In-stream video ads are those where an advertising piece is triggered before, during, or at the end of a video when a viewer is already watching. This way, it is ensured that the receiver is generally mindful of the video material.
It could be said that the in-stream video defines the placement of video advertisements in correlation to the original material that the audience decides to watch. Either way, it is important to point out that this type of video advertising consists of three different formats, which are the pre-roll, the mid-roll, and post-roll video advertisements. These can typically last from 6 seconds to one minute and in some cases can be skipped after 5 seconds.
Each of the formats has best-case uses, meaning that each can be used depending on the specific goal the advertiser is trying to achieve with that creative.
For example, pre-roll video advertisements are used when the main goal is to increase brand awareness as fast as possible. On the other hand, the mid-roll video formats are used to provide any type of message that requires engagement. Finally, the post-roll video advertisements are used when the main goal is to add extra value after branded content and also to increase conversions with placed CTAs.
The advantages of in-stream video advertising
One of the most interesting facts is the way it enables an ad to be properly streamed within the timeline of a video content that is targeting a specific type of audience.
Let’s say, for example, that a user decides to watch a smartphone review on its desktop or its tablet, and embedded in that video there’s an in-stream video ad for another smartphone or related technology. This situation means that the viewer, indeed, will automatically turn into a captive audience and will have no option but to watch the embedded video as it will be automatically displayed until the option of skipping the video advertisement appears.
Of course, this will always turn into a major advantage in case the embedded video not only has a clear connection with the original content but also displays relevant content for the user.
Nonetheless, it won’t do the trick if the viewer is watching a video about a laptop’s camera and the embedded video shows content about a desktop’s CPU. Far from it, to grab the viewer’s attention, it would be crucial to show something related to a laptop. Otherwise, the viewer won’t waste their time watching a video about something that is not related to the original content he or she was watching and will simply skip the video as soon as possible.
This is one of the main reasons why there are users who don’t like the in-stream videos advertisements, considering that the embedded video they have to see has no relation with the original video content they are watching.
Naturally, this is always a negative experience for both the user and the brand or advertiser, considering the investment in this advertisement. So to prevent this scenario from taking place, the best thing to do is to pick the correct video to embed.
The power of video ad formats
As an advertising technology company operating worldwide, we consider video formats to be very important for an advertising campaign to reach engagement with the users. That is why at AdPone we offer a wide variety of video formats such as In-text, In-Stream, Out-Stream, and AVA Out-Stream.
