eMarketer Report Says Keep Video Ads Short and Relevant

David Hallerman, eMarketer senior analyst, has just written new report entitled, “Marketing to the Online Video Audience.”

Although online video viewership has never been higher and marketers are eager to reach this large and growing audience, many online video viewers dislike intrusive video ads — even though they freely accept TV commercials.

Hallerman thinks this audience perspective can shift if marketers increasingly implement two key concepts.

First, he thinks they should focus on “making the length of video ads suitable to the length of content, so that they are not too pushy.” Second, he believes they should also focus on “devoting resources to develop high-quality video creative that is well-targeted to the intended online audience.”

“The Internet and TV audience are not one and the same,” says Hallerman. “The Internet audience does not necessarily respond to the same ads in the same way they would after viewing them on TV.”

For example, younger people are more comfortable than their older counterparts with online media, which can lead to higher levels of engagement. A drill-down look from Nielsen Online shows that audiences ages 30 and younger are more likely than older viewers to find online video advertising funny, emotionally touching and informative — essential qualities for brand marketing.

The net-net: Keep it short and keep it relevant.

If you want more details, read the article, “Engaging Online Video Viewers,” which was just posted on eMarketer.

You can also read more about this topic in my book, “YouTube and Video Marketing: An Hour a Day.”

Back in the 1990s, I worked for William B. Ziff, Jr. He often said a special-interest magazine was a like a magnet and a screen: It attracted readers interested in a topic but also sifted out those who weren’t as interested. This created an audience that endemic advertisers could reach cost-effectively, because a high percentage of readers were interested in their products.

Although it is still early days for online video advertising, it appears that viewers attracted to a video like Monty Python’s Argument Clinic might also be interested in buying The Complete Monty Python’s Flying Circus on Amazon.com.

In fact, when Monty Python launched their YouTube channel in November 2008, not only did their YouTube videos shoot to the top of the most viewed lists, but their DVDs also quickly climbed to No. 2 on Amazon’s Movies & TV bestsellers list, with increased sales of 23,000 percent.

You find this case study and plenty of other practical tips in my book. If you don’t believe me, you can read Lee Odden’s, “Review: YouTube and Video Marketing: An Hour a Day,” on his Online Marketing Blog. Hey, if Odden says “You cannot afford to miss this story,” then you probably shouldn’t.

Or, if you’d like to have an argument, just let the receptionist know if you want to start with a five-minute argument or take a full course of 10 arguments.

Argument Clinic