Things are changing fast — people are watching less TV and more digital video on their smartphones. According to Cisco, mobile video will account for 78% of all mobile data traffic in the next 3 years. And just this past month, both Instagram and Facebook announced new video initiatives that are moving users further and further away from traditional media.
As marketers, if we don’t stay up-to-date on these critical shifts in behavior – we risk falling very far behind. The good news is that these changes offer brands new ways promote their content and interact with their audiences, using the Inbound Marketing strategy.
Facebook Watch
Facebook has been pushing hard on video for a long time. Facebook vice-president Nicola Mendelsohn said that if she had to predict what the site would look like five years from now, “it would be video, video, video.” And the social network has admitted that it’s running out of room in its News Feed for ads—but it can still splice promotional content into video.
Not to mention, it’s been known for some time that Facebook is paying media companies and celebrities cash in return for using its Facebook Live video feature. According to a document recently obtained by the Wall Street Journal, the social networking giant has signed as many as 140 contracts worth a total of $50 million.
Last June, Facebook announced the first funded new shows for Facebook Watch. The platform has created a dedicated section within Watch for news shows produced exclusively for Facebook by news publishers, and they will receive marketing support in News Feed. The first slate of these funded news shows for Facebook Watch include networks such as ABC, CNN, FOX News, Univision and more.
Instagram TV also known as IGTV
Instagram, now a global community of one billion, recently announced the launch of IGTV, a new app for watching long-form, vertical video from Instagram creators.
Just like turning on the TV, IGTV starts playing as soon as a user opens the app. Users don’t have to search to start watching content from people they already follow on Instagram and others they might like based on their specific interests. They can swipe up to discover more — switch between “For You,” “Following,” “Popular” and “Continue Watching.” Users can also like, comment and send videos to friends in Direct.
Some have hailed it as the next YouTube. And like Youtube, IGTV has channels where creators are the channels. When a user follows a creator on Instagram, their IGTV channel will show up for them to watch. Anyone can be a creator — users can upload your own IGTV videos in the app or on the web to start their own channel. Unlike the videos or Stories that people are used to seeing on Instagram, IGTV allows you to upload long form videos (up to one hour) and the videos won’t disappear after 24 hours.
Video Ads Dominate
If this wasn’t the case before, we’ve entered an era of marketing absolutely dominated by video ads. The good news is that you no longer need a huge budget for producing video content. Improvised video and cell phone footage are fair game for attracting modern customers. What’s crucial is that brands have specific goals and a strategy in mind when it comes to integrating video ads into their content campaign. (Here’s 5 reasons why no one is watching your video content).
With these new features comes new questions about how they work and how to get started — and we’re here to help. Feel free to contact us about starting a video ad promotion on Facebook Watch or how to create a channel for your brand on IGTV. Just ask On-Target!
