Google is launching a new click-to-play video ad service that will operate much like its popular text-based ads. Here’s the official announcement from Google.
Michael Arrington has some good points as to why click-to-play video ads might not be as popular as online text ads, but Google is making a valid and necessary move as it expands its advertising offerings. Yes, text ads may be the most productive for many web page authors, however, in the huge world of advertising “most” still leaves a significant market. I won’t be surprised when Google launches their pay-for-play Podcast audio ads either.
Here’s the acid test: As a developer of Tablet PC software, such as InkGestures, will we create a Google video ad? Possibly. Although video production can be more expensive than that for text, Camtasia screencasts showing InkGestures in action can be very powerful. That’s why more and more sites are providing screencasts. The trick will be whether we can control successfully where the ads will appear. For us, the ads need to be focused. It also appears that the opening, placeholder image is going to be critical because the ad ends with it too. In my mind, this is too bad, I think the ending frame should be something different (as an option) that provides a further reason for the user to click on a link to go to a landing page. Maybe Google is offering this already–I don’t see it yet though.
Also, I know that Google is not a fan of visually “loud” advertising, neither am I. However, in the real world, it’s important to pay attention to what I do rather than what I say. And I have to admit that I’ve watched my share of video ads on CNet–in fact, when visiting CNet, my eye often tends to look to the right of the page to see which video ad is playing. Why? Because sometimes CNet has hosted ads I’ve been interested in. I’ve watched some Flash-based Tablet ads. I’ve watched the Apple “Im a Mac” ads. As long as the video/Flash content fits nicely into a page I don’t mind it.
Finally, I wonder if Google is going to offer leading or lagging video ads on Google Video or provide a way that they could be “inserted” ad hoc into a screencast? Makes sense to me.