Your viewers are tuned in to online video ads, are you?

It’s no secret TV viewers are not only time-crunched, but also multi-tasking across multiple devices while watching their “must see” programs. In fact, according to Nielsen, 40% of smartphone and tablet owners use their devices while watching TV. 

Most stations continue to promote their line-up through a mix of on-air spots, radio, and even out of home (OOH) advertising. However, stations can not afford to overlook advertising that reaches the other screens capturing the minds and eyeballs of its target audiences. Forward-looking networks and syndicators are investigating, purchasing and placing video ad buys to get in front of mobile audiences and, if you haven’t, it’s time to align your media plans with today’s media consumption habits. 

You may be asking, “why video ads instead of display?” According to eMarketer, video ads are 60% more effective at building awareness than banner ads; consumers who watch video ads are far more likely to remember shows, channels, and times. Also, video ads are a “gimme” in terms of workflow because banners require separate creative effort. Video assets – for example a: 15 preview for an afternoon talk show – can be instantly transformed into an ad using video ad production platforms. If you’re producing a promotion for on-air, it’s a bonus to use the same promo online – with a sprinkle of interactivity and localization.
  
In the spirit of November sweeps, when the fate of your 2012 ad rates and program line-ups depend on driving viewership results, here are five tips on how best to use online video to promote tune-in. Based on working with scores of local broadcasters, national networks, and syndicators, these best practices can help inform your next campaign, whether for the evening news or a new program launch.

1. Boost exposure with timely content. Day-part your campaign to promote topicals by time of day or day of week. This means establishing a workflow – and using the right tools – that enables rapid iteration of content so that today’s talk show topic can quickly be swapped out for tomorrow’s once the show has run. “Today at 4” should run from morning to 4pm that day. “Tomorrow at 4” should run starting at 5pm of the same day – right after the show ends. If the production and media scheduling tools you’re using don’t allow for such quick turnarounds, you may want to investigate new options.

2. Promote social networking. Include in your online video ads calls-to-action that encourage viewers to fan, follow, and share your topicals on Facebook and Twitter. According to an article earlier this year from iTvidea, shows ranging from the Grammy’s to Grey’s Anatomy to Survivor have yielded strong success by driving traffic to Facebook, holding live conversations with producers and actors on Twitter, and encouraging app downloads. According to a recent Nielsen study, 33% of consumers use mobile apps while watching TV. Investigate applications and platforms that enable “social TV,” including multi-player games and environments that help thousands if not millions of viewers interact as a community when a show is live. Visiware’s Play Along is a good example.

3. Purchase ads that will run prior to your program. It may sound obvious, but if you haven’t nailed the timing details with the media entities that are placing your video ads on their sites, mishaps can happen. No sense in advertising the 5:30 news when it’s already 6pm. Often broadcasters have wasted money because of vendors who are careless with media buys. This is easy to fix.

4. Work with partners who reliably deliver localized impressions. Ask for reports that show where impressions were placed so that you can rest assured the promotion for your local station in Phoenix didn’t end up on a web page in White Plains. 

5. Include the logo of your local station as an overlay on the video ad. It will drive up intent to watch. You wouldn’t believe how much equity even the smallest stations have established around their channels’ graphical logos.

Online video advertising is a fantastic way to effectively attract viewership and get extra mileage for your station promo spots and national program advertisements. If you’re not already using video ads as a vehicle, I highly encourage you to give it a try – if not this month then certainly in February of next year.

--Anupam Gupta, President & CEO of Mixpo
agupta@mixpo.com

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