Automotive Marketing – Digital Video Advertising Dealerships
CONSUMERS MOST INFLUENCED BY SOCIAL MEDIA ADS BEFORE BUYING
Global survey shows nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents are influenced by social media ads and 88% agree that they consult online reviews before purchasing a product
Social Media Ads and Online Reviews Carry Major Weight with Consumers
According to the survey’s 4,000 respondents across the U.S., UK, Ireland, Germany and France, nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents are influenced by social media ads and the majority (71%) of global respondents have made at least one purchase from a social media ad in the last 12 months. Of this group, 35% of respondents made one to two purchases, 23% made three to five purchases and 13% made more than five purchases.
When it comes to the amount of influence online reviews have, nearly all respondents (88%) from the five countries surveyed agreed that they consult online reviews some of the time before purchasing a product, and 41% of those said that they always do. Global respondents also indicated that negative reviews impact their purchasing decisions 88% of the time, on par with positive reviews (89%). The survey also revealed the most popular channels. On a global basis, it was Google Reviews (58%). Respondents’ second choice; however, was dependent on where they live. In the U.S., UK and Germany it was YouTube (37%), while those in Ireland and France prefer Facebook (34%).
“A robust content moderation strategy, that could include engaging an external partner with the industry experience, regulatory landscape knowledge, technology capabilities and skilled moderators, is imperative to providing an engaging, safe and trust-worthy brand experience,” continues Hannon. “Brands that make the proper investments will set themselves apart from competitors and create lasting impressions that will translate to customer loyalty and incremental sales.”
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- Published in Automotive Marketing, BizBOXTV News, Metaverse, Social Media Video, Video, Video Advertising, Video Marketing, Video Production
IS YOUR BUSINESS READY FOR WEB 3?
If you work in tech, media, or even marketing, you’ve likely heard a lot of buzz around Web 3.
And, when filtering through all the noise about future versions of the internet, you might find it hard to differentiate all of the predictions from myths and reality. And, more importantly, if you’re likely asking questions like, “How could Web 3 impact my business?”, “Will I fall behind if I don’t get in on Web 3 now?”, and “Is Web 3 just built on hype?”
“When you’re listening to the news, or you’re on Twitter, and people are talking about NFTs and Web 3, it seems really abstract and futuristic and stupid. It’s really easy to naysay all of it. I get that,” says Kipp Bodnar, HubSpot CMO. “A lot of it is going to be crap. And a lot of it’s going to fall away.”
But, Bodnar adds, “In the last version of the internet, your whole job was to make a product or value proposition 10 times better than it was before. In the next generation, the internet, it’s making something somebody thought was impossible possible.”
“And if you can’t pull that magic trick out as a business over the next 10, 20, or 30 years, you’re not going to exist. Because that is the game that’s going to change. Don’t think about the technology, think about the changing customer experience and that move from impossible to possible,” Bodnar says.
When the internet launched, it was essentially decentralized and many companies that focused on internet services had a slight leg up as many tech firms began to invest in it and learn what it could do. Today, the internet has become drastically centralized with companies like Google and Meta owning many of the platforms we visit each day.
Because consumers want growing control over their experience and are more hyper-connected to technology than ever, some describe Web 3 as “giving the internet back to the people”, as blockchain-built web experiences are often decentralized.
At this point, it’s still a bit too early to know how many of the predictions we’re seeing will come to light. And, if they do become a reality, they’ll likely require a learning curve and a long adoption lifecycle. Because of this, the move from Web 2 to Web 3 might be much slower and more gradual than some would expect.
But, even though we likely won’t see the entire internet change in one day, week, or year, we’ll still watch some Web 3 concepts, companies, and technology grow in the coming years — which could enable us to adopt it at a quicker pace.
Ultimately, you don’t need to ditch your current business plan to focus on major Web 3 investments just yet. But, there are concepts, consumer behaviors, and tech you might want to keep on your radar so your company can adapt if and when a wide-scale evolution happens.
LOCAL VIDEO MARKETING – HOW TO WIN
Since the emergence of YouTube in 2005, the prevalence and impact of video marketing have skyrocketed.
