If you’ve spent any time researching social media for business recently then I’m sure you’ve heard, video is where it’s at. Video ads are the fastest growing form of advertising online. According to eMarketer, US advertisers are expected to spend almost $16 billion just on video ads in 2019. That number is expected to jump to an estimated $25 billion by 2022!
The reasons behind the swell in video advertising are clear: more people are watching and responding to video ads than ever before. It’s estimated that by 2020, the number of smartphone users watching mobile video will be close to 200 million. In addition, those viewers will spend close to 30 minutes per day watching mobile video. That’s a lot of eyeballs.
Regardless of if you’re a seasoned video advertiser or just getting into the game, the one thing you need to know is how to measure the effectiveness of your video ads – the return on investment. “Video Views” are generally the metric to watch to figure out your ROI. A video view is how many times the video has been watched, but the definition of what constitutes a video view is fuzzy at best.
Video view metrics vary based on the platform and can mean different things based on which one you’re using. So, here’s a breakdown of how “video views” are measured on some of the largest platforms.
YouTube
Definition of a view: 30 seconds (or the whole duration, if your video is less than 30 seconds) or when the viewer actively engages with your video, whichever action comes first.
For what counts as a view on YouTube video ads, we looked at their TrueView in-stream advertising. For TrueView in-stream, a view is counted as the number of times your video is viewed for 30 seconds (or the whole duration, if your video is less than 30 seconds) or when the viewer actively engages with your video, whichever action comes first.
Also, it’s worth noting that when a video is first posted, YouTube filters the number of views based on what it considers to be actual human views, not computer programs. It shows what it considers to be “quality views” until the number of views gets up high enough. They don’t really say what that means, because it varies based on the popularity of the video. Read more about this process in YouTube’s Help Center.
Facebook and Instagram
Definition of a view: three seconds, or 97% of the total length of the video if its total length is less than three seconds.
The definition above is the standard for Facebook and Instagram. However, calculating how much you’re charged for the ad depends on the type of ad you purchase. If you purchase a CPM (cost per 1,000 views/impressions) you will be charged after the standard three seconds. However, if you purchase a ThruPlay ad, you will be charged after a viewer watches your video for 15 seconds (or 97% of the video, if its total length is less than 15 seconds).
LinkedIn
Definition of a view: 2 seconds of continuous playback while the video is at least 50% on the screen or an active engagement with your video, whichever comes first.
LinkedIn has adopted the Media Rating Council’s (MRC) definition of a view. LinkedIn also provides metrics on the number of times a video is viewed to 50%, 75% and 100% of the total length of the video.
Pinterest
Definition of a view: 2 seconds of continuous playback while the video is at least 50% on the screen.
Pinterest has also chosen to adopt the MRC definition of a view. Pinterest also tracks some engagements and how long the video was viewed, but their analytics are limited, so they’ve partnered with other companies to expand the options for measurements.
Snapchat
Definition of a view: 2 seconds of continuous watch time or a swipe up action on the Top Snap.
Snapchat also adopted the MRC definition, however they include the “swipe up” action in their definition due to the nature of the way media is delivered on their platform. The number of Snaps watched to 25%, 50% and 75% is also provided.
Twitter
Definition of a view: 2 seconds of continuous playback while the video is at least 50% on the screen.
Twitter also opted to use the MRC definition of a view for their Video Views metric. They also have a metric called “Media Views” which includes views of all media types: videos, vines, gifs and images.
BONUS TIP
Don’t just use the number of views as your measurement of success. Different video campaigns should have different desired outcomes and different results. If it’s not necessary for viewers to watch your entire video, then completion rates aren’t as important. You can use the percentage of completion rates to see if viewers are watching long enough to get the message. You can also use demographic information to see if you’re reaching your desired audience.
Do you use video ads as a part of your business’ marketing campaign? What metrics do you look for on your video ads?
Share your thoughts with us on Facebook or Twitter.
