Video Ads All the Rage

Google launched a video ad option for AdWords this week and it is meeting with mixed reviews. Some Internet marketing types have been hailing video as the next coming of riches (they missed the blog thing so now they are trying to grab for the next train.)

One sign that this is still a test in the Google land is that they are not offering video ads on their own properties, which, from an advertising standpoint, severely limits the effective reach. Here are Google’s example video ads

I think video on the web and in ads will be valuable to some and a time consuming distraction for others.

Video is just another form of communication.

Having said that, for any communication (ad) to be effective, it must be done well. When someone sticks a camera in your face and you talk about your product you may actually do more damage to the trustability factor than if you stuck to the written word.

Video can add excitement, but it can also add distraction. Video can help get your story started, but it can also discourage click through.

For now, video is still tough to for the average Joe AOL to consume properly.

My thoughts on video on the web mirror my thoughts on most marketing tactics.

Use it wisely, use it well, integrate it with your other marketing tactics, test it and keep an eye on developing ways to employ it. But, don’t count on riding the video wave to riches.

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Posted by: John Jantsch on Jun 02, 06 | 1:01 pm
Category: Advertising | Tags:

View Comments
  • I like this idea. Some internet sites resemble more and more TV programs and not newspapers and magazines as before. So, google just helps them to move in this direction.
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    the new video content and adsense is getting great reviews, there are great articles on this new area of driving traffic to your site - it can be found at http://www.loihuynh.com/internet_marketing_ebook it has lots of quality content and free online ebooks and tools

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  • Andy
    I agree that video ads can be really distracting. However there is a new alternative product that seems really user friendly called Intellitext video recently launched by Vibrant Media. Intellitext ads appear within the text of the web page copy instead of having a video play on the side of the page. The video ad units are identified with double-underlines. When a user puts their mouse over a highlighted word, a short video ad unit appears. The user can stop the audio and video by moving their mouse away from the ad unit.



    Here’s an example – http://www.vibrantmedia.com/advertisers/intellitxt.asp



    Click-through rates for these types of video ads should be higher than other ad units since the user expressed interest in the topic by mousing over the word. This seems less distracting since the user has more control over when the video plays.
  • It's good to hear you say these things John, as so many people are endlessly chasing the next "big" thing.

    A comprehensive, multifaceted approach to marketing is the key to online success, not looking for any one thing alone to do it.

    Hopefully marketers looking at these thoughts will take it to heart.
  • Video on a web page is distracting (as is any moving object), and one has to force one's self to tune it out... to the extent that this tuning out can become learnt behaviour, video marketers beware...
  • Hi John I agree with you Some people will like it and others won't. I might take a look at this.
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