Characteristics of online video ads that interest viewers
There are plenty of video options for viewing online today.
Surprisingly enough, among the video options, users are choosing to watch video advertisements from brands they are interested in.
According to MediaPost, in Q1 of 2011, Internet users “chose to watch ads nearly 800 million times.
That’s an incredibly healthy number, considering all of the video options throughout the digital realm.
MediaPost’s article specified the type of video ads discussed. These video ads, that were viewed 800 million times, were ads that the viewer chose to watch by clicking the “play” button. This number did not dictate stats on pre-roll or auto-play ads, which are deemed as interrupting by many viewers.
Why do you think individuals have the desire to watch online video ads? According to MediaPost, here are the top four reasons.
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Four characteristics of popular video ads
#1 – The content aspect. Brands are creating content that interests the audience above all else. Instead of overt brand pitches, these videos are lightly branded and include facts or features that help to tell a story.
#2 – The ads are engaging. If the ad truly serves as entertainment to a viewer, there is the likelihood that the ad will get shared or commented on by the interested party.
#3 – Length. Opposed to TV or pre-roll advertising, brands can choose to create a video ad at any length desired. However, the ads that succeed the most online are relatively short – usually no longer than two minutes. This time length allows a story to develop, or share enough information while not losing the audience’s interest.
According to MediaPost, for those who do abandon videos, 19% abandon after 10 seconds and 45% abandon by the 60-second mark.
#4 – Viewability. The ads people choose to watch usually have strong media strategies behind them. These videos focus on choice-based views and operate on a performance basis.
What makes you watch online video ads? Content is still king for me, so if a brand has potentially interesting content on a topic I love, they will likely get me to click the play button.
For more on this topic, take a look at the article from MediaPost.
