Category: Banner advertising in short videos

  • Banner advertising in short videos: how to get CPM cheaper than 50 rubles?

    Banner advertising in short videos: how to get CPM cheaper than 50 rubles?

    Forget about bloggers and multi-million budgets! A new player is entering the market, promising mass reach for pennies. The startup Telly, which gives away free smart TVs in exchange for data and ad display, is opening up programmatic banner placement on its home screens. This is real math for those looking for banner advertising in short videos and other short video formats.

    In a world where every click and view costs more and more, finding an effective yet budget-friendly channel for promotion becomes a real challenge. But what if there’s a way to get huge reach for pennies, using an innovative approach to advertising? Introducing Telly – a startup that could change your perception of advertising campaign costs and offer CPM cheaper than 50 rubles.

    A New Era of Overlay Advertising: Banners on the Second Screen

    Telly’s uniqueness lies in its dual-screen TVs. Below the main display, where the user watches content, there is an additional, narrower screen. This is where a constant stream of news and, most importantly for us, programmatic video banners are broadcast. This is an undisguised banner that is always in view.

    • Technology: Telly uses Magnite’s SpringServe ad server.
    • Demand sources: The Trade Desk, Teads, and other major platforms.
    • Advantage: The banner is constantly displayed without interrupting the main content.

    Why is this important for an arbitrageur?

    Mike Sheehan, Telly’s Chief Revenue Officer and former CEO of SpotX, emphasizes: for home screens to become an effective advertising channel, they need scale. And programmatic placement is precisely what provides this scale, allowing you to buy reach without creating a video.

    Industry Standards and Deep Targeting

    Telly actively collaborates with IAB Tech Lab to create standardized specifications for advertising on home screens. This will unify the process and attract more investment in this segment.

    Data is Everything: Precise Targeting of the Audience

    When a user receives a Telly TV, they fill out an extensive questionnaire. This questionnaire includes data on household income, number of residents, brand preferences, insurance companies, and even car makes. Sheehan notes:

    “The questionnaire goes very deep into demographics, lifestyle, and brand loyalty.”

    Combined with ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) data, which shows exactly what the user is watching, this provides unprecedented targeting.

    Imagine being able to show insurance ads only to households actively looking for new insurance. This is not just crypto project advertising or mobile app promotion, it’s a native banner in Shorts that hits the target precisely. Hypothesis testing for 1000 rubles becomes a reality when you know who you’re showing ads to.

    Long Banners: A New Format for Engagement

    In addition to standard programmatic banners, Telly offers longer ad placements – up to five minutes – through private marketplace (PMP) deals with Magnite. Sheehan claims that this duration, combined with the non-intrusive nature of the placement, significantly increases engagement.

    For example, one streaming service (name undisclosed) achieved five times more app opens using a five-minute banner compared to a two-minute one. Mike Trion, Head of CTV and Video Strategy at PMG, confirms the effectiveness:

    Banner advertising in short videos: how to get CPM cheaper than 50 rubles? — illustration 2

    “The home screen has always been a powerful entry point for engaging viewers. Telly extends this opportunity by providing brands with a persistent presence that drives engagement.”

    This opens new horizons for brand integration without filming and banners for infobusiness, where not only reach but also depth of interaction is important.

    Conclusions and Call to Action

    Telly offers a unique opportunity for arbitrageurs and marketers to get cheap reach and mass reach for pennies. The ability to auto-place on hundreds of videos (or rather, on hundreds of thousands of home screens) with deep targeting and low CPM is exactly what’s needed in 2024.

    If you are looking for a way to place a banner in TikTok, advertise in Reels, or banner in YouTube Shorts, but are tired of high prices and opacity, then Telly could be your goldmine. Don’t pay an influencer when there are transparent statistics and the ability to order banner advertising at real prices.

    It’s time to rethink your strategy and try this channel. Stay tuned for updates, look for PMP deal opportunities, and test hypotheses. These pennies for a million can bring you real profit.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Telly and how is it related to banner advertising?

    Telly is a startup that distributes smart TVs for free. The unique feature of these TVs is a second screen that constantly displays advertisements, including programmatic banners. This allows brands to place banner advertising in video formats without creating the video content itself.

    What CPM can be expected from advertising on Telly?

    While exact CPM figures have not yet been disclosed, Telly’s approach to mass free device distribution and programmatic placement suggests the potential for extremely low CPM, possibly CPM cheaper than 50 rubles, making it an attractive alternative to traditional advertising platforms.

    Is it possible to place ads without creating a video?

    Yes, this is one of Telly’s key advantages. You can buy reach without creating a video, using static or animated banners that appear on the TV’s secondary screen. This is an ideal option for a banner without filming.

    How accurate is the targeting offered by Telly?

    Telly collects extensive user data through detailed questionnaires upon registration, and also uses ACR (automatic content recognition) data. This allows for deep targeting by demographics, interests, behavior, and even brand loyalty, making a banner for infobusiness and other niches as effective as possible.

    How to start advertising on Telly?

    To start collaborating with Telly, you need to work with their programmatic placement partners, such as Magnite, The Trade Desk, or Teads. It is recommended to contact representatives of these platforms for detailed information on how to order banner advertising on Telly.

  • Google’s Ad Business Will Stand: Court Rejects Asset Split

    Google’s Ad Business Will Stand: Court Rejects Asset Split

    A U.S. federal court has ruled that Google will not have to break up its advertising business, despite the company being declared a monopolist in April. Judge Leonie Brinkema rejected the Department of Justice’s demand to sell the AdX ad exchange and, potentially, the DFP ad server, both part of Google Ad Manager (GAM). This decision calls into question the ability of regulators to rein in giants like Google.

    Why did Google avoid a breakup of its advertising empire?

    Judge Brinkema found that a forced breakup of Google’s business could cause more harm to publishers than current anti-competitive practices. She pointed to potential negative consequences for small publishers who use DFP for free. Additionally, the acquisition of AdX by another party (e.g., Microsoft) could create new complexities.

