Video ads - what is worth knowing about them? Are they an effective form of promotion?

Video content generates thousands or even millions of views. This is why they are a form of advertising so readily chosen by advertisers. But what is it that makes campaigns of this kind have so many viewers?

What is video advertising?

Advertising video is the method of promoting products and services by means of short clips . The time the viewer spends watching them depends on the formats available on the site or app in question. On most of them, tools are available to record a spot lasting several minutes. It also happens that a video lasting only a dozen or even a few seconds is used as an advertisement.

Campaigns that use video clips, are extremely popular with advertisers . Importantly, the vast majority of these videos cannot be blocked or even skipped straight away. Moving on to the actual material only becomes possible after a few seconds or after watching the entire spot.

Types of video advertising

Although video ads are becoming increasingly inventive, they can all be boiled down to three common formats. Sites and social media platforms display spots like:

• In-banner video , which are videos presented in small players appearing at various points on the site;
• In-Text Video which can be distinguished from banner clips by their placement in a specific location on the website, usually between content blocks;
• In-Stream Video - reminiscent of commercials from television, the way spots are displayed while watching another film.

Video advertising - distribution channels

Running campaigns using video ads is now offered by every major medium operating on the internet. The reason for this is the large sums that advertisers pay for their display. Their generosity comes, of course, from the effectiveness of this mode of marketing .

Online distribution channels are usually:

• websites;
• film and music streaming services, e.g. YouTube, CDA and Netflix;
• social networks, primarily Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, as well as LinkedIn.

Video ads on the website

Banners displayed on websites fall into two types. The first are spots presenting the offers of external companies The first type aims to attract customer interest. The second type aims to promote other content on the site. This is how the number of views on which other clips are featured increases. This in turn improves the attractiveness of the portal among advertisers, also through better search engine positioning.

Getting viewers to watch more material has become increasingly difficult over the years. Internet users block such video adverts with great ease. They do not have to display them thanks to plug-ins that can be downloaded in a flash. What's more, browser makers themselves are now building in tools to eliminate spots while viewing sites. Their effectiveness contributes to advertisers looking for other forms of promotion.

Video advertising on streaming services

Digital entertainment companies are better at blocking promotional content. In this case, however, a lot depends on the specific medium and how the audience uses it.

YouTube video ads are a good example. They can't be missed, but only if the viewer is watching other content via the mobile app, on Smart TV or the Chrome browser.

This is approached even differently by companies that manage services like CDA and Netflix. The former has for years displays video advertising to people which do not pay a monthly subscription. So far, however, the service has only promoted itself and, more specifically, other films that premium package holders can watch. Netflix has taken a different route. This portal also features external company spots .

Creation of advertising films to streaming portals is, as you can see, quite a good move, but it does not guarantee that all people will be reached. The modern customer, bombarded with content of all kinds (including adverts), tries to avoid it. Google has been dealing with this problem for years without success. Subscribers to services such as Netflix, on the other hand, are reluctant to recall the experience that largely led to the decline of linear TV viewing.

Video advertising on social networks

Since video ads on sites are blocked and the results of promotion on streaming services vary, why are videos so popular? It is determined by social media. The corporations that manage them, have dealt perfectly with ad blocking . The convenience of the apps has led users to prefer them to websites.

As an example exploiting the business potential of spots Meta's strategy can be used. Unlike advertising videos on YouTube, clips on Facebook and Instagram are displayed as soon as you enter your profile. They scroll, among other things, in the newsfeed. What's more, playback automatically and thus attract the attention of the audience.

Creating an ad on Facebook ensures a very high reach, but it is still worth supplementing the promotion with a campaign on Instagram, among others. This service, due to its orientation towards photos and videos, is more suitable than any other for presenting your offer to customers.

Benefits of using video advertising

The prevalence of video advertising shows that advertisers see the benefits of using it. But what exactly are they gaining? To the advantages of this method of promotion belong:

• the possibility of reaching a large number of potential customers;
• arousing interest - an image with sound is harder to miss than a static banner;
• Convenient payment method - principals usually pay for spots viewed, not just displayed;
• a chance to demonstrate creativity, which can contribute to the sharing of the clip between internet users.

Video content also has the advantage of variety of formats . As a result, it does not take too long to figure out how to make an ad on Facebook, Instagram and other sites. Simple tools and tutorials available online make it easy to create attention-grabbing and therefore effective promotional spots.

Are video ads effective?

Videos are, alongside sponsored articles, the most effective way reaching out to customers with their offer. In surveys conducted over the years, around 90% of respondents are satisfied with the campaign. Advertisers almost agree that clips increase website traffic and consequently the sale.

Moreover, most formats can be used without having to spend huge amounts of money for promotion. Technology companies are constructing flexible price lists and therefore tailored to the financial capabilities of different players.

However, it should be remembered that results of the campaign depend on the chosen medium and method of promotion. For this reason, advertising on YouTube does not always produce the expected results. Companies interested in promotion have found a solution to this problem.

The recommendation of products by influencers is an additional cost, but it brings results. Not just a recognisable face, but the very fact presentation of the offer during the film allows the message to reach all potential customers.

InPost advertising - find out how we can help you with your advertising campaign

Video advertising on YouTube, Facebook and elsewhere on the web is just one of several effective types of marketing action. As InPost, we can also help with increasing your brand recognition and its products. Among other things, we offer the presentation of content on the screens of our machines in the form of static graphics. We are also able to present the Paczkomat® machine (or a number of them) in the following ways cover with advertising material .

Advertisers who choose to work with us also have a other forms of advertising available including, for example, the sending of samples of goods to customers and PUSH notifications to those using the InPost Mobile app. How much does all this cost? You can find out in the price list. We encourage you to familiarise yourself with it, as well as to send us your request via the form below!