Any marketing professional worth his salt knows that they cannot rely solely on traditional modes of marketing. Even in digital marketing, if one wants to stand out, then going the ‘video’ way is the only option.
The reach of old-school ads is down and that of video content is on a high. Further, engagement (which is a key metric when it comes to online ads) on video ads is extremely high and thus digital marketing’s newfound love is video.
There is, however, one major issue with video ads. They are also super expensive. Like all things online, though, there is a tech solution that exists here too. In-come video overlay ads.
What are Video Overlay Ads?
Are you perplexed when you hear the term ‘video overlay ads’? Even if that is the case, we are pretty sure that you have been subjected to such an ad in your overall video viewing experience online.
In the simplest of words, video overlay ads are ads that you get to see on the bottom part of the video (mostly) while watching the video. Since they only take up 1/5th or less of the video screen space, they are more economical than full video ads.
In terms of content, these ads can contain both text and images. They are clickable and the key to successful overlay ads lies in getting the viewer to interact by clicking on the ad. Once the viewer clicks on the ad, he or she is directed to a separate link (which is the final web page that the end client wanted to redirect the viewer too).
Advantages of Overlay Ads
Considering the fact that a general idea about overlay ads has been had, it is worthwhile to spend some time looking at the advantages of overlay ads. Let’s get cracking then.
- Higher conversion rates – Overlay ads have higher conversion rates as compared to a lot of other ad programs. This is pure because of the ease of ensuring that the ads are targeted. By targeted, we mean super targeted. Thus, there is a very good chance that the person who sees your overlay ad will at least click on it.
- Viewer friendly – Any ad format will only work when the viewer accepts it. Overlay ads work not just because the viewer finds them useful but due to their targeted nature. They also work because they do not add a comma to the viewing experience (unlike full video ads which force the viewer to pause their viewing experience for a few seconds) and can be easily closed by the viewer.
- High levels of interaction – Overlay ads can be anything – a poll, quiz, or just a screenshot of a viral tweet. Most often they are designed to evoke a click from the viewer so that they can be redirected to the landing page of the end client. Obviously, this works in the long term only if the redirection makes some kind of sense for the viewer too.
- Good for grabbing eyeballs – If you are a new and upcoming brand, going for overlay ads is the best way for you. This is because of two reasons. First, they are cheaper as compared to other ads. Second, they are highly effective in getting the attention of the viewers. Thus, they are perfect to grab some eyeballs on your way in.
What Constitutes An Effective Overlay Video Ad?
Just knowing the benefits of overlay ads is not enough. In this section, we discuss some of the ingredients of an effective overlay video ad for you.
- Quality Call To Action (CTA) – An effective overlay ad will include a quality call to action that the viewer can execute. Creating a quirky ad does no good for your brand if there is no strong CTA because even if the viewer found your ad compelling, he needs to be guided to you.
- Convert Friendly Landing Page – The whole purpose of a CTA as described above is to make the viewer land at your web page or app. There, the landing page must be optimized to convert the lead generated using the overlay ads into an actual customer. For this, a balanced approach when it comes to text information and colored images needs to be taken to ensure conversion.
If you have made up your mind and are sure about using overlay video ads, then you might want to take a look at lots of video streaming sites where you can experiment. This is because going straight for YouTube (which is the top name when it comes to videos) may not be effective as it takes a lot of time to build a base there. You need to remember that overlay ad are only effective because of their unique characteristics.