    Google’s proposed measures and their impact

    Google had previously proposed a number of measures to enhance competition:

    • Providing competitors with real-time bid data for display advertising sold through AdX.
    • Abolishing “Unified Pricing Rules” and allowing publishers to set different minimum prices for individual bidders in GAM.
    • Refraining from using “first-look” and “last-look” privileges to adjust its bids. Google claims it stopped this practice several years ago.

    “What is a web publisher to do if they want to use a different ad server but still get demand from Google buyers?” asks Jay Friedman, co-founder of CartographAI and former CEO of Goodway Group.

    Market and expert reaction to the court’s decision

    While many Google critics are disappointed, some ad industry players are willing to see how the proposed measures will play out. For example, PubMatic, an AdX competitor, stated: “We expect the court’s adoption of behavioral remedies to create a level playing field for all market participants. The court’s focus on behavioral remedies will likely provide a faster path to addressing the current competitive harm from Google’s unlawful monopoly.”

    Behavioral remedies versus full divestiture: arguments from both sides

    The Department of Justice insisted that forced divestiture would be a “cleaner and less risky solution,” expressing distrust in Google’s ability to comply with prescribed behavioral measures. However, Google’s lawyers countered that “distrust is not a lever to circumvent established antitrust principles.”

    Previous rulings and the future of Big Tech regulation

    This is not the first time Google has been found to be a monopolist but avoided a breakup. In August 2024, Judge Amit Mehta found Google’s monopoly in online search but did not force the sale of Chrome or Android. Instead, Google was ordered to share search data with competitors.

    Google's Ad Business Will Stand: Court Rejects Asset Split — illustration 2

    Such decisions make ad industry insiders doubt the ability of regulators to deal with Big Tech. One former media buyer anonymously remarked that even “trust-buster” Theodore Roosevelt would be astonished by the lack of courage in the judiciary today.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Google Ad Manager (GAM)?

    Google Ad Manager (GAM) is an integrated ad management platform that combines the AdX ad exchange and the DFP ad server. It allows publishers to sell ad space and advertisers to buy it.

    Why did the U.S. Department of Justice want to break up Google?

    The U.S. Department of Justice accused Google of monopolizing the ad tech market and insisted on breaking up the company to restore competition and prevent anti-competitive practices.

    What behavioral measures did Google agree to take?

    Google agreed to a number of measures, including providing bid data to competitors, abolishing “Unified Pricing Rules” for publishers, and refraining from “first-look” and “last-look” privileges in bidding.

    Conclusion: pennies for a million or millions for pennies?

    So, banner advertising in video remains a battleground where Google is currently holding its ground. For us, arbitrageurs, this means one thing: CPM cheaper than 50 rubles in Shorts, Reels, and TikTok is still possible. Don’t wait for these “behavioral measures” to level the playing field. While the court deliberates, competition, however skewed, offers loopholes. Continue to test hypotheses, seek cheap reach, and scale mass reach for pennies. And remember, real math is always on our side if we know how to calculate and act quickly while the “big guys” are sorting things out in court. Forget about bloggers and their million-dollar price tags – buying reach without creating a video through programmatic platforms is our path to profit. Learn how to set up your first campaign and start earning right now!

  • CPM cheaper than 50: “Panorama” from Direct opens up reach to millions

    CPM cheaper than 50: “Panorama” from Direct opens up reach to millions

    Banner advertising in video and on other top platforms has become more accessible. Yandex Direct has finally opened access to small and medium-sized businesses to the “Panorama” reach advertising tool. This means that now even small players can launch unified campaigns with reach across all key Yandex services: from Search and Market to Kinopoisk. Forget about influencers where CPM is off the charts. Now you can get mass reach for pennies.

    What is “Panorama” and why is it important for an arbitrageur?

    The “Panorama” tool is not just another banner in the Yandex Advertising Network. It is a real opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses to go beyond existing demand and increase reach using brand tools that were previously only available to large players with multi-million budgets.

    Key advantages for CPA marketing:

    • Unified campaign: Launch ads simultaneously on desktops, smartphones, and Connected TV. No more need to create separate campaigns for each format.
    • Reach of over 120 million unique users per month. This is 1.6 times more than on popular marketplaces. Imagine how much traffic you can collect.
    • Prime banner: Access to the most prominent ad placements in over 20 Yandex services, including Browser, Kinopoisk, Alice AI Studio. This is not some obscure corner of a website.
    • Accounting for audience overlaps and controlling ad frequency. No more burning through your budget on the same user.
    • Media video advertising: Ability to connect video in Yandex Video Network (200+ Yandex Advertising Network sites, including TV channels and online cinemas). This is ideal banner advertising in short videos, where CPM cheaper than 50 rubles – a dream for any arbitrageur.
    • The future is DOOH: Soon, Yandex’s digital out-of-home advertising screens will appear in “Panorama”. This means you will be able to buy reach without creating a video, simply by placing your banner.

    Real math: why “Panorama” is more profitable than influencers

    Many small and medium-sized companies still use only one media format, for example, banners in the Advertising Network. But “Panorama” combines all surfaces into one campaign, offering mass reach for pennies.

    “For small businesses, investing in a brand and their own sales channels is no longer a ‘pretty picture,’ but a way to go beyond current demand and tell a new audience about themselves,” — Alexey Shtokolov, Director of Products and Artificial Intelligence at Yandex Advertising.

    According to Yandex, in the first half of 2026, the number of SMEs using media advertising in Direct increased by 40%, and investments in such campaigns increased by 44%. Every second one launched image formats for the first time. This shows a trend: the market is moving towards transparent and effective reach, not blind faith in bloggers.

    How does “Panorama” simplify life?

    • No need for a large media team: Lowers the entry threshold for reach formats. No need to assemble a separate campaign for each service.
    • Large audience: Monthly reach of over 120 million unique users. This is not some micro-blogger who will gather a couple of thousand.
    • Presence where users spend time: Search, Mail, Kinopoisk, and other services.
    • Budget doesn’t matter: The cost of placement is not limited by an entry threshold. You can test hypotheses for 1000 rubles.
    • One setting for all devices: Desktop, phone, TV. Simple and effective.

