Find out how to Promote on VOD Platforms
As more consumers turn to e-commerce to replace their in-person shopping experiences, many advertisers are looking for innovative new ways to catch the rise of online shoppers.
One such method is to advertise on VOD (Video on Demand) videos.
What is video on demand (VOD)?
Video on Demand means exactly what it sounds like: videos that are available to the viewer.
The term can include offers from private companies such as Netflix and Hulu, as well as those that do not require a fee, such as YouTube.
There are two common types of VoD that you've likely interacted with:
- VOD subscription: Access to these videos is also known as SVOD and comes with a subscription rate. Think about Netflix or Hulu again. Essentially, this is any streaming platform that has an annual, monthly, or other subscription rate.
- Transaction VOD: While SVOD gives users unlimited library access for the subscription fee mentioned above, TVOD charges the user for the amount of content viewed. Think of the pay-per-view digital content on Amazon.
What is Promotional Video On Demand (AVOD)?
Ad-based video-on-demand differs from TVOD and SVOD in that it is a monetization model that allows brands or companies to incorporate video advertising into existing (or soon to be) video content.
The successful AVOD strategy increases brand awareness and attracts new viewers while allowing the brand to generate passive income at the same time.
A great example of this is the ads that appear on YouTube videos.
This video advertising strategy should be of particular interest to marketers as it takes advantage of the broad audience that interacts with online video content on a daily basis.
AVOD platforms and their use
While YouTube is the most popular VOD platform in North America, other platforms like Twitch, Tubi TV, Facebook Watch, and The Roku Channel definitely deserve large numbers of viewers.
Choosing the right AVOD platform is just as important as creating the content to be shared on that platform. Much like any other platform your business advertises on, AVOD platforms target different audiences, so some of them are better suited to specific audiences (and vice versa).
Regardless of which platform best suits your audience, you want to make sure that the content you create is consumable and attractive, rather than your audience preferring to skip this option.
How do you decide which platform to use for your next video campaign after creating this must-have content? Below are five competitive VOD platforms that you can use to take your AVOD campaign to the next level.
View facebook
Facebook believes there is a Facebook advertising opportunity for every business, regardless of budget. For companies that want to maintain an AVOD experience, Facebook Watch is the medium.
The social media giant's VOD service offers users a mix of free content and makes it available on desktop, smartphone, and other video devices.
It's no secret that Facebook users love video content. In fact, the average engagement rate for Facebook videos is 6.09 percent, significantly higher than any other engagement rate. In addition, users interact with video content five times longer than photos or other static posts.
In short, to successfully market on Facebook you need to use video. With numbers like this, it's time to start planning your Facebook AVOD campaign today.
On Facebook Watch, marketers have two ways to create ads:
- In-stream video ads: These ads are served as commercials that play for 60 seconds in other video content. The first 15 seconds of your ad will be played. Viewers then decide whether to continue viewing your ad or return to the video content.
- Facebook Video Feed Ads: These scrollable ads are displayed between videos in the Facebook video feed.
Whichever route you choose, here are some simple tips to help make your Facebook AVOD stand out from the crowd:
- Make it silent: Facebook announced that 80 percent of users react negatively to videos played with car sound. Why should you care? This likely means that many people have turned off their automatic sound features and are watching videos with no acoustic components. If your message depends heavily on words heard, you are out of luck.
- Optimize for mobile devices: When you envision your ideal viewer interacting with your ad, imagine that they are doing this on their mobile device. With 1.5 times more likely that viewers will watch a video on their phone than on a computer, you can take into account the needs of your mobile users.
- Use emotions: Emotion drives action. When creating your ad for Facebook Watch, be sure to consider the emotions your audience is responding to and get them to take action, or remember your business for the feelings that are associated with it now.
The Roku Canal
The Roku Channel supports free streaming options for viewers, including movies, TV shows, and 24/7 news.
Haven't you thought about advertising on the Roku Channel?
Your competitors have. In 2020, Roku had sales of $ 1.27 billion, with much of that coming from ad sales.
