Your 3 Step Guide to Optimizing Mobile Video Performance

Here are three simple steps you can take to create engaging mobile video that's sure to capture your audience's attention and drive conversion.

The post Your 3 Step Guide to Optimizing Mobile Video Performance appeared first on The Shutterstock Blog.

Here are three simple steps you can take to create engaging mobile video that’s sure to capture your audience’s attention and drive conversion.

Effective digital marketing blends technology and data-driven insights. Marketers create content to build connections with consumers, and they use technology to create more effective content at scale.

These tactics are part of an effort to create compelling consumer experiences. People should feel a sense of connection to your brand through the content you create. They need to see how your brand provides value to their lives, and once they see your value they’ll be more compelled to purchase your products or subscribe to your services. Content is how you tell your brand’s story and convince people of the value you have to offer.

Mobile videos are one of the best ways to tell your story in a way that resonates with people. Viewers become immersed in video content and remember the brands that produce those assets. To reach those goals, marketers must accept three non-disputable trends that are by-products of the digital transformation era.

1. Mobile content consumption will surpass traditional content consumption
2. Social media platforms are growing interest in pre-roll video ads
3. Your goals with mobile video will influence how you create short and long-form content

---

Mobile Content Consumption Is On the Rise

Image via TravnikovStudio.

Mobile and social media directly influence both content marketing and digital transformation. According to Statista, 66% of the world’s population is projected to own a mobile device by 2019. The world’s population is around 7.5 billion people today. This means that by 2019, over 5 billion people will own a mobile phone.

Given the vast number of mobile devices on the market, there’s little surprise that mobile consumption is on the rise. But consumption does vary by country. For example, it’s easy to assume the US is one of the most plugged-in digital markets in the world. Americans, on average, do spend about 2.3 hours per day consuming mobile content.

However, based on hourly mobile usage by country, America isn’t the world’s largest market for hourly consumption. According to Business Insider, Brazilians are the largest consumers of mobile-first content.

• Brazilians spend nearly 4.5 hours per day consuming mobile content
• Chinese consumers are a close second at just over 3 hours per day
• Americans average about 2.3 hours per day on their phones or tablets
• Canadians spend about 2.1 hours per day on mobile
• People in the UK, Germany, and France spend 2.09 hours, 1.37 hours, and 1.32 hours, respectively

Mobile Behavior Directs Ad Dollar Spending

Digital marketers see the writing on the wall. Mobile is directing a seismic shift in how global brands spend their advertising budgets.

Data compiled by eMarketer shows that mobile ad spend will account for 69.9% of all digital advertising in 2018. The numbers get even more interesting at a regional level. Americans may lag behind other countries in hourly mobile consumption rates, but the US remains the largest mobile advertising market in the world. Mobile will account for over one-third of all ad spend in the US, surpassing TV as the leading advertising medium. By 2022, mobile ad spend is expected to rise to 47.9%.

The key takeaway is that marketers can’t ignore mobile behavior, and resources for content production must adopt a mobile-first approach. That’s why mobile video ads, which are easily optimized for smaller screens, are such a hot commodity.

---

Roll Out the Pre-Roll Video Ads

Image via suitpond.

This is a fairly straightforward idea but, nonetheless, requires explicit emphasis. Video content is all the rage these days. For example, people who use Snapchat on a regular basis collectively watch 10 billion videos every day.

The demand for video extends beyond mass video consumption. 52% of marketers say video is the type of content that generates the most ROI. Videos are very effective when used in advertising promotions. On Facebook, marketers use ads manager to build, measure, and analyze ads. Video ads typically yield greater reach and engagement with the target audience, which directly influences ROI.

Pro-video sentiments make sense in the context of a mobile-friendly audience since videos are dynamic pieces of content that stand out from other updates in social news feeds. Typical consumers use the apps for Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms. They then scroll through their device to see the latest updates shared by friends or followers. Mobile videos will best capture the attention of consumers over bland or non-visual content.