    Geotargeting optimization: another plus

    Previously, Direct updated its geotargeting algorithms. Now the system analyzes not only the user’s current location, but also the context of their queries, changed geolocation, and previous user experience. This allows for more precise targeting of the audience, which is especially important for local businesses.

    CPM cheaper than 50: «Панорама» от Директа открывает охваты миллионникам — illustration 2

    Frequently asked questions

    How does “Panorama” work in Yandex Direct?

    “Panorama” allows you to launch unified media campaigns that are automatically optimized for display on various Yandex platforms – from Search to Kinopoisk and Video Network. The system manages ad frequency and takes into account audience overlaps to achieve maximum reach at optimal costs.

    How does “Panorama” differ from regular banners in Direct?

    The main difference of “Panorama” is its omnichannel approach and automated management. Regular banners often require separate campaigns for different platforms, while “Panorama” combines them into one, providing comprehensive reach and control over the frequency of contact with the user on all available surfaces, including banner advertising in short videos and Prime banners.

    Why did Yandex Direct open “Panorama” to small and medium-sized businesses?

    Yandex aims to provide SMBs with access to image and reach advertising tools that were previously only available to large brands. This allows small and medium-sized businesses to go beyond existing demand, increase brand awareness, and attract new audiences using effective and transparent promotion channels.

    Conclusion: your chance for millions of views

    “Panorama” is not just a new tool, it’s a paradigm shift. Now banner advertising in TikTok, advertising in Reels, and banner in YouTube Shorts can be easily integrated into your strategy through programmatic video banners, getting the lowest CPM in shorts. This is your chance to get cheap reach and mass reach for pennies, without spending on bloggers and expensive shoots. Start testing hypotheses right now and grab your piece of traffic.

  • CPM cheaper than 50: How banner advertising in short videos kills influencers

    CPM cheaper than 50: How banner advertising in short videos kills influencers

    Tired of draining budgets on influencers who don’t deliver real returns? It’s time to rethink your video marketing approach. While competitors chase after “millionaires,” digital arbitrageurs have long since explored new horizons: <a href="/blog/banner-advertising-in-shorts-how-to-get-reach-for-pennies-and-not-pay-bloggers/" title="Banner advertising in short videos: reach for pennies without filming”>banner advertising in short videos. This isn’t just a trend; it’s real math where you can get reach for pennies, and a CPM cheaper than 50 rubles is not a myth, but a daily reality.

    I’ve tested dozens of hypotheses, and the conclusion is clear: programmatic video banners are a goldmine for those willing to think in numbers. No multi-million dollar productions, no endless approvals with “creative” teams. Just transparent statistics and massive reach that can be purchased without creating your own video. This is the ideal solution for promoting mobile apps, advertising crypto projects, infobusiness, and any other niche where results matter, not pretty words.

    Why don’t classic “best examples” work?

    Most articles about “best video marketing examples” resemble a Vimeo Staff Picks compilation — beautiful visuals without analysis. We approached the issue differently.

    Exactly. These “masterpieces” often cost millions, and their editing is a separate art form, inaccessible to the average business. We are interested not in “what succeeded,” but in “why it succeeded” and “how to replicate it for 1000 rubles.” We will analyze 5 key criteria that determine the success of a video campaign and show how to apply them to native banner advertising in Shorts, Reels, and TikTok.

    5 criteria for successful video advertising for arbitrageurs

    1. Goal and funnel stage: Advertising for awareness (TOFU) should not try to close a deal. A demo video (BOFU) is not the place for “heroic shots.” Each stage requires its own approach.
    2. Platform nativeness: The rhythm of TikTok differs from YouTube Pre-roll, which, in turn, is not like a 30-second TV spot. A banner in Shorts must be native.
    3. Hook in 3-5 seconds: For top-of-funnel (TOFU) stages — 3 seconds, for middle/bottom (MOFU/BOFU) — 5 seconds. If you hook them, half the battle is won.
    4. Measurable result: If a format has been working for two years and a brand continues to invest in it — that’s an indicator. We need specific metrics.
  • Budget: We exclude $5 million Apple productions if their techniques cannot be replicated with minimal costs. Our goal is the lowest CPM in shorts.
  • Video: The Engine of the Sales Funnel

    Short videos are not just a hype. They are a tool that allows you to guide a lead through all stages of the funnel much more effectively than static creatives. A short clip captures cold attention (TOFU), an explainer video answers the question “is this right for me?” (MOFU), and a testimonial closes the deal (BOFU).

    According to HeyGen Community (2025), videos at the lower stages of the funnel “drive conversions, shorten sales cycles, and increase retention,” demonstrating functionality and results. And production costs? They’ve plummeted! Basic platforms are free or cost $0-50 per month; advanced ones are $50-100+ (Percify, 2026). What once required a six-figure agency fee is now done by a freelancer with a laptop.

    Examples that really work (and how to adapt them for banners)

    TOFU: Capturing attention in 3 seconds. The hook is everything!

    At this stage, we trade impressions for attention. The main thing is the density of hooks. Cut early, cut often. Priority is the first three seconds.

