What is video advertising?
Video advertising is a paid marketing tactic that uses video content to market products, services or brands in an engaging way – often on social media platforms.
For example, here is a YouTube video advertisement promoting software business, parallels:
Why is video advertising effective?
Video advertising is effective because it catches the audience attention more powerful than text or images.
Specifically, videos can:
- Boost revocation: Viewers are 20% more likely to remember video ads compared to static ads
- Build trust: More than 90% of consumers say that video quality affects their confidence in a fire
- Boost commitment: More than 80% of people use videos to learn new things
- DRIVING SALE: Almost 85% of marketing people report increased sales from video content
Types of video ads
Below are the most important types of video ads you can experiment with:
In-stream ads
In-stream ads are videos played before, during or after other videos on platforms like YouTube.
They come in a few forms: Skippable ads, bumper adsand Non-slip ads.
Bouncy ads Include a “jump” button that users can click after five seconds:

Bumper ads Last up to six seconds and cannot be skipped – perfect for short, memorable messages.
Non-slip ads Must be fully monitored before the main video. They often run for 15 or 20 seconds (or 30 seconds on TV)
Here’s one example:
Outstream ads
Extension ads appear where there is no other video content, such as in news articles or blog posts. They can autoPlay when rolled into consideration.
A good example is this grocery video -ad at a local newspaper:

Video ads on social media
Social media ads appear across platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and LinkedIn and show in users’ feeds next to organic (unpaid) posts.
Like this ad on Instagram. Unlike normal posts, it has a “sponsored” label and a “subscription” button.

Some social media platforms like Instagram and Tiktok also offer Runble ads It lets viewers press items in the video to buy them.
Native video ads
Videos that are original ads merge with the surrounding content on social media, sites or apps.
Native ads have a unique advantage: instead of standing out as obvious ads, they fits seamlessly into what users are already looking at. Which can make these ads appear more reliable.
For example, here is a native ad on USA Today that merges with the news site style:

Over-the-top ads
Over-the-top (OTT) ads are similar to TV commercials and appear on streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ to reach the viewers during their favorite show and movies.
These ads usually run 15-30 seconds and cannot be skipped.
They become more popular as many consumers have switched from cable TV to streaming services. But unlike traditional TV advertising, they give you targeted at specific audiences based on viewing habits and demographics.
For example, here is a headphone ad running before a Netflix show:

Online video advertising platforms
Below are the main platforms you can use to run video ads:
YouTube (Google Ads)
YouTube is a well-established player in video advertising and you can take advantage of this option using Google Ads.
You need a Google Ads account that is free and easy to use.
To create your campaign you need to click ”+ New campaign”The button and follow the steps.

In the YouTube advertising direction, you can specify your audience based on interests, age, location and more.

Additional reading: Google Ads Campaign: Definition, Types and Best Practice
Facebook and Instagram
Meta Ads Manager allows you to create targeted video ads that reach your Facebook and Instagram audience in their feeds, stories, wheels, etc.
Getting started with Meta Ads Manager is simple. Just create a meta -business page and create an ad account.
To create your ads, start in Meta Ads Manager and click the Green ”+ Create“The button.
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Then select your campaign goal (like Brand Awareness or Sales), set your budget, select your schedule and target your audience based on various factors.
Then upload your video and fill in your ad copy, heading and call action (CTA). Then you can view your ad across different locations.

Additional reading: Facebook -Advertising: How to Running Campaigns on Facebook
Tiktok
Tiktok is a newer, yet very popular player in online video advertising with its own ad platform called Tiktok for Business.
Videos here work best when they are short, engaging and feel like natural tiktok content.
To create an ad, select your campaign goal (as traffic), select the targeting of details and upload your video:

Another option is to collaborate with Tiktok creators on influencer -marketing campaigns.
Many brands find this effective because viewers often trust content from humans more than other types of digital advertising. Plus, creators already know how to make videos that resonate with a Tiktok audience.
Additional reading: Tiktok for business
LinkedIn is a good choice to reach business people because you can target people based on job titles, business sizes, industries, seniority levels and even specific skills.
Go to LinkedIn Campaign Manager to begin.
To create a new campaign, click on the blue ”Create“The button and select”Campaign. “

Then select your goal, set up audience target direction and upload your video.

Additional reading: LinkedIn -Nons: A Beginning Guide
5 best practices for creating effective video ads
Follow these five proved tactics to improve your video ads.
1. Understand your audience
Definition of your target audience is the first step because it informs how to make your video ads and what platform (s) you choose.
What works for teenagers at Tiktok probably doesn’t work for senior executives on LinkedIn.
To learn more about who you want to achieve, start with audience surveys.
You can do this by reading industry reports, distributing research and running focus groups.
To streamline the process, use Semrush’s One2target tool.
Open the tool, enter at least one competitor’s domain, and click “Analyze. “

You will first see key insights about the audience, including their age, gender and location.

In ”Behavior“The tab, check out the audience’s interests, and what social media platforms they use most.
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Note how this audience is mostly male, 25-34 years old, and actively on YouTube and Facebook. This information can inform your targeting and platform selection.
2. Hook viewers in the first 3 seconds
Seize your attention early with bold visuals and strong messages – and name your brand early.
For example, you can show your product or service in action, share your greatest benefits or open with an attentive question, while viewers are most committed.
Here is an effective example from Adobe showing the name of their brand and product from the first second:

3. Design ads for mobile
Many people watch videos on their phones so your ads need to be mobile -friendly.
To optimize for mobile view:
- Use a vertical format (9:16 image conditions) for stories and shorts
- Stick to a resolution of 1080 x 1920 for the best quality
- Keep videos short – five seconds or less
- Make easily readable on small screens
Platforms like Meta Ads Manager let you trimle longer videos right in the tool like this:

4. Always add subtitles
Include subtitles to make sure your message comes over to users watching without sound.
Over 90% of users watch videos without sound that people are pending publicly, at work or in bed – places where they cannot or do not want to play audio.
There are two most important ways to add captions to video ads: automatically or by creating a Subrip subtitle (SRT) file.
If you use Meta Ads Manager, click “Captions“Once you have uploaded your video.
From here you can choose “Generates automatically”Or upload an SRT file.

5. Use AI to quickly create quality videos
AI-run tools can speed up video ad production.
AI of AI Video Marketing Automator makes it easy to create video ads.
Just choose ”AI -Prompt“To create a video based on a topic.
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Then select your video length and style (as inventory or illustrations). You can also add a brand -kit to incorporate your brand -logo, voice tone and colors.
And click “Create video. “

You can see a script along with a preview of the video. Customize what you see here to suit your needs.

Finally, you must export your finished video in the correct format to your selected platform and upload it directly to your ad campaign.
Video Advertising: Your Next Marketing Trait
Video ads offer a dynamic way to market your product or service.
Getting started with video advertisement doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive either.
AI of AI Video Marketing Automator quickly helps you create professional videos you can use for ads.