Then There’s the Matter of Pre-Roll Videos

Earlier this year, Facebook outlined how brands can monetize various types of video content. One of the examples included pre-roll videos. Facebook introduced pre-roll videos to their video-on-demand service called Watch. Early adoptions of pre-roll ads were a success, according to Facebook. As a result, they intend to expand those types of content to other areas of the platform.

“We have seen promising signs, so we are expanding testing to places where people seek out videos, like in search results or on a Page timeline. For example, if a person searches for a show, a pre-roll may play when they select the episode to watch.”

Nick Grudin, VP of Media Partnerships & Maria Angelidou-Smith, Product Management Director.

This allows brands to insert their content and offers into new areas for consumption. The adoption of pre-roll ads into Facebook news feeds is still a ways away, but the fact that pre-roll content can be embedded into search results is very promising for marketers.

When people search for information, the right video content can appear on the search results page. This works similar to search engine results in Google. People will scroll through the results in search of the most relevant and valuable content for their needs. If the content is moving, they may click and further engage with your brand.

Fidji Simo, VP of Product at Facebook, encourages marketers to approach pre-roll video content as a means of enhancing the consumer experience.

“In an intentional viewing experience, where people decide to proactively look for this content, pre-roll could be a good experience.”

Fidji Simo, VP Product, Facebook.

---

Short or Long Videos? Depends on the Goal

Image via Alexey Wraith.

Most pre-roll videos air for 30 seconds at most. Platforms like YouTube allow 6-second bumper videos to improve reach, engagement, and click-through rates. But, sometimes you need more time to tell your brand story.

There are conflicting studies about whether short-form or long-form videos are best for digital marketers. Many platforms encourage brands to produce short, snackable videos. On the other hand, Instagram just rolled out IGTV, which is specifically designed for long-form video consumption. What does that mean for your mobile video plans?

Shoot for the Goal

Your video content goals will vary depending on where in the marketing funnel you promote the content. Quantifiable metrics in the upper funnel will look very different from those in the lower funnel.

Short-form videos are your best bet if you want to drive clicks to your website. Videos in the 10-15 second range boldly capture people’s attention. Short timeframes incentivize content producers to tell a gripping story. The goal is to tease that more good things will come upon further engagement with the brand. A quick click drives the viewer to your site and one step closer to consumption.

Short timeframes also adapt to the viewing habits of mobile video watchers. We’ve produced a webinar about how to use videos in digital advertising, which you can check it out here.

If your goal is brand awareness or affinity, a long-form video is a more fulfilling format. You can tell your brand’s story in greater detail through long-form videos, which expands your brand’s reach to new viewers. Long-form content helps people see that you have something educational or entertaining to offer. This helps people remember your brand and subtly tells them to check back for future updates. That’s when you can promote short videos to drive new conversions.

---

Test and Optimize Your Videos

All of these insights are a guide to help you create a mobile video marketing strategy. You need to test what types of videos best represent your brand. Determine how your unique target audience engages with those videos. Use these tips and other guides to develop a plan for video marketing, and execute that plan through a series of tests.

Make sure all of your videos fit a mobile audience, and enhance the viewing experience for your consumers. Analyze how the videos perform via:

• Mobile vs. desktop
• Facebook vs. Instagram
• Short-form vs. long-form
• And many other variables

Compile all of this data into a centralized hub. Measure and optimize the content to continuously improve the performance of your videos.

Top image via chainarong06.

---

Want to learn more about content marketing? Check out these articles:

• Building Brand Awareness and Customer Engagement with Unique Content
• How To Shoot Product Shots: 3 Cheap And Easy Setups
• 3 Facebook Marketing Partners You Need to Know About
• Create Feed-Worthy Mobile Content with These Simple Tips
• How Videos Help Brands Capture and Retain Customer Attention

The post Your 3 Step Guide to Optimizing Mobile Video Performance appeared first on The Shutterstock Blog.