Where to advertise is one of the first questions you should ask when planning an ad campaign. Ideally, you answer it before you even start creating your video ad. The best return on investment comes from placing the right video ad content on the right platform.
You have dozens of options for getting your video in front of an audience. YouTube, OTT channels, social media, and your website are all possibilities. While it might seem best to just post it anywhere and everywhere, that can get expensive.
To get the best results, you first need to figure out where your potential customers spend time. Then, you can advertise your business on those channels.
Define a Targeted Audience For Your Video Ad
To pick the right paid advertising platform, you need to know where your audience is most likely to consume media. Then combine what you know about your audience with your marketing goals to decide when and where your video should run. The following three steps will help you strategically place video content for maximum impact.
1. Understand audience interests
Most video advertising platforms give you access to audience targeting tools. Consider targeting your video ads based on:
- interest in related topics
- demographics
- search terms
- buyer behavior
Think beyond basic demographics like age and gender, to identify the content and topics your buyers might be interested in. Are they more likely to watch a comedy or a how-to video? What shows do they enjoy watching? What celebrities do they follow?
Answering questions like these will help you choose between advertising options. It can also help you target your audience. Base your first placements on what you already know about your shoppers. Then use metrics reporting to refine your placements over time.
2. Identify negative keywords and associations to avoid
You may have a list of keywords that searchers use to signal they are interested in topics like yours. You can also create a list of negative keywords, those words that should not result in your video being served.
At the start of the pandemic, advertising revenue fell. Partly, this was a result of economic uncertainty. But another reason for the decline in advertising was a fear of associating your product or service with a pandemic. Some worried about seeming callous.
There are other good reasons to be careful about what shows up immediately after your ad. The human brain is a connection machine. It’s always trying to recognize patterns and find connections in the environment. When your video ad appears next to an idea that is way off-brand, your viewers might subconsciously connect the two.
Identifying problematic topics helps you avoid placing your video next to content that might be offensive, confusing, or out of touch.
3. Set goals for each video ad
The ultimate goal of all marketing is to get people to purchase your product or service. But, that may not be the immediate goal for every video. Goals for your video ad might include:
- raising awareness of your brand
- helping viewers understand a problem
- keeping your product top-of-mind
Decide whether you are trying to raise awareness of your product, help viewers understand a problem or achieve some other goal. Think about how your video will help move audiences from one stage of the sales funnel to the next.
Consider the viewer’s state of mind as they consume content on each platform. Are they hoping to learn, be entertained, or make a purchase? Look for placement opportunities where the viewer’s mindset is most likely to match your goal for the video.
Where to Advertise: Video Ad Platforms
There are plenty of free places to post your video. You should certainly take advantage of those, but let’s look a little more closely at the paid options.
Over-the-Top (OTT) Platforms
OTT is the media term for delivering video content over the internet without a cable or satellite subscription. On OTT platforms, your video might play before or during shows, much like traditional TV commercials. You’ll pay per play and viewers don’t have the option to skip ads. The audience is mostly under the age of 45, but the market is growing.
OTT platforms that allow marketers to buy ad space include:
- Hulu
- Sling
- Netflix
- Disney+
- Peacock
- ESPN+
Some of these platforms, including Sling TV and Hulu Live, offer streaming of local television networks as well. YouTube TV technically falls into this category, but the platform deserves its own mention because it has some unique features.
YouTube and YouTube TV
Although they share a name and a parent company, YouTube and YouTube TV offer slightly different ad options. Learn the pros and cons of each one to decide where to advertise.
YouTube is flexible and highly targeted. You can play your video ads before or during YouTube videos. One valuable benefit to this platform is the pay-per-view option. Users will get the option to skip your video ad and you won’t be charged if they do.
Because YouTube TV operates more like traditional linear television, it only offers non-skippable ad options. You will pay based on ad impressions and the user cannot skip your content.
Social Media Advertising
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, TikTok, and even Reddit allow you to place video ads. Some of these options have more granular targeting than others. Some, like Snapchat and TikTok, reach mostly young audiences, while Facebook and LinkedIn skew older. Consider demographics and targeting options when deciding where to advertise on social media.
Traditional Broadcast Commercials
Television commercials are still a powerful way to reach older audiences. Many people also watch streaming versions of on-air channels. Broadcast commercials are especially useful if awareness is your goal.
When you strategically place video content you are more likely to achieve your video marketing goals. For help creating a video ad, contact the video experts at IdeaRocket.
