Video advertising has emerged as a valuable solution for companies that want to make a lasting impression on their target audience. Not only is video more convenient to consume than large blocks of text, but it can also be more engaging too! It's no surprise that experts are estimating that we'll be spending around $16.69 billion on digital video advertising by the close of 2020.

In-Stream video advertising is a type of advertisement designed to grab your prospects attention as quickly as possible. Unlike traditional advertisement videos that are separate from other content, In-stream video ads are designed to run similarly to a television ad. In other words, they appear while your target market is watching something else.

Usually, these ads have an option for viewers to skip the ad after they've watched five seconds, which means that if you want to get the most out of your marketing efforts, you'll need to make sure that you've made enough of an impression in those initial seconds to convince your audience that they should keep watching. Click to Learn more about in-stream video ads.

Why are In-Stream Videos So Valuable?

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of in-stream ads is that you can piggyback off the success of another video to help get your brand in front of your target audience. Rather than placing a piece of content on the Internet and hoping that SEO and other solutions will convince your customer to click through and watch whatever you have to offer, you target your customers based on keywords and phrases and thrust your content in front of them at random parts of their day.

Although some people consider In-stream videos to be potentially a more aggressive form of advertising, they are also a great way to gain mass visibility for your company. Usually, the amount you pay will depend on the level to which you want to target a specific audience, as In-stream videos are charged on a "Cost-per-view" basis.

So, what are the main benefits of this type of advertisement?

1. In-Stream Video Ads are Disruptive

While "disruptive" might not seem like a positive word in most cases, it can be beneficial for marketers who want to shake their customers out of their typical online experience. Today, the average customer attention span has dropped significantly, and most consumers simply browse through webpages in a zombie-like state, skimming over content without really absorbing what they're seeing.

With In-Stream video ads, you force your customers to take notice by disrupting their attention. For a few seconds, they have to watch what you have to say, and even if they just take enough action to click the "skip" button, you know that you've woken them up, at least temporarily.

2. In-Stream Ads are Cost-Effective

If you don't have a lot of cash to spend on your marketing efforts, In-Stream ads can be very effective. Depending on what kind of keywords you want to show up for, views can cost only a few cents each, and if your viewer doesn't finish watching the entire advertisement, you can reduce the amount that you need to spend.

Often, In-Stream advertising is a more affordable method of video marketing than crafting content and promoting it yourself. It also requires a great deal less time and effort than constantly producing new and engaging pieces of content.

3. In-Stream Ads are Flexible

With In-Stream ads, you can often choose whether you want to force the customer to watch the entire ad, or whether they should be given the opportunity to click away from whatever they're viewing after a set period of time - perhaps five seconds.

Importantly, it will cost a lot more to push your viewer into watching the entire advertisement, but this can be a worthwhile investment for some companies. At the same time, you could risk alienating certain audience members who feel frustrated by the inability to click away from an advertisement. Remember, research tells us that around half of all viewers will watch a complete in-stream advertisement regardless of whether they have the option to skip the ad.

Tips for In-Stream Advertisement

• In-Stream advertisements can be incredibly effective, but like any form of marketing, it's crucial to make sure that you're taking the right steps to engage your audience. With in-stream advertising remember to:
• Target relevant audience members - For instance, an advertisement for a new game would fit well into a "Let's play" stream
• Capture their attention in the first five seconds - Doing this will make it more likely that your viewers will continue to watch when the "skip" option is available
• Keep it short and sweet - Even if your customers watch the whole way through, they will expect an advertisement to be brief and engaging. Keep it concise.