Mobile Video Advertising Marks a New Era of Digital Advertising

Global brands are drastically increasing spending on mobile ads. According to analysts from eMarketer, spending on mobile advertising will top $100 billion by the end of the year. While brands have long recognized the value of mobile text and image ads, they have only recently noticed the potential of mobile video advertising.
Why Brands Are Investing in Mobile Video Ads
Here are some of the countless benefits of mobile video promotion.
Exceptional Reach
One in three U.S. adults watch videos on their mobile devices. Shockingly, more people use mobile devices to watch videos than listen to music. This means that advertisers have the opportunity to reach hundreds of millions of potential customers.
Engagement
Mobile video advertisements are extremely engaging. Paul Davison, Head of Digital Trading for the UK division of Dentsu Aegis, said this is one of the primary reasons brands are investing in video ads.
"The mobile video ad space is taking off because it combines the power of sight, sound and motion allowing marketers to drive higher completion rates and encourage deeper engagement," Davison said.
Fairer Pricing Structures
Most video ads are a form of interruption marketing. Brands were initially hesitant to pay for them, because they were charged every time a customer viewed the video. Since customers often closed the ad, they probably didn't receive a decent ROI.
Pricing structures have changed in more recent years. Under new advertising platforms, brands only pay for customers that view the entire ad. This means brands are paying for legitimate exposure.
4G Growth
More customers have access to 4G networks. Yoni Argaman, Inneractive Vice President for Marketing and Business Strategy, attributes the growth of mobile video ads to the expansion of 4G networks.
How Can Brands Promote Mobile Video Ads?
Mobile video advertising is a powerful way for brands to engage with their audience and generate exposure. They have experimented with different video ad solutions and found ways to optimize their campaigns. Here are some tips they have shared.
Create Compelling Calls to Action
Every advertisement needs a powerful call to action. They are even more important with video advertising, because it isn't intuitive for people to click a video ad. Advertisers must capture their attention and provide a clear yet simple call to action.
Use HTTP Live Stream
Every user's device has different bandwidth capabilities. You need to match your ads to them. HTTP Live Stream is a great tool that ensures ads load at the right speeds, so the video doesn't appear choppy.
Optimize for Devices
Your ads need to match the screen resolution and performance specs of each user's device. InMobi, AirPush and other mobile ad networks allow advertisers to target different devices. You need to take advantage of this feature and optimize your ads for every device.
You can also monitor the network to see which devices are most widely used. This allows you to decide which devices to optimize for.
Keep Interuption Ads Shorter
Are you planning on displaying an interstitial ad in the middle of a video? It should be as brief as possible, since you are disrupting users in the middle of their video. If your video is longer than 10 to 15 seconds, then you risk frustrating the viewer and losing their trust.