There is a new window of opportunity for those operating in the e-commerce space. Google has created a new category of advertising on YouTube, as it recognises the fastest growing segment on its video sharing platform.
There is a new window of opportunity for those operating in the e-commerce space. Google has created a new category of advertising on YouTube, as it recognises the fastest growing segment on its video sharing platform.
Although 60% of users view Youtube video on mobile, the internet giant has recognised that many viewers are choosing to watch videos on their home televisions.TV viewers typically spend longer on the platform than mobile users, thanks to the relative comfort of home viewing and the enculturated passivity of TV watching as a pastime. The longer viewing time frames combine with the relative ease of screen sharing and broadcasting has seen Google create a specific advertising category that targets these users. It’s reported that over 150 million hours of YouTube video is consumed via TV screen each day, and that figure is growing.
The advertising category ‘Light TV users’ is designed to target users who rarely engage with traditional TV broadcasting content. Instead, they are more likely to source news and updates online, and stream content on demand through popular digital channels. This means that marketers can spend their advertising dollars specifically on this emerging target market. While mobile will remain king for the foreseeable future, the home environment may challenge the ‘pivot to mobile’ phenomenon over the last 5 years or so.
So where do the opportunities lie for e-commerce retailers? Alongside video demographics targeting, the addition of the ‘Light TV users’ category offers a more focussed subset of viewers. Some reports suggest many TV-based viewers have firmly developed TV viewing habits and have switched to online sources. Others suggest that YouTube is being broadcast to smart TVs through gaming consoles and even from mobile. This could provide an avenue to reach a younger, more tech-savvy generation of consumers. Most likely, the demographic that can be reached through YouTube video advertising simply cannot be accessed through traditional media outlets.
It can also offer a way to diversify advertising and align it simultaneously. YouTube is accessible across mobile phones, tablets, computers and increasingly, TV screens. Consistent messaging can be carried out, but the nuance of the quality and style of the advertising now has more room to grow, depending on the specified viewing platform.
These developments don’t stand in isolation. Google’s premium content channel, Youtube TV offers live streamed content, and some of that content will be fed through YouTube Preferred, a targeted advertising stream that offers ads placed against the most popular content on the site. Take the opportunity to reach a demographic that closed its eyes to traditional TV years ago. Television-based advertising is prevalent because it is successful. Imagine getting that same level of effectiveness and outreach through digital channels that you’re already working with.
