Research indicates that up to 25% of web viewers click off of pre-roll video.   Consumers do not want to watch a video before they can get to the information they want.    

A recent study by video analytics firm TubeMogel finds that nearly 16% of viewers click away from a pre-roll video ad rather than watch it before getting to the content they are seeking. And on newspaper and magazine sites, where interruptive advertising isn’t the norm, the percentage goes up to 25%, according to an article in Ad Age by Michael Learmonth.

Consumers just don’t want to want to watch a video before they can get to the information they are searching for. They consider it a nuisance and become annoyed by it.  Yet the easiest thing for marketers to do is to place a: 30-second TV spot on the web.   It’s already produced, it’s available, and it’s easy.  But they may be doing more harm than good.  Annoying the consumer may be what you’re doing.

“Consumers have so many choices that 16% are going to leave your content just because you put an ad in front of it,” stated Brett Wilson, CEO of the video analytics firm.  “That’s a big paradigm shift – people don’t have to watch your ad”

Learmonth also cited research by YuMe that shows a completion rate of only 61% for 30-second video ads on the web. So clearly, using TV spots or videos as an ad, like a pop-up screen, is not highly effective.  Most people go online to gather information and do not want to have to watch an unrequested video ad before they can get to the content they are seeking.

Web advertising requires it’s own unique strategy and approach. While the brand must be consistent across all mediums, it’s not effective to just take traditional media and stick it on the web.  The audience expectations and tolerance levels are entirely different.  When you turn on your online video ad, you may just be turning off the consumer.