Online video advertising is far less effective in social media and gaming environments compared with editorial content such as news and sport stories, a new study has claimed.
The study, conducted by digital advertising firm Eyeblaster, which serves ads on behalf of brands, found that online video ads double the ‘dwell time’ and ‘dwell rate’ of consumers by 20%.
However, the use of video was found to be less effective on social networking sites because, Eyeblaster claimed, users tended to quickly peruse information rather than spend time consuming content.
Other findings include the revelation that weekdays between 9am and 5pm is the preferred time for users to watch ‘floating’ and ‘in-banner’ video ads.
In-stream ads had the highest chance of being played in full, although for every one extra second of ad duration, the amount of people watching the entire ad fell by 2.8%.
Eyeblaster said that ads that are started by users rolling over banners are the most effective, followed by ones that start without prompting. Ads that require users to click to see a video are the least effective.
According to the study, video ad impressions have increased 10-fold over the last four years, with spend in the US market projected to grow from $1.1bn in 2009 to $4.1bn in 2013.
“When it comes to online advertising, savvy marketers are using video to work both ends of the consumer funnel to drive results,” said Gal Trifon, CEO and co-founder of Eyeblaster.
“Online video advertising provokes engagement and Eyeblaster’s data demonstrates that users are more compelled to play with an ad that contains video. A blend of In-Stream, In-Banner and Floating ads allows advertisers to engage their target audience regardless of where they spend their time online.”