    • Dove “Real Beauty Sketches” (Ogilvy): The gold standard of storytelling. A forensic artist draws women based on their descriptions and descriptions from strangers. Editor’s note: The secret is that the transitions between sketches are synchronized to a single rhythm, creating emotional engineering.
    • Apple “Shot on iPhone”: A campaign that has worked for years. User footage becomes advertising. Editor’s note: Apple uses jump cuts between clips, creating a sense of authenticity. This can be replicated by using automatic banner placement on hundreds of videos with different content.
    • Coca-Cola “Share a Coke”: Personalization across all channels. Editor’s note: Videos use close-ups of labels, then show an emotional reaction. This “close-up – wide shot” pattern is a reliable hook structure.
    • Always “Like a Girl” (Leo Burnett): A documentary style that changes the meaning of the phrase. Editor’s note: The editing lingers on faces longer than usual, creating an awkward pause that makes the viewer feel the meaning.
    • Orange Polska (Venture Videos): A less known but more reproducible example. Personalized videos for TOFU, created using stock footage and one editor. Personalization through name overlays and dynamic text. Ideal for a banner without filming.
    • Liquid Death “Sell Your Soul”: Comedic absurdity in TikTok and Instagram. Fast pace, cuts every 0.7-1.2 seconds. Editor’s note: Liquid Death often starts with faces speaking in mid-sentence, which makes the algorithm and the viewer “listen in.”

Lesson from TOFU: The first three seconds do the main work. For banner advertising in short videos, this means: a bright, clear banner that is instantly readable, with an unconcealed banner that cannot be missed.

MOFU: Building Trust. Clarity is our main trump card.

Here we demonstrate how everything works. The main thing is clarity. Overlay advertising can be ideal for this.

  • Adobe Creative Cloud: Tutorial library. Each video answers one question. Editor’s note: cursor effects (a soft circle on click) guide the viewer’s eye. A small detail, but important.
  • FreshBooks: Small business testimonials. Sarah McGovern talks about accounting problems and how FreshBooks solved them. Editor’s note: visual interest (b-roll of her workspace) is maintained under the audio, keeping the focus on the words.
  • HubSpot Academy: Explainer videos. First the concept, then examples from HubSpot. Editor’s note: 6-8 minute videos are optimal for retaining information.
  • Mondu (B2B BNPL): Demo on a product page with animated visualizations, upbeat music, and clear steps. Editor’s note: consistent design eliminates confusion in B2B videos.
  • Notion: Onboarding videos (60-90 seconds), one function each, embedded in the product. Editor’s note: some tutorials are made with on-screen text instead of voiceover, allowing them to be watched without sound.
  • Slack “So yeah, we tried Slack” (Sandwich Video): A two-minute mock-documentary about how Slack works. Editor’s note: editing by movement (someone reaching for a mug, scrolling a phone) maintains a continuous flow of the story.

Lesson for MOFU: Value is in the second 30 seconds. Clarity is more important than polish. A banner for infobusiness or a mobile application should clearly convey the benefits.

BOFU: Closing the deal. Evidence is everything.

At this stage, the camera stops being “creative” and just works. The editor’s task: not to interfere with the evidence. Transparent statistics and hypothesis testing for 1000 rubles are appropriate here.

  • Drift “This Won’t Scale”: Case study from the founder. David Cancel talks about client results with specific metrics. Editor’s note: intentionally “loose” editing (one shot, on-screen text, “umms” and “uh-huhs” are allowed).
  • HubSpot: Onboarding video for upgrading from free to paid plan. Editor’s note: shorter versions (up to 90 seconds) convert better.
  • Loom: Client comparison videos. Clients record videos directly in Loom, which becomes a marketing asset.
  • Mailchimp: Customer stories. Mini-documentaries (2-4 minutes) about small businesses using Mailchimp. Editor’s note: a consistent visual style (natural lighting, handheld camera, ambient sound) ties all parts together.

Lesson for BOFU: Trust > polish. If you earn trust from the first second, polish will matter in the second. If not, polish will look like marketing. Perfect for crypto project advertising, where trust is a key factor.

CPM cheaper than 50: How short-video banner ads are killing influencers — illustration 2

Performance Marketing: Iterations, not awards.

Build a process for iterations, not for awards. Choose a hook format and test variables. Quickly discard unsuccessful options.

  • Ridge Wallet: Hundreds of UGC ads using the same three-part format: hook (problem); demonstration (product solves problem); close (offer). Editor’s note: ads are usually no longer than 30 seconds, with a price call-to-action in the last 3 seconds.
  • Ag1: Podcaster reads. Long sponsored integrations broken into 30-60 second segments. Editor’s note: retaining the host’s filler words (e.g., “um,” “uh”) indicates they were reading from a script.
  • Manscaped: Ads from TikTok creators. Creators use one script template but with different faces. Editor’s note: intentional use of a handheld, shaky camera mimics native TikTok creative, eliminating “this is an ad.”
  • Hims & Hers: Explainer ads (60-90 seconds) that are also direct response ads. Editor’s note: using kinetic typography instead of lower thirds maintains visual flow with the script.
  • Olipop: Ads from founder Ben Goodwin. Discusses gut health while looking directly into the camera. Editor’s note: limited editing (usually shot in one take with a few zooms) maintains trust.
  • Magic Spoon: Over 100 creative variations produced in the first year. Editor’s note: winning hooks were almost always close-up “food porn” in the first two seconds.

Overall lesson: Create for iterations, not for awards. Choose a hook format and test variables. Quickly discard unsuccessful options. For short-video banner ads, this means the ability to auto-place on hundreds of videos and instantly collect performance statistics.

Common Success Patterns

  • Motion-based editing outperforms dialogue-bit editing for attention retention.
  • Calls to action (CTAs) in the last 15% of the runtime work better than in the middle.
  • On-screen subtitles are essential for soundless platforms (Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn).
  • Most viral videos contain one emotional turning point, not three.

Don’t try to “do like Dove.” Emulate the structure of funnel-format compliance, not specific creative. Planning sequence:

  1. Choose a funnel stage.
  2. Choose a primary platform (it determines aspect ratio, timing, pace).
  3. Find an example that matches both points.
  4. Write a one-line hook (if it doesn’t work in Slack, it won’t work anywhere).
  5. Script and cast around the hook, not the product.
  6. Carefully consider the first 3 and last 3 seconds.
  7. Shoot two versions of the hook. Always.

