Reddit adds a 15-second video view goal for longer ads

Reddit has added a new way to buy video ads, and it is open to advertisers everywhere. It is called the 15-second engaged video views goal. It is in public beta, which means anyone can try it while Reddit is still testing it. It sits next to Reddit’s older six-second video views option. It is meant for ads that need more than a few seconds to make sense.

The rules are simple. If the clip lasts 15 seconds or less, the whole clip has to play for it to count. If the clip is longer, it counts once someone has watched at least 15 seconds. Advertisers pay for each of these views. They can pick one of two automatic bidding settings, Lowest Cost or Cost Cap. After the campaign they see how many people watched and what each view cost, according to Social Samosa.

Reddit suggests the option for film, TV and game trailers, product demos, explainers, customer testimonials and longer brand stories. Those rarely fit into six seconds. Reddit says a 15-second view shows that someone stayed long enough to take in more of the message.

Reddit’s test group saw 15-second views rise 51 percent

Reddit has shared some early results. Advertisers in the first test group saw the share of 15-second views rise by 51 percent on average. The share of people who watched a video to the end rose by 71 percent, compared with how those advertisers ran things before, BestMediaInfo reported. The Times took part in the early test. It said the 15-second setting improved both figures, brought more clicks and cost less than the six-second option.

These numbers come from Reddit and a small group of testers, so buyers should check them on their own accounts. Reddit has built in a way to do that. Its Split Testing tool can run the two video goals side by side. Tests are set up at ad group level and should run for at least two weeks.

There is a wider point here. Reddit has been working to become a video platform that can do more than build awareness. Six-second views only tell you roughly how many people saw something. A 15-second count is closer to the measures buyers already use on YouTube and on internet-connected TVs. That may make Reddit easier to compare with other video plans.

Reddit will still change the beta’s defaults, reports and prices

The option is still in beta, so advertisers should expect Reddit to change the default settings, the reports and the prices as it collects data. For most teams a good first step is a two-week split test. Pick a campaign that already uses video longer than 15 seconds. Compare the cost per view, and the clicks that follow, against the six-second option. Then decide whether to move any budget.