In today’s online-marketing driven world, you want to reach an audience where people are paying attention. And with around 3 billion (yes, with a b) views a day, YouTube delivers this engaged reach. Factor in Google’s newfound knowledge that people are 3x more likely to pay attention to online video ads vs. television ads—and you’ve got a platform you can’t ignore. Continue reading “TrueView: Watch How YouTube Can Convert More, for Less”
Do you know what the second largest search engine is? I’ll give you a second to Ask Jeeves for the answer to that little bit of trivia. Continue reading “YouTube Ads: The New Advertising El Dorado”
As more and more people turn to YouTube for their entertainment, it is getting more and more difficult to track exactly how many viewers a TV program gets. For example, I think everyone has watched – or at least heard about – Saturday Night Live’s skit in which Melissa McCarthy impersonates White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer. We all know SNL airs on NBC on Saturday nights (duh), but is that when and where you watched it? Or did you watch it on YouTube?
In a recent Think with Google article, Google discussed how more viewers are watching TV programs on YouTube, and even casting what they are watching on YouTube to their televisions. According to their research, adults are 5x more likely to prefer online platforms over cable TV.
In another Think with Google article, they discussed how programs like ‘Carpool Karaoke’ on the Late Late Show with James Corden – despite being a successful TV program – frequently gets more views on YouTube than on TV.
“The blurred lines of video consumption have changed the way success of any TV show should be measured. That’s particularly true for us since we originally air after midnight. We’re in the relevance business. The first thing we do when we come in in the morning is look at how our videos performed on YouTube. Our executive producer, Ben Winston, says, ‘The overnight ratings just tell us who managed to stay awake past midnight. The YouTube numbers tell us which bits flew.’ I couldn’t agree more.
Case in point: Viewership of ‘Carpool Karaoke’ on YouTube regularly eclipses viewership on the show itself.”
So what does this mean for advertisers? It could mean that the money being spent on TV ads (about $72 billion last year) could be better suited for YouTube. This is one reason that YouTube is now rolling out a Web-TV service called YouTube TV. For just $35/month, customers can sign up for a package consisting of about 40 channels. It has also been speculated that YouTube TV will get about 2 minutes of ad time per hour to sell to advertisers.
It also means that Google’s targeting methods can now be utilized in the TV space, and Google can now sell their advertising in the network ad slots that would have typically gone to cable operators. But Google is insistent that they are not trying to take money away from TV, they just want to play in the TV space.
Will you sign up for YouTube TV if it comes to Canada? Will you be willing to spend $35/month? Let us know in the comment section!
We all know that millennials are discussed a lot these days, but Google has just released results from their research on Generation X and their behavior on YouTube. As a Gen Xer myself, born between the mid-1960’s and late 1970’s – my generation saw a lot of changes in the way the world communicates. We witnessed the birth of life-changing innovations such as the internet, boomboxes, mobile phones, VCR’s, and DVD players. And yes, the boombox changed my life, as did my beloved Walkman.
YouTube has become something of a time travelling device for this nostalgic generation. I know my hubby and I have, on more than a few occasions, used the power of YouTube to show our children old cartoon clips, commercials and songs and effectively blew their little minds.
According to Pixability, Generation X accounts for over 1.5 billion views everyday on YouTube. To grasp a better understanding of Gen Xers’ preferences in regards to their YouTube activity, Google conducted a survey-based analysis along with Ipsos Connect and Flamingo. They discovered that Gen Xers’ behavior on YouTube reflects their ability to self-start, their desire to be in the know, and their love of nostalgia. Continue reading “Marketing to Generation Xers on YouTube”
In a recent Think with Google article, Tara Walpert Levy discussed some of the differences between video marketing in the 1980s and now. She talked about how in the ’80s, marketers looking to achieve significant reach only had a handful of options; there were only 11 networks that millions of people would sit down and watch every night.
Now, of course, it seems to be the opposite. Now, there are an infinite number of programs to watch on a number of different devices at any given time. Now, it is easy to achieve reach, but difficult to acquire and retain attention.
We may no longer say tubular or watch tube televisions, but there are still many similarities between how people view video now and how people viewed video in the ’80s.
Whether it’s on a television, computer, or a mobile device, 8:00p.m. – 11:00p.m is when the most people watch YouTube. In fact, according to Google, more 18-49 year-olds watched YouTube in prime time than the top 10 TV shows combined. Even though what they are watching is different, people are still watching primarily in their living room or their bedroom. Also, more than half of people are watching YouTube on their TV’s and over 60% watch with other people – just like the old days.
72% of teen and millennial YouTube subscribers say that they always watch new videos by their favourite YouTube stars within the first 24 hours; 15% of them said they watch within the first minute. Therefore, it’s not surprising that based on recent in-home eye-tracking research, attention to paid advertising is 84% higher than advertising on TV.
Most advertisers have stuck with the traditional set of ad lengths: 0:15, :30, and :60 seconds. However, Google has been experimenting with new ad lengths and recently launched a 6 second ad format suitable for decreased attention spans. The results? 9/10 campaigns running 6 second ads saw and increase in ad recall.
