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As brands explore content marketing, they also produce more and more videos, recognizing the power of video marketing and powerful brand storytelling in attracting, engaging and converting customers. Some 8 out of every 10 marketers now use videos for their campaigns according to data from Wyzowl. A recent Cisco study also predicted that video traffic will take up 82% of all consumer traffic by 2021.
As content marketing, including the use of videos, is all about providing consumers content that they will find interesting and useful in a manner and at a time they prefer, you need to know your target audience well. Thankfully, you can look closely at the data you have in order to leverage this format effectively and see great results.
We’re not just talking demographic data. We’re talking about consumer habits, behavioral intent and other more contextual information. What are your consumers looking for online? When and where do they look for it? What type of content do they usually engage with during these moments? These are questions marketers have to ask before experimenting with video marketing.
A good start would be to know the difference between television audiences and those who watch videos online. For so long, marketers have operated on the assumption that TV watchers are a captive audience; they watch whatever’s in front of them. But research suggests that people find ways to ignore ads more and more, on TV and more so on digital. Digital videos that pay no regard to the unique identities of consumers will most likely be ignored.
Google Philippines video specialist Jolly Estaris posed a relevant question during our Philippine Content Marketing Meetup in July: Given the short attention span of online viewers and their tendency to skip unwanted ads, how do you make sure they stick around to watch your video?
“On digital, you have to make sure not to interrupt the experience,” Estaris said as a reminder. So, how can we create videos that your target market will want to watch and engage with online? Here’s what we know so far:
Gone are the days when the only way to watch videos was from your TV. Now, Filipinos spend more time on social media than watching television and are accessing social mostly on mobile. As a result, users have also been increasingly watching videos from their mobile screens. In fact, watching videos has been reported to be the top mobile online activity among active social media users.
Click here to work with Southeast Asia's best videographers
Emphasis must also be put on the importance of optimizing video content to ensure adaptability across platforms. User expectation regarding video lengths also vary on different platforms, Hubspot says. This make it crucial for you to identify optimal formats, lengths, and other video attributes that work on specific platforms you want to explore as you create digital videos.
Audiences on YouTube are more willing to watch long-form videos than, say, users passively scrolling through their Twitter feeds. This is because YouTube audiences are on the platform specifically to watch videos, whereas Twitter users may just be looking for quick updates and bite-size content. The frequency of mobile use also leads to what’s now called micro-moments, giving you opportunities to get to know your audience and tailor content for them better.
“I’m not saying that demographics is dead, but—demographics is dead,” Estaris told attendees at our July event in ASPACE Greenbelt. Lumping together everyone from the same geographical area or age group—with complete disregard to their unique attitudes, needs, and perspectives—is like talking to a large group of people using a language that only a few of them speak. Not everyone will understand the message you’re trying to send.
By relying on demographics alone, you are also leaving out different groups to whom your product or service may be equally valuable. For example, a milk brand that limits their marketing to young mothers with toddlers are leaving out an entire population of sisters, brothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers who may be looking for exactly what they’re offering.
Google data show that the vast majority of customers online prefer to be given different kinds of content throughout each stage of the consumer journey. This means you must target those who already have the intent to purchase your products and services, something that an oversimplified segmentation based on age, gender and location can’t adequately give you.
One of the strengths of content marketing is that you not only get messages across, you also get to know your audience better. Start by finding out what your target audience is interested in, the kind of content they consume and how they engage with content across platforms. Then observe how they engage with your content so you can provide content that inspire, educate or delight them wherever they are in the purchase journey.
The creators you work with also highly impact the quality of videos you produce and how they help your objectives. It helps to work with creators who have experience in producing videos you need. Our Marketplace lets you find expert producers of high-quality videos—whether TVCs, creative videos, how-tos, explainers or event coverage.