YouTube changed the game by allowing everyday users to upload, publish, and market their video content directly within the search engine.
Today, over 2.6 billion people use the platform.
And YouTube isn’t the only player in town.
Vimeo, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram all have powerful video marketing capabilities to help businesses get found.
Local businesses can use video marketing to drive traffic, reach more customers, and grow online.
Benefits Of Local Video Marketing
- Website traffic: Publishing videos online and optimizing for clicks can drive more users directly to your website.
- Revenue growth: Video marketing can influence buying decisions and increase revenue for your local business.
- Brand awareness: Video exposes your business to more users across a wider range of platforms, helping drive visibility for your business
- Trust and authority: Posting valuable content can build trust with your audience and lend authority to your business.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Embedding videos in your web pages and articles can help your site appear in Google organic or image search.
- Backlinks: Videos can add value to your content and encourage other websites to link back to your website, which is good for SEO and referral traffic.
- Email marketing: Videos make great additions to your email marketing campaigns, driving more engagement and clicks.
- Advertising: Many video platforms offer paid advertising opportunities to generate even more clicks and revenue for your business.
- Local presence: Publishing videos about your community or local events can help you attract more customers in your area, even if advertising online.
- Relevance: Creating relevant and engaging videos can further support your existing marketing campaigns, teach users about your business, and improve your digital footprint.
Why You Can’t Let Fear Stop Your Marketing Plan
Feeling fearful about marketing right now — the risk of being perceived as tone deaf or insincere and faced with infinite uncertainties – is a completely justifiable sentiment.
However, there is risk associated with allowing marketing to go completely dark. While we are in no position to pretend that it is “business as usual” right now, we are creative problem solvers. We’ve seen tough times before. And, unfortunately, we are bound to see them again.
First and foremost, you must kind to yourself and empathetic to others and you need to keep your priorities firmly in their place. However, you can extend these values to the work you do during this challenging time. It will help you weather this pandemic crisis and position you and the brands and businesses you represent, to rebound with responsiveness, agility, and strength.
The good news is that audiences are highly engaged with the media right now. The impact of Covid-19 on media consumption has been profound. We need only look at our own behavior to get a sense of it.
In terms of messaging to the right-now consumer, the key is that we are all in this together. Consumers, faced with their own job uncertainty, for example, are keen to do business with companies caring for their own employees.
Educational and informative messages are also both useful and engaging. These are particularly well suited to placement alongside news content, which is racking up attention (and which, according to the Association of National Advertiers, offersa highly suitable setting for most advertising). But, like the other content people are drawn to now, lighthearted and uplifting messages will also resonate. As ever, carefully consider the customer, your messaging, and the context of your placement.
That said, none of us plan to be in business for the short term. Thus, beyond consumers’ immediate needs, we need to think about our goal to develop long-lasting customer relationships. It is impressive to see everyone from family restaurants to car companies innovate with contactless buying experiences. Innovation, pivots, and helping customers cope with the challenges they currently face will create meaningful impressions.
- Published in Automotive Marketing, Social Media Video, Video, Video Advertising, Video Marketing, Video Production
How to Market to Multiple Generations on Social Media
When it comes to social media marketing, there are many factors that contribute to success, including quality content, algorithms, engagement, and peak posting times. When playing the social media marketing game, the best strategy for success is knowing where your target audience resides on the social playing field and catering heavily and consistently to those platforms. Each generation leans toward varying social media platforms for a number of different reasons. Learn which social media channels cater to your target audience (and why) to devise a stronger strategy for turning likes and follows into conversions and sales.
Baby Boomers (Born 1946 to 1964)
Baby Boomers favor Facebook over other social media platforms. A Pew survey found that about two-thirds of 50- to 64-year-olds (68%) and almost half (46%) of those aged 65 or older are the most active on Facebook. The older generation prefers sharing and reading articles and other forms of text-based content, which is why Facebook is so attractive to them. They are invested in traditional media, so marketing through concise messaging and informative content is appealing to them.
