Overview of Performance Video Ads on the SmartAds system

I. Introduction to Performance Video Ads (Native Video)

Performance Video Ads, also known as Native Video, is a video advertising format on SmartAds that appears naturally within the content feeds of online news websites. Unlike Native Article Ads, this format delivers advertising messages through video content presented in a familiar in-feed article layout. This helps capture readers' attention within the first few seconds without disrupting their news-reading experience. Once the video finishes playing, the system automatically displays a static banner, helping maintain brand visibility, encourage further engagement, and direct users to the landing page.

Performance Video Ads on SmartAds follow a native-first approach, ensuring that videos blend seamlessly with each publisher's layout and content context. This format combines the storytelling power of video with flexible delivery across both desktop and mobile devices, making it suitable for a wide range of marketing objectives and user content consumption behaviors.

1.1. Why advertise with video ads on online news websites?

• Reach readers in an information-driven context: Unlike video ads that interrupt entertainment content or appear on social media platforms, Native Video Ads on online news websites are integrated directly into the news-reading feed. This gives brands the opportunity to reach users while they are actively searching for, exploring, and consuming information, making advertising messages more relevant to readers' interests.

• Combine the power of video with a seamless advertising experience: Video delivers brand visuals, sound, emotions, and stories in a dynamic and engaging way. When presented in a familiar online news content format, ads can capture attention without feeling entirely disconnected from the reading experience.

• Increase brand recall and engagement opportunities: After the video ends, a static banner continues to display the brand message. Combining these two formats creates additional touchpoints to reinforce brand communication and encourage users to learn more about products and services.

• Expand reach in contextually relevant content environments: Through the SmartAds publisher network, brands can run ads on online news websites that align with their target audiences and communication themes. Contextual placement selection helps campaigns go beyond reach alone by ensuring that advertising messages are relevant to the content users are interested in.

1.2. Key advantages of Performance Video Ads on SmartAds

• Optimize ad delivery based on placements and user behavior: Performance Video Ads on SmartAds go beyond simply displaying videos on online news websites. The format is optimized based on placements, content context, and user behavior to improve the relevance of ads to their display environments and users' information needs. Rather than applying a uniform delivery approach across all placements, campaigns can be tailored to the characteristics of individual placements and devices, helping brands reach readers in contexts that better align with their communication objectives.

• Combine video and banner ads in a single advertising experience: Native Video captures initial attention through dynamic visuals, while the static banner displayed after the video helps maintain brand visibility and creates additional engagement opportunities. This combination supports both message delivery and user redirection, rather than focusing solely on video views.

• Combine creative storytelling with performance optimization: Video offers advantages in storytelling, product demonstrations, and communicating complex messages. Combined with SmartAds' ad delivery optimization capabilities, this format helps brands pursue multiple objectives simultaneously, including capturing attention, increasing engagement, and driving traffic to landing pages. Specifically, average recorded performance metrics of approximately 71 seconds for Time on Site, 0.25%-0.4 CTR, and 54% View Rate demonstrate its potential to capture attention and connect naturally with users.

• Flexible delivery across desktop and mobile devices: The format enables brands to reach readers across multiple devices, expanding opportunities for brand exposure in different usage contexts. Selecting suitable placements for each device provides a foundation for optimizing ad visibility and delivery performance.

1.3. Performance Video Ads support multiple marketing objectives

With strong attention-grabbing capabilities and a native display approach, Performance Video Ads on SmartAds can effectively support a range of marketing objectives:

• Increase brand awareness through video advertising: Video delivers brand visuals, emotions, and messages in a dynamic format that can be easier to remember than static images.

• Drive engagement within content feeds: Videos appear like regular articles in the feed, encouraging users to stop scrolling, watch, engage, and absorb the advertising message instead of passing by as they might with traditional banners. In particular, when used for livestreaming, this format enables brands to interact with audiences in real time through two-way communication, delivering information in a more authentic, dynamic, and emotionally engaging way than pre-recorded videos.

• Drive quality traffic to landing pages: The static banner displayed after the video extends brand exposure and encourages users to take action.

• Support product launches and phased marketing campaigns: This format is suitable for product launches, new feature announcements, seasonal campaigns, and long-term branding initiatives.

1.4. Performance Video Ads placements and display formats

Performance Video Ads on SmartAds can be delivered across various placements on online news websites, depending on each publisher's page layout and the selected placement package. Available placements include:

• In-feed on category pages: Videos appear within article feeds on category pages, reaching users as they actively explore content related to specific topics.

• In-article: Videos are displayed directly within articles, alongside editorial content, helping capture attention while maintaining a natural browsing experience.

