Internet video traffic accounts for the majority of all global consumer internet traffic. So, it is not a coincidence that video is one of the content mediums with the highest return on investment (ROI).
Implementing an effective video marketing strategy can help you achieve your marketing goals at all stages of the sales funnel. However, it is an undeniable fact that it takes a lot of time and effort to create and distribute videos. Therefore, it is important to focus your video marketing efforts in the right direction. To do so, you need to evaluate your videos’ success based on the right metrics and the platform you use.
If you want to learn how you can optimize your videos’ performance across multiple channels, then this article is for you.
ANALYTICS TOOLS
You can answer any question you have in mind and make decisions based on the data and conversion information provided by analytic tools. That is why they are the go-to-choice for many marketing professionals.
The most popular analytic tool is Google Analytics. You can use this platform when you want to ensure that the videos you upload on your website are optimized for performance.
GOOGLE ANALYTICS is free to use. You just need to make sure you implement it correctly on your website. After that, depending on where your video is hosted (YouTube, Vimeo or Wistia), you will need to configure different settings in google analytics to be able to track information. Here is how you can do this:
-For YouTube you can check this video
Or if you prefer follow this guide where Loves Data is explaining how to track Youtube Videos with Google tag manager and Google Analytics
-For Vimeo you can follow the Vimeo guide how to integrate Google tag manager with Vimeo player
-For Wistia is a little bit easier. Have a look to the Guide to integrate Wistia in Google Analytics
Tracking video data on your website enables you to differentiate the behaviour of visitors who watch the video and those who don`t. For example, you can learn if there are more conversions and revenue coming from the video viewers, or if the audience retention is higher and they continue digging in your website.
VIDEO HOSTS
Whenever you are looking for straightforward measures of video success, turn to your video hosting platform. Most hosts provide data such as views, impressions, basic demographics, view-through rates etc. However, you will need to measure viewer behavior separately because hosting platforms do not give detailed information about it post-view.
YOUTUBE is the most popular video hosting solution. At the same time, it is considered to be the second largest search engine in the world. The platform is free to use for both content creators and viewers. In addition, it allows you to easily create and embed videos. Youtube analytics can be seen on desktop and mobile but we prefer the desktop version as you can see more detailed data and you can download every report. YouTube provides a large variety of analytics that you can access via Analytics from the left menu in YouTube Studio.
You can see some channel insights in the following tabs: overview, reach, engagement, and audience.
To see a more detailed breakdown of channel and video analytics select advanced mode in the upper right corner.
From there you can access more specific data including: Video, traffic source, geography, viewer age, viewer gender, date, subscription status, subscription source, playlist, device type, YouTube product, video type, playback location, subtitles and CC, video info language, translation use, end screen element, card type, card and sharing service. In this section you can also click on compare to. This allows you to compare periods of time or analyse different videos against each other to be able to understand which video made the difference and why.
You will place different importance on different metrics based on your marketing goals. However, if you are aiming at positioning your brand on YouTube, pay particular attention to watch time (in video tab) and traffic source tab. The more time people spend watching your video content, the more likely it is that the platform promotes your channel through search and recommended videos. On the other hand, traffic sources show you how viewers find your videos: through Google search, through YouTube search, as suggested videos etc. This information can help you further adjust your video marketing strategy.
WISTIA charges per video upload. However, a lot of entrepreneurs, as well as small to medium businesses prefer the platform because of its advanced tools. For example, you can get access to amazing heat maps, lead capture tools, engagement statistics, and CRM integrations. Two of the most important engagement metrics you can have a look at are Average engagement and Timeline actions. Average engagement shows you whether you manage to create content that resonates. On the other hand, timeline actions include the actions viewers are taking after watching your videos.
VIMEO is another professional hosting solution. The platform gives you the opportunity to upload a limited amount of videos for free. However, if you use videos as a main communication medium, then you will need to pay for a monthly subscription. The player is the go-to-choice when you need to distribute higher quality videos without disruptive advertising. Also, the video host gives access to powerful customization options and analytics (total views, time watched, region, and device). On top of that, you can become a part of a friendly community of videographers.
SPROUTVIDEO offers a multifaceted service including resolution and SEO capabilities, integration capabilities and technical support. The platform stands out with its options for editing, encoding, privacy, and API customizations. In addition, it provides metrics like heat maps that show you how each user is reacting to or interacting with your content.
BRIGHTCOVE is the right solution for you if you want to optimize your video performance across websites, apps and devices. It is a robust video hosting, publishing, and integration platform that provides in-depth data analysis in a simple way. However, take into consideration that using Brightcove will cost you at least $199 per month depending on the subscription plan.
CINCOPA is a user-friendly video hosting and web management platform. On the one hand, it gives you detailed viewer data. On the other hand, it offers actionable insights that can help you optimize your content, promote your brand etc.
SOCIAL PLATFORMS
Most businesses share videos on social media today. Yet, uploading your video to a social media site is not enough for attracting, engaging and delighting your audience. You also need to take into consideration how different platforms measure video success.
FACEBOOK is the go-to-choice for anyone who wants to attract potential customers. The largest social media platform can expose your video to the biggest amount of new people. On top of that, it offers some of the most specific targeting tools. Facebook provides video performance numbers such as average reach and clicks, view duration, repeat views, audience retention and engagement. If you want to know whether your videos are successful, pay attention to 10-second views, Reactions, Comments and Shares. These metrics will help you evaluate the quality of your views and the video virality. You can also use these indicators to identify whether your content resonates with your audience.
INSTAGRAM used to be a platform for image sharing. However, thanks to Instagram Stories more and more people are sharing and browsing videos. If you want to distribute videos via Instagram, pay attention to metrics such as Reach and Follower growth. This will help you identify whether your videos attract new viewers and drive them to follow your page. If you want to evaluate the performance of your Instagram stories, calculate their Completion rate. You can do so by noticing how many people viewed the first and the last snap of your story. The metrics on Instagram might be quite limited. However, do not forget that uploading videos on this platform can help you increase website clicks and your profile visits.
LINKEDIN is the go-to-platform for small and medium businesses that create videos related to the work or employment industry. LinkedIn offers a limited number of metrics for Organic and Paid videos. However, check out Clicks, Impressions and Engagements whenever you want to know if your video content reaches the right audience.
Companies upload videos in TWITTER when they want to share more personal aspects about their brand. Tweet analytics are limited to metrics like views, retweets, and likes. So, they do not shine a light on trends or video performance over time. Yet, tweets with videos are found to be much more engaging than text updates. So, if you want to raise your brand awareness through Twitter, make sure you use videos. To evaluate your video’s success on this platform, track metrics like Completion rate and Calls-to-action clicks. The first indicator reveals how many people have watched the video until the end. The second metric shows how many people clicked on any call to action buttons such as ‘Visit site’, ‘Watch now’.
As you can see, each video marketing platform has its specifics. So, if you want to focus your marketing efforts in the right direction, first get familiar with what works best on each channel.
