What are pre-roll ads exactly? Simply put, they are short video commercials that pop up automatically right before you get to watch the content you’ve chosen. Stick with us as we dive into the best ways to make them super effective and explore the top platforms where they are commonly seen.
Naturally, where users go, ads follow, and it’s no secret that video ads have become a go-to format for our feeds and pretty much every content that we see online. Did you know that over 98% of marketers are bent towards video ads as a crucial component of their marketing strategy? As surprising as that fact can be, here is the hard truth that not all video ads can get the traction that publishers and advertisers desire.
So, how to fix this? Well, think about this: Have any headlines instantly hooked you and made you want to read the whole article? If yes, then that is exactly what preroll ads do.
Let’s understand what they are.
What Are Pre-Roll Ads Exactly?
A pre-roll ad is a type of in-stream video advertisement, i.e., ads that play within other videos. The word “Pre-roll” clearly conveys the purpose these ads serve for publishers and advertisers. In simple words, Pre-roll ads are a type of video ad that plays before the content chosen by the user, with the main intent to grab the user’s attention before the desired content starts playing. These video ads typically run for 15,30, or 60 seconds. To understand it better, here is an example of a 15-second pre-roll video ad on YouTube:
There are certain characteristics that you need to consider to make them truly effective. Here is a quick checklist of key elements that your pre-roll ad strategy must include:
- Optimal Ad Length
- Audience Segmentation
- P Clear Call-To-Action (CTA)
- A Solid Creative Strategy.
Now that we are well-versed with what pre-roll ads are, let’s dive deep into their types.
3 Types of Pre-Roll Ads
Pre-roll ad types depend on two factors: the length of the ad and where they have to appear. By understanding the types of pre-roll ads, publishers and advertisers can craft ad campaigns that resonate with the users and convert them into potential leads for advertisers and ad impressions for publishers. Let’s understand three primary formats of pre-roll video ads:
Non-Skippable Pre-Roll Ads
As the name suggests, non-skippable pre-roll ads are a must-watch for users before accessing the desired content. As these ads demand full attention, publishers are paid on a pay-per-view basis, i.e., advertisers pay only when the viewer has consumed the whole ad.
Skippable Pre-Roll Ads
Perfect for targeting or instantly hooking the user, Skippable pre-roll ads give users the freedom to skip after initial seconds(usually 5). This type focuses on the balance between reach and user experience. Non-intrusiveness of skippable ads provides a good opportunity to gain user attention without causing any ad fatigue.
Bumper Ads
Short, sharp, and impossible to skip, bumper ads typically have a duration of 6 seconds. These ads run on a cost-per-thousand-impression (CPM) model. They are quick and ideal for a high-frequency brand campaign to create a high impact on the users.
As we are now through “what are pre-roll ads and their types”, let’s explore some platforms where publishers and advertisers generally employ them.
Why Use Pre-Roll Ads: Key Benefits and Strategic Uses
Pre-roll ads are a powerhouse tool to spark user interest and drive conversions. With screens capturing the attention of millions of audiences every day, pre-roll ads act fast to catch the targeted audience’s attention and are hard to ignore.
A winning pre-roll video ad campaign offers many benefits for the publishers and advertisers. Let’s explore what the key benefits they have to offer are.
- High-Intent Conversions: Acting as an initial point of engagement, pre-roll ads are meant to give a quick glimpse of an advertisement to drive user attention towards the brand message, whether it’s a product drop, an irresistible deal, or a service update. With smart ad targeting, advertisers can reach the right audience without s wasting their message on the wrong audience.
- Lead with Visibility: Not every ad leads to a purchase or a conversion on the spot. Pre-roll ads can smartly plant the seed of thought in the viewer’s mind if it is punchy, memorable, and educational. A good pre-roll ad attracts user attention and makes them want to take action.
- Highly Interactive: Pre-roll ads offer a variety of ways to interact with the ads, like sharing them on social media, a clickable destination to a landing page, or even clickable links. Sometimes, Pre-roll ads ask for short surveys or engage users through fun animations and graphics.
- Guaranteed Views: Pre-roll ads are great for visibility. They play right before the video someone wants to watch, so people are more likely to notice them. On the contrary, post-roll ads come after the video, and by then, many viewers have already clicked away
5 Renowned Platforms for Pre-roll Advertisements
Youtube
YouTube has set some gold standards when it comes to Pre-roll ads. It offers flexibility and reach through multiple ad formats, namely (skippable, non-skippable, and TrueView). YouTube ads can run exactly before the desired video is played for the user. YouTube’s rich analytics with CTA and landing page tracking make it a strong platform to roll out pre-roll video ads.
Ad Length Restrictions: 15-20 seconds
Skippable: Provides both skippable and non-skippable ads
Audio and Display: Fullscreen video with sound
Billing Mode: Pay per view
Twitter employs pre-roll ads before premium publisher videos that users usually see across timelines, profiles, and search. It is best suited for ad campaigns where the main goal is to be trendy and stay agile. Twitter pre-roll ads offer VAST support and view tracking.
Ad Length Restrictions: <30 seconds
Skippable: Skippable after 3 seconds
Audio and Display: Auto-play and muted on premium content
Billing Mode: Charged after 3 3-second review.
Vimeo
Even though Vimeo is beloved by publishers, it’s a niche option that has special needs like high-quality video hosting, ad free content etc. It is not so responsive when it comes to ad delivery. Tracking and analytics are only available as basic data, like play counts. In terms of analytics, only play counts are available, with no impressions and play distinction.
