Video Viewability Rises, but So Does Brand Risk

Digital video ad viewability is on the up. According to Q4 2014 research by Integral Ad Science, the percentage of US online video ads that were in-view that quarter reached 39.0%, a 9-percentage-point quarter-over-quarter increase. These figures exclude mobile.

While video ads still trailed other options, this was the biggest increase in points. Display ads purchased from networks and exchanges also saw quarter-over-quarter growth in viewability, from 36.7% to 42.6%, which the study suggested signaled “heightened user attention and/or increased adoption of viewability optimization technology.” Meanwhile, the viewability rate for display ads bought directly from publishers fell slightly to 52.7%, from 53.4% in Q3. As viewability rates experienced a strong increase in Q4 2014, US video ad completion rates while in-view did, too, rising 6 percentage points from Q3 2014 to 26.0%. 

Among lower completion levels, the differences weren’t huge: 30.7% in the first quartile, 28.8% at the midpoint and 27.5% for the third quartile. Unfortunately, an influx in user attention and ad demand comes with some issues, as well. Brand risk for video ads was up slightly between Q3 and Q4 2014, from 18.7% to 20.7%. Integral Ad Science reported an ad fraud rate of 10.6% for video. Along with brand safety, ad fraud and viewability have taken center stage among buyers this year, and they’re leading worries for video buyers. When an August 2014 study by Adap.tv asked US video buyers about their biggest concerns with video quality inventory, 62% of buyers cited ad viewability. 

A close 60% pointed to ad fraud such as bots and ad stacking. eMarketer estimates that US digital video ad spending, which includes advertising that appears on desktop and laptop computers as well as mobile phones and tablets, will rise by 30.4% this year, following impressive growth of 56.0% in 2014. With total expenditure of $7.77 billion in 2015, the format will capture the second-largest share of display ad spending, at 13.3%. The rise of mobile video will help push video ad expenditures to more than double between 2014 and 2018, from $5.96 billion to $12.82 billion.

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Video in the Feed and the Future of Digital Marketing

With recent developments in Facebook advertising, it is my pleasure to dig into “Video In The Feed” advertising and its place in the current advertising and digital marketing environment. Announced in December and currently being rolled out throughout Facebook’s web and mobile sites, the video advertisements will be an everyday part of hundreds of millions of Facebook users. Let us put the current expansions into context, and provide the general ideas behind the video ads, where they came from and what they mean for marketing teams.

Where Digital Advertising was before.

Modern digital marketing campaigns are being pressed to do more with less. Looking into the relatively modern history of digital marketing, we can see that online marketing tools are adopted and abandoned faster than through traditional media. From the first spam emails in the 80’s to banner ads in the 90’s, up to notorious popups of the late ‘90’s and early into the new millennium, we can see a steady progression to more and more active and engaging advertisements.

As bandwidths increase, internet availability increases both in cost and in usability, companies are more and more willing to foot the bill for the rising costs of advertising in new media. Video advertisements have been in use predominantly on video uploading and sharing sites since 2008. While we look to YouTube as the leader and provider of most of our online video content, by the time YouTube produced their first “Promoted video” advertisements, Facebook and Twitter had been “Sponsoring” posts, pages and tweets for several years.

Ad on Youtube video

Facebook Advertising

While Facebook was originally not developed for advertising and marketing, the interconnectedness of Facebook and ease of sharing makes it ideal for digital marketing teams. In 2006 Facebook began advertising with JP Morgan Chase with a special promotion for Facebook users. Since then we’ve seen partnerships with Microsoft, and the acquisition of Atlas in Facebooks transition into a media powerhouse.

Now we’re looking at another transitional period for Facebook advertisements, both with the majority of Facebook users switching over to mobile devices, and the introduction of more bandwidth-taxing video advertisements. The combination of these two factors leads us to an interesting position as digital marketers. Looking at increasing market size and dramatic numbers on mobile devices, digital marketing teams are jumping at the chance to get on Facebook mobile. Sponsored ads and sponsored pages presented in the newsfeed, as well as static ads and “Recommended Pages” were all introduced in the last few years, and at the end of 2013 we had an announcement that video ads will be incorporated into the newsfeed.

Advertising on Facebook

Prices and Concerns

Video ads to be placed into the newsfeed are met with both excitement and hesitation, as most changes to the Facebook model often are. The ads are set to be 15 seconds long and prescreened by an independent company before they are approved to be placed on a newsfeed. The videos are set to play silently as soon as they are loaded, and the user can tap the ad to expand and add audio to the ad if they find it appealing. Customer concerns with data size and auto-downloading videos will be addressed in time, as of the time of writing the Facebook ads are not being downloaded on to mobile devices when on data, but will be downloaded when on Wi-Fi, as will any videos posted or shared by the user.

As a marketer, it is important to keep a close watch on how Facebook plans to use their videos over data plans, as this will have a direct emotional impact on the end user. They will know they are paying for every second of advertisement that they’ve decided to open, and the name of the company will be connected with their used data. Though it is certainly an interesting development, video ads in the news feed are still undergoing policy changes and should be viewed with caution.

