Pet owners love their pets like they were their children. So when their pets are in pain, so are they.
That was the spark that helped an Indian dog food startup increase its sales by 50% during the Diwali holiday.
Sneh Sharma, founder and CEO at the digital marketing agency Ittisa, shares how she and her team made this happen using some adorable dogs and video marketing.
Saving Dogs, One Campaign At A Time
Sharma explains, “Our client, Dogsee Chew, an organic dog food company based in Bengaluru, India, was looking to build brand awareness and consumer engagement on Facebook, while driving sales during Diwali.”
“We noticed a recurring problem for all dogs during the Diwali season. There was a steady growth in the number of searches where dog owners were looking to protect their pets from the noise and smoke caused by firecrackers going off during the two to three-day festival. During our research we found out that a dog’s hearing ability is seven times that of humans . Some experts say that the bang of a bomb is so loud that it could cause a heart attack among dogs. Hence, we devised the #SayNoToCrackers video campaign to inspire people not to light firecrackers during the holiday.”
Why Facebook Is The King Of Video Marketing
The focus of the video was clear: a short and simple video with compelling messaging. To drive home the #SayNoToCrackers theme, the video needed to highlight the potential health issues faced by dogs during the Diwali season.
Hence, the #SayNoToCrackers video was posted on Dogsee Chew’s Facebook page. The agency opted for Facebook instead of YouTube because several reports suggest that Facebook has three times more impressions than YouTube.
Once the video was live, Sharma’s team also noticed many discussions around that topic on Twitter and Quora. Therefore, the agency chimed in on the conversations which received a considerable response on both platforms.
Three Keys To The Campaign’s Success
Appeal to your viewers’ emotions: “The video embodied pet owners’ feelings, which inspired them to share the video on social media. The video was also a real eye-opener for non-dog owners, unaware of the damage incurred to dogs by the excessive noise,” says Sharma.
Keep your videos short: Since people’s attention span continue to shorten, Ittisa made sure the video was short but still expressed its message.
Keep your idea simple: There was no high-end production or marketing gimmick used for the video. The simple idea based on customer insights as enough to showcase the plight of dogs during Diwali.
How #SayNotoCrackers Led To Immediate Business Results
#SayNotoCrackers Facebook comments (Ittisa)
#SayNotoCrackers Facebook comments (Ittisa)
During the two-week campaign before and after Diwali, the #SayNotoCrackers video garnered:
3.9 million reach
50,000 website visitors
27,000 shares on social media
14,000 likes
1,200 comments on social media (50% of which people vowed not to light firecrackers)
50% increase in sales
“Though the product was nowhere to be advertised during the whole video, we still managed to make a mark in people’s mind as a brand that cares for their dogs. This led to an organic boost in sales,” says Sharma.
Back in 2015, we wrote about 9 secrets that Facebook Ad professionals use to create amazing, compelling, highly-clickable designs.
Since then, Facebook has introduced a plethora of powerful new targeting features and worldwide social network ads spend has increased by several billions of dollars—with Facebook bringing home the vast majority of that bacon.
All that advertising means that the competition for users’ attention is hotter than ever.
To help you win over your fans, we’ve added seven new tips to get your ads to pop, write copy that appeals to your audience’s psychology, choose images thathit them where they live, and more.
A real Facebook Ads Pro is always learning new tricks and putting new tools into her toolbox. That’s key—if you stop learning in this world, you’re going to fall behind faster than you say “CPC.”
That’s why we decided to add to our 9 tips with a full 7 new ones: give them a try and let us know how it goes in the comments below!
If you want, you can click here and go straight to the new content, but if you want the whole design… keep on reading!
9 (classic) Secrets the Pros Use to Create Great Facebook Ad Designs
Facebook Advertising can be tough. And it’s getting tougher every day. As more advertisers realize the potential and jump onboard, the increased competition can quickly turn a winning ad into a money-waster.
After managing hundreds of thousands of dollars in Facebook Advertising (and wasting lots of money making every conceivable mistake), I still learn new, surprising things with every new campaign I create.
In the end, however, the success of a Facebook Ad comes down to just two critical elements:
Great design (attracts users’ attention while creating the desire for your product).
Laser-focused targeting (displays your ad only to an audience of potential customers).
