Got Video? Go Digital.

October 10, 2019 | By Matthew Gaine

Digital video has been steadily increasing in popularity with both advertisers and consumers over the last few years. It is an important tool to have in your advertising budget.  With cutting the cord becoming more of the norm these days (or never having cords to begin with!), it’s important that advertisers place their messaging where the eyes are, not where they want them to be. Viewership of online videos (OTT apps, YouTube and social channels) will make up 78% of the world’s mobile data traffic in 2019, with 85% of all internet users in the U.S. watching online video monthly. If you’re only using traditional methods to get your video to consumers (cable/satellite), you’re missing out on a large and active consumer base.

• OTT (Over-the-Top Video) refers to videos delivered via app or website, bypassing cable/satellite distribution channels.  These videos can appear on any digital device the targeted consumer has, including a Connected or Smart TV device, which allows for the bonus of placing your message wherever customers are at the time.  The targeting ability of OTT can be almost as specific as you want.  Geo, Addressable, Device, Contextual or third-party audience can all come into play.  Make sure to keep your focus broad enough to have a suitable target pool.
• YouTube TrueView – This approach plays the video in a pre-roll position before content starts on YouTube. Viewers can skip the video after five seconds and the advertiser is only charged if a user completes the video in full. The video will only play when a user chooses to watch a video after an initial search. 
• Pre-roll, mid-roll – These videos are un-skippable and play before the content. These are highly targetable across premium websites by both audience and contextual. While there is a benefit to having a captive audience, it’s important to have compelling video content that will help to drive action. 
• Site and social channel videos – This is where you can get into a longer format video.  When people visit your site or social page, they are more willing to spend a few minutes to watch a video and learn more about your company.  This is where you can provide a full story of your business and how it can benefit the consumer.

We all felt the dominance shift from print to online in the late 1990s.  In the end, it’s consumer actions that dictate how advertising dollars are going to be spent. It’s a very similar scenario here: Traditional cable and satellite services are now competing with very nimble and extremely popular streaming services that are only showing signs of growth in the foreseeable future. It’s not about stopping one form of advertising to take advantage of another.  It’s about making sure your media mix contains all the best approaches, in order to get the best results for your business.

Need help producing video for digital, and distributing it on the channels above? Contact Seattle Times Media Solutions to learn more.