Photo from Facebook Developers

The Product and The Audience

Diligent advertising focuses on maximising the overlap between your target audience and the audience exposed to your advertisements. When working in a digital medium it is even more important, with new tools like “Pay Per Click” and “Real Time Bidding” on the market, every cent spent in a fruitless venture is a cent wasted. With the hyper-competitive nature of advertising over every niche market online, a marketing team cannot afford to drop cents off the dollar in missing the target market.

Video advertising on Facebook is currently running between 1 and 2.5 million dollars for a 15 second ad played over 24 hour period. The variation in price will reflect the ad being played at different times or targeting different demographics. When confronting the potential of wasted money going into dead ad campaigns, a publisher should approach any deal with active creative alternatives. Looking at the huge market and the fittingly huge price tag advertising on Facebook brings, creative marketing solutions are looking more and more appealing to smaller marketing teams.

Photo: CC BY 2013 Marc Cornelis

The Future of Digital Marketing

With massive budgets and the constant pressure of ad blindness, marketing teams are always on the look out for the next medium to present their products. With the potential customers becoming more and more interconnected online advertisements are the way of the future. Digital marketing is no longer limited to dangerous popups and flat boring banner ads. The tools to make an engaging and interesting advertising campaign are there, and the publishers of today are looking into an exciting future of finding creative marketing solutions.

Parting Thoughts

When looking to increase your digital presence, it is important that you come to the table with a target, a measurable goal, and a budget. Make sure your ideas are flexible but your goals are solid. The online marketing and advertising sphere is constantly changing. Creativity is constantly struggling to stay one step ahead of ad blindness. Everyone fighting for space and driving up prices, companies live and die by the dollar. Information gathering tools and talented analysts will be your most reliable investments.

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5 Steps to More Effective YouTube Video Ads

We watch more than 6 billion hours of video on YouTube every month, which represents a major opportunity for businesses to reach their audiences active on this network every day.

According to an eMarketer report, spending on online video advertising will increase by 38.9% and reach $5.75 billion by the end of 2014.

Advertisers are able reach the right users with relevant video content in the form of display ads (ads appearing throughout the website and search), overlay in-video ads (ads located at the bottom of the video), in-stream ads (ads that play before, during or after another video is played) and in-display ads (ads appearing on the right hand column next to your video) on YouTube.

The goal of these ads for a brand advertiser is to:

1. Drive traffic to your website
2. Increase brand awareness
3. Generate sales and conversions

To achieve these goals, it’s important to avoid common pitfalls when running a YouTube video ad campaign. These videos should have a strong ROI to support the growth of your business, reach the right users and be cost effective in order to work properly for your organization.

Here are five steps to ensure your YouTube videos ads are delivering the best results.

1. Match the ad format with your goals

The various YouTube video ad formats suit different types of campaigns, which can help your organization better achieve a variety of goals. Choose the ad format that best matches your goal.

• Display and in-display ads:

  If you’re trying to promote existing video content on your YouTube channel, drive traffic to your website or generate awareness of a product line or service offering, display ads can help achieve these goals.

• Overlay in-video ads:

  Include a brief call-to-action to drive viewers to click on the ad and visit your website. Since these ads are brief, there main purpose is to generate traffic to your web properties.

• Skippable and non-skippable in-stream ads:

  Avoid repurposing existing video content; create a video specifically for use on YouTube to generate awareness about your products, services or latest promotion. Tell your viewers what action you’d like them to take after watching your video, like viewing another video on YouTube.

2. Understand search intent

YouTube is much higher in the sales funnel compared with many other marketing tools or channels, which is why it’s essential that your business have a strong understanding of the intent of those who discover your video ad.

They aren’t likely to convert into customers from seeing your video ad for the first time, but if their intent is matched to the content of your ad, they are more likely to watch it and perform an action in the long-term after seeing more messaging in the future on YouTube and across other channels.

This is particularly true when targeting video ads in YouTube search, as well. In that case, it’s important to match the keywords you’re bidding on based upon the location of users in the sales funnel. It’s likely they are a bit higher in the funnel, just entering the research and discovery phase when viewing your video messaging.

In this example above, the user is curious about the benefits of a Smart car and would like to watch a video on the subject. An ad is populated based on the keywords used in this search; in this case, Cadillac wants to inform the user about one of its latest models. While it’s quite an upsell going from a Smart car to a Caddy, GM’s luxury brand attempts to provide information about its product line as a part of the user’s initial search.

Here’s a tip: start broad with your keyword targeting, focusing on short keyword phrases related to the focus of the individual video ads you’re promoting. YouTube ads are based on CPV (cost-per-view), which tend to be cheaper than an average CPC (cost-per-click) of AdWords, giving you a little more flexibility in your keyword targeting.

3. Choose the right thumbnail

The selection of the thumbnail for your video ads is critical when it comes to generating a strong marketing ROI from your content; the right image can really spike the click-through rates on your ads. To help encourage a YouTube user to click on your ad, choose thumbnails that are relevant to the subject of the video. That ensures there are no surprises when the user clicks on the ad.

