Bumper Ads: Impactful in Six Seconds

A bumper ad is a short, six-second video that viewers cannot skip. These ads typically play at the beginning of a YouTube video. This means that in order for the user to watch their selected YouTube video, they must first watch the bumper advertisement.  

Brands can create bumper video ad campaigns in Google Ads by clicking “New Campaign” and selecting the video campaign type. Bumper ads use target cost-per-thousand impressions, or CPM, which means the company will pay every time the ad is shown a thousand times. Thankfully, brands have the ability to set their own budget and target CPM bid when creating their bumper ads.  

Are bumper ads effective?

Many brands write bumper ads off as a waste of time, but in reality, these short clips are a powerful way to drive brand reach and increase awareness. 

Bumper ads are the perfect alternative to longer, skippable video advertisements. A majority of users are so skilled at ignoring online ads, it has almost become like second nature to them. This is especially true for lengthy video advertisements. 

Rather than watching a 30 second or minute-long video ad, users will simply turn their attention to something else while the ad plays. Some users even take it as far as to mute their desktop computers or smartphones until the advertisement is over. 

The short length of bumper ads are not only able to hold the viewer’s attention, but can also boost brand awareness. This is due to the fact that bumper ads show countdown timers to signify the length of the video. Since the video is only six seconds or less, the user does not have any time to turn their attention to something else. Instead, they will watch the video in its entirety, leaving the user with a memorable brand interaction and message. 

How many bumper ads should I use?

In order to get the most out of your bumper ads, it is best practice to use multiple videos rather than one single ad. Using a group of short videos gives brands the opportunity to tell a much larger story. In each ad, explore a different side of your message. 

If you are trying to showcase a specific product, a series of five bumper videos would give you 30 seconds to build a complete picture of the product. This might include videos highlighting the product’s purpose, giving a demonstration, featuring a customer testimonial, answering a frequently asked question, or highlight a unique feature. 

Regardless of the goal, you are trying to accomplish, it is important that all of the bumper video ads are aligned in their purpose and messaging. Despite only being six seconds long, it is easy for one of the videos to get lost in the shuffle. 

Can bumper ads be used on their own?

Each of these short videos works in tandem to gives users just the right amount of information to decide whether or not the product is right for them. If the user has a better understanding of the product, they are more likely to buy the product. 

It is also a good idea to combine bumper ads with additional digital marketing efforts. By using various formats and platforms, brands will be able to fully accomplish their overall marketing goal. 

For example, if you are completing a larger social media campaign, use bumper ads to highlight and supplement the most important parts of the campaign messaging.

Should bumper ads be targeted?

As with most ad campaigns, brands need to carefully target their bumper video advertisements. Without a target audience, brands will end up wasting their budget by displaying ads to users that do not fit in their target audience, which means they will most likely not be interested in the brand’s products and services. 

For bumper ads, brands can set their target audience based on demographics and interests. Demographics include characteristics such as gender, age, and parental status. 

Google also builds a list of interests for each user based on their activity on Search, YouTube, and other Google services. Brands can choose specific interests they believe match with their target audience. For example, a theater company might include music, performing arts, and film as their target interests. Users with these interests are more likely to be interested in the company’s content. 

Brands can also individuals based on what they are actively researching or planning. For example, a furniture store might target users looking for interior decorating ideas.

As the bumper ad campaign continues, brands can make appropriate adjustments to their target audience to ensure maximum results and conversions. 

If you would like more information about bumper ads, need help creating a bumper video ad campaign, or other digital marketing services please contact Pink Dog Digital at (410) 696-3305, email us at info@pinkdogdigital.com, or visit us on the web at www.pinkdogdigital.com.