Video Advertising
Why Professional Video Production Matters
Professional Video Production
The professional video production world is evolving faster than ever before. The availability and affordability of HD video cameras & editing software is giving the impression that “anyone can do it” – similar to the first websites back in the 90’s.
But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Successful professional video production companies are successful not because they have the best equipment or because they have a handle on technical camera & editing skills. They are successful because they are not just video technicians, but because they offer the experience of knowing how to create & deliver a message that motivates a viewer to take action.
We’ve seen many businesses attempt online video production in-house over the past few years, or hire freelancers off of classified websites because they think ‘as long as they know how to press record & make some basic cuts we’re alright.’ Wrong. They quickly realize creating great online video that converts isn’t ‘easy’ & that’s why professional video production agencies exist.
In fact, many of our clients attempted DIY video before contacting us, realizing there is a certain ‘magic’ to great professional video & not everyone can do it.
In the digital world, poor quality video production gets ignored faster than you can take a breath, and it’s widely known bad video actually negatively affects brand perception.
With video being the most ‘in your face’ medium available in the social world today, it’s simply too risky to put out crappy content & hope for the best.
When you work with professional video production pros, you not only get experience, unique perspectives, creative ideas and professionalism – we are experts when it comes to working with clients on video projects that solve specific business problems and needs. At the end of the day the videos you create should help you reach & exceed your goals.
We don’t just show up with a camera, shoot and hope for the best. Our on-location process is simple, but we do take the time to understand your business goals, and design a plan and strategy for your professional video production content.
When it comes to visually capturing and broadcasting your brand… just ‘ok’ isn’t good enough. You deserve great.
- Published in Social Media Video, Video, Video Advertising, Video Marketing, Video Production
Synced Facebook & Instagram Ads – The New Normal?
Advertisers have their best chance yet to double flank consumers on social media as Instagram continues to expand its advertising capabilities by building on what Facebook started long ago.
Instagram Ads are powered with Facebook’s huge collection of interest-level user data, and the developments beg the question: Will well-budgeted campaigns now almost always include both Facebook and Instagram ads?
New Instagram partners like Adobe, Salesforce, 4C, Spredfast, Hootsuite and AdParlor also often facilitate ads on Facebook. And since their platform-based allegiances are spread wide while also typically working with YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, etc., we thought it would be interesting to ask them if Facebook Inc. in essence could become a one-stop shop for social campaigns.
“We anticipate growth with the extended reach into Instagram leveraging Facebook’s powerful targeting options,” said Monica Lay, senior product marketing manager, Adobe. “Many are still in test and learn phase, particularly around direct response, so it’s hard to quantify and estimate at this early stage.”
Eric Stahl, svp of product marketing, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, said, “Advertising on either Instagram or Facebook should not be thought of as part of a silo’d social-media budget, but as a core component of the advertising budget, especially as customers spend more and more of their time on mobile devices.”
Aaron Goldman, chief marketing officer, 4C, added, “Having a streamlined solution to adapt content from one platform to another will be essential for advertisers who will want to achieve the most value from their assets and manage campaigns at scale.”
So the answer is, Yeah, you’re going to see ads in concert from the same marketers on Instagram and Facebook a lot of the time.
And it’s not terribly difficult to understand why—the amount of time mobile users spend on either Facebook or Instagram is staggering. According to Instagram, one in five minutes spent on mobile devices is spent on either of the two platforms, a statistic that illustrates one of the reasons monthly and daily user counts continue to skyrocket.
“It’s hard to say that democratizing access to Instagram ads to both developers and businesses will not grow ad spend,” said Zaz Floreani, senior director of business development, Spredfast.
According to Hootsuite, the social advertising industry continues to steal budgets from traditional channels, especially as platforms like Instagram and Facebook are able to increase their ability to measure ROI for social promos. Because of that, large-scale Instagram Ad growth should be expected.
“Instagram Ads provides access to a very large, very engaged audience,” a spokesperson told Adweek. “The fact that you can use the same rich Facebook targeting criteria on Instagram will make it massively effective for advertisers looking to get their products or services in front of exactly the right people at the right time.”
Paul Van Winssen, director of operations and client services, AdParlor, said his clients are excited about the possibilities. He didn’t name specific brands, but AdParlor works with everyone from Walmart to Molson Coors to MGM Resorts International.
