A guide to video creatives!

There is no one-size-fits-all approach in mobile advertising, but what is indisputable is that video ads are the most eye-catching ad format with the highest engagement rates. To help you better understand in-app video ads and their characteristics, in this article we will take you into video ads.

Why video ads?

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, U.S. adults are spending an all-time high on video viewing on mobile devices. According to eMarketer, ad spending on mobile in-app video ads in the United States is expected to grow 27.6% year-over-year in 2021 to $18.01 billion.

Another study showed that video is considered the number one content output format for increasing user engagement, and the click-through rate of mobile video ads is 7.5 times higher than that of display ads.

So, what do you want to know most about mobile video advertising?

Types of in-app video ads

Video ads are perhaps the most engaging and persuasive type of ad for mobile marketers, as they create a dynamic experience for users. Take image visual elements to a whole new level, making ads more attractive, entertaining and memorable. They allow advertisers to deliver their message to the audience in a very short period of time.

There are many types of video ads, the most common ones are: rewarded, interstitial, and native. We will introduce them one by one in this article.

Incentive videos

Rewarded videos are ads within an app that are selected by the user and therefore cannot be skipped. Users decide whether to click on the ad in exchange for a reward. Rewards can be extra game lives, coins, or premium items, and are an alternative to in-app purchases.

Advantages: Because it is an optional, non-invasive advertising style, and users consciously and actively choose to interact with the ads, rewarded video ads bring quality clicks and high-quality conversions.

· Insert video

This type of ad appears in full screen on the user's device, usually at transition points in the user's usage process, such as between activities and game levels.

Pros: Interstitial video ads are skippable, so user interaction represents real interest, otherwise the user would close the ad and return to the previous activity.

Native video

Native video ads mirror the UI design of the ad slot, so they look and feel the same as organic content on downstream media.

Pros: Native ads are non-invasive while still being engaging and interactive like video ads. A perfect combination, if you dare to think, you will get it!

Material Tips: Do's & Don'ts

Now that you have a basic understanding of the types of video ads, it’s time to discuss the best practices for creating ad creatives.

In this section you will find our historical data analysis results, which highlight the user preferences for video ads in different app categories.

Fully consider the preferences of target users

When designing creative for mobile programmatic ads, color, copy, creative, and ad duration should all be taken into consideration. Users in different verticals have specific preferences, and understanding these preferences can help you maximize your acquisition of new users.

Quickly grab user attention

Use the three-second rule to grab the user's attention. Video ads that show text in the first three seconds drive 46% more purchases than video ads without text. No matter how long the ad is, three seconds determines the outcome!

Don't mislead

If you want to try out an idea that isn't actually part of the game, please indicate that in your ad. Ads with a clickbait feel will create false expectations among users and ultimately lead to user loss.

Silence still has power

According to a Verizon Media study, 92% of consumers watch videos with the sound turned off. As a workaround, make sure your video ad still delivers on its message even with the sound turned off; make it visual and pair it with text headlines where appropriate. The report also states that 50% of consumers will choose to watch subtitles due to turning off the sound effects.

Don’t use overly exaggerated effects

Overly exaggerated effects can annoy and irritate the audience. Rapidly changing backgrounds, animations of text or colour, and stimulating elements such as “flashing” can have the opposite effect. Only by focusing on one point and applying it consciously can we ensure effectiveness.

· One bite makes you fat

Of course, we want to convey as much information as possible in our video ads. But storytelling is the first and foremost thing to grab the user’s attention. Focus on your main message.

Application type matters

Bubble Shooter

In one of our recent campaigns, we analyzed the performance of a bubble shooter game by running both video and display creatives. The results showed that video outperformed across all metrics: video ads had a 15% higher click-through rate than display ads and a 30% higher ROI.

· Leisure puzzle

The campaign for this casual puzzle app included three ad formats simultaneously: display, native, and video. Video outperforms other formats on 5 metrics and has a ROI 3x higher than display and native ads combined.

Social Gambling

Another study by Aarki showed that video was the top performing ad format for social gambling apps, outperforming all formats with a 16.7% click-through rate. Additionally, video ads showed the lowest CPI and highest download rates.

Travel

In our previous analysis, video ads proved to be the best format for travel apps. We saw the following performance: the highest CTR of 9.64%, the highest conversion rate of 5.94%, and the highest retention rate within 30 days. Although its CPI is higher at $1.42, video performs better than other ad formats in various indicators.

This video ad creative guide is based on Aarki's analysis of different app categories/campaigns. But remember that no rules are universal and you should always test your ad creatives. Finding new strategies by adding champions/challengers and multivariate testing is always the way to go for advertising creativity.

It is crucial to fully utilize this engaging ad format and maximize the effectiveness of their mobile advertising campaigns.

Author: Aarki

Source: Aarki