In the digital age, when consumers are exposed to marketing communications in more locations, and across more devices than ever before, video is an integral part of companies’ ad spend, currently standing at 35% of total online ad spending. Ensuring that video has the highest chance of converting consumers and fostering strong brand images requires a double-pronged approach: Firstly, the content has to be of high quality and tell an engaging story from the beginning. Secondly, the content has to be presented to consumers in a unique way to capture them.
As the phenomena of viral videos has shown, one of the many benefits of video marketing is that it doesn’t necessitate high costs. However, with the average internet user being exposed to 32.3 videos per month on average, differentiation and making them easier to recall is key. Therefore the importance lies in telling a story that resonates with viewers on a personal level and editing the video in such a way that engagement is encouraged. Achieving this is easier said than done, when video strategy is partially guided by generalised data such as views and dwell time.
However in recent years, a number of video player companies have emerged, showing innovation in this space and helping brands to better understand how users are receiving their videos in a number of different ways. These video technology companies are also offering brands and marketing agencies with unique ways to present content to consumers, improving the ever-important engagement statistics.
For example, Interlude creates story-based interactive videos: Users can click at certain times of the video to control the story, designing their own ending. This not only makes a single piece of content work harder, it provides a fun and memorable way for consumers to watch videos, differentiating a brand’s content in a world where 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.
Another interesting development in the video technology space is the emergence of interactive video players that allow shopping directly from a video. There are different ways in which the user experience is presented - Cinematique allows clicks on parts of a video, which are saved and can be returned to for additional details. Another can create various experiences from showing product details within a video as soon as they are clicked, as well as presenting additional information, turning a simple video into an engaging information tool. These are all fantastic ways for digital marketers to take a simple piece of video content, and turn it into a package that drives interaction and makes videos stand out and help brands differentiate themselves.
Perhaps most interestingly, the data capabilities of these video players of is also crucial. In addition to understanding metrics around video views, clicks and sales, some players are also able to provide detailed behavioural analytics.
These types of insights can be extremely useful for brands and agencies to understand how to improve video strategy for their target audiences. Video content should capture attention, engage and inspire, whilst catering to modern consumers’ tastes for new and revolutionary technology. Embracing the latest capabilities in video alongside the more traditional forms of advertising can help both brands and marketers to make their content work harder, capture and retain their audience, and leave a lasting impression on the consumer.
By Karoline Gross, founder & CEO of Smartzer
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