Even though keeping up with upcoming trends is important, as advertisers, we can’t forget about the value in learning from the past. As shown in Google’s article, even though the devices people are using have changed, a lot of their behaviors have stayed the same.
For more information on how you can bring these concepts Back to the Future and start a totally tubular YouTube campaign, drop us a line today!
The Think with Google resource gives us online video planning tips for success with online videos. The first tip is to be mobile-minded. Google’s research found that viewers who watched an ad twice on mobile had – on average – a significant lift of 23% in unaided brand awareness, and 47% in unaided ad recall.
Think with Google also suggests to put YouTube alongside TV. But for most small to medium businesses, this might not be as easy as it would be for big-box businesses. So what’s the alternative? Put YouTube alongside Facebook. Not only are you adhering to the first tip, but you’re also choosing to advertise on a platform where people spend their time watching videos. When was the last time you watched a video on Facebook? The answer is probably yesterday or when you were on your coffee break.
Facebook is also more measurable than TV because you can track conversions from pixels and generate leads right from Facebook through their lead ads objective. In addition to the ability to generate leads, you can also track performance and measure key performance indicators to see if it’s all living up to your expectations.
You can read the referenced Think With Google content here. If you would like more online video planning tips, check out or previous post about YouTube or give our Online Marketing Team a call; and don’t forget to ask about how you can get $500 in bonus Facebook ad spend!
We were lucky enough to attend Google’s Video Ignite event at the New York Chelsea office. It was a great event packed with a ton of useful content that we would like to share with you!
Video has been gaining popularity for quite some time now; video even had its own section at Think Auto this year, which was a first. Most of us would agree that we would rather ‘watch’ the internet as opposed to ‘reading’ it, but how do you become successful at utilizing video? Karolina Chodkiewicz, Senior Strategic Partner Manager, YouTube Content Partnerships North America with Google was so kind as to share the top 10 fundamentals of YouTube:
Karolina and her team researched the top performing YouTube channels and found that they all incorporated a combination of these 10 fundamentals which were key to building their success. We’re not suggesting that you need to incorporate all 10 of these items in every single video, but keeping 2 – 3 in mind is definitely a good place to start.
If you’re looking to get some videos created and would like some help coming up with a strategy, don’t hesitate to give our team a call!
The hard truth: winter is coming. And with winter, comes white walkers snow and ice that require consumers to switch from their summer to winter tires. Car parts and services search queries happen year round, but many queries see huge seasonal peaks that your dealership should be capitalizing on. With the looming seasonal change upon us, is your dealership ready to face the long night?
Continue reading “Car Parts & Service: The Auction Your Dealership Is Missing Out On”
YouTube has about 16.6 million unique users in Canada; if you are not advertising your dealership on YouTube, you are leaving out this audience and these potential customers. Here’s why you shouldn’t skip YouTube.
Before you get into the reasons why YouTube is absent from your marketing portfolio, let me tell you that recent studies have shown that viewers retain 95% of information from video ads as opposed to just 10% from text ads. With advertisers being charged only when users watch their videos, YouTube is one of the most effective and cost-efficient channels to market your business and yet, surprisingly, is also one of the most underused channels in the automotive industry!
Users aren’t just watching videos, they’re also being impacted by them. About 70% of car shoppers say that YouTube influences their purchase decisions. YouTube lets dealerships reach new visitors who are not only interested in their business, but also eager to take action. With call-to-actions on video ads, YouTube also allows potential customers to connect with dealers to begin their car-buying experience. Studies show that 49% of vehicle shoppers who watch a YouTube video ad end up visiting a dealership.
YouTube also allows dealers to remarket to specific audiences. This audience might include users who interacted with your ads and are much more likely to be receptive to additional brand messages. Remarketing can reach users who have already shown interest in your dealership and bring them to your website. By letting you reach your most valuable customers, this can lower your cost per acquisitions. And yes, we just touched on one of the reasons that should make YouTube very attractive to your dealership. It is highly cost-effective, costing you only pennies to get your message in front of interested buyers.
Google researchers found that 92% of vehicle consumers visit YouTube every month. With an eager and interested audience like that just waiting to be engaged by compelling offers and enticing visual messages, there are more than 16.6 million reasons why you should be advertising on the world’s second-largest search engine.
Start building an effective YouTube campaign with Strathcom Media today! Call our team at 1-888-914-1444.
Step up your strategy on the Google Display Network (GDN) and increase user interaction with Google Engagement Ads. Rolled out by Google in 2013, Engagement Ads allow advertisers to use rich media ads that allow your customers to engage with your ads. Compared to traditional Display Ads in the GDN – that use still images to entice users – Engagement Ads give the customer a choice to play a video, or interact with an expanded canvas. If you’re a business who is looking to improve your GDN game, or to engage with your consumers, look no further.
Continue reading “Your Guide to Google Engagements Ads: What are they and who should use them?”
