Probably every marketer encounters the moment when the pre-roll video ads dilemma arises. Typical questions start buzzing in your head: is it worth it? How to make it engaging? How to make viewers watch it? Undoubtedly this advertising method is one of the best, and further in our article, we will provide you with an explanation of why it is so.
What Is Pre-roll Ad?
First of all, let’s define what actually a pre-roll ad is. It is a video advertisement, most commonly 15, 30, 45, or 60 seconds long, that is automatically played right before a video that the viewer has chosen.
Many companies are now trying to work with it, but not everywhere video content will be the best solution. However, there are areas where pre-roll video ads are a brilliant idea.
YouTube video ads
YouTube is the world’s number one video hosting service today. On one hand, it is the best platform specifically aimed at video content, and on the other, you have to compete for attention among viewers’ favorite video shows. Therefore, it is important to create videos that will be interesting to the audience.
Today, there are two types of such ads:
- Video ads that can be skipped. The viewer can press the Skip button 5 seconds after the start.
- Ads that are not to be missed. The viewer does not have the opportunity to skip such an advertisement, but it has a time limit of 15-20 seconds, depending on the region.
Facebook promotional videos
Facebook is interesting because here, people not only read and watch celebrities but, most importantly, publish their news and go to see their friends. Therefore, scrolling through the newsfeed on Facebook is kind of a drug for a modern person.
This is beneficial for advertisers. The video clip can stand out well among text news and pictures, and even the algorithms of this social network will position such a commercial so that it is not next to another advertiser in the newsfeed.
The social network itself recommends making short videos in general cases. In truth, this recommendation is useful for all occasions because people do not have too much time today, and there is an opportunity to use it via such ads.
Ads on Instagram
Where else is such advertising used? On Instagram. At its core, the approach to placing ads for Instagram and Facebook does not have fundamental differences. Unless Instagram Stories are more popular with users than the same vertical stories on Facebook.
As for the purely technical important differences, there are restrictions for video clips, namely, 60 seconds. However, if your ad is correctly created, such a time limit will not be a problem for you.
Advantages of This Approach
Recently, pre-roll ads have become a marketing mainstream, and there are numerous reasons why this is happening. Here, we are going to provide you with their top five benefits.
- Increase and expand your brand awareness. We can barely imagine a better way for a newly created brand in which it can assert itself and attract its first customers and investors. You have around 5 to 10 seconds to present and sell yourself before the Skip button appears. It’s more than enough to catch potential clients’ attention and make them check out your offer. Do your best to create an eye-catching and intriguing clip that will push viewers to get acquainted with your product.
- Interactivity. Unlike other plain formats, pre-roll videos allow you to add a link that viewers can click and get redirected to your website or social media account. If they find your clip interesting, they are even free to share it with friends or place it on their social media accounts. Another cool option is adding short surveys at the end of your ad so you can get feedback from viewers about their engagement.
- Guaranteed views. As far as the ad is played before the video content that viewers are willing to see, they have no other choice but to check it out. And that is the company’s chance to present itself and interest the audience.
- Easy to find and target the necessary audience. You are literally choosing it with your own hands: you may establish preferred keywords, demographics, location, viewers’ online behavior, and interests. These ads accurately target the needed groups of people thanks to their real-time bidding algorithms that create performance-based ad allocation.
- Accurate, direct, and almost instant response about the success of your advertising. This model gives marketers live online control over the ongoing campaign. Starting from the very first seconds of the ad’s introduction onto the market, they receive data about viewers’ engagement: views, clicks, subscriptions, purchases, and downloads. This information allows them to manage and modify the process if necessary.
You must always remember that in such ads, you are competing for attention not with your true competitors but with videos about dogs and cats, about launching a rocket to Mars, etc. Thus, when creating a script, try to think not only about the story of your product but also about the entertainment component.
Also, remember to:
- Show a brand or product in the first seconds and try to grip the attention of the user.
- Make short videos. Everyone has little time, most people are in a hurry and busy, so only the most important information should be left in the videos.
- Make a square or long videos depending on the format of the social network. Today, many people hold their smartphones vertically, so it makes more sense if, for example, your ads are in this format. In addition to the convenience for people, it is also an opportunity to fill 100% of the space with your content.
We hope this brief review of the main benefits of this wonderful marketing method has dispelled all your doubts. Engaging, interactive, and fast to estimate success – this is all we can wish for in the modern digital world. Do not hesitate and give it a try. Pre-roll video ads will take your marketing experience to the next level.