There are 3 major factors to consider.
Video Viewability
You already know the importance of ad viewability and how much it impacts your resulting revenue. However, in video advertising, the most important term today is viewable duration.That is the period of time that the player stays in view, providing the highest rates of profit. The longer the unit is viewable, the more opportunity to fill an ad. Think of it this way, time is for video ads what website real estate is for display ads.The best way to achieve high viewable duration in a way that is respectful of user experience (and even complements it) is with the collapsing unit. You can see it used by all of the top publishers and social platforms. This tactic simply enables the user to keep scrolling and watch the video at the same time.
Size Considerations
Obviously, a bigger video unit promotes user involvement and advertiser revenue. However, if it’s made too big, or too big for its placement, it can harm the user experience.
It is a game of balances, where the optimal size according to Primis research is around 500-550px. Our numbers clearly show that less than 400px hurts monetization, and on the other hand a player larger than 600px is capturing too much of the grid. The uptick for players over 600px is virtually nonexistent, and in some cases even hurts monetization due to reduced viewability, because it’s hard to get over 50% of the pixels in view.For the same reasons, it usually is not advised to place the unit on the side rail. Placing the video unit on the side rail limits the possible size of the unit, as the side rail is usually limited to 300px. An additional reason to avoid side bars is that they are usually considered places for ads, which is why users may apply ad blindness, and you will miss out on a great opportunity to engage your users and keep them on the site longer.
Content-Related Considerations
When deciding on the placement and function of the video unit you have to take the content into account. If you have a video that expands on the content of the text, then the best placement is usually as high in the body of text as possible. Placing it right after the title will serve both your objectives in the best way; it is the most viewable placement for advertisers, and gives users the exact content that they are looking for at that moment. If the content is not created for the specific article, but is instead promoting videos you want the user to discover, then it is better to let the audience start by focusing on the text, and then give them recommendations for more related videos afterwards. That will help avoid any increase in the bounce rate. When he is well on his way, you can politely suggest content that is related to the user’s interests, and the context of the page.
Video: A Strategic Growth Engine
It all comes down to the way you regard video on your site. If you consider it as just another ad unit that will make you a few bucks, you are really missing out on the power of video to engage your users, deliver them true value, and subsequently deliver advertisers a quality high impact advertising opportunity. On the other hand, placing video at the core of your growth and revenue diversification strategy, understanding that online users demand it, and that it offers advertisers one of the most engaging ad placements, will truly transform your website.