“Brands and agencies are still exploring where Instagram Ads fit into their overall marketing mix, but we can say nearly everyone we’ve spoken to is interested to give it a test drive and see how it works for their business,” he said.
via Adweek
- Published in Facebook, Instagram-ads, Social Media Video, Video, Video Advertising
Facebook Video Ad Spends Tops Photo Ads
Facebook Video Ad Spends Rising
The third quarter of 2015 marked the first time spending on Facebook video ad spending topped spending on photo ads, according to SocialCode, a Facebook Marketing Partner.
SocialCode attributed the surge in Facebook video advertising by its clients to the social network’s introduction of target rating point buying for video ads, which enables advertisers to buy Facebook ads much in the same way they purchase spots on television.
The company found that Facebook video ad spending accounted for 29% of its clients’ Facebook ad spending in the third quarter, up from 23% in the second quarter of 2015 and from 14 percent in the third quarter of 2014.SocialCode added that advertisers spent 206% more on Facebook video ads during the first three quarters of 2015 than during the same period in 2014.
via Adweek
- Published in Facebook, Video Advertising
Social Video – Big For Brands In 2016 💥
Social Video = Massive Marketing & Advertising Opportunity
First of all, let’s clarify what “Social Video” is.
Social Video = Social Media + Online Video Marketing & Advertising.
Essentially, creating video content that is designed for social media platforms such as:
Your Social videos need to be designed specifically for social networks. This is because social video appears in different ways on different social networks, and each network has a unique audience with different behaviours.
Many people confuse social video with viral videos, but there’s a massive difference. Social media videos may not get millions of views and can still be deemed a big success. For example: if your company sells something very niche, the story of how your business can help could be a big success with only 2000 views, if those views are by your exact target audience and/or generate leads.
Social video also is extremely unique in its ability to convey a powerful message to viewers, in a way that static forms of marketing & advertising can’t. Social media networks also favour online video in their algorithms, knowing this rich form of content is more appreciated by it’s users.
Businesses that don’t invest in social video very soon really do risk being left behind. In a recent survey by the Content Marketing Institute, over 73% of marketers reported using online video as a marketing tactic. 69% of businesses are already creating videos specifically for social media. In that same survey, almost 70% of businesses say their budgets for social online videos are increasing. It’s clear that companies are beginning to recognize the power of these videos. If you’re not investing in social video yet, your competitors probably are.
Some of the ways social video can drive results is via:
– increasing brand awareness
– generating leads
– increasing online sales (conversions)
– customer service/support, etc…
The ROI of social videos will depend on which way you choose to use it. Every business will have differing targets & goals when it comes to the use of social video. If your social media videos are being used for lead generation, leads generated through the video should be tracked. If social video is being used to sell a product via your website, sales & conversions should be tracked. If you’re looking for results beyond brand awareness, the key is to set specific goals and track the success of your social videos using widely available analytics. It’s only through tracking that you will learn what connects with your audience and what doesn’t, allowing you to refine your video strategy as you continue creating social videos in the future.
- Published in Facebook, Social Media Video, Twitter, Video, Video Advertising, Video Marketing, Video Production, YouTube
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
Best Bang For Your Buck: Facebook or YouTube Video?
Like many major marketers, Reebok wondered where its digital video ad dollars might be better spent—Facebook or YouTube video —and it partnered with Pixability to find out. The company tested its campaign by Venables Bell & Partners, featuring NFL player J.J. Watt endorsing the ZPump Fusion sneaker.
The results showed combining YouTube and Facebook buys is the most effective method for marketers.
YouTube had a higher video view rate (23.6% of people who scrolled past the video viewed it versus Facebook’s 5.4%) and video completion rate (20.4 percent versus Facebook’s 4.5 percent) as well as a lower cost per view. But Facebook had higher engagement.
“You want to meet the needs of the consumer. It depends on the time, where they’re going to be able to watch it, when they watch it,” said Jessica Ruscito, Reebok’s director of U.S. media and digital branding. “You want to make sure any time that a consumer wants to engage with your brand, you’ve got the content to deliver upon that need.” Pixability and Reebok noted it’s hard to make a direct comparison between the two platforms since Facebook’s “interactive elements” (Likes and Shares) are “simpler, easier to understand and take up more screen real estate.”
via adweek.com
- Published in Facebook, Video, Video Advertising, YouTube
Facebook: “A” Grade – Social Ad Targeting
Paid advertising on social media properties is delivering a solid return on investment, according to marketers in a recent eMarketer’s report called “Social Advertising Effectiveness Scorecard: Industry Execs Grade the Leading Platforms.”