Ad Length Restrictions: Depends on 3rd-Party cookies
Skippable: Depends on the video player
Audio and Display: Only for external ad players
Billing Mode: Limited tracking data
Facebook pre-roll ads are all about making an impression in the shortest time possible. Rise of search-based video discovery allows the ad to make an impression without overstaying. With the main goal to shift users from feed to focus, these ads are of limited duration but have optimized ad placements.
Ad Length Restrictions: <6 Seconds
Skippable: Not Allowed
Audio and Display: Appears in Watch tab, Page timelines and search
Billing Mode: CPM model
How to Monetize Pre-Roll ads on your Website or Apps
Being an essential revenue stream for publishers and a powerful tool for advertisers, you need to get the technology right and build a content infrastructure that stands out for its ability to capture attention instantly and generate leads. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to put pre-roll video ads on your app or website:
Step 1: To run video ads smoothly, you will probably need a video player that supports all types of ad integrations for seamless playback across devices. Here are some other pointers you can verify to check video player ad-serving capabilities:
- Has built-in support for VAST/ VPAID tags
- Compatibility with major ad networks
- Supports customizable layouts and fast load times
Step 2: Choose a monetization platform, if possible, find one that offers its own video player to create a smooth sync between content and ads. Additionally, check out built-in analytics features, liberty management tools and ensure ad fill rates.
Step 3: To run pre-roll “video” ads, you will need to have video content, not just pages and images. Moreover, if you don’t own a video asset, you can:
- Use outstream ads for non-video content like articles
- For in-stream ads, you can lease a video library
- Plug editorial videos into relevant pages.
Now that we have understood the pre-roll ads infrastructure, let’s move on to what can help you to drive performance as per current trends, i.e. best practices for creating effective pre-roll ads.
Best Practices to Watch out for Pre-Roll Ads
Pre-roll ads have moved beyond the ad length, CTA placements, and audience targeting. We have curated a small list of best practices to watch out for Pre-Roll Ads. These practices can make ads unskippable in the right way:
1. Master Retargeting
Pre-roll ads are a great way to get seen as they play right before the video the user wants to watch. These ads can help you retarget users who have shown some interest in the past but did not take any action. To run a successful retargeted pre-roll ads campaign, you can:
- First, divide your audience based on their previous interaction, like watching the ad but not clicking or visiting the product page.
- Make sure that the user does not see the same ad again and again. You can try different angles like offering a discount, showing a testimonial, etc.
- To avoid ad fatigue, you can limit how often someone is exposed to the ad.
2. Power-Packed 5 seconds
Even though a pre-roll ad can stretch up to 60 seconds, the first 5 seconds should set up the interest and deliver a message that actually sticks. Now, if the user decides to stay for the full ad or skip after a glance, you are done with the hard part, and that is making an impression.
So, make the opening bold, use punchy language and try to deliver value through your messaging.
3. Trigger Autoplay
Enabling auto-play allows them to play the moment a user opens your website or app, without requiring any clicks. This increases overall ad exposure and impression volume, which can boost your ad revenue. However, keep in mind that most browsers and mobile devices will only allow auto-play if the video is muted by default. Ensure your setup complies with this standard to avoid playback issues.
4. Use Playlists
When it comes to serving more of these ads, playlists are a smart move. The idea is straightforward: more videos mean more chances to show ads. If a visitor stays on your site or app to watch more than one video, you unlock extra ad slots and boost impressions. Thoughtfully curated playlists keep users engaged longer and improve the chances of ad visibility. But not just any playlist will do. It’s important to group videos that are related by topic, style, or audience interest.
Key Takeaways (Quick Summary)
- Video Ads are short video ads playing before user-selected content, designed for instant engagement. They are crucial because they offer immediate attention from viewers, which is vital for both publishers seeking monetization and advertisers aiming for real user traction.
- Pre-roll ads are in-stream video advertisements (15-60 seconds, often 5-second skippable) that play before desired content. Their core purpose is to immediately hook attention.
- Pre-roll ads come in three main types, defined by length and user interaction. Non-skippable (must-watch, pay-per-view) guarantees full attention. Skippable ads offer a 5-second skip option. Bumper ads are 6-second, non-skippable, and are ideal for high-frequency branding
- Advertisers enjoy high-intent conversions by quickly showcasing brand messages to targeted audiences through pre-roll ads. They lead with visibility, planting memorable seeds for future action, and are highly interactive with clickable links and surveys.
- To monetize pre-roll ads, publishers need a robust video player supporting VAST/VPAID tags and major ad networks.
- To make pre-roll ads truly unskippable for maximum impact, you can try smart retargeting to avoid ad fatigue, deliver value-driven 5-second hooks, and optimize placement via auto-play and playlists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pre-roll ads are great for promoting a product or service, but they’re not the only way to use video to grab attention. Outstream video ads offer another option. These videos play automatically in a large format on a webpage, even if there’s no video content. You’ll often see them inside articles, and they usually start playing when someone scrolls past them. If the video moves out of view, it pauses automatically.
Pre-roll ads are short video commercials that pop up automatically right before you get to watch the content you’ve chosen. These ads usually run for about 6 to 30 seconds and you’ll spot them on all sorts of platforms, like social media, video streaming services, and even on your smart TV.
Pre-roll ads appear right at the start of a user-selected video, making it highly likely that users will hear them before diving into the main content. On the other hand, mid-roll ads are inserted midway through, typically during a natural pause or shift in the topic, by offering a smooth transition into the promotional message without disrupting the flow.
