Unfortunately, becoming successful and ROI positive with video publishing is not easy. The need to constantly create, manage, distribute (wisely), optimize, monetize, and all at scale, causes many publishers to just give up on video content publishing altogether.

Outstream In, Instream Out

Enter outstream. Almost a decade ago, when video publishing was much harder than today, video outstream advertising was introduced. 

The concept was simple. Instead of going through the hassle of video publishing, a publisher can place a video ad unit instead of a display ad. This had the benefit of enabling marketers to advertise on their properties without the need for a video content “stream”. Hence the term “Outstream”- outside the stream of content. 

While it was always clear that Instream ads are more impactful (users are in a video consumption mode, waiting to view content), the publisher’s ROI on outstream was much better. Publishers just didn’t have to invest ANYTHING in order to create video ad inventory. With zero costs and high CPMS, the new format spread quickly, giving marketers the inventory they were looking for, and publishers much needed revenue. 

The Video Consumption Renaissance

Today, creating or syndicated content, and then distributing it, has become easier. Advances in technology for mobile devices and the near-ubiquity of smartphones, have given rise to a veritable renaissance of video consumption. Digital video content is everywhere, and expected everywhere.

But it is more than just technology catching up. Because of video’s power to “hook” users, many tech giants have placed video at the center of their content strategy. Many publishers understand that if they don’t let their users, and especially younger users, discover videos on their digital property, the users will find them elsewhere. 

Video Discovery, The New Instream

The video unit on a publisher’s digital asset has become very different from how it looked and functioned a decade ago. Instead of showing just one video, the player has increasingly become a discovery unit. Editors line up their best videos, often with enticing thumbnails, hoping to get users hooked on one of the best videos of the day, week, or month. When placing the discovery unit on every page a publisher can be sure their users get an opportunity to discover a fresh video, while scaling quality video ad inventory dramatically.  

However, to make it truly work at scale, there is a need for technology. The influx of digital video content makes it really hard to cut through the clutter, which is why constant smart optimization is needed. Just look at the big platforms investing in their algorithms, constantly learning what each type of user is looking for in every moment, mindset, and context. Discovery is everywhere.

Everyone Gets What They Want

So, instream video advertising is back with a twist, and for good reason. It’s not just publishers trying to achieve better CPMs than a display ad, by placing a video ad in a display ad placement. It means publishers are offering users a preferred way for many for consuming content. And long term growth can only come when users are satisfied. 

But it is more than that. Advertisers appreciate the placements more. What is most important to advertisers is having their video ads seen, and preferably to the end. A video placement where users view the best content the publisher has to offer, or other syndicated content from top creators, goes a long way to provide those KPIs consistently. 

Instream vs. Outstream

The bottom line is quite simple; while outstream video may seem like an easy way to get video CPMs without all the video publishing hassle, there is a tradeoff in user experience, ad placement quality to the advertisers, and maybe most importantly, in resulting revenue. Today, video discovery platforms can easily provide publishers with a sophisticated, engagement-based unit that recommends users video content they love. 

The post A Guide to Outstream Video Advertising: Is This As Good As It Gets? appeared first on Primis.

Moreover, many publishers’ business models are built around promoting themselves on big platforms, so they are even more reliant on any decision that the platforms make. Add to that the legal and technological aspects retaining to privacy, GDPR, CCPA or the removal of the 3rd party cookie- all cause instability and the need for extreme agility.

Naturally, publishers are frantically looking to diversify their revenue streams, in a quest to decrease their reliance on any one method. Here are three aspects that you need to learn very well in order to find the right revenue mix for you.

Understanding your Audience

First you must gain a really strong knowledge of your audience. What do they like and dislike; what are their demographics; are they likely to pay for the content they consume online; will they agree to a lot of advertisements; etc. Knowledge is power, but with your customers or audience, knowing them well is nothing short of necessary.

Understanding your Capabilities

Then you should take inventory of yourself, your strengths and weaknesses. Do you create unique quality original content; do you have strong technical skills; strong ad ops skills; good sales team etc. There is no one revenue balance that fits all, and if you choose an option without the skills to implement it well, it can cause a devastating blow to your digital business. 

Understanding the Alternatives (and which ones are right for you)

This is the relatively easy part- after conducting some core research, it is pretty clear what the main options are out there. Focus on what is really driving revenue growth, and where consumer trends are headed. 

