For many digital marketers, the Autumn/Winter season represents a time to start thinking about something crucial to their advertising efforts: media planning. You'll need to ask your team some essential questions about how you're going to reach out to your target audience, but the chances are that at least some of your budget spend will be directed towards online video advertising.
According to studies, over fifty percent of the marketing professionals in the mix today are planning to increase the amount of money they spend on mobile and desktop video in the coming year.
Part of what's driving this turn to online video advertising is a generation of consumers who want instant information, entertainment, and engagement. Thanks to a browsing strategy that is based largely on mobile viewing, people can watch videos, catch up with podcasts, and learn more about a company regardless of where they are - so long as they have an internet connection.
With all of this in mind, we're going to offer some of the most essential media planning tips you'll need to make your online video advertising a success.
Tip 1: Focus on Mobile
Today, almost everyone is mobile. Unless you're working, the chances are that you do the majority of your browsing on your smartphone or tablet, which means big brands across the world are beginning to recognize that if they want to make personal connections and improve their profits - they need to create a responsible mobile experience for their customers.
Research from Google discovered that viewers who watched an ad on mobile had a lift of 23% when it came to unaided brand awareness. Other studies have shown that significant portions of the marketing reach for most businesses come from mobile interaction. Simply put, if your audience can't access your content from their mobile, then the chances are that they aren't going to make the effort and come back to you later to watch your video or engage with your product. You need to make sure that the user experience you give to your target market is exceptional first-time around, otherwise you're going to lose out on a range of essential opportunities.
Tip 2: Remember to Give your Audience Value
When you show online video advertisements, you need to make sure that you're giving your audience something they value - rather than attempting to force them to watch something that's going to distract them from what they were previously doing.
Think about the adverts that you see on YouTube before, or during a long stream. If the ad is about something that you're interested in, then you're far more likely to let it play on - without clicking the "skip" button. On the other hand, if the advertisement doesn't seem relevant to you, or you're in a hurry, then it's going to be nothing more than an annoyance.
Connecting with the right audience is essential to any marketing or media plan. The more you adjust your messaging and ensure that you're providing value to your audience, the more you will benefit from higher view-through rates, higher levels of brand awareness, and more conversions.
If you're not sure about what your customers want, then the best bet may be to ask them. Hold polls or competitions that ask what your next media strategy should include.
Tip 3: Plan YouTube with TV Ads
TV ads still have a part to play when it comes to making a media impact today. One important thing to remember when you're creating your advertising strategy is that a great video ad is only as powerful as the plan that you use to share those videos with the world.
If you're not getting your message out to the right audience at the right time, then you're going to be missing out on valuable opportunities to enhance brand awareness, increase engagement amongst your customers, and establish yourself within the lives of the people you want to support and grow your brand.
Third party research shows that video campaigns which combine television advertisements with YouTube placements can often drive better brand results. Although YouTube ads certainly have a higher impact on the modern audience than television ads today, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be versatile with your placements.
