New format
Yandex Video Network: formats, targeting, and how to evaluate a campaign
The Yandex Video Network runs video on partner sites and across the Yandex ecosystem: before, during, and after content, plus in-page and mobile interstitial formats. It’s not “just another banner” — it’s video media with its own completion and cost-per-contact logic.
Below: formats, what to watch in setup, and how to read results. Industry budget shares, average CPV, and targeting leaderboards from 2018 half-year reviews are a historical snapshot — not a current media plan. Check formats and bids in the live account.
What the Video Network is and why businesses use it
Video handles jobs text ads do poorly: show the product in action, put a face on the brand, convey emotion. The Video Network extends reach beyond a single host — to partner inventory and devices, including Smart TV where the format is available.
It makes sense when you have a clear creative (even a short one) and a defined goal: awareness, warm retargeting, or warming prospects before search or performance campaigns. Without conversion tracking or brand proxy metrics, it’s easy to buy “pretty views.”
Typical use cases:
- product or season launch
- brand support alongside search
- retargeting site visitors
- warming B2C niches where the buying decision is emotional
Placement formats
Classic in-stream: preroll at the start, midroll in the middle, postroll at the end. Historically prerolls dominated — the viewer hasn’t settled into the content yet. On Smart TV, completion is often higher: people watch longer and skip less.
Separately — in-page (video next to text) and interstitial in apps. Account settings and format names change over time: follow the current Yandex Direct / video product list, not a screenshot from an old review.
What to weigh when choosing a format:
- length and skip rules: can you land the offer
- device: mobile vs. desktop vs. TV
- goal: reach vs. click through to the site
- creative: do you have a version built for a short contact
Video length and VTR
VTR (view-through rate) is usually higher for short videos — easier to hold attention. Advertisers often prefer 8–15 seconds as a balance of completion and message.
Don’t chase max VTR at the cost of the message. A video people “finished” but don’t remember — or never click through from — is weaker than a slightly longer clip with a clear CTA and tracking.
Length choice logic (not a price list)
| Length | Strength | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Up to ~7 s | High completion | Little room for the offer |
| ~8–15 s | Message/VTR balance | Needs a strong hook in the first seconds |
| Longer | Story or product detail | More skips and lower VTR |
Targeting: from demographics to retargeting
Market reviews often led with socio-demographic segments, interests (film, sports), and search retargeting / user categories. For your campaign, what matters isn’t an industry leaderboard of five but the link: who buys → which account signal is closest → which creative.
Start with a narrow, relevant segment and site or CRM retargeting (where available), then expand from the data. A broad “entertainment interest” audience without an offer and landing page is a classic way to burn reach budget.
A practical order:
- goal and KPI (reach / traffic / conversion)
- one or two audience hypotheses
- creative matched to format length
- UTM + Metrika goals
- a one- to two-week test → refine segments
How to evaluate results
Media layer: impressions, reach, frequency, VTR, viewability by placement rules, CPV/CPM in your auction. Marketing layer: brand search, direct visits, Brand Lift where available. Business layer: Metrika goals, leads, assisted conversions — last-click often undervalues video.
Don’t compare “Video Network vs. YouTube” by CTR alone. Compare cost per goal action and funnel contribution with comparable creative and time period.
Takeaways
The Yandex Video Network is a reach and video-contact tool on partner inventory. Match format and length to the job, targeting to your buyer, and evaluation to media → brand → business layers.
Industry “figures and trends” from old reports are useful as market history — not a ready-made media plan.
FAQ
Are the Video Network and the Display Network the same thing?
They’re related parts of the same ecosystem, but video formats and metrics (VTR, completion) differ from standard banners. Check campaign type and display conditions in the current interface.
What matters more: VTR or clicks?
It depends on the goal. For brand and reach, watch completion and frequency. For performance, watch conversions and cost per action. VTR alone, without a funnel, proves nothing.
Is a short video always better?
Short clips complete more often; longer ones can explain the offer better. Match length to the job and test creative — don’t copy a “market average length.”
How is this different from YouTube Ads?
Different inventory, auction, and attribution. Compare each channel’s contribution to your funnel — not an abstract “whose CPM is lower.”
Can I rely on old industry rankings?
Only as background. Five-year-old auto and finance share data and old targeting leaderboards don’t replace your own test and current account reports.
Video Network on — and the plan still quotes 2018 average CPV?
We’ll match format and length to KPI, test 1–2 audiences, and judge funnel contribution — not someone else’s VTR table.
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