Many factors play a role in determining the success of video viewability. By carrying out only videos that are 100% viewable, advertisers can ensure their ads are seen and have an impact on the public. By doing this, in return they enhance their return on investment.
A video ad is viewable when at least 50% of the ad’s pixels are visible on a screen for at least 2 seconds.
State of Video Ad Viewability
The average viewability of video ads not including YouTube is 54%. For YouTube video viewability for web across devices and apps is significantly higher at 91%. The thing about YouTube is that ads that are not viewable but are still audible which impacts brand lift.
Research shows that users who are exposed to YouTube ads that are only heard and not seen had 33.1% more ad recall compared to those who didn’t experience the ads at all.
Device Matters
Video ads are significantly more viewable on mobile and tablet devices than on desktop. Researchers found that desktop viewership is at 53%, mobile is 83% and tablet is at 81% none of these including YouTube viewership.
The world is moving to mobile devices very quickly! At YouTube over half of all views now come from mobile outlets. On mobile devices across both web and app, YouTube exhibits an even higher viewability at 94%.
Why Ads Aren’t Viewable
So you are probably wondering what happens to the ads that are not viewable?
- 76% of non-viewable ads were never on screen.
- They were in a background tab or not on the screen at all.
- 24% of non-viewable ads were scrolled off-screen or abandoned in fewer than two seconds.
Player Size Matters!
Amongst the most popular video players across the web, large player sizes are more viewable. The goal of ads are to be seen by the public meaning that creators must create a viewable impression that is easy to see without clicking around or sitting very small and to the side of a page.
Location, Location, Location!
Page position plays a large role on how high or low viewability will be of a certain ad. The more prominent the position, the more viewable the ad. There are two positions that ads are typically places in:
Horizontal. This is where the ad is centered and most viewable to people.
Verticle. This is where the ad is located on the top of the page making it most viewable.
So ask yourself, really and truly are your video ads making an impression?