The basic premise that a video generates more buzz than a simple text post is universally acknowledged. Video Marketers are using this syllogism world over to alleviate their brands by rightly syncing social media and online video presence. The latest addition to the video -hub like vine (acquired by twitter) is gradually gaining traction just as Instagram (acquired by facebook) is also churning out videos in competition to the vine videos. Thus, online video content is surely the panacea to all the marketer’s ailments related to brand promotion as 70% of brands say they prefer video as the most effective means for content marketing.
According to 2015, state of Digital Marketing, insights from 600 marketers revealed blind faith when it comes to embracing visual content. Thus this year it’s going to be a mixed year with all cross platforms engagement, rise of micro-video platforms, and an unprecedented increase in mobile video consumption which again will be the hallmark this year. To cut it out simply, if online video marketing is the trap then YouTube is your bait to draw audience in the world of online video marketing.
Brands engage in video formats to strategize their marketing content and are gradually realizing they need not be ‘a one video wonder’ but rather build a sustainable strategy to gain sustainable engagement.
1) Mobile video consumption
In the last quarter of 2014, it’s been reported that 39% of worldwide users visited YouTube via a mobile device which radically increased from the third quarter of 2013 stationed at 33%. It is estimated that, by 2016, mobile videos will account for 71% of all mobile network data traffic. Phew!
However, presently video already generates 42% of daily data traffic volume on any given network. Such is the traction driven on video consumed through mobiles that brands these days try to optimize the loopholes of different social media platforms and make it work for them.
For example, only 10% of the viewers watch full ads on YouTube and hence Audi R8 managed a brilliant ad brief, titled ‘Gone in five seconds’ for YouTube exhibiting speed of the car reaching 100kmph in 3.5 seconds.
It further narrows down to the point of limited usage of mobile data consumption on the move. Consumers too would like to watch videos of a shorter duration saving their mobile data in albeit sans wi-fi. Smart Video creators craft videos and sync their brand with the right social media platform to gain more traction.
2. Rise of micro platforms
Taking the cue, Instagram, a space well reserved to usually sharing snaps of food, latest style fad, ropes in videos of users to share these creatively amongst peers and friends. For example, you could use both instagram videos to promote or highlight a certain feature of their product (brand) be it a movie or introducing new offers, instagram allows a space to generate and harbor all such curiosities.
The movie Jobs played on the emotions of average Americans where Apple has a cult status and brief snippets from the movie which did well to create excitement before its big release.
Similarly, on twitter too, several brands and agencies tried to promote their ventures through fascinating gimmicks and campaigns like just as Coca-Cola did with papertweetos done by Ogilvy Argentina
Vine too has managed to cut the rut and make its own space in the video domain. Marketers aren’t using Vine to sell their products but brand through through quirky stop –motions hand designs and innovative vine sounds, which is slowly gaining steam.
Lucky magazine, did a vine video on how to layer your trousseau and it definitely caught eye-balls. Thus, with the current batch, marketers can also exercise options to choose, match and gauge on which format fits the bill.
3. War of videos on social media
Going by the current stock of stats brewing between Facebook native uploads and YouTube uploads has added more twists than one to the dynamic marketing strategy. Although it is reported that YouTube links get posted about 8 times more than facebook video, nothing could discount the fact that facebook native uploads drive more engagement than YouTube video links shared over Facebook.
Moreover, Facebook native uploads grab a 40% higher engagement rate (0.25%) than YouTube links (0.51%). This could be mainly accounted for two reasons: Firstly, Facebook videos are available in fan –page video gallery from where they have a higher chance of visibility and secondly, Facebook videos are easily consumed on mobile for they need no redirection unlike YouTube.
In a nutshell, it’s suggested to shell out on videos to further your reach wisely to different demographics and groups of consumers based on age, tastes and preferences and geography!
[About the author: Subrat Kar is the Co-founder of Vidooly, a marketing & analytics suite for content creators, brands & MCNs that helps to grow their YouTube business organically.]
