What is a Good Video Ad Network?

In today's digital age, video advertising has become an integral part of marketing strategies for businesses of all sizes. Video advertisements are a powerful tool to convey messages, showcase products, and increase brand awareness. However, not all video ad networks are created equal. To maximize the impact of video advertising, choosing a good video ads network that meets your business needs is important.

Simply put it is a platform that connects advertisers with publishers, enabling them to distribute video ads to targeted audiences. Video ad networks use advanced targeting technologies to reach the right audience with the right message at the right time and on a suitable device. Mobile video ad is one of the most popular types today. For example, it can be a video only ad inside an app, or the main video will play after ad that can be configured due to advertiser needs.

Why is video advertising so popular?

Video ad, and mobile video ad in particular, are considered to be more effective than usual banner ads for a few reasons:

1. Greater engagement. Video creative ads can capture viewers' attention more effectively than other forms of advertisements, as they offer a more immersive and dynamic experience. By incorporating visuals, sound, and motion, video only ad can tell a great story and evoke emotions in a way that static banners cannot.
2. Better storytelling. Video advertisements provide a medium for advertisers to tell a story, showcase a product or service, or convey a brand message in a more engaging and memorable way than common banner ads. The ability to use sound, motion, and graphics allows for a more complete and immersive message to be expressed.
3. Higher recall. Motion ads are more likely to be remembered by viewers due to their visual and auditory impact. The combination of sight and sound increases the likelihood of viewers recalling the ad.
4. Improved brand recognition. Video creatives can help build brand recognition and awareness by allowing advertisers to showcase their brand, logo, or product in a more dynamic and memorable way.
5. More effective targeting. Mobile ad video provides more metrics and analytics than common ads. Advertisers can track metrics like viewability, completion rate, and click-through rate to measure the effectiveness of their video ad campaigns.

Overall, video advertisements offer a more engaging, memorable, and effective way for brands to connect with their target audience, which is why they have become increasingly popular in recent years.

Common formats of video advertisements

1. Skippable and Non-Skippable. Digital content can feature skippable and non-skippable ads. Skippable ads are more effective as they allow users to skip the ad and continue watching the content. These in-stream video ads are engaging for audiences as they provide a sense of control. Non-skippable ads are more annoying, but their relevance to the viewer's buying interests plays a crucial role.
2. Rewarded Video. Rewarded video ads are becoming increasingly popular. They work by offering rewards to players for watching ads, such as premium currency, coins, or lives. These ads provide a better user experience, resulting in higher completion and engagement rates for the advertiser. Especially popular for video game ad.
3. Pre-Roll Video Bumper. Pre-roll video bumper ads are ideal for audiences with shorter attention spans. These six-second non-skippable ads grab the audience's attention before they watch the desired video content.
4. Playable Ads. The most effective ads are those that engage the user and attract them to try the advertised service. Playable ads allow users to play a game or use an app before installing it. This ad format helps brands reach more people by turning their apps into fun games and making their app features more approachable.

Video advertisement types

Video ads are an effective way to reach and engage with your target audience. By using different types of video creatives and taking inspiration from successful video ad campaigns, you can create your own video ad campaigns that deliver your message effectively and achieve your business goals. Here are some video ads examples:

1. Explainer videos are short animated videos that explain complex ideas, products, or services in a simple and engaging way.
2. Product Demo videos showcase a product or service in action.
3. Brand Storytelling videos use emotion, storytelling, and creativity to convey a brand's values, mission, and personality.
4. Social Media video ads are short, attention-grabbing videos designed for social media platforms.
5. Interactive Videos engage viewers by allowing them to interact with the content, making the experience more immersive and memorable.
6. Video game ad is usually used for mobile applications as mobile gaming increases in popularity. One common type of ads in video games in mobile applications is rewarded video ads that offer in-game rewards such as virtual wealth.

Difference between VAST and VPAID

VAST and VPAID are two video ad examples of standards used in video advertising.

VAST, or Video Ad Serving Template, is a standard template that enables communication between a publisher's video ad servers and a video player. Using the VAST script, video players can determine which ads to play, how to display them, their duration, and other features. It enables in-stream video advertisements to be served across video players that comply with the VAST standard.
The IAB released the latest version of it, VAST 4.1, in 2018.

One of the advantages of VAST is that it allows video players and ad servers to communicate in a standardized manner, which promotes scalability and opens up opportunities for publishers to sell more ad space on their video inventory. However, previous versions of VAST did not support viewability standards and had some limitations compared to VPAID, such as not allowing for interactivity, measurement, and preloading of ads.

VPAID, which stands for Video Player Ad-Serving Interface Definition, is similar to VAST in that it directs the video player to play a specific ad. However, it offers more interactive ad features, such as overlays, to enhance ad performance for advertisers. These elements can include actions like play, pause, skip, enlarge, and more, as well as CTAs for viewers to learn more. Advertisers can also track key metrics, such as viewability, completion rate, and click through rate, to assess ad effectiveness.

Moreover, VPAID allows advertisers to set up personalized campaigns based on geographic information, creating region-specific CTAs for areas like LA or SF. The most recent version VPAID 2.0, was released by the IAB in 2012.

One of the benefits of VPAID is that it enables ad interactivity and measurement, giving publishers using VPAID the opportunity to earn more ad revenue as their video players can display a wider range of video advertisements. However, VPAID is known to slow down publisher sites and may not be suitable for ads outside of a mobile environment.

Main criterias of a good ad network

1. Reach and targeting capabilities.
   It should have a large reach and advanced targeting capabilities. It should be able to deliver your video creative ads to a broad range of audiences across different devices, platforms, and channels, while ensuring that your message reaches the most relevant viewers. Also it should offer various targeting options, such as demographics, interests, behaviors, location, and more, to help you reach your ideal audience. And, of course, a high capacity of video ad servers to provide high quality streaming.
2. Quality of inventory.
   The quality of inventory is another important factor to consider when choosing a video ads network. Here you will find high-quality inventory that includes premium publishers and content creators. It should also have a strict quality control process to ensure that your video ads are placed in safe and brand-friendly environments, free from fraudulent or malicious activities. And of course a user-friendly dashboard to set up ad campaigns fast and quality.
3. Transparency and reporting.
   Transparency and reporting are crucial for measuring the effectiveness of video ad campaigns. Transparent reporting and analytics, allowing you to track and measure the performance of your video creatives in real-time is essential too. For example, HilltopAds also provides insights on key metrics, such as viewability, engagement, completion rates, and more, to help you optimize your campaigns and achieve your business goals.
4. Customer support.
   Customer support is essential for a good ad network. You should choose one that offers excellent customer support, with dedicated account managers who can help you with any questions or issues you may have. It should also provide training and resources to help you get the most out of your video ad campaigns.

Conclusion - making a choice

Choosing a good one in a variety of video ad networks is crucial for the success of your campaigns. It must have a large reach, advanced targeting capabilities, high-quality inventory, transparency and reporting, and excellent customer support. By choosing a reliable video ads network, you can maximize the impact of your video advertisements and achieve your business goals, especially if you are looking for a video only ad type.

HilltopAds is an experienced ad network taking a high position at the top list of ad networks. It constantly evolves with the advertising industry, using the most modern technologies and automatization to reach high standards of quality video advertising.

One of our main activities is ads in video games. We allow our advertisers to monetize them using direct links and video advertising. Another large one is mobile ad video that is truly recognized as effective and popular today.