Here are the 9 most effective tips I’ve learned about creating amazing Facebook Ad Designs that will excite and entice users to buy your product!
1) Always Test Multiple Designs
I can not stress this enough. Never assume anything. Always test everything. No matter what your level of expertise is or how long you’ve been advertising on Facebook, always test both your ad’s design and its targeting.
Every time you’re creating a new campaign, take the time to come up with at least 4 different Facebook Ad Designs and then test each one. For example, you might test two different images with two different copy texts (2 images x 2 texts = 4 variations).
As you might have guessed, here at AdEspresso, we love illustrations. Every post has a unique design and we use them for advertising as well, but we have discovered that that strategy was somewhat off. While illustrations perform pretty well and are great branding, an ad with a picture of a person performs far better:
Cost per Download: $1.68
Cost per Download: $3.13
Look at that! The Ad showing a person performed nearly 2 times better than our beloved mascot.
So, remember: test everything, even the craziest ideas. Then mix it up to keep things fresh: vary both copy text and images to reduce Ad Fatigue and steer clear of high ad Frequency, which can decrease ad effectiveness.
2) Create Buyer Personas
Most businesses have different sorts of customers with different needs. By creating Buyer Personas, you not only improve your Facebook Ad Designs, but you serve your customers better, overall.
For each potential customer type, write down a persona. Man or woman? Profession and job title? What’s the biggest problem she/he’s hoping to solve by using your product?
Once you’ve created your buyer personas, design a Facebook Ad (paired with laser-focused targeting) for each one, directly addressing their pain points. Here’s an example of two potential AdEspresso Ads, one aimed at Startups and one aimed at Media Agencies:
Very different value propositions! For Startups, we highlight their desire to grow as quickly as possible. For Agencies, we address managing Facebook Ads more quickly and with better results.
3) Add Social Proofs
Do you know what the most influential emotion in a purchase decision is?
Fear.
People resist buying your product because they’re scared of losing money and afraid of making the wrong choice. This is why free products are so effective. And it’s not just about the money. Free = No Risk = No Fear.
Of course, I’m not suggesting that you should give your product away for free (although sometimes you should). I’m just suggesting that you need to address customers’ fears by adding Social Proofs to your Facebook Ad Designs.
A great social proof that reduces fear are testimonials from famous people. Having a VIP endorse, your product immediately gives you credibility and removes a level of fear. It can also be expensive, of course.
If you don’t have testimonials, you can still leverage your large user base. Check out this ad from Dropbox. Despite being well known, Dropbox still highlights that they have more than 100,000 businesses relying on them! That’s a testimonial in itself.
Can you imagine how users respond? 100,000 businesses?! Wow! If everyone and their sister are using Dropbox, there must be a reason. It must be a great product, and so I have no fear jumping onboard. How can all those people be wrong?
4) Use Call-to-Actions
Adding a Call-to-Action to your Facebook Ads might not increase your click-through rate or make your ad more engaging, but it’s likely to improve your overall conversion rate and decrease your cost per conversion.
Why? Because a good call-to-action decreases friction. If a user clicks your ad and arrives on your landing page, it won’t need to waste time figuring what to do next. He’ll already know and quickly proceed to perform the desired action.
He’ll know because you’ve prompted him in your Ad with a Call-to-Action like “Download our eBook…,” “Subscribe to our newsletter for a chance to win…,” “Take the survey and receive $10 off…,” etc.
By the way, here’s a post we recently published on advanced Call-to-Action strategies on Facebook.
5) Choose images that stands out
If advertising is a war, then Newsfeed is your battlefield. And a very crowded one it is.
If you want to get your ads clicked on, you have to grab the users’ attention so that they read your ad. This will come down to your ad’s image. The right image can immediately attract the eye and earn you a click.
Therefore, carefully select an image that will stand out from the crowd. You might also try to add some visual contrast like the ad here. Honestly, I don’t like this tactic as it looks a bit tacky/spammy and therefore is bad branding. It does tend to work, however.
A better strategy is to use Instagram-like filters on your pictures. Be creative but remember, while the image needs to stand out, it should not be offensive or too strong. That would be against Facebook’s rules, and your ad will be rejected.
6) Address your users’ rational and emotional sides
We think we’re intelligent animals who always act rationally, but that’s only partially true. Our emotional side has a lot to say when it comes to buying.
