Mobile Video Is Evolving. Here’s What You Need to Know.

Mobile video has has taken over modern advertising in a blaze. The problem is that most people are doing it wrong.

The Mobile Marketing Association states that 75 percent of mobile video ads occur in-app. eMarketer tells us that mobile video ad spending is going to reach $1.5 billion by the end of this year. And Facebook just released a report that cites 1 billion video views on its site every day.

These statistics explain why so many companies are jumping on the video bandwagon.

More brands than ever are connecting with consumers through Instagram and Vine, where they create catchy campaigns like #lowesfixinsix. Some brands are moving beyond that. In August, Twitter announced promoted video, enabling brands to advertise on its site with a new medium. Earlier this month, Spotify followed suit when it introduced its own video ads.

But it turns out that following the pack isn’t always such a great idea.

All these brands hope to engage with users and add a little pick-me-up to their marketing strategy. Their idea makes sense. Target users based on basic demographic info, like gender, age and location, and hope the ad is relevant enough to make them click. They focus on impressions.

What if marketers could take things a step further?

Lumping users into boxes based on vague information isn’t novel. Marketers often pitch ads to a group of people – even though only a small portion of those people may be interested. Instead, marketers should target users on a more advanced level. They should reach users in a way that targets not only who they are according to a generic demographic box, but targets their behavior. For mobile video, marketers should begin by accessing users by the mood they’re in and by apps they use.

Enter the opportunity for brands to tell stories that appeal to emotion. When brands accomplish this through video, they can reward users in more than one way.

Videos should reach users on a much more advanced level. Begin by connecting users with relevant content at exactly the right time. When brands target “achievement moments,” they engage with users during periods of positive valence, or when they’re experiencing in-app excitement. Brands that reach users during achievement moments are more successful.

Videos should accomplish several key criteria for marketers.

1. Videos should be non-intrusive

Videos shouldn’t interrupt the user experience. Rather than automatically playing, create a video that plays after an achievement, and offers users a reward for taking the time to watch the content. This turns the moment into a transaction between users and advertisers. For instance, when a video appears in between levels of a mobile game, the user could receive extra in-app currency. Videos should remain entirely optional, so advertisers know they are reaching a receptive audience with each view.

2. Videos should have advanced targeting capabilities

Videos must target users in a more specific way than demographics – they should target by relevancy. If a user wins a level of a mobile zombie game, for instance, they could watch a trailer for The Walking Dead instead of a generic advertisement. The Walking Dead could then celebrate the moment by offering a reward, such as in-app currency for the user’s zombie-busting move. Videos ought to be catered to users based on their recent behavior and interests, increasing user desire to watch the ad.

3. Videos should understand emotion

Videos need to communicate that brands are human, and that they can celebrate a moment at the right time, with the right content. Introduce users to beauty brands when they’re using makeover apps. Treat them to athletic gear after logging a workout in a fitness app. Videos should do more than merely prove that a brand exists. They should enable brands to engage users with content that anticipates their needs.

Kiip’s newest product, Rewarded Video, was introduced as the first instance of video that targets moments, via Kiip’s Moments Targeting technology. Brands are assured their content is delivered at the optimal time, to the optimal audience. With Rewarded Video, the video serves the reward – not the other way around – by targeting moments rather than impressions.

At Kiip, we created mobile video our way. We took a current ad format and tailored it to a new era of targeting.

So far, Rewarded Video maintains a 77 percent view-through rate with audiences. Brands don’t have to follow the pack to succeed. They just have to make the experience richer.

To learn more about Kiip Rewarded Video, visit kiip.me/brands.