If your video thumbnail is a photo of a woman in a bikini and you’re selling gardening tools, it’s likely people won’t watch your video for very long once they realize the content of the video isn’t what was advertised. Keep your thumbnail relevant as it relates to your video ad.

Choose a still shot from your video that is clear and not blurry in any way. This is important because your thumbnail should give the impression that your video is from a quality source. Also use text when it makes sense to help further define what the video is about. Finally, incorporate color into your thumbnail to ensure it stands out from other video thumbnails that appear on a viewer’s screen at any one time.

4. The first five seconds make or break the ad

You have about five seconds to impress someone to the point that they choose to watch the rest of your video before they skip your ad, close their browser or go elsewhere online. It’s important to wow a person by quickly catching their attention with your video ad through an offer, exclusive information or surprising messaging.

In the first few seconds, focus on clearly defining what value users will take away from watching your video. For example, Longhorn Steakhouse discusses its new pricing on some of the most popular dishes by quickly calling out the price within the first few seconds of the ad in hopes of catching a viewers attention.

5. Include a clear call-to-action

As a form of content marketing, the point of your YouTube videos is to drive your audience to interact with your business in some capacity, whether that’s to comment on the video or buy your products. At the end of your video, focus attention on a call-to-action, either written or verbal, that tells your audience what specific action you’d like them to take. Include links to your website when it makes sense for your call-to-action.

Add contact information like a phone number, website URL, Twitter handle, an email address or other pertinent contact info, when appropriate. Remember to include the name of your business, as well as a logo as a part of the call-to-action for an additional reminder of who your are. In some video ads, perhaps even a promotion of some kind will help improve the likelihood that your call-to-action will drive results.

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Video Killed the Text Star? Social Video Drives More Engagement on Facebook Than Text

Social media may be a relatively new concept for most brands and digital marketers, but the its way of working is already changing. It is a constantly evolving world where one needs to be completely tuned in to be abreast of the situation. People’s tastes shape what we see on social media platforms.

In the early days, we were all happy with textual content and posts on social media platforms. However, this quickly changed and people wanted more appealing content like photos. As bandwidths got bigger and as mobile devices became more functional and capable of handling bigger files, the demand for social media started increasing too.

Social video is now!

This is the age of social videos. They are more interactive, attention-grabbing and inclusive than images or textual content. Many have touted it to be the future of social media marketing.

Two such people are Dave Swartz and Andrew Maltin – the founders of Hang w/ - a platform that allows people to create live streaming videos easily. They believe that people are getting extremely comfortable in front of the camera and that live videos will be the next biggest trend on social media. 

Success of social video

They also believe that video content will be more organic as time goes by and that people as well as brands will want to engage with others through their videos in real time. This is the truest form of social video.

We have already seen how social media users love interacting with others via video – the biggest example being Google Hangouts feature on Google+. Google+ has been slowly gathering a massive following and the hangouts features is one reason for its success.

It has been so successful that Google has now released Hangouts as a standalone application. 

Many brands, industry experts, gurus and celebrities have already used the hangouts features to connect with their fans, followers and well wishers in real time to immense success.

Facebook also has its own chat application, but the video feature has not been used to its full extent by users.

Applications like Hang w/, on the other hand have been used quite extensively to create “live videos” or social videos and have gathered a lot of engagement on Facebook. In fact, according to Swartz and Maltin, their social videos have generated more engagement than other forms of social media. This is because live videos or social videos are often unscripted, more spontaneous and much more compelling.

Hang w/ creators also noticed that fans would rather engage with social videos than with other kinds of content on social media platforms. Social videos are getting more popular than textual content because the viewers don’t have to spend a lot of time reading the content.

Also, there is always some thrill and unpredictability involved with live or social videos that make them more intimate, encouraging fans to respond to them on a more emotional level.

Social videos also give the feeling of exclusivity where social media users get to “hangout” with the key players in their favourite brands, their favourite celebrities and so on.  

Hang w/ user analytics reveal that fans on Hang w/ are more likely to Tune In to a celebrity's three- to nine-minute live broadcast than fans are to engage in the following social media activities:

Hang w/ Tune In versus Facebook like: 5:1

Hang w/ Tune In versus Instagram comment: 19:1

Hang w/ Tune In versus Twitter favorite: 153:1

Hang w/ Tune In versus Twitter retweet: 195:1

Hang w/ Tune In versus Facebook share: 250:1

Social videos are also a great way to communicate any message very quickly to a responsive audience. Creators of social videos can also clear up doubts and quell the anxieties of the viewers instantly.

They also give the feeling of collaboration as the people in the social videos are able to discuss pertinent points with the viewers, allowing everyone to feel like a part of the group.

Due to all these reasons, social videos are bound to grow exponentially on Facebook and may even cause a huge dent in the amount of textual content on Facebook.

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How To Build Your Online Authority

People buy from those they trust, and one of the ways you can make yourself trustworthy to your potential clients is to build your online authority.