A simple list of product features might convince the rational self in some users but has no effect at all on their emotional self. Our emotional self-doesn’t care about features, that part of us wants benefits.
No one wants to become a millionaire just to have money. They want the beneficial lifestyle that comes with being rich. Likewise, you don’t buy a product for its features. You buy it to solve a problem and, thereby, to make your life better.
In your Facebook Ad designs, therefore, address both the rational and emotional side of your users. Here’s a great example:
7) Be consistent
Like Call-to-Actions, consistency will reduce friction and help your users complete the desired action. If someone clicks on your ads, it’s because they like the image, your message, and what you’re offering.
After clicking, they should end up on a landing page that reinforces what they saw in the ad. Use the same images and wording, just go into more depth describing your product and why they should buy it.
People decide if they like a website in seconds. If you don’t hook them immediately, you lose them. Imagine what would happen if, after clicking an ad for red sports shoes on Facebook, you ended up on a generic page with hundreds of sports shoes without one that is red. You’d leave immediately, right?
This is a crucial thing that so many advertisers overlook! After looking for a good example for more than half an hour, I gave up, and quickly found a typical error:
Look at that; I click on a very specific ad with a pink shoe… and on the landing page, there’s no trace of it. And no mention of the 55% discount promised.
8) Put the right ad in the right place
Correct placement of your Facebook Ads is critical and, ideally, you want to optimize your design for each placement.
Desktop Newsfeed: Great for engagement and generating sales & leads. Supports longer copy and link description.
Desktop Right Column: Less effective but cheaper. Images are smaller and text less readable. Works well for retargeting users who already know your brand. Use an image they’ll recognize to catch their eye.
Mobile Newsfeed: Great for engagement & Mobile app installs. As we saw in a recent post, mobile users tend to click “Like” a lot. The Copy is shorter, so be careful. While conversion rates on mobile are often deceptive, mobile is great for discovery. Users will discover your product on their phones… then buy it the next day on their desktop.
Check out this ad below. It was in my right column, but it was clearly meant for the Newsfeed. The text is simply too small and, therefore, unreadable. The copy has the same problem. It’s just too long, and I don’t even know what the ad’s about!
9) Always Be Credible
Trust and credibility are fundamental. Without them, you’ll never convince a user to buy your product, give out their email address, or establish any relationship.
While this should be common sense, I see ads all the time that do not appear credible and so immediately jump turn me off as spammy. Point #6 above describes how you appeal to the emotional side of your users by highlighting the benefits of your product, but this does not mean you should over-promise or, worse yet, lie outright.
A self-improvement course can surely help your career. A service like AirBnB can help you earn extra money from an unused bedroom. But would you advertise either with a picture of someone driving a Ferrari or having fun on a Yacht? That would be far too much of a reach, right?
Check out these two ads:
I can easily believe that a new start-up can guarantee me $100 per month – or even up to $1,000 per month. But when we start getting into very large numbers, this can lead to doubts about your brand or company’s credibility.
For example, the “$25 Million Dollar Swipe File” implies that the file you are receiving is worth, or will lead to, 25 million dollars.
While the business that advertises this may have actually earned such a high amount of money with this file, some may perceive the dollar amount as exaggerated given the anonymity and brevity of the claim.
7 NEW Secrets the Pros Use to Create Great Facebook Ad Designs In 2016
10) Use the psychology of color to your advantage
If you’re not harnessing the psychological powers that different colors can have, then you’re missing out on a vital creative force that every top Facebook ads pro is using.
90% of all the snap judgments that we make about products can be traced back to color, according to a study in Management Decision. Here are some of the major science-backed trends in how people perceive colors that you should keep in mind:
Older people like blue, purple, and green, while younger people are more into yellow, red, and orange. As we age, our preferences tend towards the darker and cooler colors of shorter wavelength over the excitatory, long wavelength colors.
Most people heavily dislike the color orange. Purple, yellow, and brown pull up behind orange as the least liked colors, according to research done by Joe Hallock comparing color preferences across 232 people from 22 countries.
It comes down to appropriateness and fit, not a silver bullet. The truth is that if you have a crappy product, you’re not going to turn things around by throwing a blue logo on it. Most of our tendency to appreciate certain colors in marketing actually appears to do with how well that color fits with the product that we’re looking at.
