With the number of internet users expecting to watch for 360 video online growing daily, online business owners are being forced to incorporate video into their marketing in unprecedented ways.
It’s not just big companies like Cisco (who are doing a great job) that need video marketing, it’s every mum and dad on the internet.
In fact, I believe video is especially useful for small businesses that need to focus on what matters most with limited resources.
Used correctly, online video is very productive and cost-effective.
But like anything else, it leads to a waste of time and money if not managed properly.
Research shows that the most common methods of using video in online marketing – post-video previews or ads – are also the least effective.
This reflects the fact that human behaviour changes more slowly than technology. The internet’s pre-roll and post-roll ads mimic a model that broadcasters have used for decades: placing irrelevant ads in the middle of the real program.
Viewers around the world have learned to use this ad time mainly for snacks and bathroom breaks.
The habit of avoiding advertising is only reinforced on the internet, where people have the option to press a button.
I am not surprised that the ads before and after the commercials cause many people to either not watch the video they wanted to watch or to stare at the ceiling in disgust for ten seconds.
In either case, the marketing message is lost.
There must be another way.
Viewers of online 360 video expect to be monitored. Therefore, any method of appealing to their buying power should be appropriate and as unobtrusive as possible.
Ironically, research into online viewing habits shows that this is the case . Interactive for 360 video with clickable links are the least intrusive advertising method and have been found to be the most effective.
Pre- and post-roll ads Pre-roll ads reach on average 2-4%. Two to four out of 100 people will respond to a video ad that is shown before the video they want to watch.
This is significantly higher than banner ads, which are the worst indicator of online marketing, with a conversion rate of just 2%. (It’s a very low 2 percent, or two in a thousand).
But 4% is still low.
Move from preview to interactivity within the desired video content, and studies show an average click-through rate of 24%. That’s a jump of 6-12 times.
To date (to my knowledge) the highest CTR for interactive video is 63%. That’s 16-31.5% higher than preroll for 360 video.
Interactive for 360 video take away people’s desire to escape the ad. Embrace it. People are tired of being constantly sold something, even when it’s happening in front of them.
If you are clever, you will be rewarded.
Interactive video opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Best of all, adding interactivity to video is very easy and inexpensive.
Interactivity goes well with simple and straightforward talking for 360 video. Talking head for 360 video are an essential part of online video marketing. Adding interactivity makes them a kind of “travel site”.
Interactivity makes a good thing even better. In the video marketing of the future, interactivity will become the norm. At the moment, it’s still a new thing that many people haven’t heard much about.