Finally, If you’ve done the first two steps right, then deciding what revenue streams to add to your mix should be straightforward. Here is a short list of the main ones, and which fit what kind of publishers:

Subscription

If you have a loyal following with disposable income and you produce a lot of good and original content, then subscription may be the way to go.

Video advertising

Definitely one of the main revenue drivers online. Today, many publishers are going for video discovery solutions that give so much value in terms of revenue and engagement, and at little effort due to discovery automation.

Display advertising

If your audience is ls looking for free content, and are willing to accept advertising, this is the classic decision- and it is part of most publishers’ revenue mix. 

Native advertising

From sponsored posts to banners that have the look of content, this is definitely a strong contender for almost any publisher with ok ad-ops (if going programmatic) skills, or a very good sales team. 

Affiliate 

Many publishers that specialize in a niche category or audience could capitalize on this opportunity. Simple links to products your audience would like, together with good reviews about them, and you can create a strong additional revenue stream.

The Key to Diversification

Publishers must learn how to find the right balance between the channels that they do choose. Constant learning of changes in the industry, together with the courage for intelligent trial and error practices will keep you one step ahead of the rest. And, with this daunting influx of ideas, don’t forget to do what is right for you, and most importantly, what is right for your users. 

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This demographic is composed of industry leaders, decision-makers, and economic buyers. They are, on average, heavy tech consumers and heavy online/mobile users. They are avid readers, consumers of information, and watch significantly more video than the average consumer.

Competing in the Tech Publishing Space

Competing in the tech publishing space can be time-consuming and it can be expensive to develop high-caliber content that’s unique to the tastes of the audience. Cutting through the clutter in a crowded space takes serious work. Finding ways to differentiate your product in order to attract and retain this audience is crucial to success.

Being tech-savvy, visitors expect a perfect online experience with digital tools that work seamlessly. There’s little tolerance for low-quality products or performance.

This means that your website, mobile sites, and apps have to be operating at peak efficiency with great content that enhances your site’s SEO and demands engagement. Only then can you expect to realize any significant opportunities to monetize your website.

Differentiating Your Content

Information moves at light speed. We are in an age where basic facts and details are now a commodity.  

Every site wants to be the go-to site for industry news, but most traffic for tech sites originates from search engines or social network sites. This can account for as much as 95% of overall site traffic for major tech publishers. Unless you have unique content that will elicit direct traffic, you’re at the mercy of third-parties to drive volume.

You need high-quality content that’s unique to your niche. It needs to be SEO-enhanced and fully optimized to attract attention from search engines and it needs to be snackable, shareable content that will engage people on social.

Producing this type of content consistently in video format can be expensive, but necessary, to attract and maintain user interest: 

• More than 50% of consumers prefer video content over text-based forms
• Pages with video see a 157% increase in organic traffic
• Visitors spend 88% more time on websites that have video

This means offering robust video solutions to consumers, delivering unique and relevant content.

Digital Video Continues To Grow

Video makes up the majority of traffic on the internet. Already more than 80% of all IP traffic is video. To compete effectively, you’ve got to excel at video. Consumption will only rise as broadband speeds continue to increase; the rollout of 5G will increase speed more than 100X 4G. With more than 3 billion smartphones in use worldwide, video consumption is about to explode.

Video is also the largest gainer in advertising spending in the tech sector. For the first time in 2019, digital ad spending eclipsed television and any other media source accounting for 54% of total ad spend. Publishers that fully embrace video have the best chance to increase revenue.

Video Discovery Platforms

When it comes to video discovery platforms, it’s all about serving relevant content that increases engagement levels and commands higher rates. It’s important to choose a fully customizable video unit that integrates seamlessly into any website. Discoverability means that it surfaces contextually relevant and targeted content that leads to longer time on site.

According to Primis data, tech sites outperform almost any other kind of website. The Primis video discovery engine on tech sites outperforms other sites’ average duration times by 50%. Tech related sites see a viewable duration time nearly 240% higher than the network average viewable duration levels.

When it comes to monetization, video units on tech sites get higher rates. Tech-related sites with video units show a 32% higher CPM over other sites that have a similar unit.

Larger site publishers tend to have their own video content. Video discovery platforms can augment publisher video by recommending the right video to each user, keeping users engaged on-site while increasing monetization. Smaller publishers that have less video (or no video assets) can open up new revenue streams by using syndicated video content, or outsourcing their video creation.

The Bottom Line

Tech users are heavy video consumers. They represent a desirable audience for advertisers. Targeting the right content to each user creates significant monetization opportunities. Contact Primis to learn how optimizing your video can increase your revenue today.

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