Having online authority means you are a trusted and respected expert in your field – someone that others consider knowledgeable about your niche. When you have online authority, it draws people to you because people want to align with experts. Therefore, building online authority is a must for your personal brand.

Here are some ways you can build online authority and strengthen your personal brand at the same time:

#1: Constantly produce original content

Online authority means you are constantly sharing your expertise. The best way to share your expertise is through content marketing. Writing blog posts, recording videos, creating infographics, designing PowerPoint presentations – these are just a few of the ways you can create content to share your expertise. The more you produce, the higher your online authority will become. Additionally, diversify the type of content marketing you produce. For example, don’t just blog. Consider shooting videos or creating graphics as well. This will extend the reach of your content, bringing your expertise to more people.

#2: Answer people’s questions

Another way to build your online authority is to answer people’s questions. A great way to accomplish this is through Quora, a question-and-answer social networking site. Check into Quora on a frequent basis and search for questions in your industry. Also, be on the lookout for industry-related questions posted on social media. It’s a good idea to be involved in social media groups, such as Google Plus communities or LinkedIn groups, where you can help people on a consistent basis.

#3: Sign up for Google Authorship

When you sign up for Google Authorship, you are telling Google where you produce original content, specifically blog posts and articles. The idea is that if someone is searching on Google and your content answers his question, your blog post or article will appear in the search results. Having Google declare you an authority by allowing your content to appear in search results is a powerful boost for your personal brand.

#4: Find speaking opportunities

Nothing says “I am an expert” like speaking on a topic related to your industry. While offline speaking engagements are fantastic, don’t overlook the benefits of online speaking. Some examples include hosting your own webinar, being a guest presenter on someone else’s webinar, conducting  a Google Hangout, hosting a Livestream or participating in a podcast.

Always look for ways to build your online authority by sharing your knowledge, answering people’s questions and extending the reach of your expertise. Building online authority makes you trustworthy, and that helps pull potential customers and employers toward you. It’s an essential ingredient to a successful personal brand.

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Using YouTube to Enhance Your Online Presence

YouTube can be an invaluable tool for enhancing a business’s online presence. With YouTube, you can develop your brand and also create awareness for your products and services.

According to a blog post on Copy Pressed, there are a number of templates you can use to create a short, entertaining video about the topic of your choice and include YouTube in your social media strategy.

How Do I Get Started Making my YouTube Video?

Once you have chosen a template, keep in mind that your YouTube video should be short and concise. It should also be visually appealing and entertaining so people will share the video.

After you have made your video, make sure you have a good keyword strategy and promotion of your video on your social media sites. That way people can find and share your masterpiece!

What Should I Talk About in my YouTube Video?

• How-to video – A how-to video could be great if you want to demonstrate how easy it is to use your product
• Interview – An interview with an important employee or executive can explain their role and the goods and / or services your company offers
• Video testimonial – This a great way to show how happy a previous customer is with your product or service
• Case study – This could be a video about an important litigation at your firm or a thorny insurance claims process if you sell insurance
• Documentary – This is probably the most common type of video; a short documentary about a topic related to your business. For example, a law firm might explain what is involved in a personal injury suit or a utility company could explain how it generates and distributes electricity

YouTube can be a perfect way to enhance your online presence. With these quick and easy steps, you can make your own specialized video with limited effort.

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How to BeDazzle Your Inbound Marketing Program With Video

Now we all know that content is pretty key when it comes to inbound marketing. Content is what drives traffic to our sites, converts visitors into leads, closes your leads into sales, and keeps customers coming back for more.

Content doesn’t just have to be written blog posts, though. There are a plethora of different forms of content you can use in your content marketing, like infographics, podcasts, webinars, and video.  

Each of these different forms can help convey a message better than other forms. For instance, an infographic might be able to share key statistics better than a blog post or podcast. Or maybe you want to show some features of your software, which would be best demonstrated in a video.

Today, we’re going to dive into using videos in your inbound marketing program.

Why Use Video

Videos are a great way to help reach different goals, like…  

1. Traffic and/or conversions
2. Brand awareness
3. Social shares

Plus – it doesn’t take a whole bunch of money to do video marketing. All you need is:

• Camcorder
• Lapel Mic
• Lights
• Editing Software

Goal 1: Using Video for Increasing Conversions and Traffic.

Videos can be great for helping sell a specific product or service. Not to mention, these videos can really enhance your product or service pages. So what kind of content would you find in these types of videos? You would typically include a soft sell, hard facts, and maybe even some empathy for the viewer.

As an added bonus, you can include the transcripts to provides valuable information for users and unique and relevant text for your product pages.

Now when it comes to how you embed these videos, you’ll want to use a service like Wistia or Brightcove instead of YouTube. Here are a few reasons why:

• If you use YouTube, you’ll be driving traffic to YouTube rather than your site.
• Click-through-rates from YouTube back to a website tend to be very low (we are talking below 1%). That means you could lose up to 99% of potential traffic.
• Using a service like Wistia or Brightcove will allow you to get rich snippets on search engine results.
• These services allow you to create and submit your video to your sitemap.
• With Wistia you can capture email addresses (and integrate it with your HubSpot portal).