When planning out your ad creative and deciding on a color to use, think about the market you’re selling to, what they like, what they expect, and then you’ll be thinking along the right lines. For an example of how this works in the real world, we’ve taken that classic image of different brands organized by color and drawn some connections:
The gas companies here—BP, Shell, Gulf, ExxonMobil—may produce an identical product for consumers. But these companies, part of the legendary Seven Sisters of petroleum production, are heavily differentiated in the brains of consumers thanks to their incredibly distinctive colors. If you had to start an oil company today, I might say, “Go gray!” Be the Apple of gas!
The same kind of color psychology can be seen in the tech companies on the chart (outlined in blue). Apple represents neutral, calm, design sensibility. Facebook represents trust and dependability. Yahoo represents wisdom… or at least, they did, at one point—originally, Yahoo set out to organize all of the internet’s information into one home page, and they did a pretty good job.
Don’t take this chart as gospel—“My product is exciting, so I must use red in my Facebook ads”—but do check out what your competitors are doing. Look at what is working. Subtle changes in color can influence how we see advertising, so take your time and make your decisions count.
11) Use location-specific imagery
One of the great things about Facebook advertising is that it’s so easy to set up multiple campaigns all targeting different geographic regions. But you’re not fully capitalizing on the power of Facebook ads unless you’re also changing the content of your ads to match the geographic region you’re targeting.
Kisi, a keyless-entry startup that helps offices take care of employee access to buildings remotely, is available all over the United States. But if you’re in New York City, you’re not going to see a generic Kisi ad on your Newsfeed. You’re going to see a targeted ad that looks like this:
If you’re in New York City, it’s all but guaranteed that an ad with an “NYC” plastered over it is going to draw your attention better than an ad that could have been shown anywhere. This is something strangely lacking in most people’s Facebook ads, but it’s something that traditional advertisers have definitely caught onto—check out this Haagen-Dazs ad from the BART in San Francisco:
Pandering or not, this ad got the tech world’s attention. If you’re going to spend the money to target customers in expensive urban areas like New York City and San Francisco, it’s worth capitalizing on that specificity to drive home a more personal, targeted message in your advertising.
12) Use the power of free without giving your product away
We’re always on the lookout for free. It’s one of those trigger words that renders just about everything around it more attractive—free beer, free money, free food, you name it. We love free.
When used in advertising, it can be an incredibly effective technique. It definitely sets you apart from the majority of the ads on peoples’ Newsfeeds—which are asking people to pay money for products—but capitalizing on the psychology of free does not mean you have togive away your product for free.
For example, you could make free part of a special offer that comes along with buying your product:
Or, you could simply use free as a lead generation device. Content marketing is a powerful way to grow your business, but you can’t have a great lead generation magnet unless people actually read it and get value out of it. Giving away helpful information for free is the easiest and most effective way to spread your content and show people that you’re a trustworthy source of information.
13) Use testimonials from your customers
We all love the feeling of being a part of something. When you see other people talking about how much they love a picture of a cat on Facebook, you feel like going and expressing how you feel too. When you see something that you’re outraged by, you join in by liking the relevant statuses and posting some words to show that you agree.
When you see customer testimonials, that same part of your brain lights up as if to say, “Buy this product. Join the club.”
Use your customers to make your Facebook ads compelling. No one can be a better sales representative when you’re trying to get people to click on your ads in their Newsfeed since Facebook is already such a massive social medium. And as we’ve mentioned before, the best sales don’t come from direct sales but recommendations.
14) Use intersections of interests
Targeting intersections of interests is one of the most powerful techniques out there for getting people to stop scrolling and check out your ad. Here’s how it works:
Pick two broad ideas—they don’t have to be highly related, and it may be better if they’re not—and input them into your campaign manager when you’re setting up your ad
Select the “all of these” interests option—you only want your ad to be shown to those people who like both of thedifferent interests you’re intersecting
Design your ad around the intersection
We did this before, targeting those people who were fans of college football and also liked tacos. In this example from Dr. Pepper, you can see what you might do if you targeted fans of college football and Dr. Pepper:
Or maybe you’re Toyota targeting people who go on outdoorsy adventures:
Interest intersections are powerful for the same reason that localized ads are powerful. When you show people an ad that feels like it’s just about them, they’re way more likely to stop, click, and share because they feel a personal connection to it. The returns, if you do it right, will be awesome. Just check out how much better we did when we targeted college football fans and taco fans:
15) Use images of faces
According to a 2005 study out of Caltech, there’s even a specific group of cells in our brains that fire only when we see a face. And then there’s the well-known psychological effect called pareidolia that causes humans to look for faces in everyday objects like stoves and toilets. The takeaway here is that people love to see faces. It’s a phenomenon that’s deeply ingrained in our brains, a vestige of our primal beings—so use it in your Facebook ads!
