Twitter just announced an expansion of its Amplify ad program, making it more accessible for wider publishers and advertisers.
For those who might not aware, Amplify is Twitter’s two-year-old program for video ads. Initially, it involved a direct and complex mechanism — the publisher would embed a short video clip in a tweet, then the advertiser would both include a short pre-roll ad in the tweet and pay to promote the tweet in Twitter.
In the new, open version of Amplify, an advertiser no longer needs to work with a specific publisher. Instead, they choose a content category, then Twitter will automatically include their pre-roll ads in videos tweeted by relevant publishers. That said, advertisers can also use Twitter’s other ad targeting capabilities as well.
This isn’t just about making the process easier for advertisers. The update also gives publishers a monetary incentive to share their video clips on Twitter. The revenue split is 70 percent for publishers and 30 percent for Twitter. Moreover, publishers will be able to blacklist certain advertisers or categories if they feel like they’re not a good fit.
“With this expanded version of Amplify, we’re excited to help people enjoy more great video, publishers drive more revenue, and brands align with the best mobile video moments, all at scale,” said David Reagan, a senior product manager at Twitter.
Publishers participating in the expanded Amplify program include companies in sports (Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports and SB Nation), TV (Billboard Music Awards, Fox and MTV), digital (Maker, Fullscreen and Kin Community) and news and entertainment (Funny or Die and BuzzFeed). Twitter made the announcement at an event for advertisers and marketers in New York City, where executives also talked about the broader vision for video on Twitter.
The new Amplify program is currently in beta testing with a limited set of publishers and advertisers in the US, with plans to expand globally.