Goal 2: Using Video for Brand Awareness

TV ads over the past few decades have showed us that videos can be a great way to build brand awareness. And now, with the help of the internet, people can watch videos on places other than the TV.

There a few different approaches you can take with this type of video. You might share a creative story attached to your brand or you may choose to make it purely informational. Regardless of what direction you take with it, this video should be relevant for an audience unfamiliar with your brand.

Since your goal is to build brand awareness, you’ll want to use YouTube to share this video. Just as you would use Google AdWord Keyword Planner for your PPC ads, you can use the YouTube Keyword Tool for idea generation. And to measure success with this goal, you’ll want to measure user engagement, not number of views.

Goal 3: Using Video for Social Sharing

Video can be especially helpful when trying to produce highly shareable content. The key here is to create videos that people will embed or link to. These videos could be blogging videos, interviews, or anything that people in your industry would like to share.

And as an added bonus - If you’re like most companies, you have a few people helping with your blog content. And writing might not be their strongest skill or favorite pastime. By giving them the option to do a video instead, you might see more engagement and willingness to help.

When it comes to your video hosting, you’ll want to use a service like Wistia or Brightcove to ensure that your videos are only visible on your domain. These services also allow you to customize your embed code so that it links back to you.

Focus on One Goal Per Video

Now that you know the different types of things videos can help with, make sure you pick only one goal per video and know who you want to measure that goal. And just like anything else in marketing, make sure to evaluate after a month, quarter and/or year if what you are doing is working.

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Why Posting Videos on Social Media is Such a Great Business Strategy

More and more companies are making their presence known on popular social media sites. While being active on sites like Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest is a start, there is another useful strategy that can make a business's social media site interesting: posting videos.

If you're looking to add your social media page in a way that will draw followers or customers, here are some reasons to consider using videos.

Today's Social Media Users Are More “Visual”-Minded Than Ever

Smartphones are the means by which millions of individuals access the internet. At the same time, these devices are a popular means of taking and viewing videos. In fact, images and videos are becoming more and more common methods of interaction; be it “selfies” or short videos.

Because visitors to social media sites tend to be more visual-minded, make sure that instead of just typing tweets and slogans you attempt to key in on this. Share short clips of your business's location or your newest product. Being able to see what it is you have to offer will go farther towards drawing attention to your business than descriptive paragraphs.

Remember: high definition videos are most ideal, as clear and sharp images are most attractive. Consider HD videos over CAT 5 where applicable.

Great Way to Connect With Customers

In addition to enjoying videos and images that are shared with them, consider encouraging customers and followers to share videos with you. For instance, you can hold contests regarding funny videos with themes that relate to your brand or products.

Or, simply post videos that were shared with you by customers. Individuals will be more encouraged to interact with your social media account if they feel there is a chance they may be featured.

Aim to Go Viral

You'll notice some businesses have videos that become extremely popular and are shared across the web and around the world. These companies aren’t necessarily huge established global brands, for example, this video for a Thai Insurance company. The compelling storyline and emotional drama of this video managed to captivate many people from various countries and backgrounds, even though the native language is one that many don't speak. The gist of the video was easily understood and it struck a chord with millions of people.

Whether a video is emotional or funny or strange, videos tend to go viral when they are both highly unique and highly shareable. When you post videos to social media sites, consider whether or not your videos meet these qualities: Are they memorable? Are they unique? Do they seem like something that someone would be inclined to share?

Videos Are Just Another Means Of “Word Of Mouth” Advertising

Just as tweets and Facebook mentions are great for “word of mouth” advertising, so are videos. Remember, commercials aren't the only footage that can act as a form of advertising. Even if you're posting a six second Vine video about the new design of a product or the new look of your restaurant, that is a very good way to generate interest.

When followers and would-be customers are treated to something special, they'll want to share it. This is where “word of mouth” advertising comes into play; the more your video is shared, the more people will come into contact with you and your brand. Using videos means that these individuals have a series of images in their heads that they can associate with you and your brand. Adding these videos on social media accounts that are regularly updated and where visitors are interacted with will encourage visitors to not only know more about your social media site and/or business, but to talk about you with others.

The best advertising a business can have is the sort that they don't have to do themselves.

As videos and images become more prominent features on the web, businesses will find themselves relying less and less on a great deal of text and snappy slogans to attract customers via social media sites. As it becomes more about what you show than what you say, it's best for businesses on social media to be thoughtful about how they can use videos uploaded to various sites to show the very best of what they have to offer.

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What Is the Market for Online Videos? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Did you know that videos increase our understanding of a product or service by 74 percent, while more than 45 percent of people on the internet view at least one video over the course of a month and YouTube is the second biggest search engine on the planet which shows people bother to read the stories. More over 8 out of 10 user remember the video advertisement they watch on the internet and 16 out of 25 more likely to buy a product after watching an explainer video. Still not convinced that video can boost your brand or website visibility, then check out this infographic called If a Picture Says 1000 Words, Then Video Is… Priceless from Quicksprout that shows what is the market for online videos? What kind of results do online videos generate? And why video marketing is so effective in 2014.