Ever wonder why the mascots on cereal boxes are always cute animals or cartoon people staring right at you? Well, according to a lab at Cornell studying consumer behavior, the reason they do that is because it’s effective. When the Trix rabbit glances into our young, impressionable eyes every time we go to the supermarket as children, we start gradually developing a preference for Trix. We humanize the product and get attached. Make your customers feel the same way and put some faces in your Facebook ads.
16) Get urgent
There’s nothing we hate more than losing out on a great deal because we were just a little bit late. It’s the principle of loss aversion: we feel bad when we miss out on getting something, but we feel even worse about losing. And when we see an urgent opportunity arise, we do not want to let it slip through our fingers.
One of the biggest problems with advertising today is that urgency can be difficult to trigger in people. Since we can get items in less than 5 hours off Amazon and virtually every other e-commerce platform offers some 1-2 day shipping options, people feel as though they can probably get whatever they want whenever they want.
Inducing scarcity and urgency could mean grabbing hold of your audience’s attention with an eye-catching deal that they just can’t pass up. You want to create a deep sense of FOMO—fear of missing out, as in this ad from Watch Junction advertising a hot deal for 60% off.
There are many different urgency-evoking phrases that copywriters use in their headlines and ad texts to create excitement. Try some of the following words with your next special offer that you put on Facebook:
Limited time!
Only!
Today!
Hurry!
Act now!
Rush!
Last chance!
It’s Up to You Now…
Combined, these 16 tips are the most effective ways to design killer Facebook Ads that we’ve learned over the last 7 years.
Livestreaming video has quickly become a hot trend in digital marketing. Facebook users, for example, spend three times longer watching live video on the social network than video that’s pre-recorded.
And innovative brands that were early adopters of livestreaming have already reaped the rewards of this powerful, authentic, engaging, measurable, and cost-effective digital marketing channel—and they continue to do so.
Whether you’re now evaluating livestreaming video or you’ve already decided to use it in your marketing mix, here are six helpful tips to get you started, based on my experience helping Pottery Barn, REI, GoPro, and New Balance harness the power of livestreaming video for the first time.
1. The Right Platform
Choosing the right platform to host your livestreaming video event is key. For a quick, raw, and unmoderated stream, you can use various mobile apps, such as Periscope and Facebook Live. However, those apps are limited in function and don’t allow for custom branding or product content outside of the video stream.
For a more branded and moderated experience, you can use an enterprise livestreaming video platform that would allow you to add branding elements to the user experience, that have advanced audience interaction capabilities, and that often allow for content outside the video window (such as product information).
2. The Right Reason
You should have a good reason for doing a live-video-based event versus using an alternative digital marketing tactic.
Certain use cases lend themselves to livestreaming video for marketing purposes, such as a new product launch. Nike, Apple, and Ace Hardware have used live video for this purpose. They put product experts on camera to demonstrate the new product and take questions from the audience.
Another great use case is an event co-presented by both a brand and a retailer that carries that brand. That approach tends to work best when two people are on-camera, one from the brand and one from the retailer.
A final example is to simulcast a live, in-person event over a livestreaming channel to expand audience exposure.
3. The Right Content
Once a platform and use case have been selected, the next step is to create engaging content that is tailored for a broadcast event.
Start with clear business objectives. Is it your intent to sell products? Is it to engage influencers so they will write about the product? Or is it to demonstrate how your product fits into the consumer’s lifestyle?
After the objectives are set, decide on the length of the event. If the goal is product sales, I recommend designing a 15-minute sales-oriented pitch (think QVC) and repeating it a couple of times during a one-hour event, leaving time for audience questions. If it is more of a product launch event, consider 30 minutes of content, and allow for 15-30 minutes of audience interaction.
