Skippable Ads

Definition

Video ads that viewers can close after 5 seconds—the democratic approach to advertising that lets people opt out if they hate you.

Example Usage

Our skippable video ads have a skip rate of 45%, but those who watch the full 30 seconds have a 12% conversion rate.

Origin

Introduced by YouTube in 2010 as a compromise between ads and user experience

Fun Fact

YouTube's skippable ad model actually works better than non-skippable ads because only interested viewers watch, improving conversion rates

Source: YouTube advertising terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

display advertising

Visual banner ads served across websites and apps, ranging from tasteful rectangles to screen-dominating monstrosities that make you question humanity. The descendants of magazine ads, but with the added benefit of following you everywhere online.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

Advanced

marketing attribution

The practice of determining which touchpoints deserve credit for a conversion, attempting to solve marketing's eternal question: 'Which half of my advertising is working?' Spoiler: there are no perfect answers.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

Intermediate

conquesting

Targeting competitors' customers with advertising, often by bidding on their brand keywords or geofencing their locations. Marketing as warfare, but with less Geneva Convention oversight.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

Intermediate

Day-parting

Scheduling ads to appear only during specific times of day because apparently ads at 3 AM get different results than at 3 PM (and they kinda do).

📣 Marketing / Advertising

Beginner

showcard

A physical advertising placard used to display products or promotions in retail environments, back when 'going viral' meant your display was visible from multiple aisles. The analog ancestor of today's digital signage, typically featuring aggressive fonts and starburst shapes screaming about sales. Still surprisingly effective at catching the attention of customers who've developed immunity to banner ads.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

Intermediate

content syndication

Republishing your content on third-party platforms to reach wider audiences, like licensing reruns of your hit show to other networks. Efficiency gains meet brand dilution concerns.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

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