 

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Top 10 Reasons Your Videos Aren't Viral

Viral videos get millions of views but do they really help companies grow? Contributions to the revenue stream are possible when the videos connect with people that use the products or services. Without that connection, a video is little more than entertainment.

It’s hard to remember that the real objective is to sell products and services when creating videos. The allure of virality is too strong. After all, do a few thousand dollars of sales really compare to a million views?

One question I’m asked on a regular basis is, “why aren’t my videos viral?” Here are my top ten answers:

1. Your target audience is too small. If the only people in the world interested in your video are your parents, don’t expect millions of views.
2. You didn’t optimize for search. The search engine bots don’t read “video”. Add text filled with good keywords so your videos will show up for the right people. (Don’t bother if the video is for Mom & Dad. Send them an email with a link.)
3. Your videos don’t fill a need. Viral activity happens when people share content with each other. If there is nothing in your video worth sharing, nothing will happen.
4. Your PR campaign didn’t work. This usually happens because there ISN’T a PR campaign in place. Contrary to social media lore, reporters don’t spend their days scouring YouTube for videos. (If they did, nothing would ever be reported.)
5. Your videos are too long. People have the attention span of a gnat these days. Keep videos under four minutes to maximize the exposure.
6. Your videos are boring. Yep, that’s right, BOOOORRRRRING. Of course it’s almost impossible to make some topics exciting, but give it a try.
7. You are unlucky. Odds are that you’ll win the lottery or be struck by lightning before you have a viral video. Buy a ticket, get a lightning rod, and make a video. You might as well cover your bases.
8. You didn’t hire the right SMEE (social media expert extraordinaire). There are people who promise that they will make your videos viral. So you know, those promises aren’t really guarantees, they are more like wishes. If you think that you need a SMEE, read number four again.
9. You don’t have cats and dancing babies in your videos. It’s a sad but true fact – cute and funny are requirements for viral videos. (Gross and disgusting works too, but who wants THAT associated with their brand?)
10. You aren’t making and posting videos. The only true guarantee for viral videos is that you won’t have one if you don’t post one. To win it, you have to be in it.

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11 Ways to Promote Your Brand or Product Through Vine

Got six seconds? That’s enough to promote an idea, product, service or a brand. With Vine, the video-sharing app from Twitter, marketing and promotion has taken a faster route. The mobile video sharing service allows you to make short looping videos (up to 6 seconds) to share on Twitter and Facebook, and also on Vine network.

Believe it or not, it’s the shortest yet hottest thing in social media marketing.

Vine - A Marketing Tool

Businesses these days are open to use video or images as a marketing tool. The reason behind this is simple – they are much more compelling and engaging than plain old text (articles, blogs, etc.).

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against tried and tested marketing tactics like guest blogging or posting. They are great to read, good to share and are good for your site’s traffic. 

But that’s not the point. No matter how well you write, a visual is worth a thousand words. That’s the reason behind the rising popularity of Vine as a social media marketing tool.

Today most people access social media through their Smartphone. So, they are more likely to watch a video on the phone than read an article about a product or service.

You also need to keep the attention span of users in mind. Between an article and a six-second video, chances are people will watch the video more often. In the case of an article, they will probably read the first paragraph or two. In case of a six-second looped video, they will see the whole content. That makes it a perfect tool for a product or brand promotion (that is, if you have a creative team who can represent a brand in six seconds).

How to Use Vine for Product and Brand Promotion?

Representing a product or a brand in 6 seconds can be a daunting task. You need to use different tips and tricks. Just keep in mind that vines need to be -

• Short and to the point
• Creative
• Entertaining

Here are a few tried and tested methods that can be put to use while creating a Vine video.

#1 Time Lapse : Time lapse, if used correctly, can be a great way to showcase a product. GAP and ASOS have successfully used it in their social media marketing campaigns.

#2 How To : Using how-to videos related to your product can be a great way to show the use of your product. But don’t get too serious about it. For example, if your product is a food item, you can show different ways to use it. Time lapse videos of easy recipes are also a great ways to go.

#3 Showcase Brand Personality : Want to represent your company or brand as a fun brand? Then showcase a glimpse of fun office events or follow the example of Urban Outfitters.

#4 New Content : Give your followers something new and refreshing. USA Today uses this technique and offers its followers a glimpse of today’s newspaper.

#5 Share and Promote : Magazines, books, DVDs, games and any new products can be promoted this way. I personally like the example of Sephora’s pocket-size fragrances.

#6 Hashtags : Using hashtags is also a great way to spread your idea among people. How to use the hashtag in Vine? I hope this will help you. GE has done a successful campaign with #6secondscience and are arranging contests with user-created content. Here’s their latest for Halloween.

#7 Encourage Conversation : Engage your audience with fun, creative and interesting content. This will induce conversation and spread the word about your brand or product. Simon & Schuster’s stop-motion video allows followers to pick a random book by tapping on the screen.

