by wezank

Pre-roll videos: 3 major tips

pre-roll videos

For those of you not familiar with the term, pre-roll videos are those spots that run prior to a video posted online. Youtube is the most popular and familiar to the public, however, pre-roll videos can be found almost anywhere on the web: news websites, blogs, magazine websites, video game websites and even before a TV show or film online. Now that you know what we’re talking about, let’s go through 3 tips for successful pre-roll videos:

Make Them Short

Having a long pre-roll video is the biggest sin for marketers. Imagine having a 45 second pre-roll before a 15 second video; it just doesn’t add up. Skippable or not, pre-rolls shouldn’t be long for you to increase the odds of attracting viewers.

Trigger Curiosity

Pre-roll videos are tricky in the sense that they are imposed on viewers, but this doesn’t have to be a bad thing for marketers and advertisers. As obvious as it might sound, the trick is to provide attractive and valuable content/messages to get people to view the entire pre-roll without clicking on the “Skip” button if available. You should always be able to answer the question “Does my video trigger viewers’ curiosity fast?”

Add the “Skip” Option

There are 3 types of pre-roll video ads:

    1. TrueView in-stream where viewers can skip the video after 5 seconds and advertisers pay when the viewers watches the whole ad or 30 seconds of it.
    2. In-stream select that works the same as the above but advertisers pay whenever the ad loads regardless if it was viewed or not.
    3. Standard in-stream videos that are not skippable and force viewers to watch it till the end.

Whether it’s number 1 or 2, having the “skip” option gives viewers a choice that works very well for you. Psychologically speaking, providing a choice leads viewers into feeling more comfortable to watch the pre-roll.

 

 Pre-roll Videos

“The amount of pre-roll video inventory available for programmatic buying nearly doubled in the first quarter of 2015 over the final quarter of 2014” according to a recent study by TubeMogul.

pre-roll videos

 

Pre-roll videos are delicate in the sense that they are considered as an interruption if not used properly. The above 3 tips help your pre-roll turn from an annoying interruption to an entertaining short message that can lead to conversion and sales. Interested in creating a pre-roll video for your business? Contact us today for free consultation.

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