What are the benefits of video advertising?

Moving images have been around for over a century now. And for 100 years, advertisers have been using this very popular form of entertainment to reach buyers. From silent films, all the way to the founding of YouTube, motion pictures and video have captivated audiences and served as the most popular medium for getting a message to the masses. When looking at this history, the benefits of online video advertising are obvious.

But even with all the observable evidence for success, marketers still drag their feet on getting into the video advertising game. A few reasons for reluctance might be:

• Intimidation – like many display advertising methods, video can seem like a complicated space, but in fact, it’s easier than ever 
• Money – there is a false perception that video has to be expensive (there are plenty of examples why this is no longer true)
• Bandwidth – video is often the last place advertisers invest in due to time constraints (this is a poor strategy!)

So, no more excuses, marketers. (Yes, we’re talking to you). Why should you make it a priority to get into the video game? Here are the top 5 reasons:

1. Video has the audience.

It was a famous red-haired mermaid who once sang, “I wanna be where the people are.” Hey, she would make a good marketer (Except for that time she named a fork a 'dinglehopper' and used it as a brush. Terrible rebrand.) We digress.

Video is where the people are hanging out. Did you know that YouTube is the second largest search engine? Statistics say that millennials prefer YouTube over traditional television 2-to-1. And at Oracle Data Cloud, our own insights have shown that it’s not just millennials who are cutting the cord in favor of viewing video online.

So, do what Ariel did. Go where the people are. (Just don’t follow her judgment when it comes to signing contracts.)

2. Video is easy to digest and share.

Let’s face it. People are lazy. Video is so easy to digest because it doesn’t even require–GASP–reading words! Because video eliminates the need to take too much action, it gets a lot of traction. And that traction equals exposure and exposure increases the chance of converting sales. 

Similarly, because so many people enjoy watching video, it’s a popular sharing medium. Most social networks have their own video platforms for easy viewing, so videos are easier than ever to retweet, re-post or plop into a message box.

3. Video optimizes for handheld devices.

Pew Research Institute estimates that 77% of Americans now have smartphones. This means the internet, and all things associated, are becoming increasingly mobile-driven.

The convenient thing about videos is they easily translate to smartphones and other handheld devices, saving time and money in the production process. It’s always a win when marketers can spend less time thinking about various assets and more time executing on their strategy and focusing on the most important component: storytelling.

4. It gets the point across, quickly.

Similar to #2, video is a great medium for getting a lot of information in a short amount of time. No, we’re not referring to rattling off a list of a medication’s side effects, but the ability to really tell a story and capture a viewer’s short attention span.

Take this Jeni’s Ice Cream video, for example. How else would they have so effectively shown the making of an ice cream sandwich? A print advertisement would surely not have been as mouthwatering and somewhat artistically challenging. Instead, with only a camera and a little bit of editing, this video takes the viewer through the ice cream sandwich-making journey and entices them to head out and get their own delicious treat ASAP.

5. New technologies are making it an even safer bet.

Due to the programmatic nature of digital advertising, some marketers might be slow to dip their toe into the video game because they are worried about brand safety. Will their ad end up appearing within a video that dilutes the message or–even worse–offends people?

Thankfully, technology is evolving to rest your worries. Just last fall, Vice began leveraging ODC’s video context tools to help ensure brands ended up only where they wanted to be. They also discovered that brands were steering away from important topics such as race, religion and LGBTQIA out of an overabundance of caution from historically poor brand safety standards across the space. Now brands can feel comfortable sitting next to a variety of topics without worrying about poor brand suitability.

So you can’t afford a Super Bowl commercial? In 2019, that is no excuse to steer away from video advertising. The abundance of online media and the growing digital audience is too big of an opportunity to pass up. At this point, if you are not working on a video advertising strategy, you may need to run to catch up.