#8 Sneak Peek : Give your audience a sneak peek of your upcoming product, give them a tour or a behind the scenes look. This will make them feel attached to your company or to your brand.

#9 Contest for Engagement : Arrange a contest or keep your audience guessing about your next offering. This will be a good way to engage your customers and create new interest in your brand or product.

#10 Promotion of the Brand Logo : Take a cue from GE and promote your brand logo through arts and crafts.

#11 Let the Influencers Talk : If all else fails, get influencers talking about your brand. Get the most popular Vine users and Vine stars to promote your brand, just like Virgin Mobile USA promotes Virgin Mobile Freefest 2013 through Brandon Calvillo.

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Why Your Brand Isn't Ready for a YouTube Channel

With 100 hours of video uploaded every minute, YouTube remains a powerhouse when it comes to social media videos. Although video is now a feature on other social sites and apps (i.e. Vine, Instagram, etc.), YouTube is still the most trafficked video-based social network, with more than a billion monthly unique visitors. In July, Social Times published an article pointing out common mistakes individuals make on YouTube. While there are tons of users on YouTube that are simply not ready to be there, the same can be said for brands.

Establishing a YouTube channel is a big commitment. Before diving right in, you need to make sure you are prepared and capable to invest. Too often do brands encounter the following problems:

1. You lack the resources. YouTube can be way cheaper than a television commercial and can result in way more views. However, you still need resources. Make sure you have a proper equipment that will produce high quality videos. To produce high quality videos, you will also need to allocate the appropriate budget. Make sure you’re thinking about these things when you’re creating your YouTube strategy.

2. You lack the talent.  If you have people featured in your videos, they need to be excellent public speakers and convincing in their roles. You’ll also need experienced employees to plan and edit the videos effectively.

3. You lack the creativity. While YouTube has the potential to replace a commercial, you should not treat it as such. Do not use YouTube as another boring way to push out your marketing message. Instead, be creative and bring your brand to life.

4. You lack the vision. Do you even know why you want to be on YouTube? Is there a goal? A bigger vision or strategy that is fulfilled through YouTube? Have these questions answered before starting a branded channel.

5. You lack the time. Once you commit, you need to be consistent. If your fans come to your channel and find content from months ago, you will lose them. Inconsistency kills. If you start a YouTube channel, make sure you are updating it regularly and you have the time to create valuable content.

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5 Tools to Help With Content Curation [VIDEO]

Curating content is less time-consuming than creating it, but it isn’t any less daunting. How do you decide which stories, sources and social updates to share? Of the trillions of pages (literally!) on the web, how do you find which ones will resonate most with your audience?

To help quell those concerns, we’re recommending 5 Tools to Help With Content Curation. Because you can’t read the entire Internet by yourself, right?

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How to Optimize Your Next Video Tutorial for Search Engines and People

Today, many companies resort to video production as a means of telling their brand story, educating their customers or promoting their next deal. However, by far not all of them know how to make the most of their videos, that is, how to expose them to larger audiences on Google, YouTube and other search engines.

One may argue that "Oh, we just want this tutorial to sit on our site in case someone needs it". If this is the marketing philosophy you have, you could be missing out on lots of Web traffic and branding opportunities out there. Brands that don't pay enough attention to video optimization could be handing over their Web traffic to other players outranking them in search for their very brand keywords!

For instance, let me search for QuickBooks tutorial (accounting software) on Google and YouTube. Here are the results I get:

On Google

On YouTube

As you can see, ranking at position 1 on Google is a video by mjsiemer, while on YouTube it's a video by TheMegaNiche1. Is this because QuickBooks don't have a tutorial of their own? They do, actually. But I was able to locate it only after investing some effort into it.

So, while QuickBooks do have tutorials for their products, it appears that they're missing out on quite a lot of Web traffic, because third-party videos outrank the company's own demos in both Google and YouTube.

Why do some videos underperform?

OK, if we try to analyze the 3 QuickBooks videos (by QuickBooks themselves and by the other two producers), we'll see that: 

Even at a glance, it's obvious that the video by mjsiemer is the oldest one and has the biggest number of views and likes. It's also of importance that the channel itself is highly popular with YouTube audiences (has 2,275 subscribers). Voila - in Google's opinion, this video deserves to be ranked #1 in video search.

At the same time, on YouTube, the #1 spot is occupied by a video by TheMegaNiche1, which could be due to it being available in HD or having gotten the biggest number of social media shares (it may well be that, for YouTube rankings in particular, social media shares are more important).

So, what can QuickBooksGlobal do to improve their video's rankings on YouTube and in Google? In fact, how can any video producer optimize their video in such a way that its odds of being ranked high for the right keywords are great right from the start?

Ways to improve one's video rank

Depending on whether you're targeting Google or YouTube, you'd need a slightly different strategy for propelling your creation in the search results.  

Optimizing a video for YouTube

Did you notice that the only advantage of QuickBooks' own video I highlighted in the table above was its shortness? These days, YouTube takes into account "time watched" when estimating a video's importance and quality. So, the shorter your video is, the more likely it is to be watched through, and hence, the higher it is likely to rank on YouTube.

