We just wrapped up part one of a three-part webinar series, “Reaching Customers at Every Stage with Google Ads.” In this first event, experts from Red Door and Google honed in on video as an evolving paid media tactic, and how new capabilities are allowing marketers to reach their audiences in ways like never before. If you missed the chat—or just need a refresher—check out our recap below:
VIDEO TRENDS IN 2020
The way we consume video is changing, as more and more people are “cutting the cord” in favor of more flexible digital platforms. This trend has only been accelerated by COVID-19, which eMarketer estimates to have directly impacted a 10% year-over-year increase in OTT subscriptions of services like YouTube TV, Roku, and Apple TV.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER FOR MARKETERS?
Of the people who are consuming more digital video, almost 90% of them use YouTube. And while historically, video has always been a great driver for awareness, these recent upticks in digital video viewership has made it increasingly important to consider how YouTube can impact every part of the funnel.
Within YouTube, you can now bring in really deep targeting from the audience perspective, such as their location, information demographics, type of content they're consuming, YouTube search behavior, and even Google search behavior. With these kinds of content targeting capabilities, you can also add content exclusions, allowing you to avoid placements you might not want to run into.
Beyond being able to hyper-tailor your audience segment, you can also adjust your message to the specific device users are viewing video on. For instance, with this insight, you might focus your efforts on only showing high-quality awareness content on premium devices, and more action-oriented content on mobile devices. This level of differentiation is key to any long-term video strategy.
DRIVING ACTION WITH YOUTUBE
According to the numbers, 85% of the people in the U.S. that use Google search also use YouTube. This presents a unique opportunity for brands to connect with users outside of a search box. More and more, people are coming to YouTube not just for entertainment purposes, but to educate themselves. And this behavioral shift is making an impact—over 70% of YouTube viewers say they bought a brand as a result of viewing it on YouTube. Seeing this kind of success on the platform, marketers should start considering TrueView for action to further drive performance. Here are just some of the ways you can take advantage of this format:
Custom Intent Audiences
Find those users on search who are most likely to do business with you and re-engage with them on YouTube. This audience is built based on keywords users are searching for on Google. You’re then able to reach those customers on YouTube, no matter what type of content they're watching, allowing you to connect with them in a different way.
Infinite Taxonomy Audience
Drive the activation of granular, pre-curated audiences with Infinite Taxonomy. You’ll be able to access over 50,000 specialized segments to find that specific audience group, tapping into niche intersections of affinity and in-market segments.
Video Action Campaigns
Increase conversions at more efficient costs by scaling to top-converting places across YouTube and its partners and devices. Consumers access YouTube from all over the place: at home, on TV screens, on mobile devices, etc., and Video Action Campaigns make sure that wherever users are, your video is there, too. Letting automation understand where those conversions are coming from gives you the best efficiency for your campaigns.
The value of TrueView for action
To measure the full impact of TrueView for action campaigns, we have to think beyond the direct conversion. Aside from driving action, this format also creates the residual benefits of boosting general brand awareness, and influencing behavior on other channels. While video might not always get “credit” for driving the hard sale, you can still encourage a website visit, or add to cart, or other actions that indicate the success of your overall campaign performance. In this way, the full value of video can be assessed as an influential touchpoint along the purchase path, beyond just conversion alone.
3 things to remember when using TrueView for action
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Be clear on the results you want to drive. What conversions are really important in moving your customer down the funnel?
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Follow best practices. Make sure you understand your audience strategy, budget, and creative approach.
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Design with an “always on” mentality. Be present when and where consumers are looking for you, to help influence decisive moments.
To learn more about developing a successful video advertising strategy using YouTube's TrueView for Action, download Red Door and Google’s Best Practices & Checklist one-sheet.
Your customer’s behaviors are rapidly changing, and the methods of reaching them in the precise right ways are changing, too. If you have questions about video advertising or how you can start using YouTube to engage audiences more effectively, don’t hesitate to reach out!{^widget|(resources)612b8f09-2373-4ab3-9bd1-7465f1d62e24|(name)DownloadPDFCallout|(title)Best+Practices+%26+Checklist%3a+YouTube+TrueView+for+Action|(widget_displayname)Download+PDF+Callout|(width)|(height)^}