Metrics and Pitfalls

  • TOFU: 3-second view, completion rate, CPM. If completion is less than 25% after 15 seconds, the hook isn’t working. Change only the beginning.
  • MOFU: Average watch time, CTR to next content, repeat visit frequency. If a 90-second explainer video is watched for less than 40 seconds, the problem is clarity, not the hook.
  • BOFU: Conversion rate, associated conversions, sales cycle length. This is the most complex but most important metric.

Pitfalls: Low-targeted placements lead to “vanity metrics.” Last-click attribution often undervalues MOFU videos. Use multi-touch models.

First 30 days: Define the funnel stage, choose a platform, create 3 video versions. Run for 2 weeks, discard the worst, iterate on the best. Internal teams often have problems with editing, not ideas. That’s why many hire external editors.

Tools:

  • TOFU: Smartphone, tripod, light.
  • MOFU: Adobe Premiere or DaVinci Resolve (free), screen recording tool.
  • BOFU: Professional camera, microphone, real interview.

Don’t overinvest in tools in the early stages and don’t underinvest in the later stages.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should be the video length for banner ads in short videos?

For TOFU videos on social media, the optimal length is from 6 to 15 seconds. For MOFU and BOFU, you can go up to 60-90 seconds, but remember about CPM cheaper than 50 and mass reach for pennies.

Is it possible to get cheap reach without creating your own video?

Yes, this is a key advantage of banner advertising in short videos. You can use auto-placement on hundreds of videos, which allows you to buy reach without creating a video and get transparent statistics.

How to test hypotheses with a minimal budget?

Start by testing hypotheses for 1000 rubles. Create several versions of banners without shooting, use programmatic video banners and track

  • Micro-dramas: CPM below 50 rubles and a billion downloads – a new goldmine for arbitragers

    Micro-dramas: CPM below 50 rubles and a billion downloads – a new goldmine for arbitragers

    Forget about bloggers! A new “millionaire” has appeared on the market – micro-dramas. This is not just a trend, it’s real math: reach for pennies and transparent statistics. While Hollywood studios sign contracts and influencers try to fit in, we see how this format is blowing up the market. But is it worth the candle for an arbitrager?

    Micro-dramas: Explosive Growth and Billion-Dollar Downloads

    According to Mintegral, a platform that “turns engagement into growth with AI,” micro-drama app downloads reached 1.45 billion in the first half of 2026. This is a 95.5% increase from the previous year. In comparison, non-gaming apps showed an average growth of only 16.6%.

    • Market leaders: FreeReals (195.8 million downloads) and NetShort (98.9 million downloads).
    • Market context: Educational apps grew by 25.3%, while e-commerce was the only category that showed a decline of 4.4%.

    banner advertising in video: Higher Density Than E-commerce

    The most interesting thing for us, arbitragers: ad density. Although e-commerce apps showed a larger volume of advertising (13.3 million ads in 12,800 apps), micro-dramas surpassed them in density.

    During the same period, 1,887 micro-drama apps placed 3 million ads.

    “Micro-dramas had an ad density of 1,100 in Europe, Southeast Asia, and Asia-Pacific, making it the only category to reach that level of density across three regions,” reports Marketing Dive.

    In North America, ad density in micro-dramas was 977 ads per app. For comparison, for e-commerce, this figure was 545 in Europe, 804 in Southeast Asia, and 581 in Asia-Pacific.

    This suggests that in micro-dramas, banner advertising in video is an unskippable format with huge potential.

    Such ad density means that buying reach without creating a video, simply by placing a banner for infobusiness or promoting mobile applications, becomes extremely profitable. This is the lowest CPM in shorts you can find.

    Real Math: Watch Time Is More Important Than Downloads

    Downloads are good, but for us, reach and watch time are important. An Omdia study in February showed that apps like ReelShort, DramaBox, and FlickReels outperform Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ in daily usage time per user.

    Микродрамы: CPM ниже 50р и миллиард загрузок — новая золотая жила для арбитражника — illustration 2

    This means that mass reach for pennies is not a myth, but a reality.

    Our experience confirms that testing hypotheses for 1000 rubles in this segment allows you to quickly find working bundles. CPM cheaper than 50 rubles is not fantasy. We are talking about programmatic video banners and automatic placement on hundreds of videos, where a banner without filming becomes your main tool.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What are micro-dramas and why are they so popular?

    Micro-dramas are short series, often in vertical format, created for viewing on mobile devices. Their popularity is due to the fast pace of life, the convenience of consuming content “on the go,” and a high level of engagement.

    How to place banner advertising in micro-dramas?

    Banner advertising in micro-dramas is placed through specialized platforms and advertising networks that offer programmatic tools for targeting and automatic placement. This allows you to effectively order banner advertising and get cheap reach.

    Can micro-dramas be used to advertise crypto projects?

    Yes, high ad density and an active audience make micro-dramas an attractive platform for advertising crypto projects, mobile applications, and infobusiness. The main thing is to choose the right creative and target audience.

    Conclusion: Don’t Miss Your Million

    Micro-dramas are not just hype, they are a real opportunity for a digital arbitrager to get reach that would have cost a fortune before. Forget about overpaying influencers.

    Here, a native banner in Shorts or overlay advertising brings traffic at a CPM cheaper than 50. These are white schemes that work. Start testing hypotheses today before the market overheats. Your next million could be right here. Contact us to find out how we can help you with banner advertising in short videos.

  • Banner advertising in Shorts: how to get reach for pennies and not pay bloggers

    Banner advertising in Shorts: how to get reach for pennies and not pay bloggers

    Banner advertising in video, especially in short formats like YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels, is becoming a goldmine for those who understand the numbers. While some complain about CPM and influencers, others are already getting millions of views for pennies. Forget about bloggers and their exorbitant prices — there are much more effective and transparent schemes that allow you to get banner advertising in Shorts with maximum return.

    Why YouTube Shorts is the new Klondike for advertising?

    According to experts, YouTube Shorts is actively increasing advertising budgets. Leah Askew from Digitas and Bryan Binder from Tinuiti confirm a significant increase in investments in this format. Skyler McGill from Wpromote notes that Shorts is becoming an increasingly prominent segment in the overall volume of video investments.

