• by Steve Broadhead , July 25, 2018

When it comes to picking tech vendors, publishers benefit from a varied and competitive market. But for publishers embracing the nascent video content and advertising providers, choice can be overwhelming.

With partnership proposals crowding inboxes every day, it’s worth keeping certain considerations top of mind.

1. Integration/reliability 

Integration can prove to be a hassle, especially if the partner does not dedicate enough resources to support and make the process run smoothly. 

Find a partner that can guide your first steps, assist you throughout the entire integration process and is on-call for whenever you need support. If in doubt, speak with their other clients, usually listed on their website. 

Onboarding can be a strong differentiator in this market, and can set the tone for the future relationship.

2. Quality and breadth of content

Consumers are used to high quality content; they will judge you on what you show on your site, regardless of who produced it. Ensure anyone delivering to your site demands excellence. Watch it yourself, and if you don’t like it, ditch it.

In particular look out for stitched together photos with audio. That’s not video. 

Just as important is the breadth of content. If you have pages on a wide range of topics, ensure your partner can deliver on them. Ask if their content is evergreen or fresh, although the relevance of that will depend on your content.

3. Context for user experience

Context is important, so if third party video doesn’t match your site, don’t place it there. Users are annoyed by irrelevant video.

Publishers need to get creative to really engage users. Guarded by ‘perceptual vigilance’, internet users block irrelevant content that is pushed their way. To get around this, create environments conducive to the video the page will show.

Recent research from Lumen showed how contextual video made visitors perceive a website more favorably and minimized the negative reactions to ads.

 4. Demand the right solution

Another thing to bear in mind is filling your newly created video inventory with appropriate advertising. 

Large publishers with established sales teams may be able to absorb the new video opportunities and sell themselves with the possibility of backfill support from their chosen partner. However, smaller ones without that luxury may need a complete demand solution so they can keep their eyes on what they do best.

It ultimately depends on how flexible the partner is, and how genuinely they are trying to help. Also, whether they respect floor prices, so as not to cannibalize direct sales. The right partner will work with you to achieve the correct balance.

5. Editorial approval

Video should be seen less as a money-making exercise and more as an enhancement to the page. To ensure the user experience, consult the creatives. Sit down both commercial and editorial teams and determine what is the best solution for engagement and revenue. 

For example an out-stream video ad player doesn’t add much editorially; it is interruptive and most often irrelevant. Conversely, a high quality video matched to the existing content can enhance the experience by captivating and creating a natural place for advertising. 

For too long, videos — regardless of size, quality or relevance — have been used with the sole purpose of monetization. This is understandable, since the short-term boom in advertising revenue is enticing. 

However, users are demanding a different kind of experience, and publishers need a fresh approach, more focused on the long-term. It's time to be more critical and faithfully check all the key boxes when choosing a collaborator.