Facebook Plans to Merge Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram
/in MarketingMark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO, recently announced plans to merge Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram. The three are the main messaging services in the Facebook “family of apps”. While the apps themselves will continue to operate as stand-alone apps, the core infrastructure will be integrated together.
According to a statement given to the New York Times, Facebook says the purpose of the integration is to “build the best messaging experiences we can; and people want messaging to be fast, simple, reliable and private.” They also plan to improve the security and privacy of all three services. Facebook’s goal is to complete the changes by the end of 2019 or early 2020.
How will this affect your marketing?
This change will be a major boost to your business marketing efforts, especially if you use chatbots for your business. Once this change takes place, you will be able to choose one platform to communicate with the customers on all three platforms. For instance, you could us a Messenger chatbot to communicate with customers using WhatsApp or Instagram.
This merger will also provide the opportunity to tag users on different platforms – something that’s not possible right now.
We see this as a positive change for small businesses – allowing an easier way to communicate with potential customers.
Google My Business Update a Game Changer for Service Businesses
/in MarketingA new change to Google My Business could be a game changer for many small businesses. “Google My Business” is a free service associated with Google Maps and Search. It allows you, as a business owner, the opportunity to create a Business Profile so people searching a specific area can find your business.
In the past, this feature has been largely utilized by businesses with a “brick and mortar” location that doesn’t change. Now, with the launch of the new features, we think that’s going to change. If your business involves working out of a van or your car, but you still only service a specific area, these features will help you!
In a blog post about the new updates, SMB Product Lead, Tom Pritchard gave an overview of the types of small businesses it might help.
“Let’s say you’ve started your own business. The office you’ve leased is a 22 by 14 foot sprinter van. Every day, you find a new challenge in a new location across the areas you serve. You might be a plumber or an electrician or a landscaper, but above all you’re a business owner. We’ve recently made a few updates to Google My Business, so you can now share your service areas and information about your business via Google Maps and Search—so you can get found and tap into the many people searching for businesses like yours everyday.”
The Google My Business dashboard now provides a “service area” tab in addition to the “storefront address” tab. This distinction allows businesses without a permanent physical address the ability to target a specific service area.
Video Advertising on Social Media: The One Thing You Need to Know
/in Advertising, MarketingIf you’ve spent any time researching social media for business recently then I’m sure you’ve heard, video is where it’s at. Video ads are the fastest growing form of advertising online. According to eMarketer, US advertisers are expected to spend almost $16 billion just on video ads in 2019. That number is expected to jump to an estimated $25 billion by 2022!
The reasons behind the swell in video advertising are clear: more people are watching and responding to video ads than ever before. It’s estimated that by 2020, the number of smartphone users watching mobile video will be close to 200 million. In addition, those viewers will spend close to 30 minutes per day watching mobile video. That’s a lot of eyeballs.
Regardless of if you’re a seasoned video advertiser or just getting into the game, the one thing you need to know is how to measure the effectiveness of your video ads – the return on investment. “Video Views” are generally the metric to watch to figure out your ROI. A video view is how many times the video has been watched, but the definition of what constitutes a video view is fuzzy at best.
Video view metrics vary based on the platform and can mean different things based on which one you’re using. So, here’s a breakdown of how “video views” are measured on some of the largest platforms.
YouTube
Definition of a view: 30 seconds (or the whole duration, if your video is less than 30 seconds) or when the viewer actively engages with your video, whichever action comes first.
For what counts as a view on YouTube video ads, we looked at their TrueView in-stream advertising. For TrueView in-stream, a view is counted as the number of times your video is viewed for 30 seconds (or the whole duration, if your video is less than 30 seconds) or when the viewer actively engages with your video, whichever action comes first.
Also, it’s worth noting that when a video is first posted, YouTube filters the number of views based on what it considers to be actual human views, not computer programs. It shows what it considers to be “quality views” until the number of views gets up high enough. They don’t really say what that means, because it varies based on the popularity of the video. Read more about this process in YouTube’s Help Center.
Facebook and Instagram
Definition of a view: three seconds, or 97% of the total length of the video if its total length is less than three seconds.
