We’re more than halfway through 2018 and channel updates for their video features and ads are humming along. Though some people called 2017 the year of video, it’s hard to argue that 2018 may be the “Year of Video: Round 2.”
If you have missed out on the who, what, when and where of video updates so far this year, don’t fret. Here is a quick rundown of what you should know.
In-Stream Messenger Ads
After introducing the option to advertise within the Messenger app last year, Facebook has recently announced their plans to include in-stream video ads to the app.
Five to fifteen second video ads in the Facebook Messenger app began rolling out June 18. If your account doesn’t have access yet, keep checking back.
IGTV
I have loved Instagram for a while now. Instagram introduced a long-form video feature called IGTV on June 20. This new app will compete with YouTube and Snapchat and allow creators to produce 4K vertical and full-screen videos that can be longer than Instagram’s previous videos which could only be 60 seconds.
According to Business Insider, IGTV won’t have ads at its launch, but will likely be added later on.
Updates to Promoted Video
Promoted Video on Pinterest has been around for a couple of years, but new 16:9 and 1:1 formats were recently announced. These formats are still in beta for larger brands but should roll out to all advertisers before the end of 2018. Here’s to hoping it rolls out sooner rather than later so that it can be utilized in holiday advertising.
YouTube
Outstream Video Ads
We told you about this new video type in May, but these mobile-targeted ads are meant to reach users across the Google video partner network. These ads appear within content and are muted until the user clicks the ad. This ad type allows video advertisers the ability to reach users beyond YouTube.
New Tools for Storytelling
These new options were just announced at the Cannes Lions Festival and are quite exciting.
Video Experiments
This AdWords testing feature will allow advertisers to run experiments to measure key metrics such as awareness, consideration, purchase intent and more. This feature is expected to launch in beta later this month.
Video Creative Analytics
This feature will allow advertisers the ability to annotate key moments in videos, like specific product shots or logos, and report on what portion of your audience saw these key moments in your ads.
Director Mix and Video Ad Sequencing
This is one feature we’re the most excited about! Director Mix is the ability to create multiple variations of the same video with swappable text, image, sound and other video elements for testing. Video Ad Sequencing will allow advertisers to tell a brand story through ads in a specific order.
YouTube Director On-Site
This feature allows YouTube advertisers the chance to work with a professional (and YouTube vetted) filmmaker to create a video. The only requirement is that you spend $350 in advertising on YouTube. It is only available in specific regions right now. We have all the details here.
YouTube Reach Planner Beta
This tool is similar to Google’s Keyword Planner but for Youtube and Google’s video partners. It’s available in 50 countries and allows advertisers to see breakdowns of ad types, identifies audiences and see key metrics such as reach and frequency.
This product was announced in April 2018, but is currently still in beta as of publication. More information is available here.
Custom Intent Audiences
This audience feature, announced in March 2018, can help advertisers reach users who search on Google in YouTube. This highly targeted audience type is available in the new Google UI. We have the whole how-to process on Custom Intent Audiences.
Video Ads
After a while in beta, video for Sponsored Content (and Company Pages) was announced by LinkedIn in late March 2018. Advertisers even have the option to add a lead gen form at the end of their video or a call to action button. LinkedIn has a slew of how-tos, guides and tips on their Marketing Solutions site.
Native Video
Reddit first rolled out video ads in August 2017, but announced native video ads for all platforms in mid-June. These ads are available on a cost per view basis (which is an update from the previous CPM model). The in-feed native video ads also autoplay. Advertisers are able to leverage the upvote and downvote engagement capabilities that are the typical means of engagement on Reddit.
In-Stream Video Ads
Also in mid-June, Twitter announced In-Steam Video Ads for all advertisers (including self-serve customers) in 12 markets. Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, India, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Spain, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States.
For advertisers who are looking for a way to create quality video ads but lack time, experience, resources or insights, you can leverage Twitter’s Fuel Team through your Twitter representative.
Conclusion
So far in 2018, there have been a lot of changes and additions to video advertising. We’re excited to see what the last half of the year will hold.
If you liked this post, you may be interested in our BIG List of Video Ad Specs.
What video advertising feature would you like to see updated next? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
