New Online Video Report Suggests More Influencer Marketing in 2016

Statistics about online video viewing habits in a new report help show why influencer marketing is growing so quickly. Limelight’s “The State of Online Video” report provides illuminating details about how the public, and Millennials in particular, view and respond to online video. Importantly, it shows how quickly viewers will abandon videos if they don’t like what they see and advertising is a big part of that.

Video remains a strong format for reaching people. According to the report, over 83 percent of consumers watch on-demand video. Yet, videos are also abandoned for a variety of reasons. While 65 percent of respondents said they stop watching a video due to poor playback quality, inclusion of too many ads during a video was just behind that figure at almost 62 percent. Interruptive marketing simply gets in the way of content consumption and can lead to viewers dropping off before they see much or any of a video, meaning advertisers as well as the content creators both lose out.

While playing an ad before a video can also lead to viewers skipping out, the figure is relatively low at about 12 percent. Notably, that figure almost doubles when the report isolates Millennial respondents, suggesting that viewers in this age category simply require a more immediate and compelling experience. The report also notes that ads that can’t be skipped spike abandon rates for all categories of viewers.

Videos should also state their purpose upfront. 43 percent of respondents say they will drop off if a video isn’t clear about its purpose. This is also validated by a recent strategy from PopSugar, which saw them increase viewership on Facebook videos by ensuring compelling imagery and text to explain what the video is about in the first three seconds.

What Does This Mean for Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing can help brands avoid many of the pitfalls that lead to viewers missing traditional brand messages. By working with social media influencers to create video content, brands can move away from the interruptive nature of traditional ads played during or before videos. With a focus on providing valuable content that has product messages natively integrated into the video content, brands can be part of the content consumers watch instead of the being part of the reason they never saw a video.

Of course, marketers need to be sensitive about the inclusion of too many brand messages in the course of a video. By collaborating with a social media creator that knows their audience, marketers can find balance between a compelling product message and the content authenticity viewers crave. That’s where the value of working closely with an influencer that has true brand affinity will also help. If the influencer has a real connection with the product or service, they can incorporate it in a genuine way without threatening the value the viewer gains from watching and interacting with a video.