What Is Video Advertising?
Video advertising is a paid marketing tactic that uses video content to promote products, services, or brands in an engaging way—often on social media platforms.
For example, here’s a YouTube video ad promoting software company Parallels:
Why Is Video Advertising Effective?
Video advertising is effective because it captures audience attention more powerfully than text or images.
Specifically, videos can:
- Boost recall: Viewers are 20% more likely to remember video ads compared to static ads
- Build trust: More than 90% of consumers say video quality impacts their trust in a brand
- Boost engagement: More than 80% of people use videos to learn new things
- Drive sales: Nearly 85% of marketers report increased sales from video content
Types of Video Ads
Below are the main types of video ads you can experiment with:
In-Stream Ads
In-stream ads are videos that play before, during, or after other videos on platforms like YouTube.
They come in a few forms: skippable ads, bumper ads, and non-skippable ads.
Skippable ads include a “skip” button that users can click after five seconds:
Bumper ads last up to six seconds and can't be skipped—perfect for short, memorable messages.
Non-skippable ads must be watched in full before the main video. They often run for 15 or 20 seconds (or 30 seconds on TV)
Here’s an example:
Outstream Ads
Outstream ads appear where there is no other video content, such as inside news articles or blog posts. They may autoplay when scrolled into view.
A good example is this grocery store video ad on a local news site:
Social Media Video Ads
Social media ads appear across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn and show in users’ feeds next to organic (unpaid) posts.
Like this ad on Instagram. Unlike normal posts, it has a “Sponsored” label and a “Subscribe” button.
Some social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok also offer shoppable ads that let viewers tap on items in the video to purchase them.
Native Video Ads
Videos that are native ads blend in with the surrounding content on social media, websites, or apps.
Native ads have a unique advantage: Instead of standing out as obvious ads, they fit seamlessly into what users are already watching. Which can make these ads seem more trustworthy.
For example, here’s a native ad on USA Today that merges with the news website’s style:
Over-the-Top Ads
Over-the-top (OTT) ads are similar to TV commercials and appear on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ to reach viewers during their favorite shows and movies.
These ads usually run 15-30 seconds and can't be skipped.
They're becoming more popular as many consumers have switched from cable TV to streaming services. But unlike traditional TV commercials, they allow you target specific audiences based on viewing habits and demographics.
For example, here’s a headphone ad running before a Netflix show:
Online Video Advertising Platforms
Below are the main platforms you can use to run video ads:
YouTube (Google Ads)
YouTube is a well-established player in video advertising, and you can tap into that opportunity using Google Ads.
You’ll need a Google Ads account, which is free and easy to use.
To set up your campaign, click the “+ New campaign” button and follow the steps.
In the YouTube ad targeting section, you can specify your audience based on interests, age, location, and more.
Further reading: Google Ads Campaign: Definition, Types, & Best Practices
Facebook and Instagram
Meta Ads Manager lets you create targeted video ads that reach your Facebook and Instagram audiences in their feeds, stories, reels, etc.
Getting started with Meta Ads Manager is simple. Just set up a Meta business page and create an ad account.
To create your ads, start in Meta Ads Manager and click the green "+ Create" button.
Then, choose your campaign objective (like brand awareness or sales), set your budget, choose your schedule, and target your audience based on different factors.
Next, upload your video and fill in your ad copy, headline, and call to action (CTA). Then, you can preview your ad across different placements.
Further reading: Facebook Advertising: How to Run Campaigns on Facebook
TikTok
TikTok is a newer yet very popular player in online video advertising with its own ad platform called TikTok for Business.
Videos here work best when they're short, engaging, and feel like natural TikTok content.
To create an ad, select your campaign objective (like traffic), choose targeting specifics, and upload your video:
Another option is partnering with TikTok creators for influencer marketing campaigns.
Many brands find this effective because viewers often trust content from people more than other types of digital advertising. Plus, creators already know how to make videos that resonate with a TikTok audience.
Further reading: TikTok for Business
LinkedIn is a great choice for reaching business professionals because you can target people based on job titles, company sizes, industries, seniority levels, and even specific skills.
Head to LinkedIn Campaign Manager to begin.
To create a new campaign, click the blue “Create” button and select “Campaign.”
Then, choose your objective, set up audience targeting, and upload your video.
Further reading: LinkedIn Ads: A Beginner’s Guide
5 Best Practices for Creating Effective Video Ads
Follow these five proven tactics to improve your video ads.
1. Understand Your Audience
Defining your target audience is the first step because it informs how you craft your video ads and which platform(s) you choose.
What works for teens on TikTok probably won't work for senior executives on LinkedIn.
To learn more about who you want to reach, start with audience research.
You can do this by reading industry reports, distributing surveys, and running focus groups.
To streamline the process, use Semrush’s One2Target tool.
Open the tool, enter at least one competitor’s domain, and click “Analyze.”
You’ll first see key insights about the audience, including their age, gender, and location.
In the “Behavior” tab, check the audience’s interests and which social media platforms they use most.
Notice how this audience is mostly male, aged 25-34, and active on YouTube and Facebook. This information can inform your targeting and platform choice.
2. Hook Viewers in the First 3 Seconds
Grab attention early with bold visuals and strong messaging—and mention your brand early.
For example, you can show your product or service in action, share your biggest benefits, or open with an attention-grabdomain question while viewers are most engaged.
Here's an effective example from Adobe showing the name of their brand and product from the very first second:
3. Design Ads for Mobile
Many people watch videos on their phones, so your ads need to be mobile-friendly.
To optimize for mobile viewing:
- Use a vertical format (9:16 aspect ratio) for stories and shorts
- Stick to a resolution of 1080 x 1920 for the best quality
- Keep videos short—five seconds or less
- Make easily readable on small screens
Platforms like Meta Ads Manager let you trim longer videos right in the tool, like this:
4. Always Add Subtitles
Include subtitles to ensure your message gets across to users who are watching without sound.
Over 90% of users watch videos without sound, as people browse in public, at work, or in bed—places where they can't or don't want to play audio.
There are two main ways to add captions to video ads: automatically or by creating a SubRip subtitle (SRT) file.
If you’re using Meta Ads Manager, click “Captions” after you’ve uploaded your video.
From here, you can select “Generate Automatically” or upload an SRT file.
5. Use AI to Quickly Create Quality Videos
AI-powered tools can speed up video ad production.
The AI Video Marketing Automator app makes it easy to create video ads.
Just select “AI Prompt” to create a video based on a topic.
Then, choose your video length and style (like stock footage or illustrations). You can also add a brand kit to incorporate your brand logo, tone of voice, and colors.
And click “Create Video.”
You'll see a script alongside a preview of the video. Customize what you see here to fit your needs.
Finally, export your finished video in the correct format for your chosen platform and upload it directly to your ad campaign.
Video Advertising: Your Next Marketing Move
Video ads offer a dynamic way to promote your product or service.
Getting started with video advertising doesn't have to be complicated or expensive, either.
The AI Video Marketing Automator app helps you quickly create professional videos you can use for ads.