2. A best HTML5 online video player for video ads monetization supports outstream ads formats
Since the emerging of the new outstream ads formats, everybody can run video ad campaigns. Regardless of their type of inventory. Outstream ads are still video ads. But, unlike instream ads, they are not limited to video inventory only. They work against editorial content, games, photos, etc.; and they look amazing on mobile devices.
Besides the huge benefit of opening up all types of inventory to video ads, outstream formats have an even higher CTR rate and CPM. It’s something to do with “viewability”. Details about it here: https://varrando.com/instream-vs-outstream-video-player-varrando-sneak-peek-insights/
Buuut?
But, outstream ads are still VAST, VPAID complaint. They are the same type of responses. So, if publishers want to tap in this adjacent source of ads they still need a video player that knows how to “handle” VAST, VPAID responses.
3. A best HTML5 online video player for video ads monetization has Google IMA integration
Online publishers, regardless of their type of available inventory, need some ad sources. One powerful such ad source is made through direct deals.
However, most times, direct deals are insufficient to cover all available inventory. Alternate sources come in handy. Google is a big player on this market and, often, the first option for new comers to video monetization. It has an ad server, Google DFP. It also has a proprietary library named Google IMA that serves VAST ads.
There we go, with VAST again. Yep. Any online publisher who wants to monetize their inventory with Google DFP ads needs a video player that knows how to “handle” and integrate the Google IMA component. The draw-back with IMA is that it has a lot of issues on mobiles. Varrando engine, knows to take the IMA component and improve on all the mobile issues, while still serving DFP outstream ads.
More details here: https://varrando.com/what-is-google-ima-what-is-dfp-what-are-outstream-ads-varrando-explains/
4. A best HTML5 online video player for video ads monetization has multiple tags competition models
The savvy-folks of the online video advertising, go beyond just one ad server. Publishing networks with large follower base want to have multiple ad sources. Furthermore, they want to auction their inventory to multiple partners and match the best ad response with their most fitted inventory. This is beneficial for both publishers and advertisers.
There are two competition models usually used: waterfall and programmatic.
Waterfall calls multiple partners (or ads) in a sequential manner. First ad found is the first served. The benefit here is that if a partner returns no ads, the algorithm can move to the next partner, until an ad is served.
Programmatic or Video Header Bidding (client-side or server-side) calls all partners in the same time, has them bid for their inventory and the most expensive ad is served.
I wrote an in-depth article about benefits and details on both models: https://varrando.com/what-is-video-header-bidding-programmatic-advertising-rtb-essentials-untangled/
5. A best HTML5 online video player for ad monetization has pre-optimizations for long chains ad responses
Ahhh, latency. If, only, everybody would play nice…
Let’s get back to what happens in a multiple partners call scenario. Such a call can look like this:
image credit: https://theblog.adobe.com/15-years-of-defining-programmatic/
Notice the multiple back and forth arrows? What happens with the video player on the publisher website while the call “goes” through all the arrows in search of an ad? It remains stuck on loading. Not only does this chase away viewers, it also leaves publishers with no impression served and a lot of missed opportunities.
Now, a good video ad player, like Varrando makes some checks and pre-optimizes the call beforehand. If the call returns a long chain of partners, Varrando player plays the video content (i.e.: cat singing at piano). Such that the viewer can watch something he cares about and stay engaged. While viewer watches the pianist cat, Varrando player still makes requests for an ad. When it finds an ad response, it pauses the current cat video, plays the ads, then resumes current cat video.
Opportunities are greatly maximized and viewers are not stuck with an annoying loading screen.
6. A best HTML5 online video player for video ads monetization optimizes CDN costs for publishers
I mentioned this at the beginning of the article. There are a few ways to help reduce CDN costs for publishers.
I. Reduce player size. Varrando HTML5 video player is the smallest player on the market: ~70 KB. Unlike most other video players, Varrando has no external libraries and dependencies that make the final player size even larger. Our ad component is seamlessly integrated in the video player. That’s it. Only ~70 KB for everything you need: ads, playlists, skins, etc.
II. Pre-optimize the bandwidth on ad loading. Most video players, load a few good bytes (up to 2 MB) of video content when they load an ad. If the ad is too long, some viewers choose to leave the page altogether. Along with the extra-bytes already loaded. Thus making traffic on publishers CDNs.
Varrando checks beforehand, and serves the ad without the video content pre-loaded. If viewers are still on the page, Varrando serves the video content as well. But, if viewers choose to leave the page mid-ad, no extra-traffic is burdening the publisher.
This may not sound like much, but for big publishers with multi-million viewers, each saved byte makes a difference.
Conclusions: There you have it. Varrando in a nutshell. Well, article-shell. I kept using HTML5 as a reference, because this is the technology used to develop our online video players. Both our outstream and instream video players are highly optimized for better ad serving and publishers’ protection.
Now, we’re not saying that these will solve all problems for publishers. Producing original, relevant content, be it editorial or video, is no small endeavor. But, we can offer all these options to monetize with; and make life a little better.
As always, Happy Campaigning!
