Key Points

  • Video ads can drive CPMs that far exceed what display ads can provide.
  • Many publishers are understandably interested in video ads, but few know how or where to get started.
  • You have several options, and Playwire has created a solution that provides the best of every available video advertising tool.

Think of your current CPMs for display advertising. Now, multiply that by 13. That's how much one publisher increased their CPMs when they started doing video.

Is your heart racing a little? It's normal. That's the feeling most publishers get when they start thinking about the potential behind video ad monetization. 

If you're thinking about monetizing your content with video advertising, you're on the right track to increasing your revenue. But there's more than one way to monetize with video ads, and if you're like most publishers, you want the way that's best.

That's what this whole article is about. Read on to learn everything you need to know.

Here's the TL;DR: Playwire has built the best method for video ad monetization. Contact us to find out more.

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The Guide to Video Ads for Web + App Publishers

How Video Ad Monetization Works

Want the 30,000-foot view of how video ad monetization works? It's like this: 

  • You connect your website or app with demand from advertisers or agencies who would like to get their video ads in front of your users. 
  • You install a video player capable of receiving and displaying video ads on your website or app. 
  • When users initiate an impression on your platform, the video player initiates a call for a video ad unit, and (usually) a programmatic auction takes place.
  • The winning bid gets to serve their video ad to your user.

That's one auction, and this can happen many thousands of times per day, depending on the size of your audience. And while there is a ton of variation in this process, involving all kinds of different technology and techniques, the primary exchange is always some form of you selling impressions you're generating on your premium content to buyers who have ads to show.

Ways to Monetize with Video Ads

Within the basic framework of video ad monetization, there are dozens of approaches, techniques, and processes to try out as you attempt to maximize your ad revenue. Here are some of those considerations:

Video Header Bidding

By this point, most publishers are pretty familiar with the basics of programmatic advertising. They apply as much to video advertising as they do to display advertising. 

Similarly, innovation in programmatic advertising - header bidding - applies to video advertising, too. And it's a potential game-changer for your revenue.

Video header bidding is a reimagining of the typical programmatic auction. The user still unknowingly initiates a call for bids, and bidders still make their bids just as they would in a typical waterfall auction, but they are blind to the other bids, and all bid simultaneously. 

Then, the best bid - not the first acceptable bid - wins the day. And the publisher gets the maximum revenue.

If you're going to do video advertising at any kind of scale, header bidding is a must if you're interested in actually maximizing your revenue.

Video Ad Network

While video header bidding is exciting, the old tried-and-true methods are still important in the broader ecosystem of demand for your video inventory. That's a fancy way of saying don't forget video ad networks.

These networks buy video impressions from publishers and resell them to buyers. They're a consistent way to sell unsold impressions so you never have an ad request go unfilled, but they don't always confer the same CPM benefits as other forms of video ad monetization.

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Direct Sales

Direct sales are the secret weapon for some of the publishers with the highest revenue in the world. That's because advertisers will pay unbelievable premiums for direct-sold inventory when it comes from well-known publishers who have a direct line to desirable audiences.

In-Video and Standalone Video Player ads

The other question to answer when it comes to video ad monetization is where you're going to place the ads. That may seem obvious to you right away: in a video player. 

You're not wrong. But that video player can be used to play video content that you then monetize with ads, or you can use it as a standalone player for video ads, usually embedded somewhere in your content.

The Best Video Monetization Method for Publishers

So, which method is the best method? That's a hard question to answer - mostly because picking just one means you lose the benefits of the others. That's why Playwire has worked so hard to build an all-in-one solution that provides the best of all video ad monetization methods.

We built a lightweight and powerful video player. We create vertical-specific video content you can monetize with ads. We build eye-catching and extremely valuable video ad units. And we connect you with premium demand for your video ad inventory via a highly evolved video header bidding network.

It's a rare moment in ad tech when you get all the good stuff and none of the bad. But that's why we're so proud of what we've built. We're proud to say ours is the best video ad monetization method for publishers.

Ready for More Revenue?

It's this simple: Video ad monetization unlocks higher CPMs. At least, that's true when you do it the right way.

Playwire is the right way. Our video monetization platform is purpose-built to solve the many problems video advertising can create for publishers. The result? Sky-high yield that is going to raise all kinds of eyebrows at your next quarterly meeting.

If you're ready for more ad revenue, you're ready to reach out to Playwire. We built our platform to amplify revenue for publishers like you. We're ready to show you how it works and get you started. Contact us online today.

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