Beyond 2022 brands should have video as a top priority in their content strategies—it continues to trend and shows no signs of slowing down. With content strategy for video evolving far from the cinema or 30-90min TV programs, its now finding itself the medium of choice across most every major digital media platform.
Video content is now consumed not only more often, but across more platforms and devices than ever before. Audience behaviors have shifted, creating opportunities for creators and brands alike to produce successful videos of nearly any length. Creative efforts on video should be a big part of your brand’s media strategy—master video and the connection with your audience can be strengthened like never before!
“Video has become the breakout app of our current era.”
-Ben Jones, the global director of Google’s Creative Works
In Google’s own words, they give 3 critical points of advice for developing Content Strategies:
- Creative is king, regardless of format
- Move past the linear TV mindset
- Learn to play the machine
Here’s some strategic insight on how to respond to this advice and get the most out of your video assets:
1. Go Beyond the Format – Creative is king, regardless of format
Content is King has been shouted from the rooftops of every marketing agency for the past decade or so, but the idea that “creative is king” brings a more sophisticated nuance to the approach. Just pumping out content is surely going to keep bringing results, but as newsfeeds get smarter, quality is going to be weighted heavier. Scoring the most organic impressions will be harder to do without truly bringing unique and helpful content to the audience you serve.
What does “Creative is King” really mean?
For Beyond Consulting, it means:
- Providing an “A+” piece of content, that is original and unique. Going beyond a “copy-cat” mentality of doing what others are doing. Actually be honest with yourself about the uniqueness of an idea and be critical about standing out from the crowd.
Going beyond the format means:
- Become mindful of how your message can be weaved into the eco-system of content types available to users. From long-form videos to short-form clips and snippets, todays brands must be masters of strategic distribution across formats that still has the creative flair to be memorable enough to build awareness, trust and ultimately drive the goal action (sales, sign-ups, etc).
2. Go Beyond Traditional Television: “Move past the linear TV mindset“
Today’s average YouTube viewer regularly watches 15 or more content types
Pixability, U.S., How We Watch Now: U.S. Consumer Streaming Habits on YouTube and Other Connected TV Platforms, 2022
In the new world of video advertising, the 30-second spot is too long for top of mind awareness, too short to change hearts and minds, too complex to be fully automated, and too simple to compete in an era of infinite information.
So what is the best ad length?
The answer depends on the goal. Research has shown effectiveness of different ad types, here’s a good guide to follow with the goal first approach:
If your goal is Awareness:
- Six- and 15-second spots have proven more effective for awareness
If your goal is Persuasion:
- The top performing length for changing hearts and mind is two to three minutes, according to Nielsen.
3. Go Beyond Assumptions: Learn to play the machine
People want to watch the clips and segments they’re most interested in, at a time that works best for them.
Aprajita Jain – Google Chief Brand Marketing Evangelist
Playing the machine is like playing a video game:
Approaching your brands content strategy optimization can be compared to playing a video game. Experience playing a video game, means you’ve already learned to play the machine in a some format…it’s learning to apply that mindset to content generation which can bring amazing results.
We are all already experts at playing the machine:
Every idea isn’t appealing to the masses, but we won’t know until we test every outcome. Be bold enough to try and experiment, while prepared to pivot quickly when you’ve missed the mark.
Start with a hypothesis, campaigns should be targeting a specific measurable goal based on data informed predictions, rather than blind assumptions.
Balance getting too emotionally attached or spending enormous amounts of time pre-planning a campaign that might ultimately crash and burn. That’s not to say planning long-term campaigns around specific messaging is a bad thing, but to truly “play the machine” interpreting search performance data into action is crucial.
Need help determining which ideas are worth trying? Give the YouTube Partnership Accelerator tool a try.