    • CPM cheaper than 50 rubles: Many arbitrageurs are already noting that the cost per thousand impressions here can be significantly lower than on other platforms.
    • Mass reach for pennies: Thanks to YouTube’s huge audience, Shorts offers the opportunity to get millions of views without incurring huge budgets.
    • Alternative to influencers: instead of expensive bloggers, whose effectiveness is often questionable, you can use direct programmatic video banners.

    Placement nuances: not so simple, but profitable

    Despite the growth, Shorts has not yet reached the level of TikTok and Reels in terms of advertising placements. One agency executive notes: “If Meta and TikTok take 60% of the budget, then YouTube Shorts will be somewhere around 10%. They can’t scale to that extent yet.”

    “Most impressions still go to in-stream advertising when you group campaigns. The algorithm clearly favors in-stream inventory because there is so much of it. But Shorts inventory is definitely not avoided by anyone,” says Bryan Binder.

    Experts advise allocating Shorts to a separate campaign. “It’s usually more profitable to allocate this to a separate position to get more scale and targeted efficiency, rather than just keeping it as part of a general Demand Gen campaign,” says Skyler McGill.

    Content features for Shorts: social strategy rules

    You can’t just take a long video and put it in Shorts. “You really shouldn’t take a long video and apply it there. You shouldn’t even think that vertical video fits there. You really need to bring social strategy and social assets to it,” emphasizes Leah Askew.

    Brian Binder adds: “We are increasingly seeing conversations about the ‘lift-and-shift’ strategy. This is an opportunity to take what you are currently doing on traditional social media and simply transfer it to YouTube Shorts.”

    Where does YouTube land in agencies?

    An interesting point: often, YouTube is not managed by SMM specialists. Leah Askew says that at their company, they had to hold meetings to figure out who and how to buy ads on YouTube. In the end, they decided that it should happen through programmatic, but with a close connection to the social team.

    “One of the things that I think brands and agencies are trying to grapple with is where YouTube sits from a management perspective versus social. The social team will manage Meta and TikTok, but sometimes YouTube is managed by the search team or the programmatic team. So you have to start thinking about where it actually sits and what is the baseline that we’re going to compare against,” says Brian Binder.

    Баннерная реклама в Shorts: как получить охваты за копейки и не платить блогерам — illustration 2

    For now, TikTok and Reels are leading in terms of investment volume, but Shorts is catching up. “Performance is comparable to TikTok and Reels. But given that these platforms operate at higher cost levels, we expect Shorts to deliver higher efficiency as it is at a lower investment level,” notes one agency executive.

    Facts and figures to consider

    • 450,000: The number of “clippers” in YouTube creator Eric “Airrack” Decker’s ClipFarm network.
    • $500 million: Alex Cooper’s Unwell company valuation after the latest funding round.
    • $12.99: The new monthly price for Peacock’s premium ad-supported subscription.

    Starting August 24, YouTube will change its view counting approach, equating it to Instagram and TikTok: a view will be counted as soon as the video starts playing. This is already applied to Shorts.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How cheaply can you buy reach on YouTube Shorts?

    Many arbitragers note that a CPM cheaper than 50 rubles is a very real goal for YouTube Shorts campaigns, making it one of the most effective channels for mass reach for pennies.

    Can I place banners in Shorts without creating videos?

    Yes, this is a key advantage. You can use auto-placement on hundreds of videos without the need to shoot your own content. This is ideal for promoting mobile applications, infobusiness, or crypto projects where quick and wide reach is needed.

    How does Shorts compete with TikTok and Reels in terms of effectiveness?

    According to experts, Shorts’ performance is comparable to TikTok and Reels. At the same time, given the lower investment in Shorts at the moment, higher efficiency and the lowest CPM in shorts can be expected.

    Where to find experts to order banner advertising in Shorts?

    Look for specialists in programmatic video banners or agencies that have experience with YouTube Ads and specialize in short formats. It is important that they understand the specifics of a native banner in Shorts and can provide a non-skippable banner.

    Conclusion: Act before the market overheats

    YouTube Shorts is not just another channel, it is a strategic tool for getting cheap reach and rapid scaling. While major players are still debating who should manage budgets, you have the opportunity to buy reach without creating a video and get real profit metrics. Test hypotheses for 1000 rubles, use a banner for infobusiness or any other project. Don’t wait until CPM skyrockets – start working with banner advertising in video today. And remember, real profit is where others only see difficulties.

  • Banner Ads in Shorts: How Divine and Taco Bell Are Changing the Game

    Banner Ads in Shorts: How Divine and Taco Bell Are Changing the Game

    Forget about bloggers and multi-million dollar budgets! A new platform, Divine, already dubbed the successor to Vine, is on the horizon, and it could revolutionize the market for banner advertising in short videos. Launched with the support of Jack Dorsey, this social network not only brings back the six-second video format but also offers a unique approach to monetization, where CPM cheaper than 50 rubles could become a reality, and mass reach for pennies—the new norm. Let’s figure out how it works.

    Divine: A Return to Roots and Rejection of AI

    Almost ten years after Vine’s closure, its ideological successor, Divine, has emerged. This platform is supported by Jack Dorsey himself, and its team consists of Twitter veterans. The main feature is a strict rejection of AI in recommendation algorithms and a focus on human creativity.

    Co-founder and CEO Evan Henshaw-Plath, known as Rabble, states: “We removed the pressure of having to create content that would be picked up by an advertising algorithm, and we found that people actually want to create.”

    Key features of Divine:

    • Decentralized protocol: Like many of Dorsey’s recent projects, Divine is built on an open protocol, giving users greater control over their content.
    • Vine archive: Thanks to its close ties with Vine’s founding company, Divine can serve as an archive for the iconic app.
    • Community focus: During closed testing, the platform emphasized creative initiatives, such as the “Midnight Insomniacs Club.”