The definition above is the standard for Facebook and Instagram. However, calculating how much you’re charged for the ad depends on the type of ad you purchase. If you purchase a CPM (cost per 1,000 views/impressions) you will be charged after the standard three seconds. However, if you purchase a ThruPlay ad, you will be charged after a viewer watches your video for 15 seconds (or 97% of the video, if its total length is less than 15 seconds).
LinkedIn
Definition of a view: 2 seconds of continuous playback while the video is at least 50% on the screen or an active engagement with your video, whichever comes first.
LinkedIn has adopted the Media Rating Council’s (MRC) definition of a view. LinkedIn also provides metrics on the number of times a video is viewed to 50%, 75% and 100% of the total length of the video.
Pinterest
Definition of a view: 2 seconds of continuous playback while the video is at least 50% on the screen.
Pinterest has also chosen to adopt the MRC definition of a view. Pinterest also tracks some engagements and how long the video was viewed, but their analytics are limited, so they’ve partnered with other companies to expand the options for measurements.
Snapchat
Definition of a view: 2 seconds of continuous watch time or a swipe up action on the Top Snap.
Snapchat also adopted the MRC definition, however they include the “swipe up” action in their definition due to the nature of the way media is delivered on their platform. The number of Snaps watched to 25%, 50% and 75% is also provided.
Twitter
Definition of a view: 2 seconds of continuous playback while the video is at least 50% on the screen.
Twitter also opted to use the MRC definition of a view for their Video Views metric. They also have a metric called “Media Views” which includes views of all media types: videos, vines, gifs and images.
BONUS TIP
Don’t just use the number of views as your measurement of success. Different video campaigns should have different desired outcomes and different results. If it’s not necessary for viewers to watch your entire video, then completion rates aren’t as important. You can use the percentage of completion rates to see if viewers are watching long enough to get the message. You can also use demographic information to see if you’re reaching your desired audience.
Facebook Ads Just Lost Some Oomph for Some Small Businesses
/in AdvertisingFacebook recently announced that it has changed the way Facebook Ads target specific people and groups. This change specifically applies to ads offering housing, employment or credit opportunities. It drastically reduces the number of categories and groups available for ad targeting by advertisers offering those opportunities. For instance, advertisers in those industries will no longer be able to target by age, gender or zip code. Also, any categories that include “multicultural affinity targeting” or “detailed targeting option describing or appearing to relate to protected classes” will no longer available.
This change is a part of a settlement with the NFHA, ACLU, CWA and some other groups. The goal of this change is to prevent the Facebook Ads from being used to discriminate. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said the hope is that it will “better protect people on Facebook”.
Global Facebook and Instagram API Outage
/in SRD Social PostUPDATE: Facebook has fixed the problem on their end so all posts should be going out as usual. Please let us know if you still experience any issues with your SRD Social posts. March 15, 2019 – 10:04 am
Facebook Post Privacy Bug
/in SRD Social PostWe have found a bug in the way our system communicates with Facebook that may be affecting your Facebook posts. Here is a quick overview of the bug and what to do if you are experiencing a problem:
Thanksgiving Healthy Recipe Guide
/in SRD Social PostHAPPY THANKSGIVING We’re Thankful for You! To show our appreciation, we’ve put together a Thanksgiving Recipe Guide that you can download and share with your friends, family and social media followers!
The Scoop on Hashtags
/in Advertising, MarketingWhether you’re a seasoned hashtag expert or you still call it a “pound sign”, hashtags can still befuddle the best of us. To help clear that up, we’re going to to over some hashtag basics.
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What You Can Do While You’re Waiting For Your Business Website
/in Marketing, WebsitesYou’re a small business owner. You know you need a business website and you know you need it now (if you don’t know you need it, check out these reasons why every small business needs a website). But there’s a problem…maybe your website won’t be up and running for a couple weeks, maybe you don’t have the budget to make a website now, or maybe you don’t know where to start at all (start here). Regardless of the reason why you don’t have a website yet, while you’re waiting for your business website to be a reality, there are some things you can do.
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