Twitter experiments with autoplay video ads on iPhone and iPad apps
Twitter on Monday initiated an ad engagement test through its iOS apps that will cause sponsored video ads to automatically play on select iPhone and iPad devices in the U.S.
According to a report from Ad Age, Twitter is looking to gauge whether users are more likely to watch a video ad if it queues up and plays automatically.
"We're running a small test on a few variations on the video playback experience," Twitter said.
The experiment has two embodiments in which some users will see complete videos play in a loop, while others get a looped six-second teaser clip. Both versions are muted by default until users tap on the video, which causes the ad to expand to full size with sound.
As for ad content, an unnamed source claims test videos will be selected from Twitter's Promoted Video ads like pre-roll footage from big-name advertisers, the report said. Videos posted to Twitter's six-second video blogging app Vine app will not be featured.
Twitter is reportedly looking to replicate success in advertising enjoyed by other social networks, especially Facebook, which currently logs over three billion video views per day. A large part of Facebook's results have been attributed to autoplay videos, as users are more likely to engage with content that is already playing.
Currently, Twitter's iOS apps are "click-to-play," meaning users have to interact with the ad to see the video, with each click equaling one view. Facebook, on the other hand, calculates views on a time watched basis, with users notching a view after looking at content for at least three seconds.
According to a report from Ad Age, Twitter is looking to gauge whether users are more likely to watch a video ad if it queues up and plays automatically.
"We're running a small test on a few variations on the video playback experience," Twitter said.
The experiment has two embodiments in which some users will see complete videos play in a loop, while others get a looped six-second teaser clip. Both versions are muted by default until users tap on the video, which causes the ad to expand to full size with sound.
As for ad content, an unnamed source claims test videos will be selected from Twitter's Promoted Video ads like pre-roll footage from big-name advertisers, the report said. Videos posted to Twitter's six-second video blogging app Vine app will not be featured.
Twitter is reportedly looking to replicate success in advertising enjoyed by other social networks, especially Facebook, which currently logs over three billion video views per day. A large part of Facebook's results have been attributed to autoplay videos, as users are more likely to engage with content that is already playing.
Currently, Twitter's iOS apps are "click-to-play," meaning users have to interact with the ad to see the video, with each click equaling one view. Facebook, on the other hand, calculates views on a time watched basis, with users notching a view after looking at content for at least three seconds.
Comments
If I watch a video and an ad starts playing, I stop the ad and abandon the video. Is that a successful business model? No.
Using Twitter less and less. This might end it all together.
@ Benjamin Frost
"Is that a successful business model? No."
Yes, it is a very successful model. Check your facts Apple hater. Facebook has over taken your paymaster Google’s YouTube both in terms of number of videos viewed and in terms of number of video adverts.
Where in anything he wrote was any sort of "Apple hating," and what does any of it have to do with Facebook? There's rabid fanboys, and then there's YOU. Congratulations, I bet you're all sorts of fun.
Ahem
I completely agree regarding autoplaying ad videos. If I'm on wifi, it's annoying. If I'm on my LTE, however, that is chewing into my bandwidth cap and is highly invasive. Facebook gives us the option to disable auto play in their app settings, so if Twitter was to implement this bad idea, I would hope they extend their users the same courtesy. Autoplaying and screen stealing ads have been on the rise lately, much like the popups of old, and they're a trend that needs to die. Quickly.
And I'm experimenting with not using Twitter.
And I can attest that the experiment will be a success!
I actually quite like how Facebook does this (well, not for ads, but for other videos posted by my friends).
I'm much more likely to pay attention to a video that's already playing than one that I have to take an additional step to watch. And I suppose that applies to ads as well, though I'll probably skip past them. No issues with this.
You won't be able to skip the ads; that's the point.
Unless they autoplay to full screen of course, but I don't think that's what is being suggested.
Hardly makes for a pleasant experience, though, if you're constantly having to click on the x to get rid of the video ads.
Do you even know how Twitter works? Just scroll past them, which you have to do whether they're autoplaying or not.