I’m not sure if you’ve seen it yet, but Realtor.com is launching a new redesign of the Search Result pages.  Currently the site is only in beta with plans for a full launch later this week.  The Realtor.com Product Team has adjusted the layout to improve navigation and help consumers better manage the thousands of homes available via the MLS.

With the redesign they’ve also changed the layout to include a 300×250 ad position at the top of the page.  When I first saw this position I thought ‘this is the perfect place for video.’  The 300×250 ad position closely mirrors that of the 3:4 formats you’d see with traditional TVs.  The above the fold placement and proximity to content further peaked my interest.

I’m a fan of video ads because it’s captivating. And, when reaching a consumer who’s in the market video can help them picture the home they’re looking for and make them aware of amenities they may not have considered.

We often espouse the benefits of how display provides ‘consideration for search’ but video takes it to the next level by allowing advertisers to highlight multiple features.  Consider pans across home plans, green spaces and community amenities.  With an ad like this, I’ve changed the search from looking for a home to looking for a neighborhood or a lifestyle.

Moving beyond the value of ‘just a home’ is important for builders and developers as they try to differentiate their product from the re-sale market. Online video ads are an easy and cost effective way to achieve this goal – especially if the materials are already produced.

Brad Smith, our Director of Video production has done a great blog series on video best practices. When translating video to an ad there are a few best practices I’d encourage.

1. The video should tell your story WITHOUT SOUND. A lot of publishers have restrictions on video ads to improve the user experience.  Can you imagine shopping for homes while a work only to be interrupted by a loud video ad popping up?  The video should work independent of sound and the VO should highlight new points.  Considered graphics to capture key elements.
2. Maintain a consistent Call-To-Action.  I like using space at the bottom of the ad to provide a consistent CTA for my home shoppers.   Consumers should clearly know what action you want them to take and that maybe before the video ends.  On average consumers only watch about 50% of a video so having a consistent on-screen call to action is important.
3. Keep your video ads short. The goal of the ad is to captivate and drive action. If you have a long format video you’re looking to drive traffic to consider a teaser video ad that directs the consumer to the full length video.  Keeping videos short also improves the load time for the ad and ensures that consumers will see your message instead moving onto the next page while it waits to load.

If you’ve run video ads in the past I’d be curious to learn about your experience and what worked and what didn’t. If you’ve not considered running video ads or would like more information about how to repurpose your existing videos for online marketing contact The BDX for more details.

For more information about this blog post or BDX Video ads, contact Thane Tennison, Advertising Manager or contact your local Representative.