If you’re a publisher, you must’ve seen, heard, or read about the increasing demand for video inventory. Video ads are known for higher CPM and better engagement. There’s been a plethora of research and studies showing that the future belongs to videos (but we don’t want to bore you with that). But still, if you like to see numbers, just know that eMarketer forecasted 49.2% of all US programmatic ad spending will be going to video ads. So if you’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon of video ads, the next step is to find the perfect video monetization partner.
But there are so many video ad partners available in the market. So, how to choose the right one? When facing multiple choices, you’ve to select the one that best fits your needs. A detailed analysis of your needs is a must. Additionally, some factors are essential for every monetization partner.
We’ll consider both of the above-stated aspects to devise a way of finding the best video monetization partner.
Types of Video Ads
Depending on how you’re going to monetize your inventory, there are three options you need to choose from. You can choose one, two, or all three of them. The three options are- in-stream ads, out-stream video ads, and video ads in syndicated content. Let us see how and when each of them is used.
Instream:
The easiest way to understand them is by looking at YouTube ads. As soon as you play a video, you see a skippable ad, then you might see a video or non-video ad in the middle of the content. These ads appear inside the video stream (hence, the name is in-stream).
By the example, you must’ve understood that you need to have video content before you monetize it with ads. Therefore, if you want to monetize the video content you already have, you need a partner that supports in-stream ads.
Can you implement in-stream video ads without video content?
Yes, you can. Publishers can implement in-stream ads with syndicated videos. The video content is syndicated from its owner to the publisher’s articles and then in-stream ads are added to it. The syndicated videos are contextually similar to the article on which they are being delivered. Publishers use syndicated videos to make their articles more engaging while earning from the ads being played inside them.
Outstream:
As the name suggests, these ads don’t need a video stream. They can be played independently within an ad unit. As an example, you can see video ads on Facebook. While scrolling the news feed, you sometimes encounter a video ad playing in between the updates.
So such video ads are used by publishers who want to show independent video ads in between or around editorial content. So if you don’t have video content of your own and you want to replace your static banner ads with high CPM video ads then you need a partner that provides out-stream video ads.
(Pro Tip: Outstream video ads have higher CPM).
The publishers who have their own video content have the video player already in place. The publishers who’ve never dealt with videos may need a player to deliver both, the content and the ads. You may or may not need a video player depending on the following situations:
- If you already have a video player then you need to find a monetization partner that can integrate the demand with it. But if you’re not happy with your current video player then you can choose to use the one offered by the monetization partner. Please note that it isn’t necessary that every monetization partner has its proprietary player.
- If you’re running only out-stream ads then you’ve no need for a video player. Therefore you need not worry about getting a video player by yourself or from your monetization partner.
- A syndicated video provider should have a player included in its offering so that you don’t have to make separate arrangements in the case when you don’t have a player.
- Video header bidding requires specialized video players. You should clarify about video header bidding with your video monetization partner before entering into the partnership.
If you think that you’re going to need a video player but you don’t know which one to use, then you can refer to our list of best video players for publishers.
What to Look For in a Video Monetization Partner?
Brand Safety
Any off-putting visuals can drive your visitors away. You should be able to block the ads, advertisers, or SSPs that aren’t fit for your brand.
Protocols
VAST and VPAID are the two most popular protocols in the industry. Depending on the needed interactivity, measurement, and personalization, a publisher can choose any one or both of the protocols. Your video monetization partner should support the protocol you want to follow. Not sure which protocol is best for you? Read our post on the differences between VAST and VPAID.
Performance
Your video monetization partner should be capable of maintaining a consistent performance. Your revenue should be stable, fill rates and viewability should be high, ad delivery should be fast, video rendering should be smooth. Observe its ads on its existing client websites before starting the partnership. Negotiate a test-run for a few months. Observe the performance during the test period. Take decisions based on the test.
Reporting
A video monetization partner should be able to provide you all the reporting metrics you need. Reports help you in improving the performance of your ads and content as well. Some of the elements that the reports should have are – paid impressions count, ad requests count, viewability, active views, eCPM rates, fill rates, CTR, ad completion rates, reports related to errors, etc. Real-time reporting, forecasting capabilities, suggestions for yield optimization, partner-wise revenue can be some of the added advantages.
User Experience
User experience is also a crucial element of your brand safety. Matching the UI of the video player with your site can enhance the user experience. You should be able to customize the visual elements of your player to maintain uniformity on the visual front.
Platforms
This is a no-brainer. If your video ads requirements are specifically for mobile inventory (web or app), then find a monetization partner that specializes in it. Ideally, your monetization partner should be capable of monetizing all the platforms.
IAB Guidelines
IAB develops standards for ads in the ad tech industry. All the participants from the demand side to the supply side follow the standards to make sure that the programmatic transaction is seamless. Not following the industry standards can create problems for your monetization partner and ultimately, you. Sourcing demand can become difficult in the future.
For instance, the IAB standards require viewer-initiated ads to have controls to exit at any time. Not following the guidelines can inflate ad completion numbers. An advertiser wouldn’t work with a partner/publisher that reports inflated numbers.
So, make sure that your monetization partner follows the IAB standards. You can refer IAB’s site for the standards and best practices.
Protection
Just like other industries, the ad tech industry is also prone to fraud. Any incident of ad fraud can hit your reputation in the eyes of advertisers. It can make demand sourcing difficult for you in the future. Your monetization partner should have the caliber to protect you from fraud. While entering into the partnership, you should ask them the measures they’ve taken to prevent ad fraud. They should’ve some specialized systems for it. Partnership with ad fraud detection companies, third-party verification companies, dedicated in-house teams, machine learning-based solutions is some of the positive signs of a proactive video monetization partner.
What’s Next?
Finding the best video monetization partner is not a difficult task if you’re aware of your needs. Follow the guidelines given above and make sure you perform your due diligence before starting to work together.
Apart from the above checklist, you need to follow all the necessary steps that you go through while partnering with any other kind of monetization partner. For instance, discuss the support, rev-share, lock-in period, expected eCPM, etc. We’ve got a strong experience in monetizing sites with in-stream as well as out-stream ads. Higher revenue with the best user experience is our priority. You can contact us and we will make sure that your website is earning from high paying video ads.
