Preparation and utilization of the right video ad solutions, and awareness of how your campaign is doing on multiple fronts, can ensure a high rate of success.

With all the attention online video is getting these days, it's not uncommon for marketers, both local and national, to encourage their agencies to take them for a test stroll into the hills of digital video advertising.

But as the medium comes into its own as a viable, tested advertising solution and platform, advertisers need to know that there are a number of ways to get great results, as well as a number of pitfalls that can lead to wasted impressions, money and time.

Like in the olden days, I caught a program that was very apropos to a discussion about internet video advertising. The program, which was about outdoor adventure and hiking, spoke of a phenomenon called "The Day Hike Mentality."

This dangerous rational is based on the common misconception that "nothing bad can happen to me, I'm only going on a day hike, a short jog, a 3-hour tour," despite statistics that show that day hikes are far more dangerous than major expeditions.

When it comes to internet video ad campaigns -- considering the spotlight digital video is currently in -- it is very easy for advertisers to quickly throw together a campaign to test it out. This is where, in our industry, the dreaded "Day Hike Mentality" can set in.

Nothing bad can happen, right? It's just a small, short test campaign, right?"

The guy who said that on the TV show got hit by lightning.

Before embarking on an online video adventure, there are a few things you should know that can help ensure success -- and avoid certain peril.

Knowing where you're going is often essential to getting back and replicating success.
As an ad solution for which experience changes drastically between the first 30-seconds and the following 30-seconds, coupling your premium ads with prime real estate is a must. When using video, you need to have visibility into the sites you're running on and the sections within those sites where your ad will be placed. When planning media around online video, the placement of the unit above or below the fold -- with or without a companion banner or on pages where users skim information versus becoming engaged by it -- should all factor into the decision of where to best place each ad.

Also, since there's been a lot of debate lately about transparent vs. blind networks, I should mention that if you do have a blind network you trust and run with, you need to at least be able to track the different groups of users you're targeting by interest, demo and geo. Video has different effects on different audiences, and knowing where you're going is the first step to finding users who respond in ways that meet your campaign goals.

Bring the right equipment. Be prepared.
The goals for the campaign, whether direct response or branding, will affect the design of your creative as well as the type of video ad solutions you employ. Experienced online video ad planners can help you and your creative team adjust your assets for the different video ad products available, making them as compelling as possible in their different incarnations. An effective mix of in-stream video, in-banner video, overlays and bottom-third ads can establish a presence for a brand around video while minimizing the risk of frequency saturation or message burnout. Different media encounters call for different ad experiences.

Watch the skies and be aware of everything that is going on.
Once you know where you're going and have the all the right tools, it's imperative that you track and optimize every metric. During a recent campaign, a client of ours was using video to target users in specific DMAs based on their interests. These interests included news, travel and food. At first, the click rates indicated that one group in particular was more apt to click through to the client's website. Before optimizing for clicks though, a quick analysis showed that the group with the lowest clickthrough rate had the highest rate of video replays, and that the remaining group had the greatest percentage of video viewed and banner expansions. It was obvious that video has a profoundly different effect on specific user groups, and this type of data helped set thresholds for measuring group engagement in the future.

Bad things like wasted time, money and resources can happen even during short test campaigns. Luckily though, clear, specific planning, preparation and utilization of the right video ad solutions, and awareness of how your campaign is doing on multiple fronts, can ensure higher rates of success.

Happy trails…

Bradley Werner is the director of marketing for The Fifth Network Read full bio.