So, Tip #1 - make your video as short as possible. Then, when you upload your newly made video to YouTube, take the following steps:

1. Determine your target keywords

Most likely, you don’t want your video to rank for just any keywords - you'd need to know which terms people actually search for on YouTube. For that, you can either leverage YouTube suggest:

Or you can use YouTube's keyword tool. This one will also let you know how popular each keyword is with the searchers:

 2. Use your keyword in critical parts of the video

Once you know what keyword your video should rank for, use your target search terms in these parts of the video:

• Video file name
• Video title
• Video description
• Video tags

Plus, it is generally believed by SEOs that the closer to the beginning of the element the keyword it is, the higher your video will rank.

*I did not include keywords into the comparison table above, because the three compared videos have similar titles, descriptions and tags. But, generally, if your title and desciption are keyword-richer than those of your competitors, this definitely gives you a leg-up.

3. Proofread your video transcript

By default, YouTube creates a transcript for your video with captions that can be viewed upon pressing the paper sheet sign right underneath the video. However, sometimes these automatic captions are anything but accurate.

For example, here is YouTube's version of "I'll be your guide today" from this video:

So, if you see that the automatic captions are innacurate or missing, it's worth to upload your own transcript of the video. To do that, go to Video Manager - > CC  -> Add Captions:

Many video optimizers believe that a keyword-rich, coherent transcript helps a video rank higher on YouTube (and Google).

Besides, good-quality captions could be of great help to users: for instance, to hearing impaired folks or to foreign viewers. I believe it is also helpful to prepare a video script before you make the video (as opposed to making it on the spot). This way, you'll be able to use your target keywords in the transcript the way you'd like, and will be able to almost effortlessly upload the captions to YouTube.

4. Share you video on social media

Why is it important to solicit as many social shares, embeds, links and other "media love" for your newly published video as possible? Thing is:

• It helps you get more views
• It helps you get more likes
• Embeds works like links in video SEO (to an extent).

So, once you're ready, go ahead and share your video with your social media followers. If you can, include it into your latest email marketing message. The more people share it, view it or embed it on their pages - the better your video will rank on YouTube.

By the way, you can automate some part of that process by taking the steps described in this guide to YouTube marketing that we recently put together.

Optimizing a video for Google

It is possible that Google uses a slightly different algorithm than YouTube to rank videos in search results. However, many things you need to do to "prepare" your video for Google’s Video search are basically the same.  

Now, some people choose not to post their videos in YouTube, but prefer to host them elsewhere (on Vimeo, Metacafe, on their own site). This could be for various reasons:

• You don't want the related videos snippet displayed at the end of the vid
• You don't want YouTube advertising on your videos (these could be turned off, by the way)
• You'd like to publish your vids on multiple platforms (YouTube, your site, etc.)
• You just don't wish to depend on YouTube as a video host

Whatever your reasons, if you're planning to host your video content on your own site, here is how you can give it a bit more exposure on Google and other search engines:

1. Optimize the page with the video

I've definitely seen this happen to images (i.e., my images were showing up for the keywords present on the pages they were posted), and I suppose videos are not an exception.

• Use your keyword(s) in page title
• Use your keywords in page  headings
• Wherever natural, highlight your keywords on the page with bold text/italics

2. Remember the transcript

If you have a transcript of your video on the page where it's published, this will spare you the need to create keyword-rich copy for it (unless this is required to fulfill the page’s goal).

So, just publish the transcript right underneath the video. You can provide your views with the option of expanding/collapsing the script.

3. Have the embed code ready

As I said previously, embeds (hotlinks) supposedly help videos rank higher. So, do make it easy for your visitors to grab an embed code and to put a video on their site. For instance, here is how MouseFlow encourages people to embed their video presentation:

4. Utilize schema markup for videos

Schema markup for videos is supported by all major search engines (Google, Bing and Yahoo!). If Google can correctly parse a page that contains this format, a snippet of your video may get displayed in the search results (which will definitely encourage click and look just as good as a video result).

There is more than one way to implement this type of markup, but Google recommends using a VideoObject Schema for these purposes. Detailed instructions on how to implement video markup are also available at Webmaster Central Blog. 

5. Submit a video Sitemap

If you publish a video on your own site, you can also submit a video Sitemap that contains the information about your video to Google. Please note that Google is able to crawl videos in any of the following formats:

mpg, .mpeg, .mp4, .m4v, .mov, .wmv, .asf, .avi, .ra, .ram, .rm, .flv, .swf.

Besides, when you submit a sitemap, there are certain fields that must be filled out for each video:

• Title
• Description
• Play page URL
• Thumbnail URL
• Raw video file location and/or the player URL (SWF)

To submit a video sitemap to Google in Webmaster Tools, go to Crawl - > Sitemaps.

Conclusion

So, this is what you can do to increase your video's rank on both Google and YouTube. This way, not only will you capture the Web traffic that could be going to other video producers (that’s rightly yours), but also grow your brand awareness and the number of your YouTube channel subscribers.

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