How to Optimize Sponsored Brand Video Ad Performance With New View Metrics

Posted by Jimi Patel | October 25, 2021

Advertisers can now better optimize your video ad campaigns. Amazon has introduced video view metrics that make it easy to understand how shoppers engage and interact with your video ads. Using these campaigns can help you get a holistic view of the video ad campaign performance.

Along with generic metrics like impressions, clicks, CTR, CPC, ACOS, spend and sales, video ads will also show the following metrics:

1) The ‘percent of views’ metrics

The ‘percent of views’ metrics (video first quartile, video midpoint, video third quartile, video complete) provide insight into how long the video in a given campaign was viewed by the end customer. It can help advertisers identify whether or not the content truly resonated with the viewers. They can also optimize a certain part of the video where most customers decide to keep scrolling and continue their product search.

  • Video first quartile = The number of impressions where the video was viewed to 25%.
  • Video midpoint = The number of impressions where the video was viewed to 50%.
  • Video third quartile = The number of impressions where the video was viewed to 75%.
  • Video complete = The number of impressions where the video was viewed to 100%.

2) Cost per thousand views (vCPM)

Cost per thousand views can be used to gain insight into the reach of your Sponsored Brand video ad campaign and is a key metric to track when measuring progress on brand/product awareness goals.

3) Interaction metrics

Interaction metrics include view-through-rate, detailed page views, and unmute. These can be used to gather information on how well the content drove a desired action from the customer.

  • View-through rate = (views/impressions).
  • Detail page views mean the number/percentage of shoppers that clicked on your ad and visited the detail page.
  • Unmute = The number of impressions where a shopper unmuted the video.

A quick introduction to video ads

Sponsored Brand Video Ads

  • Sponsored Brand Video Ads are a part of Sponsored Brand Ads ad they were launched in 2020 with the intention to boost brand visibility.
  • Just like other Amazon Sponsored Ad types, video ads are keyword targeted, pay-per-click ads.
  • Video ads show up on search result pages and begin playing automatically on mute, with an option to unmute.
  • Video ads can be redirected to product detail pages

Why is it essential to add video ads to the mix?

  • 79% of shoppers would prefer seeing a video to understand about the product than read the product description text.
  • According to HubSpot, 72% of the shoppers would learn about a product/service by watching its video.
  • 90% of the customers state that video influences their purchase decision.
  • Conversion rate of a landing page increases by 80% when a video is present on the page.

Videos are not only promoting engagement, but they’re also highly memorable for the shoppers. The brand recall for video ads is the highest and they are said to have scroll stopping powers.

Who can use a video and where can you use it?

Detail page Sponsored Brand Ads EBC/A+ Page A++ Page/ Premium A+ Content
Brand registered sellers Yes Yes No Yes
Non brand registered sellers Yes No No Yes
Vendors Yes No No Yes

In short, sellers or vendors can add a video on their product detail page, but only brand registered sellers can add a video in their Sponsored Brand Video ad campaigns.

Types of video you can use

Sponsored Brand Video ad campaigns

  • Informative: Help customers understand why your product is better than the competitors. Focus on your unique selling points instead of nitty-gritty product features. (eg: “10.5 WXh-200 camera battery with optimized v10 core).
  • Inspiring: If you are selling a 1-gallon hydration bottle, create something that motivates the shoppers to get up and complete their drink their 13 glasses of water per day. Instead of listing out of 100s of product features, just focus on connecting with your shoppers emotionally.
  • Brand focused: Show customers how your brand is different, tell your brand story and ethics.
  • Beauty shots: Grab shopper’s attention by showcasing captivating images or HD shots of your product.

Tips for creating videos that compel the shoppers to stop scrolling

#1: Define your goals

Before creating video for your Sponsored Brand Video campaigns, define your campaign objective and tailor your message and creatives accordingly.

  • If your goal is to generate brand awareness, your video should focus on your brand ethics and it should describe your brand story. The video should build an emotional connection between shoppers and the product.
  • If your goal is to increase consideration of the product, it should completely focus on the product and highlight the key differentiators of the product.

#2: Your video should highlight the following things

  1. Why is the product important for the shoppers?
  2. How does this product add value to a shopper’s life?
  3. What are the USPs of the product?

Avoid adding unnecessary fluff, or you will end up losing the customer. Whether your goal is to tell your brand story or educate your customers about the product, try to keep it short. Save descriptive information for the listing content, images and Amazon Enhanced Brand Content.

#3: Create a 15-30 second video (MAX)

Your video should end between 15-30 seconds. Your product should appear within the first two seconds of the video. Display your product function/benefit in the first five seconds.

#4: Include a call to action and your brand logo

Your logo should appear at the beginning or end of the video. Videos in Sponsored Brand Video ads run on a loop, so make sure to add an ending card and allow for some breathing time. Do add a call to action like, “learn more” or “see details” or “know more about the product.” Adding a call to action at the end of video ads has shown to greatly improve conversion as it encourages customers to click and explore about the product.

#5: Optimize for mobile

A lot of your customers will view the ad on mobile. If you are letting them pinch and zoom on the screen just to see your product or read the captions, you are, in a way, telling them to keep scrolling. To ensure that the text can be easily read, Amazon recommends using Helvetica or a similar sans-serif font at a minimum size of 75 pt or 80 px. Display the text in a white or black overlay box to make it easier to read, even if the background is cluttered. When it comes to text, always remember, less is more. Use smaller sentences of three to four words that are easier to digest and understand for your customers. This is not the right place to fill in the space with bulky paragraphs.

#6: Make sure your video is still relevant when mute

Video ads run on mute with customer-initiated-on-click audio. Therefore, it is recommended to add easy-to-read captions to your ad. Even if you are conveying information using an on-screen actor or voiceover, do add captions so that your shoppers don’t miss any important details.

Make the most of video ads on Amazon

The new metrics give insights beyond total clicks and sales; they provide visibility into how shoppers are viewing your ad, how much of the video they are watching, and so much more. These additional viewability and engagement metrics help brands better analyze their content, improve video creatives and adjust bids. Analyzing the campaign metrics and optimizing PPC campaigns is a continuous process. If you need any help with your sponsored ad video ad campaigns strategy and execution, reach out to our Amazon consultants.

Published by Jimi Patel

Jimi Patel, is a Co-founder and CEO at eStore Factory, an Amazon SPN certified agency that serves as a one-stop solution for all your Amazon business needs. Having helped countless brands increase sales and grow their footprint on Amazon, Jimi provides the most practical and effective solutions for your business. He is highly skilled in developing and executing plans that align with your specific business goals and objectives. When not working, Jimi enjoys practicing yoga and traveling to new places. He is an avid reader and enjoys staying up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in the e-commerce industry.

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