subject: How Pre Roll Video Works And Is It Right For You [print this page] When the internet was finally opened up to the general public, the technology of the day was barely capable of pushing graphics, let alone video and the big advertisers simply weren't interested. Today though, video has become the standard bearer when it comes to online content and advertisers are taking notice. Since video has become so prevalent, advertisers have sought a way to put their brand in front of viewers and taking a page from television, have begun using pre roll video to do so.
Pre roll video is a commercial clip shown before the video selected plays. Regardless of the content being viewed, whether its viral content, a news story or sports clip, or television content, advertisers are extending their advertising dollars by using commercials that are also used for other mediums. Television spots are now being used as pre roll video, enabling advertisers to get more usage and coverage for their commercials, making those advertising dollars stretch further than ever before. This results in better margins for the advertising and marketing departments. But be for warned, most users have only a certain level of patience when it comes to pre roll videos.
While there are similarities, unlike television, users can click away from a video during pre roll which is called "abandonment". The abandonment rate is one metric an advertiser has to be aware of when building a pre roll video campaign as this abandonment affects both the advertiser and the content provider. While hot stories and videos will give viewers incentive to watch, putting pre roll video on less popular or less interesting clips can effectively kill a story or an entire video campaign. Content providers need to be aware of this metric as well, since a pre roll video that is affecting their distribution scores can cost them money. This is why using companies that measure metrics to give advertisers the information they need to get the best from the content being displayed.
By having companies that score the metrics, both content providers and advertisers can tailor their packages to get the most effect for their dollars. Pre roll video is a very effective method of getting advertising in front of viewers as long as the metrics stay above a certain level. Once those metrics drop, pre roll video can be a detriment instead of a positive. This means paying close attention to those metrics will enable advertisers to move their video from clip to clip as the popularity waxes and wanes and enables content providers to get the most effective return on their investment on video.