The boomer’s second pick for a social media platform is Pinterest. Pinterest is appealing to the older population due to strong home ownership and spending power stats within the generation. Pinterest has shareable text-form content full of DIY home improvement projects that appeal to the ‘do-it-yourself’ generation.
Generation X (Born 1965 to 1980)
Generation X witnessed the invention of the internet and bridged the gap between traditional and digital media. They seek out content in both video and text form due to their appreciation of both established and new media, making Facebook, YouTube and Twitter their preferred social media platform choices.
Facebook covers traditional media content streams that Generation X loves to consume. YouTube delivers digital-forward media through soundbites and informative video, and Twitter combines the two.
Millennials/ Generation Y (Born 1981 to 1996)
Millennials were born into the cusp of the digital age. Due to the rapid proliferation of digital media outlets during this generation’s lifetime, their preferred channels are all over the map.
Millennials share a love of tech and being the first “digitally native” generation. Because of this, Millennials are most active on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The customer journey of a millennial is driven by online reviews and word of mouth recommendations. Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube cater to this demographic through strategic advertising and the use of loyalty driven influencers to reach their target audiences.
Millennials are also the most prominent generation on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the most sought after B2B social media marketing channel to distribute content. It is used by 60% of people ages 25-34.
Generation Z (Born 1996 to 2012)
Gen Z was born well into the digital age. These kids grew up playing with their parent’s iPhones. This generation prefers visuals and short, motion-based content. Gen Z prefers Instagram, TokTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. Gen Z is drawn to the hyper-personalization brought by these platforms.
Gen Z tends to want to consume as much content as possible in the shortest amount of time. Gen Z also favors video that supports social causes and will make purchasing decisions based on the impact that a product or brand will have on a cause they support.
Understanding your audience is critical to success on social media. Trying to advertise equally across all social media platforms will cause average or below-average conversion rates. Generations consume content and respond to marketing tactics differently on each platform. Play into where your audience is active, and how they respond to content, adjusting your marketing initiatives accordingly to drive higher quality conversions.
- Published in Automotive Marketing, Video Advertising, Video Marketing
Facts About Video Ads
If there’s one thing any marketer should know in 2017, it’s this: video marketing works.
Since people spend one third of their online time watching videos, it’s understandable it influences their behaviour.
Videos influence viewers into taking action, whether that is visiting a page, giving their email address to a company, or buying a product.
Still, video marketing isn’t enough. If you don’t have a large enough social media following or email list, you may not get enough views to bring the desired results.
That’s why you need to use ads. Ads can help you increase the distribution of your videos.
What’s surprising is people like video ads more than they like regular ads. A Nielsen report from 2012, showed that 36% of people trust video ads. Not only that, but the people who enjoy watching video ads increase their purchase intent by 97% and brand association by 139%.
Considering that few people trust advertising these days, video ads become a highly effective way to reach new audiences and influence their behaviour.
The power of video marketing starts with the fact people like video over text. It’s human nature: it’s easier to watch something that’s both entertaining and easier to understand than to read something.
According to Animoto, there are 4 times more consumers who would rather watch a video about a product than reading about it. At the same time, if a consumer has the option to choose between text and video on the same page, 69% of them would prefer to watch a video to learn about a product or service.
Video also affects the way people use a website. Wistia, a video hosting company, found people who watch a video, on average, spend 260% more time on pages with video than those without them.
Adelie Studios, a video marketing company, found the average user spends 88% more time on a website that has video in it.
71% Of Marketers To Run Video Ads On Social Media This Year
70.8% of marketers are planning on running video ads on social media over the next 12 months, according to research by cloud-based video creation service Animoto, as reported by eMarketer.
Of the marketers planning to run video ads on social, the majority plan to do so on Facebook (65.8%), followed by YouTube (42.3%), Instagram (27.4%), Twitter (21.6%) and LinkedIn (10.3%).
The study highlights the emergence of video for Facebook. Previous research from December 2015 by market research firm Advertiser Perceptions showed marketers favoring YouTube for video ads (72%) compared to
Facebook (46%).