One key to live video events is to not script it too tightly. The audience is looking for authentic human interaction with your brand, not a slick scripted show. Outline the key talking points, create a few slides, and include plenty of time to demonstrate the product. Most important, include tactics that drive audience engagement (such as polls) and leave time to let the audience drive where some of the program content goes from there.
4. The Right On-Camera Personality
Selecting the right on-camera talent is another key to creating an engaging event. The person should be an “insider”—e.g., an employee who knows the product well, has a clear passion for it, and is personable.
The goal is authenticity, which you won’t get with a trained actor who is talking about the product only because he or she is getting paid for it. A few on-camera mistakes are OK, because the audience can relate. The result will be the creation of a sense of real human interaction, which is missing from other digital marketing channels.
Another option is to use a paid product endorser, if you have the budget. These personalities, who will help to drive a larger audience, will often make the content more engaging. I recommend pairing an endorser with an on-camera product expert as well, such as a product manager or designer. The product expert can help keep the endorser on message by prompting comments and questions during the event.
5. The Right Production Value
Production values can vary greatly in livestreaming video. The level of production value should match the goals and objectives of the brand and the event.
If you want to use a mobile livestreaming app, then your only choice is to use the built-in camera and microphone in the mobile device. However, if you use an advanced livestreaming video platform, the production can be anything from a single webcam to an in-studio multicamera setup with switching and B-roll video.
Your equipment, such as cameras, microphones, and lights, will have an impact on the production value as well. Determining what equipment is available and setting a budget for new equipment is important.
In my experience, you don’t need a camera more expensive than a typical prosumer HDMI “Handycam”-style camcorder. For audio, I suggest using a combination of a camera-mounted shotgun microphone for general coverage, and wireless lavalier microphone for the presenter(s), all connected to a portable USB mixer.
6. The Right Promotion
The motto “build it and they will come” doesn’t generally work for live-video events. It takes a well-considered promotion plan to maximize the audience size for your event. I recommend starting your promotion at least four weeks prior to the event.
Use every channel your budget allows for. Your in-house email list is likely the most-cost effective way to drive event attendance, as well as your social media accounts. Set up a registration landing page on your website for the event, and drive people to that page in the promotional email. Starting four weeks prior will give you time to send weekly messages that target list members who did not open or respond to previous messages. Posting to your social channels during this period will be a good compliment to the email promotion.
If you have additional budget, consider digital advertising, such as a display ad network or search engine advertising. Also, if you are introducing a new product or you have a celebrity endorser who will be on-camera, consider doing a press release and related press outreach.
* * *
These six tips should help you get started with smart livestreaming-video marketing. Try it at least once, and measure the results based on the objectives you determine for the attempt. Your company will find that the benefits of the authentic human connection it can bring to your audience will be worth the investment.
Social media is always in flux, and one of the biggest shifts right now is video.
The development of improved mobile technology has enabled widespread video consumption – available always and at anytime. And although video content isn’t new, it’s certainly growing, and will to continue to expand in 2017 and beyond.
Check out the following video statistics reported by Insivia:
One-third of all online activity is spent watching video
The average user is exposed to 32.3 videos in a month
75% of online video viewers have interacted with an online video ad this month
75% of executives watch work related videos on business websites at least once a week
36% of online consumers trust video ads
Clearly, video is a stronghold that will likely thrive and grow for some time yet.
While nothing is ever certain regarding what’s in store for social media, the following seven video trends can certainly be anticipated:
1. The Rise of 360-Degree Videos
A recent case study by Magnifyre revealed something noteworthy about the 360-degree video format – the average percentage of people who viewed a 360-degree video was 28.81% higher than for the same video in a non 360-degree format. The case study also showed that twice the number of viewers watched the 360-degree video to completion.
Of course, not every video will be suitable for the 360-degree format. But one excellent use for 360 is product videos used by sales teams.
A staggering 90% of users say product videos are helpful in the purchasing-decision process. For real estate or large equipment that can’t conveniently be shown to a prospect, a 360-degree video is an effective way let someone feel like they’re looking at the product “in person.”
