For much of the past decade, advertisers have hailed video as the go-to content format for high engagement. But huge gains in ROI have recently sent mobile video trends skyrocketing, making a strong, numbers-driven argument in favor of creating more branded video.
According to an AdColony report, video advertising now accounts for one-third of all mobile revenue for advertisers. This video is being delivered in a wide range of formats, including interstitial and pre-roll video ads, with rewarded video ads leading the pack in terms of ROI.
More new wrinkles and innovations abound in 2018. Here's a look at some of this year's top mobile video ad trends.
The Video Standards Landscape is Changing
Two different standards are used to deliver online video — VAST and VPAID — and each has strengths and weaknesses. VAST is widely used on programmatic exchanges and offers faster load times, according to Ad Age. But VPAID offers better measurement, which is critical for marketers wanting to know their ROI.
VAST was conceived as an improvement over VPAID, but its poor measurement features are affecting its adoption. But new support for independent third-party verification may provide enough data on ad viewability and performance to make VAST the clear favorite over VPAID, even if it's an imperfect option. This transparency of performance will be critical for marketers seeking data they can use to optimize their video strategy.
Videos are Becoming More Personal ...
As video is delivered through channels that are able to leverage demographic and behavioral data, the videos displayed to customers will be more relevant to their interests. Video delivered via mobile apps, for example, can leverage user behavior within the app and on the mobile device.
According to WWD, this personalization depends on seamless delivery of video to mobile users at the right time, and when the video is of high relevance to the user, it offers better prospects for driving ROI than nonpersonalized video content.
... And Shorter, Too
Video ad lengths are breaking out of the standards set by TV and discovering new formats that offer equivalent or better performance metrics — at a fraction of the cost. Facebook discovered that six-second ads, compared to 30-second video ads, posted strong marks for ad recall and ROI, while boasting a stunning 271 percent improvement in ad completion rate.
At just 20 percent of the length of a typical 30-second ad, these six-second videos are much more affordable without sacrificing performance. Shorter videos also improve the user experience on Facebook's platform while introducing a new ad product to sell to marketers. Both publishers and advertisers will be eager to embrace shorter video formats to diversify their ad inventories while optimizing video campaigns.
Mobile video ads continue to grow more affordable for SMBs, and more profitable as a digital marketing strategy. Expect 2018's trends to open up the market for this video content even further, paving the way for any business to build their brand through the power of video.