Video is becoming an increasingly important medium on mobile and social.
Social media platforms are going all in on video. Facebook updated its news feed algorithm to emphasize video, while both Facebook and Twitter have been vigorously promoting new live video streaming features on their platforms.
Video is also one of the most popular content types for mobile users, while consumers are watching digital ads on mobile at a fast-growing clip. Facebook received a whopping 84% of its ad revenue from mobile during the last quarter, and Google announced earlier this year that it is now serving more search queries on mobile than on desktop.
Facebook VP Nicola Mendelsohn predicted that the social media platform “will be definitely mobile” and “probably all video” in five years.
Marketers need to understand where their target audiences can be found, but if they’re on social and/or mobile, it’s a good bet that video messaging is an effective way to reach them.
via MarketingDive
- Published in Automotive Marketing, Facebook, Instagram-ads, Pinterest, Social Media Video, Twitter, Video Advertising, Video Marketing, YouTube
70% Of Car Buyers: Influenced By Online Video
The average car shopper today makes just two dealership visits in the search for the perfect vehicle. That’s because today car shoppers turn to mobile to research models, find deals, and get real-time advice.
A new Google report titled ‘5 Auto Shopping Moments Every Brand Must Own’ highlights just how important online video (& YouTube specifically) is when it comes to a car buyers sales journey. One key takeaway stat: 69% of people who used YouTube while in the process of buying a car were greatly influenced by YouTube video more than TV, newspapers, or magazines.
In the moments before they take a single step onto the polished floors of your showroom, car shoppers are making decisions and forming opinions by doing their own research online. It’s essential that you be there and be useful in these moments, if you want to be one of the two visits to dealerships they make when ready to buy. Here are the five digital moments that matter most:
No matter the source, data shows these early research moments are increasingly influenced by video. In fact, of people who used YouTube while buying a car, 69% were influenced by it — more than TV, newspapers or magazines. We’ve seen a huge increase in searches for car reviews on YouTube — everything from in-depth expert reviews from YouTube creators to more traditional industry reviewers that compare two models head-to-head in the same video. Auto review videos on YouTube have been watched more than 3M hours in the first 9 months of 2015, of which more than 1.2M were on mobile, more than 2X as many as last year.
Three of the top types of video content auto shoppers search for: vehicle test drives, highlights of features and options, and walkthroughs of the interior or exterior of the vehicle. Time spent watching these kinds of auto videos is up nearly 2X in the past year alone.
Seasonality also plays an important role. Every February, for instance, we see a spike in search interest for cars “for sale under [given amount],” possibly due to people anticipating a big tax return. Summer is another important seasonal moment. When the temperatures rise, so does interest in car shopping. Search interest for “lease deals” peaked this summer, up 20% compared to last year.
Master These Digital Moments Changing the Auto Industry
This is a time of increasing opportunity to connect with automotive shoppers. They’re researching more and adding more and more vehicles to their consideration lists. The first brand searched is the same brand purchased only 22% of the time. But, more often than not, your chance to win over a shopper isn’t just happening in person, it’s happening online — often on a smartphone, and very often with online video.
Here are three things to keep in mind to make sure it’s your brand and dealership they choose when they’re ready to buy:
Being There in Micro-Moments, Especially on Mobile
BE THERE: With the majority of the car shopping process moving online, it’s crucial that you be there when and where people are looking. Try going through each of the above steps yourself, as though you were in the market for a new car. Are you there at each step? Increasingly, that means being there when people are on the go. One in four car purchasers turn to mobile EVERY DAY to research vehicles.
BE USEFUL: Beyond being there, consider how you can best meet people’s needs at each step. If you work at a dealership, help make it easy for customers to do the things they do most, like value their trade-in, search for prices and inventory, or find your store. If you’re a manufacturer, help when people are looking for videos and images of your cars, exploring configurations and building their own, or comparing your brand to competitive vehicles. And don’t forget to make it all as easy on mobile as it is on desktop.
