are not only beneficial but can be helpful to brands on various platforms. Here’s how you can make the most of this.
Targeting options for pre-roll ads
To ensure that your video reaches the right target audience, it is important to consider all the ways to help better target. The options to consider include;
Geography-
This is the primary and most important consideration for targeting. You can set targeting based on local/ regional, national and international fronts. This will help you be distinctive towards the viewers.
Language-
While targeting your audience for an ad, you must be sensitive towards their language. Try to incorporate the same by setting the preferred language.
Demography-
This option helps you narrow down your targeting furthermore. By taking notes of gender, education, income, marital status and the like. You can target well based on demographics.
Relevant topics-
This is an essential attribute. You can create relevant content based on your audience preference to have the most of these ads.
Keywords-
At the end of the day, the struggle is to be found. So producing video ads that have relevant keywords can help in better boost and reach.
Interests-
While targeting, it is important to note the specific interests that your target audience carries. This can help in drafting better and targeted content to pique their interest.
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What works?
In today’s scenario for pre-roll ads, some considerations seem amiss. A few of which are mentioned here.
Inclusion of a strong CTA and redirection to a suitable site or landing page:
Videos help in lead generation and conversion. But only when it comes with a strong CTA. When your ads direct the viewer’s somewhere, only then do they follow your funnel.
Filter out your Target Audience with interest filters over YouTube:
YouTube being a video-driven platform, helps in better segmentation and targeting based on audience interest. This will help you reach the target audience on time and with purpose.
The 30-second spot:
While promoting your video ads on Google, 30 seconds seem more worthy. This is because a 15-second ad costs more. So if you are running on a budget, then creating an ad for up to 30 seconds will be helpful. Here’s an example to illustrate;
Create a hook:
The first 5 seconds can make or break it for the rest of your pre-roll. It’s essential to create a hook that captures attention in the first 5 seconds. Here’s an example for the same.
Work up the elevator pitch style:
Elevator pitch is one of the most concise ways of delivering the purpose. It still works if packed with a clear purpose. Working with pre-roll video ads that give it all in one go will seal the deal.
Important Features
Good pre-roll video creation is the ultimate goal. Something that should have as its obvious features now would be:
- An ad that adds value or appears beneficial to the target audience.
- Compelling and creative ads will be your only saviors.
- Retargeting your audience from time to time will be essential.
- Balance the ad by stressing well on the pain points addressed.
Suitable platform
Pre-roll video ads can bring positive results to your business if you place them on the right platform. Here are the noted suitable media to look forward to for your ad.
YouTube
YouTube is now the second-largest search engine after Google. It has more than 2 billion active users, where 70% of them are mobile consumers. Thus, making it a medium of mass reach. In addition to creating a pre-roll for YouTube, your commercial ads can taste success if these are monetized using Google Ad-sense. Here’s an addition for you to check out:
You can create ads ranging from 6-30 seconds here. The best part is that the ads here get played over the entire window, ensuring better viewing. Along with no charges if the ads get skipped.
As mentioned before, YouTube gives more targeting options based on;
Location
Interest
Topic
Keywords
Language
Demographics
Along with this, YouTube provides a list of categories and subcategories for better targeting. Thus, making it a favourite among businesses for conversions and lead generation.
Twitter plays these ads in auto-play mode on mute in premium videos. They let the ads run for 6-30 seconds like YouTube. And have now extended the ads feature across countries like UAE, United Kingdom, India, USA, Japan, France, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Brazil.
Unlike YouTube, Twitter charges after 3 seconds of viewing. But keeps evolving itself based on the needs. These ads are then shown on searches, timelines and profiles.
Facebook is one of the most neutral platforms in terms of usage. That is, both age-wise and gender-wise.
The platform recommends an ideal ad length to be around 5-15 seconds. Like Twitter, Facebook also auto-plays ads. And the first 3 seconds are very crucial to put up your brand name.
As per Facebook’s statistics, 23% of consumers tend to recall better within 3 seconds compared to 13% of consumers who could recall after 4 seconds.
Adding closed captions in Facebook ads also helps, where viewership increases by 17%. Facebook ads are also pretty affordable. For awareness and engagement campaigns, the cost is less compared to conversion campaigns.
Along with this, if you target a larger audience, the cost comes down well. And the daily budget also reduces once the engagement of the ads improves on Facebook.
To ensure reduced costs on Facebook, one should try;
- Planning a complete funnel strategy.
- Setting the default automatic placement.
- Running A/B, B/A comparative testing for the ad.
- So these platforms can be helpful if you plan out on creating pre-roll video ads.
Conclusion
In my parting words, I would say pre-roll video ads are an influential forerunner of video marketing even today. So explore it and make the best out of it. For further assistance or query, feel free to connect or drop us a comment below for more.