Key Points

  • Rewarded video ads offer users access to premium content or rewards in exchange for watching a short advertisement.
  • Rewarded video is an effective way to boost revenue across a wide range of applications.
  • One of the top benefits of using rewarded video ads is that it ensures a positive user experience as well as user engagement, maximizing CPMs. 

Rewarded video ads are a type of advertising where users watch a short video in exchange for a reward, such as in-game currency or access to premium content. Rewarded video ads can be an effective way to generate revenue and user retention, as they offer users an incentive to watch the ad and engage with your content. 

Completion rates for rewarded video ads are also extremely high. It's no surprise: users actively decide to watch the ads and are generally interested in receiving the reward they're promised.

While rewarded ads are already popular in certain verticals, such as mobile gaming, the team at Playwire helps our customers capitalize on rewarded video in a much broader range of applications. These include:

  • In-app rewarded video ads
  • Rewarded video ads on websites
  • WiFi monetization with rewarded video ads
  • Software monetization with rewarded video ads
  • Game monetization with rewarded video ads
  • Rewarded video ads to gate access

We've put together this quick expert guide on some of the most powerful ways to turn rewarded video ads into cash for your business. Read on if you're wondering how rewarded video can play a critical role in your ad monetization strategy. 

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Web Rewarded Video Ads Pillar

Rewarded Video Ads: The Complete Guide to Using Rewarded Video on Web, App, and More

7 Uses for Rewarded Video Ads

Don't think rewarded video ads have a place in your business model? Here are 7 uses for rewarded video ads, some of which might surprise you.

In-App Rewarded Video Ads

For every app publisher, rewarded video ads are a great option for app monetization without hurting the user experience. Users are willing to watch these ads because they feel the choice is up to them and they know they will get something in return without having to pay for any in-app purchases. Publishers can also offer a variety of rewards to appeal to different users.

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Rewarded Video Ads on Websites

Rewarded video is particularly well-suited to website publishers because it allows them to offer their content for free while still generating revenue. It also improves user experience, as research shows users actually prefer rewarded video ads to banner ads, which have long been the go-to option for monetizing websites. 

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WiFi Monetization with Rewarded Video Ads

Rewarded video ads can offer a great revenue boost for brick-and-mortar businesses that offer a network connection. It's simple: allow users to watch a short video in exchange for Wi-Fi access. The videos can be designed to promote the business's products or services or sold as ad space to third-party advertisers. 

Rewarded video ads are an effective way to monetize a wifi network because they incentivize users to connect. Through customization, they can also target specific audiences for that business.

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Software Monetization with Rewarded Video Ads

Desktop software has traditionally been one of the toughest spaces to monetize with advertising. Nearly all of the existing technical solutions rely on domain names and cookies, both of which are absent in the ecosystem of desktop apps.

Through Playwire's RAMP platform, any desktop publisher can monetize their software application using both the programmatic and direct demand models - including through rewarded video ads.

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Rewarded Video Ads Resource Center

The Complete Rewarded Video Ads Resource Center

Game Monetization with Rewarded Video Ads

Rewarded video ads let players watch an ad in exchange for an in-game reward. This might be digital currency, access to exclusive power-ups, or even extra lives. The key to making rewarded video ads successful in a desktop or mobile game is to offer an appealing reward that is worth the user's time. 

The best uses of rewarded video in games combine a non-obtrusive ad experience, usually 30 seconds or less, and a worthwhile reward that makes players want to click "Yes."

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Rewarded Video Ads to Gate Access

Anytime you have something of value to offer your users, there's an opportunity to benefit from rewarded video ads. Where traditionally your brand might charge a fee for access to premium content, premium features, or other opportunities, you can instead offer a rewarded video ad and still generate revenue without requiring users to pay up.

Consider a few applications for this method for gating access:

  • Rewards and sweepstakes: Instead of making your audience pay to enter a contest, gate entry to the contest with a rewarded video. Free for your users, paid for by your advertisers. It's a win-win.
  • Premium content: Exclusive content, premium tools, or advanced resources can all be gated behind a rewarded video ad offering one-time access for free.
  • UX improvements: Giving your audience experience improvements in exchange for viewing a rewarded ad is extremely effective. One example might be a mobile or web-based game that offers fullscreen gaming behind a rewarded video ad. Another option is letting users choose to watch a long-form video ad in order to access an ad-free experience from then on.

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Using Rewarded Video Ads to Blend Subscription and Ad Revenue Models

Once restricted to certain niches, the subscription model has reached peak saturation across a broad range of industries. And why not? It provides consistent, ongoing revenue and reduces the up-front barrier of entry for users. 

But this model also has its drawbacks, namely that it can be difficult to get people to actually sign up. Rewarded video ads offer a solution by allowing publishers to blend subscription and ad revenue models. 

Here's how it works: Publishers offer viewers a piece of content (such as an article or video) for free but require them to watch a short ad first. This way, publishers can still make money from ads while giving readers a taste of the premium subscription experience for free.

Playwire: Proven Ad Monetization for Every Industry

Playwire offers the entire ad tech stack in a single, streamlined platform, from rewarded video ads to custom interactive ad units. We're trusted by (literally) thousands of web & app publishers, and our RAMP platform combines demand sources with proprietary technology to deliver ad units that make a real impact.

Ready to launch high-performance advertising that boosts your revenue without sacrificing user experience? Contact us online today.

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