BE QUICK: Mobile phones have made us all impatient. We expect to find anything we need at the tips of our fingers. As a result, marketing cars is a bit like playing Jeopardy. It’s not just about who has the right answer. It’s also about who answers it the quickest. And the stakes for getting it wrong are high. If you aren’t there with the right answer, the moment shoppers are looking, chances are someone else will be.
You can access the full Google Report here.
- Published in Automotive Marketing, Video Marketing
Risky Business: Creating (Bad) Videos In-House
As the founder of an online video agency, I see many businesses try to attempt creating video in-house. We get it: professional video can get expensive, and their iPhones/iPads shoot HD footage… so they think it would be an easier and cheaper solution to just whip something up themselves.
Just because the tech is cheaper and more available than ever before, what most don’t fully understand is how much knowledge and expertise actually goes into creating a professional looking & sounding video. From lighting to shot composition, framing, smooth camera movements and clear audio – there’s a lot behind creating professional quality shots, and those shots stand as the very foundation of the video. If those shots are bad, it’s very hard for your business to be perceived as a professional. Bad quality video is actually proven to negatively affect brand perception.
In fact, one of our newest clients recently told me: ’I honestly didn’t think I needed you until our marketing girl shot/edited a video herself, and I needed gravol by the end of it.” I watched those videos, cringed, and thought ‘you’re not the first and you definitely won’t be the last’.
These days, many companies are expecting their marketing or digital managers to be able to just pick up a consumer camera with little to no experience & start producing videos in-house as easily as they post links to social media.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: creative & professional video production is a learned and practiced skill, takes talent, and is honed after years of experience.
From developing a creative strategy, a video then has to be shot, it also has to be edited, which are three entirely separate creative skill sets. None of these areas can be learned overnight, so it’s unfair to ask untrained employees to pick up that ball and run with it – if you want to realize the great potential online video holds.
In fact, it’s so rare for us to receive a videographer application from someone who went to film/digital media school actually have their talent’s honed until at least a few years in the field. For this reason, our creative team, videographers and video editors all have a minimum of 5-10 years experience telling visual stories. It’s an expertise… and proof is always in the end product.
It honestly makes me a little nervous when I see some of our clients try to supplement the professional videos we do for them with their own… in fear someone will (gasp!) think we had a hand in them! Alas, I understand their motivations because online video truly is the now and the future of marketing & advertising for businesses of all sizes. If they wish to supplement with some in-house videos, we offer them guidance and tips to make sure what they do themselves doesn’t destroy the reputation for quality they have developed by working with a pro video agency.
I always beg amateurs to avoid shooting video themselves, because there are trained professionals ready to help… which, when done properly, consistently delivers great ROI and doesn’t put your brand at risk.
Lisa Ostrikoff, Founder – BizBOXTV
- Published in Automotive Marketing, Video, Video Marketing, Video Production
Instagram Advertising – Now You Can Too
Instagram Advertising
With a quickly growing and engaged community of more than 400M, Instagram is one of the world’s largest mobile ads platforms & Instagram advertising is a lucrative option for businesses.
Businesses are now able to share their stories with a highly engaged audience and drive direct action with personalized video ads.
Instagram video ads offer the “same visually immersive quality as photo ads on Instagram — with the power of sight, sound and motion. And now, you can share videos up to 30 seconds long and in landscape format.”
Instagram video ads are now available globally for all businesses — big and small.
Instagram Advertising formats & targeting options allow us to give advertisers the results they care about – from raising awareness to driving action.
Some of the ways BizBOXTV video clients are using Instagram video ads in their marketing & advertising efforts include:
- Branding & Awareness
- Sales & Promotions
- Website Conversions
- … & more.
Depending on your unique advertising objectives, we work with you to determine the best content to share with your audience & develop a custom strategy for advertising on Instagram.
Advertisers of all sizes are seeing results for their businesses—from driving mass awareness, to increasing website sales.
Start Instagram Advertising today – BizBOXTV is making creating & running video ads on Instagram quick, easy and effective.
We serve clients in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Toronto & beyond. If you’re in Canada… we’ve got your back.
- Published in Automotive Marketing, Instagram-ads, Video Advertising, Video Marketing