“The executives we interviewed said one of the key strengths of paid social media advertising is its targeting capabilities,” said eMarketer principal analyst Debra Aho Williamson.
“Marketers consider Facebook an extremely sophisticated targeted advertising platform, while Pinterest benefits from its strong connections with ecommerce and purchase intent.”
eMarketer asked executives from 29 companies to grade the “Big Three” social properties—Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter—and the “Emerging Three”—Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat—in a range of categories, including creative capabilities, ad targeting, measurement and ROI.
Also noteworthy is the video ad category. Facebook’s entry into video advertising has created new opportunities for marketers, leading some to predict it could take ad dollars away from YouTube.
- Published in Facebook, Social Media Video, Video Advertising
Facebook Hits 8B Video Views Per Day
Facebook Hits 8 Billion Video Views/Day, Challenges YouTube
Did you know?
- More than 1 billion people use Facebook every single day
- 1.39 billion people now use Facebook on mobile devices, including more than 1 billion on Android
- There are 8 billion daily video views on Facebook
- More than 500 million people watch videos on the site daily
- In September 2015, over 1.5M small businesses posted video to Facebook, including native uploads and video ads.
Zuckerberg wanted to make it clear that Facebook is focused on investors, who are focused on advertisers, who are focused on reach – particularly mobile reach. It’s clear that he wants video advertisers to use “views” as a standard metric, even though comparing YouTube views and Facebook video views is like comparing apples to oranges.
Zuckerberg also stated that new video tools for Facebook pages are live, and that the site has been testing a dedicated video section. He confirmed that:
“Over the next few years, video is going to be some of the most engaging content online. And by continuing to innovate here, we have a chance to build the best place to watch and share videos”.
Yep, he just declared war on YouTube, which allows over a billion people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. The big difference between the two is YouTube focus on helping people discover videos – and YouTube’s Content ID program, which ensures that what gets discovered are “originally-created videos.” Facebook is focused on watching and sharing videos.
Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s COO, shared a couple of more nuggets of news. She stated that revenue from mobile ads was up 73% year on year to $3.4 billion and grew 73% year-over-year. That means that mobile accounts for around 78% of Facebook’s total revenue from advertising. So, Facebook is focused on mobile.
“The average American adult spends 25% of their media time on mobile, and Facebook and Instagram together continue to account for over 1 in 5 minutes on mobile in the US”.
Mobile, mobile, and mobile. Get it? Got it? Good. Sandberg stated that Facebook was a good fit for marketers as it has “the best performing mobile ad products, and video is making them even better”. She believes that Facebook video gives the marketer a chance to reach a mass audience, with great cross device targeting and measurement”. “Our third priority is making our ads more relevant and effective. Carousel ads show multiple images, and now videos, and drive 30% to 50% lower cost per conversion than single-image link ads”.
Video marketers are indeed faced with a two-party system. According to eMarketer, global mobile ad spending is expected to be $72.1 billion this year, and Google’s share of this market is projected to be 33.7%, while Facebook’s share is forecast to be 17.4%. And, according to comScore, the Top 6 – and 8 of the Top 9 – apps in the U.S. are owned by Facebook or Google.
Today, some casual observers may mistakenly believe that it doesn’t matter whether you choose YouTube or Facebook video. But, there’s a big difference between YouTube’s and Facebook’s world view of video marketing and video advertising.
Facebook is primarily focused on advertisers. Facebook is focused on views – and says a “view” is reached at the three-second mark whether or not the viewer has even turned on the sound. In contrast, YouTube has a more balanced concern for partners as well as advertisers. YouTube also has a more balanced concern for giving viewers choice over which ads they watch and connecting brands with a more engaged audience. In fact, with TrueView ads, you don’t pay for random impressions or maybe-they-saw-its. The viewer has to choose to watch your video or there’s no charge. YouTube not only urges advertisers to go beyond impressions and clicks, it also offers Google’s Brand Lift solution to help them measure brand awareness, ad recall, and brand interest.
Finally, if you’re looking for a recent example of the impact of video ads, check out this one: P&G’s Gillette generated buzz for its latest razor, Gillette BODY, by targeting a rapidly expanding audience of body-grooming men. With a digital-first strategy anchored by YouTube TrueView ads, Gillette reached millennial males with their “100 Years of Hair” video ad.