With their active users watching 17 billion hours annually, these ads are definitely reaching audiences.
Similar to Facebook Watch, your ads will be interspersed with the channel's content when you advertise on The Roku Channel's VOD platform. In addition to offering 15- and 30-second spots, Roku advertisers can purchase full-screen interactive videos and interlays to create a unique viewing experience.
While the way you advertise on Roku depends on what you advertise on the VOD platform, here are three tips that will help make your next Roku advertising campaign a success:
- Make Them Engaged: Viewers have almost endless content to choose from. If your ad pauses a show that they're only halfway through, what's stopping them from navigating to other content? When you create engaging ads, you increase the likelihood that viewers will see your ad in full, rather than moving on to something better.
- Make them relevant: While your ad is undeniably an encroachment on the viewing experience, it doesn't have to feel like it. When you create ads that complement the content, you increase the likelihood that viewers will pay attention.
- Add a call-to-action (CTA): Marketing materials need CTAs, and videos on the VOD platform are no different. Make sure to add one so your viewers know what to do after seeing your ad. Regardless of what action you want them to take, make sure you give them a clear imperative.
Youtube
YouTube is the second most visited website in the world, attracting over 2 billion visitors a month.
If you are not using this VOD platform as part of your marketing strategy, now is the time to do it. For the video marketer, YouTube offers a number of options:
- In-Stream Skippable Video Ads: Viewers can skip these ads after the first five seconds. You will only be charged if a viewer continues to watch TV after this time has passed, or if a viewer interacts with your ad by clicking on it.
- In-stream non-skippable video ads: As the name suggests, viewers cannot skip these ads. Advertisers pay per impression for these ads.
Deciding which YouTube video ad is right for your campaign depends on your budget and goal.
Here are some tips on how to get the most out of your YouTube video ad campaign:
- Length: Your video lengths should be between 15 and 60 seconds. Although success depends on ad strength, research suggests that 30 seconds is the sweet spot for YouTube ads.
- Cell phone, mobile phone: Similar to Facebook Watch, most YouTube viewers watch on their mobile devices. Make sure you design your ads for the mobile audience to give them the best experience possible.
- Action: YouTube ads should also have a unique CTA so viewers know what to do after interacting with your ad.
Tubi
With 25 million viewers, this free VoD platform shows a growth of 100 percent compared to the previous year. If you don't advertise on Tubi, you may also be missing out on reaching Millennials and Ethnic Minorities.
Tubi offers brands two options for video advertising: Standard Video and Interactive Video.
Standard Video allows brands to occupy pre-roll and mid-roll ad units that play before and during the content.
Interactive Video enables brands to share product offerings and details, stores, and more.
Tubi ads run full screen so the brand has the maximum opportunity to motivate the viewer. The VOD platform also balances ad time with ad time, with ads taking up only four to six minutes per hour of content.
Pluto TV
Pluto TV is free to use and has an average of over 20 million users per month. This makes it the most popular free VoD platform.
Pluto offers brands and companies targeted organic advertising opportunities.
Because of their dedication to delivering the right ad to the right viewer, advertising on Pluto TV works for local and national brands and connects your message to the right listener.
What about OTT?
While the terms OTT, over-the-top, and VOD are often used interchangeably, there are actually subtle differences between the two models of video delivery. While both refer to viewers being able to stream video content over the Internet, VOD is wider in scope than OTT in that it covers all media content that can be played anytime, anywhere.
VoD is typically used solely as an online content bank, but the term also includes downloads and recorded DVRs.
OTT is streamed on a service-specific basis, including content that is only streamed over the Internet.
Put simply, OTT refers to the distribution of content online, while VOD is defined as the consumption of content that can be played at will.
Since OTT advertising revenue is expected to rise from 45 percent to 60 percent in the next ten years, you should align your video strategy with OTT platforms.
Are you looking for OTT platforms to advertise on? Check out these four:
Conclusion
From content you share on social networks to how-to guides, video should be a driving force in your marketing campaigns.
If you need help promoting on VoD or need help with your digital strategy in general, contact our agency and we can talk about how we can help.
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