• In-comment: Videos appear in the comment section, where users may already have a high level of interest and engagement with the content.

• Breakpage: Videos appear on content break pages, creating an additional attention point when users navigate between pages.

• Sponsor Box: Videos are displayed within sponsored content sections, making this placement suitable for branding campaigns and brand message delivery.

• Sticky: Videos remain fixed in position as users scroll down the page, helping maintain continuous ad visibility.

II. How to set up Performance Video Ads on SmartAds

Businesses can launch Performance Video Ads campaigns on SmartAds by following these steps:

Step 1: Click the "Add campaign" button.

Step 2: Select the "Native Article" format and click "Apply" to configure the creatives.

Step 3: Enter a campaign name and select the appropriate campaign objective.

Step 4: Under the Ads* section, click "Add ad". If you want to change the advertising format, click the "Change" button.

Step 5: Enter the destination URL, headline, and description; upload the video thumbnail; upload the image banner to be displayed after the video; and select a CTA.

Step 6: Choose the appropriate targeting options for your target audience.

Step 7: Set your campaign budget and bid.

Step 8: Configure UTM tracking (if needed) before submitting the ad.

>>> How to set up UTM tracking and SmartAds Pixel.

Note: Make sure your account has sufficient balance and that all required advertising licenses are valid before launching the campaign.

III. Performance Video Ads content and creative specifications

On the SmartAds platform, Performance Video Ads consist of two main components: the advertising video and the static banner displayed after the video.

Content requirements:

• Destination URL: Required

• Headline: Maximum 65 characters

• Description: Maximum 95 characters

Video specifications:

• Format: MP4

• Aspect ratio: 16:9 (1280 x 720)

• Maximum file size: 50MB

• Duration: 6 to 180 seconds

Static banner specifications after video playback:

• Format: JPG, PNG

• Minimum dimensions: 1280 x 720

• Maximum file size: 20MB

• Supported display dimensions: 448 x 252, 415 x 249, 416 x 312, 414 x 414

Additional elements:

• Brand name and logo

• Call to Action (CTA)

• Impression and click tracker URLs

Content and display guidelines:

• Present the main advertising message early in the video.

• Keep video content concise, easy to understand, and appropriate for the editorial context of news websites.

• Ensure the static banner maintains consistent branding with the video.

• Avoid including too much small text that may be difficult to read.

• Use clear, relevant CTAs without making them feel overly pushy.

IV. How to track Performance Video Ads campaign results on SmartAds

Once your ads are running, you can monitor campaign performance through the delivery and engagement metrics available on the Campaign Management or Dashboard page.

On this page, you can filter campaigns by the Native Article Ads format and scroll to the right to view the performance report. To access detailed reports by campaign or creative, click the  icon on the toolbar to open the detailed reporting page.

V. How to optimize Performance Video Ads campaigns

To improve the performance of Performance Video Ads on SmartAds, advertisers should consider the following recommendations:

• Define clear video objectives: Determine whether the campaign focuses on branding, engagement, or driving traffic.

• Capture attention within the first 3–5 seconds: This is a critical moment that influences whether users continue watching the video.

• Use storytelling with short, clear narratives: Avoid videos that are too long, unfocused, or lack a central message.

• Maintain consistency between the video and static banner: This helps reinforce brand recognition after the video ends.

• Use clear CTAs that align with user behavior: Examples include Learn more, Explore now, and Discover more.

• A/B test video and banner creatives: Test multiple creative variations to identify opportunities for performance improvement.

• Monitor engagement metrics: Combine impressions, views, clicks, VTR, and completion rate to evaluate traffic quality.

• Comply with content policies and privacy requirements.

VI. Performance Video Ads pricing, effective from April 2026

Pricing for the Performance Video Ads format (VAT included):

Minimum CPC bid (VAT included)	Minimum CPM bid (VAT included)	Site/Group
3.300	20.000	All websites
3.300	20.000	All websites (Overseas targeting only)
5.500	25.000	Premium websites (VnExpress, Dân Trí, Thanh Niên, Tuổi Trẻ, etc.)
5.500	25.000	English premium websites (English-language websites)
6.600	30.000	VnExpress sites (Including VnExpress.net and the Ngoisao.VnExpress.net section)
5.500	30.000	e.VnExpress site (English-language website: e.vnexpress.net)
4.400	20.000	Ngoi Sao (Ngoisao.VnExpress.net section)

*Note:

SmartAds applies a fixed bidding mechanism. The published pricing table is for reference only and represents the minimum bid rates on the SmartAds platform. Actual campaign costs may vary depending on the advertising format, display placement, booking period, and individual publisher.