Video makes an impression – of some sort

Good article find at E-Commerce Junkie about the value of video snippets in online ads.  You can find the article here.

According to the benchmark study from Unicast, online ads with video components continue to make a lasting impression with viewers.  What is notable in the article – which says the same thing has been going on for four quarters now – is an unusual turn of phrase: “the best chance of leaving an impression.”  Video in online ads certainly can make an impression, but is it always positive?

The best online ads pull us into the content, but are not intrusive.  They give us a way to see more on a page, but do not force us to engage.

Most of us have come across ads with video content that starts automatically and loudly tries to get us to interact with it, if only to turn it off.  If you spend enough time online, you will find video content that makes you happy to view it.  Good video content sits quietly in a corner of the site, with perhaps a quick, silent clip that plays once then stops.  No looping, no flying out, just compelling content.  If you happen to mouse over it, you have the option to expand the window and turn on the sound.  That seems to be the recipe for video content that makes a positive impression.

There is no way to make all your customer happy all the time, but if you choose to highlight video on your site, you can certainly avoid video content that is almost certain to make a lasting, negative impression.