This article presents some advanced optimizations for VAST, VPAID, Google IMA, outstream video ads for the best HTML5 video player on the market which integrates all of them.
I’ve thoroughly covered in another article why it’s a must-have for monetizing with online video ads to have a VAST/VPAID compliant video player. I’ve also covered how Varrando integrates and optimizes ad serving from Google DFP and outstream. If this is a somewhat new topic for you, maybe a short recap to my introductory articles would be helpful: https://varrando.com/best-html5-online-video-player-for-video-ads-monetization-review/
So, in this article, I want to give you the special, behind the scene, sneak peeks Varrando ad serving optimizations. No general introductory, no acronyms explaining. Just some of Varrando special sauces. And why Varrando has the most advanced ad engine on the market. Beyond just compliance for VAST, VPAID, Google IMA or outstream video ads.
Well, as much as can be covered in an article, anyway. For the whole implementation I’d need a series.
I. Varrando instream video player secret sauce for VAST/VPAID ad serving
Varrando instream video player offers some neat tricks to make the ad serving process more straightforward. Starting with…
1. Smallest video player on the market
Unlike most video players, Varrando doesn’t have external dependencies and libraries to make the final player size even larger. Only ~70KB for everything: ads, video content, skins, playlist, etc.
This means an extremely fast execution and load time. As such, users do not abandon videos. This, in turn, results in a lot more ad impressions and reduced CDN costs.
2. Advanced pre-roll optimizations
Often times VAST responses get into VPAID wrappers re-directs. This causes a slow loading time for the (eventually) served pre-roll. Such a scenario causes viewers to abandon content altogether. Not only does this harm user experience, it also leaves advertisers with no impression served.
Varrando optimized this by allowing the video content (i.e.:cat playing piano) to load during the “ad searching” process. Thus keeping the viewer happy and engaged. When Varrando ad engine “finds” the pre-roll, it pauses the piano cat, plays the pre-roll ad, then resumes the piano cat video content. Viewers are still on your page and impressions are served. Win-win.
3. Schedule video ads in stream (similar to YouTube)
Ads on the Stream. We believe this to be the holy grail of scheduling. You will not target ads for each video, but for all of your videos at once. You can choose to serve ads at 20s, 60s, 90s, across all the video inventory on your entire website. Be it playlists, or separate videos on separate pages. YouTube has a similar ad serving model.
4. Viewability and brand safety protection
There are two ways a good video player can control the ad behavior for a smooth user experience. Through timeouts and through limits. Control granular ad timeouts, max VAST Wrappers, max pod length, restrict creative types, capping, etc.
Ultimately, increased engagement for content means ad revenue increase.
II. Varrando outstream video player secret sauce for VAST/VPAID ad serving.
Isn’t it nice that every type of publisher can now monetize with online video ads? Luckily, Varrando offers this option as well, through its outstream video player. Here are a few “behind the scenes” benefits of this new industry darling. Starting with…
1. Autoplay supported
Browsers change policies quite often. It’s easy to get lost and have outdated implementations that no longer correspond. Mobile “autoplay” is one such example. Varrando outstream video player always keeps up with browser changes. As such, Varrando outstream video player supports mobile autoplay.
2. Integration with Google ads
Outstream formats are amazing for monetizing any type of content. And Google DFP is a good ad source. Varrando supports IMA SDK which is ideal for AdX and Ad Sense.
So, now publishers can benefit from increased CPM from video ads, increased CPM from outstream ad formats (due to viewability), and better fill rate from Google DFP.
(Side-note: Yes, Varrando does offer the same IMA compliance for its in-stream video player.)
3. Complete tracking for ad events, player events, error events
Know how your player is doing at every step. Varrando outstream video player tracks ad events, player events, error events. Monitor events for: loaded, ended, impression, creativeView, start, firstQuartile, midpoint, thirdQuartile, complete, closeLinear, skip, pause, exitFullscreen, click, playerReady, playerResize, fullscreenChanged, replay, playerClose, playerStop, tagRequest, load errors, play errors, etc.
Conclusions
Varrando instream and outstream video players are developed in HTML5. The few mentions of this article don’t fully cover all of Varrando advanced features for video ad serving. For instance, Varrando has video header bidding (client-side) included in both video players. I haven’t mentioned it during the course of this article, as I covered its benefits on other occasions.
But, to resume. Technology, if done right, can really improve the ad serving process. And still take care of viewability and brand safety.
So, if you’re curios to test the only solution on the market that has instream player for content & ads, player for outstream ads, IMA integration, VPAID component to integrate with any 3rd party ad server AND Video Header Bidding client-side for both players, visit our website: https://varrando.com
P. S. We even have live demos and such. Do try!
As always, Happy Campaigning!
