7 Essential Strategies for Mobile Video Ads

Mobile devices generate almost 55% of all web traffic. 

What's more, the average American spends five to six hours daily on their smartphones. 

It's a fact! We use our mobiles more than ever. 

And for advertisers, that's a game-changer. 

As we've got our smartphones on us at almost all times, mobile advertising allows marketers to reach their target audience at any given place and at any given time.

Although there are plenty of ad formats marketers use in mobile advertising, video ads seem most effective. 

Let's see why. 

Why Video Ads Work

First off, video ads usually experience higher engagement levels.

That's because, unlike banner ads or texts, videos manage to catch the users' attention through movement and sound. 

Furthermore, 65% of the global population consists of visual learners. This means that most of us retain information better by seeing it rather than reading it. 

Consequently, video ads are more memorable and allow marketers to convey their message more efficiently. 

Second, video ads are shareable. 92% of viewers share videos with each other. 

Why is that? 

Video ads are short, relatable, and have a story to tell. Couple that with the high engagement they generate, and you can see why videos are more likely to get shared. 

Third, with an average click-through rate of 1.84%, video ads experience the most click-throughs among all ad formats.

Again, this mainly comes down to the higher engagement levels video ads generate. 

And last, Google likes videos just as much as users. 

In other words, embedding videos within your website will boost its rankings in the Search Engine Results Page. 

Due to their high engagement, videos will get users to spend more time on your website. In other words, they increase dwell time, which is considered a ranking factor. 

All in all, videos are one of the most efficient ad formats for mobile devices. But that doesn't mean you can't go wrong with them. 

To make video ads work, you'll have to put some thought into them. That said, let's take a look at a few strategies you need to implement. 

Strategies for Mobile Video Ads 

1. Optimize for Weak Connections 

The problem with videos is that their files are much larger compared to other ad formats. 

Consequently, users with weaker internet connections will likely have trouble loading your video. 

Nobody likes to be stuck on a loading screen. If your video is choppy or takes a long time to load, the advertisement becomes redundant. 

So how can you make sure that your videos' performance is in tip-top shape? 

For starters, keep them short. The shorter the video, the smaller the file size, the better its performance will be. 

Shorter videos will improve their effectiveness in other ways as well. We'll discuss this later in the article. 

Secondly, if you plan to display videos on your website, don't host them yourself. This can significantly slow down your website's performance.

You should instead upload the videos on YouTube and then embed them into your website.

2. Provide Value to Your Audience 

Users are constantly bombarded with overly promotional advertisements that do nothing but showcase products front and center. Thus, people have grown to ignore them. 

To stand out from the crowd, you'll have to do more than that. 

That said, ditch the product for a bit and take a consumer-centric approach. Think about how your advertisements will bring value to your audience. 

Will it entertain? 

Will it educate or inspire your viewers? 

Your answer is what will make the ad memorable in the eyes of your target audience. 

After that, find a way to showcase your product based on that idea. 

3. Implement a Clear Call-to-Action 

Call-to-Action buttons (CTAs) are a crucial part of any ad format. It's what makes users take the initiative and get them to click through. 

Your CTAs need to be clear, persuasive, bold, and eye-catching. 

In terms of their copy, be concise, use powerful words and try to create a sense of urgency, like "Download Your Free Guide Now!" or "Get Your Discount," for example. 

Also, your CTAs must stand out from the background. One way to do this is by using contrasting colors. 

Furthermore, when playing the video, you can't display the CTA at all times. Otherwise, it would be too distracting. You need to place it within a specific time frame. 

That said, you've got three options: pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll CTAs. 

Pre-roll CTAs appear before that video starts playing. 

Consequently, users will have a chance to see it even if they do not watch the entire video. 

Post-roll CTAs are placed at the end of the video. 

Its main advantage is that the users who watched the ad until the end will likely be eager for more information. Because of this, post-roll CTAs may experience higher click-throughs.

Mid-roll CTAs can be placed anywhere within the video. 

The top app making companies suggest you should go for the mid-roll option.

That's because it allows you to place the CTA at the point where your viewers are most engaged. Besides, mid-rolls will ensure that more visitors will see your CTAs, unlike post-rolls. 

4. Keep Your Videos Short 

Remember when said that short videos improve performance? 

There's another reason why you shouldn't stretch them out. That's the attention span of your viewers. 

33% of viewers will lose their attention after watching a video for 30 seconds, and another 60% will abandon a video after two minutes. 

In other words, the longer your video ads are, the fewer people will watch them until the end, and the more money spent on production you'll waste. 

That said, try to keep your videos below the 30-second mark. This will maximize user engagement and save you a considerable amount of money in the long run. 

5. Maintain Brand Consistency 

Within this short time frame, you've got to make sure that your branding and messaging are spot-on. And given that only 45% of users who watch the first three seconds of a video will watch it for another ten, you've got to make an impression quickly. 

After all, you'd want to let users know whose ad they're watching, right? 

Your brand's tone and voice, color palette, and logo have to be depicted straight away. Otherwise, your brand messaging will lack consistency, and viewers will likely lose interest. Ask any digital branding company out there and they will tell you that by utilizing consistent visual elements and brand messaging that embody your corporate identity, you can become instantly recognizable and build a strong rapport with your audience.

6. Don't Rely on Sound 

Sure, the sound is an integral part of a video advertisement. The music can enhance the impact an ad has on its viewers. Or you might've hired a voice actor to get your message across. 

But here's the thing: Most people carry their phones almost everywhere, including on public transport, at work, and generally in busy places, places where their mobiles are usually on silent mode. 

So if you were to rely mostly on audio, your advertisement's message would get lost, making your ad useless. 

That said, make sure that your ads make sense even if they're silent. 

To do this, use bright colors to capture and maintain the viewer's attention. Emphasize self-explanatory visuals, and keep the editing cuts at a minimum to let users know what's happening. 

Also, include captions. It's an easy way to make up for the lack of sound. 

But that doesn't mean you can turn an entire conversation into a silent video ad. Users don't want to read walls of text.

In other words, use captions wisely. 

7. Keep It Simple 

And lastly, don't forget to keep things simple.

Although you might have a lot to show, you've got only so much time until users will lose interest. 

Having too many things going on simultaneously will make your core message lose its essence. Even more, users will have too much information to take in at once. Thus, they'll likely be overwhelmed and scroll away. 

That said, stick to the bare essentials. For example, if you're promoting a product, only highlight its best feature, rather than showing everything it can do. 

This way, users will retain your product's key selling point while you've got enough room to display other necessary visuals.

Final Words 

All in all, when it comes to mobile devices, video advertising is the way to go. It's highly engaging, attention-grabbing and it generates high click-through rates. 

But, to do it right, your video advertisements need to be short, simple and have the target audience as the primary focus, rather than the product.