    Taco Bell: The First Major Partner and a New Monetization Model

    The main question that always hung over Vine: how to monetize six-second videos? Divine seems to have found the answer in innovative brand integration without filming. The first official partner of the platform is the fast-food chain Taco Bell, which is launching its “Decades” menu with dishes from 2016.

    “Divine will not only solve Vine’s monetization problems but will also strive for innovation in collaboration between brands and creators,” states the press release.

    How does this work for brands?

    Instead of intrusive advertising, Divine offers brands to “creatively contribute to communities.” The Taco Bell campaign is a prime example: by using the code TACO-BELL, users get early access to the platform before its official launch on August 20. This is not just advertising; it’s a native banner in Shorts that becomes part of the user experience.

    Benefits for Brands:

    • Low CPM: This model allows for reach without creating a video, which significantly reduces the cost per contact.
    • Alternative to Influencers: Don’t pay an influencer for expensive integration. Here, brands interact directly with the community.
    • Transparent Statistics: Open protocols can provide more transparent statistics on banner interactions.

    Banner Advertising in Short Videos: Prospects for Arbitrageurs

    For digital arbitrageurs and marketers, Divine opens up new horizons. Imagine: auto-placement on hundreds of videos with the possibility of getting a CPM cheaper than 50 rubles. This is real math, where pennies for a million impressions are no longer a fantasy.

    This platform is ideal for:

    • Promoting mobile applications: Short, catchy videos and non-skippable banners.
    • Advertising crypto projects: A decentralized audience open to new technologies.
    • Infobusiness: Fast and wide reach of the target audience.

    Testing hypotheses for 1000 rubles becomes not just possible, but mandatory. Instead of creating expensive videos, you can focus on creative banners that organically fit into Divine’s nostalgic atmosphere.

    Баннерная реклама в Shorts: как Divine и Taco Bell меняют правила игры — illustration 2

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Divine and how does it differ from Vine?

    Divine is a new platform for sharing short videos (up to 6 seconds), which is called the ideological successor to Vine. Key differences: Jack Dorsey’s support, strict rejection of AI in recommendations, a decentralized protocol, and a new monetization model through native brand integrations, rather than traditional advertising.

    How can brands advertise on Divine?

    Instead of traditional banner or video advertising, Divine offers brands to “creatively contribute to communities.” The Taco Bell example shows that this can be providing exclusive access to the platform or content in exchange for brand interaction, which is essentially a native banner in Shorts.

    Will CPM on Divine really be cheaper than 50 rubles?

    Potentially, yes. By abandoning expensive influencer integrations and focusing on mass, organic reach through creative banners, the cost per contact can be significantly lower than on other platforms. This allows for cheap reach and mass reach for pennies.

    Will Divine avoid Vine’s monetization fate?

    Divine’s founders claim that their monetization model, based on deep brand integration into the community and value provision, will help avoid the problems Vine faced. A focus on programmatic video banners and non-skippable formats could be the key to success.

    Conclusion

    Divine is not just another attempt to revive Vine. It’s a new approach to banner advertising in video that could revolutionize the market. With an emphasis on human creativity, decentralization, and innovative brand integrations, the platform offers unique opportunities for those looking for the lowest CPM in shorts and striving for transparent statistics.

    It’s time to order banner advertising and become part of this movement before pennies per million impressions become an unaffordable luxury. Stay tuned for updates and get ready to test new hypotheses – this could be your chance for “white schemes” in the world of short videos.

  • Banner Advertising in Short Videos: Reach for Pennies Without Filming

    Banner Advertising in Short Videos: Reach for Pennies Without Filming

    Banner advertising in short videos is not magic, but pure math. While influencers ask for millions for a single video, you can buy a million impressions for less than lunch in the capital. CPM below 50 rubles, reach for pennies, and hypothesis testing for 1000 rubles. Forget about bloggers and filming days: we break down how this works using TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts as examples.

    What is banner advertising in short videos

    This is overlay advertising: a static or animated banner on top of a video. You don’t pay for content production—only for impressions. You can place a banner in TikTok or Reels through programmatic platforms that automatically distribute your creative across hundreds of videos.

    The main advantage is transparent statistics. You see real reach, CPM, and CTR in real time. No inflated numbers or “gray” schemes—only white-hat platforms.

    Why this is more profitable than influencers

    An influencer with a million followers charges 100–300 thousand rubles for a single video. And reach is not guaranteed. banner advertising in video gives a CPM from 30 to 50 rubles. For 10,000 rubles, you get 200–300 thousand impressions. The math is obvious.

    I tested both schemes: with bloggers, I burned my budget without results, and with banners, I got a steady flow of leads at a price 5 times lower. That’s why arbitrage specialists are switching to automated placement.

    Where to place: TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts

    Each platform has its own features. On TikTok, banners are shown in the recommendation feed, on Reels—inside stories, on YouTube Shorts—in the vertical player. CPM varies everywhere, but on average stays within 30–50 rubles per thousand impressions.

    Banner Advertising in Short Videos: Reach for Pennies Without Filming

    For info-business, mobile apps, and crypto projects, this is an ideal channel: mass reach for pennies. Automated placement on hundreds of videos allows scaling without manual work.

    How to launch banner advertising without filming

    You don’t need production. One static banner in JPG or PNG format is enough. Platforms will select sites and videos for your audience themselves. The whole process takes 15 minutes.

    Hypothesis testing for 1000 rubles is real. Launch 2–3 creatives with different offers, look at the statistics, and scale the winner. This way, you avoid wasting your budget on ineffective formats.

    Case studies: who is already making money on banners

    Info-business promotes webinars with a CPM of 40 rubles. Mobile games get installs for 15 rubles each. Crypto projects collect ICO applications. All this—without a single video.

    One of my clients, an info-businessman, invested 50,000 rubles and got 1.2 million impressions in a week. CTR 1.5%, lead price—80 rubles. With influencers, he would have spent the same money on one video with a dubious result.

