Video advertising is quickly becoming the most popular channel for marketers online due to its impressive ROI and most users’ embrace of video in general.

More importantly, video ads are easy to create today thanks to countless desktop apps, and mobile tools like  our video maker app for iOS, which take your existing clips and let you add effects, text, and more.

However, it’s not always easy to get your video ads placed if you’re working on your own. Today, you can use a video ad network to make it easier to get the exposure you want and leave lasting impressions.

Using video ad networks also lets you choose exactly where and how your video is displayed, whether before or during a YouTube video (in-stream) or as an embedded clip on its own (outstream).

Outstream or Instream Video Ads?

There’s no wrong answer with choosing outstream or instream video ads, but it may change depending on what you need.

• Instream videos are great because they guarantee delivery when users click on a video, but they may be seen as invasive by video viewers who may opt to skip them.
• Oustream videos, on the other hand, remain embedded and play automatically (even if they’re muted), giving you a better chance of being seen.

Are Video Ad Networks Worth It?

No matter your industry, video is likely to be a major component of your marketing strategy.

According to research, nearly 64% of users are likely to buy a product online after watching a video ad, and 88% of marketers are happy with the ROI it provides.

By using a video ad network, you expand your video ads’ reach and can help improve your chances of converting viewers.

Most importantly, video ad networks remove a lot of the work you need to do to get your ads placed, seen, and protected against spammers and fraudsters.

What are the Best Video Ad Networks?

We went ahead and summarized the positives of 7 great popular ad networks:

1. Google AdSense for YouTube–This is one of the easiest ways to start monetizing and placing your video ads. You simply have to connect your YouTube account with your AdSense one, and make sure your videos meet the company’s monetization requirements. This includes provisions that your video be “advertiser-friendly”, that you can prove you own the content rights, and a few others.
2. Google Ad Manager—formerly known as AdX, this is a programmatic solution for ad placements, and gives you more control about where your ads are placed. Additionally, you can connect with publishers and to many of the biggest networks for ad placements.
3. Chocolate—This is one of the most popular platforms when it comes to mobile video advertising. The company’s VDO mobile format makes it easy to plan video ad campaigns that can scale across mobile, web, and app platforms. Additionally, you can use Chocolate as a one-stop platform for planning, buying, and analyzing your ad campaigns.
4. UnderTone Ad Network—As one of the first movers in video ad formats, undertone has one of the widest and most well-developed ad networks. It’s also easy to configure and has very few limitations. One constraint is that you can’t use it for gambling or adult entertainment sites. Even so, you can choose from in-banner and pre-roll video ads, and the platform lets you choose the ad model you want (CPA, CPM, CPC, and CPV).
5. BrightRoll—With as many as 10 billion monthly impressions, BrightRoll is one of the top choices for video ads. It does have some limitations, as it generally caters to those with high view counts (5 million video views per month, or 3 million mobile site views). The company also requires that you have a video player that can serve ads.
6. Exponential—This is one of the more creative and dynamic ad networks, giving you a multimedia content approach, and delivers formats such as IAB Rising Star and pre-roll that are proven to generate a high number of impressions.
7. YuMe—if you’re looking for a more comprehensive approach to video ads, YuMe offers a combination of technology, services, and analytics that let you make the most of your video inventory. You can even use the company’s multi-screen system to run interactive ad units across multiple displays and gain access to unique audience data.

Finding the right ad network for your brand is a combination of understanding which can give you the most right now.

While some may sound more exciting, bigger networks (and those with higher view and click requirements) can be much costlier than smaller, beginner-friendly networks.

Make sure to do some research before selecting a video ad network that’ll help you maximize your video inventory, and read here on how to get video ads onto your website.