The results: over 84% of the 13.5 million total viewers finished most of the video, there was a 211% lift in searches for the Gillette brand, and the video ad generated over 500,000 clicks to buy.
- Published in Facebook, Video Advertising, YouTube
Instagram Video Ads – Coming Soon
Instagram Video Ads – Coming Soon
Instagram has announced big changes to its advertising platform, meaning you’re likely about to start seeing longer Instagram video ads from businesses and brands of all sizes.
Instagram Video Ads can now be 30 seconds long, up from the regular 15-second limit, and are also able to use landscape photo and video following Instagram’s recent lifting of the square format restriction.
Instagram video ads can now be posted in landscape mode to support the app’s recent format update. By increasing the video length to allow for 30-second creative, Instagram says the move will “give ads a more cinematic feel.”
Longer Instagram video formats show how seriously the social media platform’s parent company, Facebook, is taking video advertising in order to compete against YouTube and premium video ad networks. Also, as part of Instagram’s new video ad push, brands will be able to target their videos to specific groups of consumers, just like they can on Facebook.
Instagram claims it’s video ads are working by mentioning some case studies. Deals marketer Gilt Groupe saw an 85% increase in shopping app installs after running a video ad campaign that promoted downloads, and game maker Kabam got people to spend unusually high amounts of time in its Marvel Contest of Champions app.
“People come to Instagram for visual inspiration, and video advertising on Instagram has the power to touch, inspire and move people,” Instagram said in a blog post. “Instagram video ads have proven to drive strong branding results—97% of measured campaigns on Instagram have generated significant lifts in ad recall.
- Published in Instagram-ads, Social Media Video, Video Advertising
Video Advertisers: Your Audience is on Mobile
Back in 2011, only 6% of YouTube views came from mobile devices. But, things have changed dramatically since then. YouTube views coming from mobile devices jumped to 25% in 2012, rose to 40% in 2013, and increased to 50% in 2014. Today, more than half of YouTube views and 65% of Facebook video views occur on mobile devices.
So, where and when can you reach Millennials? Well, as we learned a couple of weeks ago, you should probably try to be in the right place at the right during one of the micro-moments when they check their smartphones 150 times a day. Yep, whether you start with mobile or your start with Millennials, you end up in the same place.
In October 2014, Google and Ipsos asked 1,519 smartphone owners aged 18- to 34-years-old to keep detailed accounts of all of their online and offline video activity over 24 hours. Respondents had to access video via an app, so the study was limited to Millennials who owned a smartphone in 2014, But that still covered 81% of individuals age 18 to 34. The research found that smartphones were the top device to reach 98% of those Millennials, higher than tablets or desktops. The research also revealed that watching video on a smartphones was less distracting and disruptive for respondents, compared to watching video on a TV. Watching videos was the sole activity for 53% of the mobile video sessions.
Now, home wasn’t the only place Millennials were watching mobile video last year. 34% of mobile video minutes were watched while people were out and about. People watching digital video outside the home were also 1.8x more likely than average to be meaningfully engaged because they were likely to be watching video for active purposes, such as looking for information or exploring a passion. While marketers traditionally sought Baby Boomers’ attention in their living rooms, sitting in front of a television, mobile video consumption by Millennials has changed that dramatically.
Since the research was conducted a year ago, YouTube reports that users are spending more time per session watching videos. On mobile, the average viewing session is now more than 40 minutes, up more than 50% year-over-year. The number of hours people spent watching videos on mobile is up 100% year-over-year. And YouTube’s mobile revenue from advertising is up 2x year-over-year.
So, why did advertisers finally jump on YouTube’s bandwagon? Well, they were probably jumping on the mobile video bandwagon – and YouTube as well as Facebook have both benefited from this trend in the digital video marketing business. Advertisers realize that Millennials are twice as likely to be focused on the content while watching a mobile video as they are while viewing it via a television screen. Mobile truly is the first screen when it comes to this demographic.
This was validated by more research conducted by Google and Ipsos in February 2015. They wanted to see how this enthusiasm for mobile video translated for brands. So, they surveyed U.S. consumers who watch video on various devices. And this year’s research found that people who view videos on their smartphones are 1.4X as likely to watch ads as those who view videos on TVs or desktop computers.
- Published in Automotive Marketing, Video Advertising