Longer Video Ads Are More Effective For Mobile, Study Finds
- by Colin Kirkland , February 22, 2023
In a new report, mobile marketing platform Liftoff finds that longer video ads have proven more effective than their shorter counterparts, with mobile user acquisition managers seeing performance gains with videos between 31 and 60 seconds long.
Liftoff says its report analyzed nearly 1 trillion impressions across 24.5 billion clicks and 240 million installs between the start of 2022 and the beginning of 2023.
“Our attention spans may be short, but longer mobile video ads have proven effective at catching users' attention,” the company states.
On average, brands saw up to 50% higher conversions with longer videos compared to shorter ones. As a result, mobile user acquisition managers are adding longer videos of up to 60 seconds to their ad creative arsenal.
The findings highlight the ability of longer video ads to tell fuller stories and showcase what the app can do, which proves attractive to audiences.
“Mixing and matching your existing video ads is a quick and easy way to create top-performing long-form video ads,” the report states. “You can showcase eye-catching features that leave the viewer curious about the app and eager to try it.”
For mobile gamers especially, Liftoff says that long-form video ads allow advertisers to demonstrate how “deep” their game is by showcasing multiple game mechanics, calling it a “really big advantage.”
In addition, Liftoff tells advertisers interested in making longer videos to combine sections from multiple shorter videos into one longer video ad, which could be budget-friendly and save time compared to making longer video ads from scratch.
The same is true of TV. If you can get a consumer to watch a 60-second commercial you will get a much better response than you obtain with a "30" and even more than a "15" . The problems are the much higher time cost of the longer ad message, the availability---or lack, thereoff, of suitable commercial placements and, most important, getting the viewer to watch in the first place. These trade-offs need to be evaluated for any form of "TV" ---mobile, included. In the case of traditional TV the decision was made long ago by all but the direct marketers, that short---a combination of "15s" and "30s"--- is better in terms of ROI.