Data proves overwhelmingly that video works to capture and hold the attention of potential customers. By the end of 2017, video content will represent 74% of all internet traffic(MaryMeeker2017). Cisco projects that global internet traffic from videos will make up 80% of all internet traffic by 2019 (SmallBizTrends 2016). 55% of people consume videos thoroughly — the highest amount all types of content (HubSpot, 2016). And 43% of people want to see more video content from marketers in the future (HubSpot, 2016).
Device usage and audience behavior clearly demonstrate a demand for video marketing communication. The problem with posting video content or creating live videos, particularly in social media, has been that people will watch, but rarely engage beyond the view. Many brands and marketers find it frustrating to succeed in holding audience attention and not getting any further follow-through.
Facebook custom audience options based on video engagement behavior can help your marketing team turn a passive video audience into qualified leads. A little savvy about creating remarketing audiences in Google AdWords also helps.
Facebook Engagement Custom Audience
As the name implies, Facebook has given advertisers the ability to create custom audiences based on engagement with content published to a Facebook page. In particular, you can target Facebook users based on how they watch your videos.
When you select this option to build a new custom audience, the top option is for video engagement. You are now able to “create a list of people who have spent time watching your videos on Facebook” and target them with related content.
You can refine that audience based on how long they spent watching your Facebook videos.
Once you’ve created that audience, you can mash it up with other Facebook behaviors and filter by actions they may or may not have already taken on your website.
For example, if you did a Facebook live video demonstration of a new product for the holidays, you could use the audience that viewed the first 25% of the live video. Filter out any of them that may have already purchased the item by excluding site visitors to your shopping cart confirmation page. And serve that super focused audience with the new item’s product page on your website.
Google Remarketing to YouTube Viewers
For businesses that have their AdWords account linked to their YouTube channel, there is an option known as video remarketing. You can create campaigns that target people who have watched, liked and/or commented on your videos, visited and/or subscribed to your channel, or any number of combinations of those factors. Marketing teams are not limited to only showing more videos to this audience. A video remarketing audience can also be used for display ads.
Time for an example:
While video is great for introducing consumers to a new brand or product, it’s also an excellent medium for explaining a service offered or a complicated concept.
Let’s consider a hypothetical yet practical B2B example.
A big factor in deciding to hire an agency like Gruen is the expertise and experience that our team brings to every project. We often need to demonstrate that expertise. In an effort to introduce more decision makers to our brand, we might consider doing live “Ask Me Anything” style videos on Facebook or YouTube.
Since we are also very practical marketers that need a high return on time investment, we need to get more than video views out of the exercise. We need to secure qualified leads.
That’s where remarketing to viewers plays a huge role. Once someone watches an “Ask Me Anything” about social media advertising, for example, we can then retarget that audience with blog posts, case studies and webinars about social media advertising in Facebook, in the Google Display Network, and in Google search. We take a relatively passive but highly interested audience and draw them deeper into the customer journey.
Since their video viewing behavior creates a strong positive connection to the brand, the next time they see branded content elsewhere on the web they are going to feel comfortable clicking-through.