2. Videos Watched on Multiple Devices
According to a Think with Google report, 85% of adults ages 18-49 use multiple devices at the same time. It also reports that two thirds of YouTube users watch YouTube on a second screen while watching TV. This tendency to watch videos across several devices (including TV) will probably increase.
What does all this mean for your 2017 video marketing plan? It means you shouldn’t rely on one video platform if you want to reach your audience effectively.
Once you post a video, distribute it on all social platforms your audience is likely to use.
3. Increased Audience Engagement on YouTube
The Think with Google report also says half of 18 to 34-year-old YouTube users would drop what they’re doing to watch a new video by their favorite creator. If you don’t currently have a YouTube strategy planned for 2017, now is the time to create one.
What’s also noteworthy in the report is the passion among teens and Millennials who view YouTube – when asked which video sources they “couldn’t live without,” they listed YouTube as the top choice. Four in 10 Millennials said they only trust YouTube for videos about causes they care about, while 6 in 10 teen YouTube viewers reported that a YouTube creator has changed their lives or the way they see the world.
Even more remarkable – teens reportedly watch 64% less TV than adults (age 35 and older) because they’re making time for online video.
4. The Growth of Live-Streaming
Considering that Facebook recently paid media companies $50 million to produce live videos on its platform, it’s clear that the popularity of live-streaming is growing. Are you ready to incorporate it into your marketing strategy?
To break in to the live-streaming trend in 2017, one effective tactic is to show your audience what’s “behind the curtain.” Give them an exclusive peek into parts of your business that haven’t been revealed yet.
Examples might include showing a product being made in the factory, or maybe a tour of your offices and introductions of your staff.
Also: Is your business planning to host events or conferences in 2017? Live-stream them. This will attract many from your audience who can’t be at the conferences in person.
Daily check-ins and updates also work well for live-streaming. Share today’s new, useful tip that’s related to your product or service. Examples: business tips, marketing tips and how-to’s, and useful info like PhotoShop tips or other software shortcuts.
And along with Facebook Live, Periscope will continue to be a major live-streaming platform in 2017, as will Snapchat.
5. The Growth of Temporary Content
Speaking of Snapchat, this platform is growing in popularity – with ad revenue projected to reach almost $1 Billion in 2017. With the rise of Snapchat (as well as Instagram) it makes sense for many brands to alsoembrace “temporary” live video content.
Most of today’s content marketing comes in the form of blogging – videos and visuals that are collected in a permanent content library or knowledge base. As such, content that disappears soon after it’s published feels “against the grain” of what marketers are used to.
Although it may seem unnatural to see your marketing content evaporate into a digital purgatory, marketers need to remember that Snapchat is predicted to each 217 million daily active users by the end of 2017. Millennials will make up the largest share of that audience, so if your business wants to reach Millennials, you should definitely consider posting video content on Snapchat.
Also, marketers should note that Snapchat users love the transparency of temporary videos. Because there’s no editing or polishing, this type of content is perceived as both honest and engaging.
6. Video Storytelling
Storytelling has always been a part of how we communicate, and 2017 will only see more and more of it.
Telling stories through video is a highly-effective way to build excitement, nurture relationships, and motivate your audience. When done right, stories convey relatable information that evokes emotion and creates a memorable experience.
For an excellent example of some of the most effective video storytelling anywhere, check in with Gary Vaynerchuck. Also, a truly effective way to create video storytelling is to produce video testimonials and customer case studies.
7. Video Email Marketing
Emails that incorporate video links can increase your email’s CTR and open rate. Expect video content and email to increasingly meld together in 2017. Email audiences appreciate video because it’s concise, convenient and interesting (if done right.)
The Time Is Now
For any brand or business that has yet to get serious about a video marketing strategy, time is of the essence. Chances are, some (or all) of your competition is already utilizing video in some way. To have a seat at the table and be deemed relevant to your audience, video content is no longer an option.
People resist buying your product because they’re scared of losing money and afraid of making the wrong choice. This is why free products are so effective. And it’s not just about the money. Free = No Risk = No Fear.
Adding a Call-to-Action to your Facebook Ads might not increase your click-through rate or make your ad more engaging, but it’s likely to improve your overall conversion rate and decrease your cost per conversion.
If you want to get your ads clicked on, you have to grab the users’ attention so that they read your ad. This will come down to your ad’s image. The right image can immediately attract the eye and earn you a click.
