7 Digital video advertising tips for FY26
- Exverus Staff
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Don't ignore major growth opportunities in your media plans by over-investing in video
We all know video is king. For many brands, it’s now the single largest line item.
Video grabs attention, boosts engagement, and drives conversions. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: most brands are overspending — not because video doesn’t work, but because it’s not being used strategically.
Here are 7 digital video advertising tips for strengthening your paid media campaigns in FY26:
Video can't do all the heavy lifting
Video is powerful for storytelling, but diminishing returns kick in fast. A heavy YouTube or CTV buy doesn’t automatically equal stronger results. Often, brands keep layering spend on video because it feels safe, not because it’s proven to be incremental.
The problem isn’t the medium, it’s the mix. Too much video comes at the expense of reach in other channels that may drive more efficient impact (audio, OOH, retail media).
Over-investment also creates frequency waste: the same users see the same ads repeatedly, while new audiences remain untapped.
The question isn’t, “Are we spending enough on video?” but rather, “What role is video playing in the funnel — and is it carrying too much weight?”
Actionable Insight: Run a reach and frequency analysis on your current video campaigns. If 20% of your audience is seeing your ad 10+ times while half your target hasn’t seen it once, reallocate a portion of spend into complementary channels that expand reach.
Shoppable CTV isn't just about sales
Interactive, shoppable CTV (or T-commerce) has been a wildly popular way to shorten the path between TV and purchase this year, but our actual reports show it serves a different purpose, too.
After reviewing the performance of QR codes and tappable trailers for "The Chosen" 2025 theatrical campaign, Exverus by Brainlabs Media Supervisor Melanie Mogey explained to Digiday,
“The scanning of QR to buy tickets was not the primary KPI for these units. VCR on the trailer for awareness was the focus....despite the interactive units gaining 28.8 million impressions, they drew just 7,500 QR code scans. The scans are not the most impressive numbers in relation to the impressions and completed views."
Other agencies have been finding similar results -- brands of all types can benefit from shoppable CTV, not CPG or retail, but the impact is more broad-funnel than sales-focused.
Instructional beats promotional content
People browsing videos on social media, YouTube, or TV are looking for useful information and entertainment. They're more likely to engage with videos that teach them something valuable, rather than just self-promoting and asking.
Demonstrate how your product solves a problem, showcase its features, or offer step-by-step tutorials. This approach boosts brand affinity and consideration.
In fact, TikTok's own research demonstrated that videos displaying product usage saw a +25% lift in ad recall, +32% lift in ad likability, +65% lift in brand affinity, and +18% lift in product consideration.
The average engagement for a 3-5 minute instructional video is a whopping 74%!
Prioritize UGC over AI
The initial hype over AI-generated video ads may be leveling out.
Generative AI tools like Invideo and Gemini Veo can quickly churn out content, but the rise of misinformation and low quality concerns highlights the need for a human touch. If you're going to use AI, always double-check facts, ensure accuracy, and prioritize a personal, relatable voice.
Or, better yet, try UGC. EMARKETER data from 2025 shows 36% of marketers say user-generated content (UGC) is "extremely important" to their social media strategy, compared with just 2% who say the same about AI.
Why is UGC such an effective digital video advertising format? Trust sells.
There's a reason why "authenticity" is a burnt-out buzzword in marketing:
A 2024 study of 8,000 consumers showed almost half (47%) consider user reviews of products the most influential content when shopping online, compared to just 11% for brand content and 10% for influencer posts.
This boils down to one key element: trust. Peer reviews are much stronger purchase drivers than brand advertisements.
Northwestern University's Medill Spiegel Research Center agrees:
The purchase likelihood for products with 5 reviews is 270% higher than those with none.
That's a powerful testament to the impact of UGC video.
Repurpose your social videos for Display
Imagine you’re perusing various websites on your phone. Instead of the usual square, static or video ads around the content, you see vertical video ads like on TikTok or Reels.
In 2025, Exverus by Brainlabs partnered up with SeenThis to develop the first-to-market Social Reach, which expands vertical video ads to the open web and improves upon them with high-quality streaming delivery and premium placements in brand-safe environments.
Social Reach powered by SeenThis vertical video ads can deliver in standard display ad slots, giving brands the ability to scale their campaigns across more of the open web and reach their audiences in new ways.
“Social Reach powered by SeenThis streaming vertical video gives us access to new environments to deliver social creative to audiences beyond the social walled-gardens,” said Hillary Kupferberg, VP Performance Marketing at Exverus.
"This represents the next generation of much needed social extension. SeenThis’ adaptive streaming technology takes existing social assets and delivers them more efficiently than standard social formats via targeted inventory from PubMatic across the open web."
Premier Protein was the first brand to run a Social Reach campaign, and it outperformed Meta Ads in terms of efficiency in the first 6 weeks!
YouTube still reigns supreme for Gen Z viewers
While TikTok may seem like the popular kid, YouTube remains a dominant force for Gen Z viewers.
EMARKETER's 2025 Gen Z Social Media Usage report showed that over half of Gen Z social media users are spending more time on YouTube than they did a year ago.
And, daily YouTube usage among US adults 18-24 will surpass that of TikTok and Instagram by the end of 2025.
This reinforces the notion that Gen Z can be captivated by longer, horizontal videos if the content is compelling and the creators build connection.
In other words, the length isn't as important as telling a compelling visual story.
Additionally, 59% of Gen Zers have used YouTube as a search engine, making it ripe for brand discovery and product reviews on par with TikTok and other social-search platforms.
Tap into the right frequency
For FY26, we need to shift away from static frequency caps to a more performance-based approach that finds optimal exposure levels through data and modeling.
There's a "sweet spot" where campaign performance peaks -- Amazon Ads' testing showed optimal results at 2 exposures per user, with efficiency declining outside of that.
Rather than arbitrarily setting caps like "once every 24 hours" or "three times per week," advertisers should use total exposure modeling that considers the consumer's entire cross-channel journey, including digital, streaming, and even linear TV.
The goal is to identify the specific frequency threshold where your campaign achieves maximum impact—which Amazon demonstrated with 15% lower CPCs at optimal frequency versus no frequency targeting.
Remember, video content is an investment, not a quick fix. By embracing the power of storytelling, leveraging the latest trends, and understanding your target audience, you can create video marketing magic that drives engagement and fuels brand growth.
This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.
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