    Banner Advertising in Short Videos: Reach for Pennies Without Filming

    Frequently asked questions

    How much does banner advertising cost on TikTok?

    CPM on TikTok ranges from 30 to 70 rubles depending on geo and targeting. On average—50 rubles. This is tens of times cheaper than with bloggers.

    Can I place a banner without creating a video?

    Yes, this is the main scenario. You upload a banner, choose an audience, and launch the campaign. The platform itself finds videos for display.

    What statistics are available?

    Transparent: impressions, clicks, CTR, CPM, conversions. You see everything in real time and can optimize the campaign on the fly.

    Conclusion

    Banner advertising in short videos is the lowest CPM in shorts. Forget about bloggers and filming: the real math speaks for itself. Don’t pay an influencer—buy reach for pennies. Order banner advertising today and get the first results within an hour.

  • Kick launches advertising: a direct channel to Generation Z

    Kick launches advertising: a direct channel to Generation Z

    The streaming platform Kick, associated with Stake.com, has officially launched advertising in live streams. Almost four years after Kick’s start, it introduces a new revenue stream that could benefit both creators and brands. Previously, Kick avoided advertising: monetization for creators was based on a rewards program tied to watch time and small prize pools. However, with the platform’s growth, the introduction of ads became inevitable.

    As early as December, Kick CEO Ed Craven confirmed that the company would introduce advertising “at some point” in the future. “Enjoy the absence of ads while you can,” said Craven. Now, ads on Kick have become a reality, and they arrive at a pivotal moment. The platform attracts millions of concurrent viewers on its biggest streams, with monthly viewing volume exceeding 300 million hours.

    Scale and audience

    In the ad launch announcement, it is noted that Kick now has over 100 million active users. This is a massive audience, and 81% of them are aged 18 to 34. Kick claims its advertising can connect brands with the hard-to-reach Generation Z, echoing arguments heard before.

    “The viewer is everything on KICK. They’re not just watching in the background; they’re in the chat, they’re part of the stream,” said Ryan Webb, Kick’s head of growth and revenue. “We’ve spent over three years earning this, building a platform where creators want to stream and communities want to spend time.”

    Challenges and solutions

    Now that Kick has ads, the platform will have to face the same issues that cause headaches on other streaming services. For example, Twitch is forced to give streamers more control over ad breaks and manage their duration. YouTube, in turn, experiments with less intrusive ad formats.

    Kick launches advertising: a direct channel to Generation Z

    For now, Kick responds to potential obstacles with a “wait and see” strategy. The platform asks creators to report inappropriate ads but also warns that the length of breaks may vary. For poorly timed interruptions, there is a stream rewind feature launched last year.

    Gold rush

    Perhaps in the future Kick will develop more refined advertising policies, but first there will be a gold rush. Creators have attracted millions of hours of attention on Kick. Now we’ll find out how much that attention is really worth.

    Frequently asked questions

    How will Kick deal with inappropriate ads?

    Kick asks creators to report inappropriate ads but has not yet introduced strict moderation algorithms.

    Kick launches advertising: a direct channel to Generation Z

    Will ads affect the viewing experience?

    Variable breaks are expected, but the stream rewind feature will help viewers not miss important moments.

    What ad formats will be used?

    For now, Kick has launched standard in-stream ad inserts, similar to other platforms.

    If you are a content creator or brand, now is the time to explore advertising opportunities on Kick. Contact the platform to learn the terms and start earning from audience attention.

  • Spotify brings Merlin on board for AI remixes and covers

    Spotify brings Merlin on board for AI remixes and covers

    Spotify is making a bold move into the world of artificial intelligence, announcing the launch of a new product that will allow fans to create covers and remixes of songs with artists’ consent. During its second-quarter report, the company announced that licensing partner Merlin, which represents more than 30,000 independent labels and distributors, has joined the initiative. This expands the base of artists participating in the project and underscores Spotify’s commitment to standing out from controversial startups that generate fully artificial tracks.

    Product positioning: ‘real artists, not fake ones’

    Spotify co-president Gustav Söderström emphasized that the product is aimed at ‘real artists, not fake ones.’ Unlike generative music services, Spotify is betting on musicians’ consent and their compensation.

    ‘We want artists to give consent for their works to be added to the catalog so that people can create covers and remixes based on their creativity,’ added another CEO, Alex Norström.

    Spotify brings Merlin on board for AI remixes and covers

    Legal clarity and compensation

    The key difference of the new service is its legality. ‘We not only obtain consent and provide attribution, but also ensure compensation. This is the first legal way to participate in the AI trend we see in interactive music,’ Norström stated.

    This is especially important in light of Deezer data: more than 50% of daily uploaded tracks are already AI-generated (in January 2025, it was only 10%).

    Launch and monetization

    research preview of the product will be available only to a subset of users, without the need for the full catalog. The exact date has not been disclosed, but it is known that the feature will become a paid add-on, creating an additional source of income for artists.

    Spotify brings Merlin on board for AI remixes and covers

    ‘Our product with remixes and covers is incredibly exciting because no one else can do this. Ordinary generative music will appear without us, but this product will not appear without us, and it must exist so that artists can participate in the AI wave,’ Söderström emphasized.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is Merlin and why does Spotify need it?

    Merlin is a licensing partner representing the interests of independent labels. Its participation expands the catalog of artists who can consent to the use of their music in AI remixes, ensuring legality and content diversity.

    When will the AI remix feature launch?

    The exact date has not been announced. Initially, a research preview will be available to a limited group of users, with a full launch expected later.

    Will it be paid?

    Yes, the feature will become a paid add-on, allowing artists to earn additional income from the use of their music in remixes and covers.

    Spotify brings Merlin on board for AI remixes and covers

    Conclusion

    Spotify is betting on the legal use of AI in music, attracting partners like Merlin and emphasizing artist consent and compensation. This could become a new standard in the industry, distinguishing it from the chaotic spread of generative tracks.

    Stay tuned for updates to be among the first to try the feature and see how AI remixes will change your music experience.