Advanced Television

Social media more critical to digital campaigns than YouTube

August 3, 2016

Results from a Trusted Media Brands study exploring the future of digital video found 65 per cent of surveyed marketers think social platforms (e.g. Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter) are the most important partners for digital video campaigns over video platforms (YouTube, Vevo); video demand side platforms or DSPs (Videology, Tremor Video); full episode players (Hulu, broadcast and cable digital properties); ad networks; publishers (BuzzFeed, Vice, Vox); and multichannel networks (Maker Studios, Awesomeness TV, FullScreen).

The Future of Digital Video study, commissioned by Advertiser Perceptions on behalf of Trusted Media Brands, asked more than 300 agency and client side marketers how and where they plan to spend their video advertising dollars in the coming months.

Key research highlights include:

  • YouTube will take a backseat to social as a preferred platform for digital video distribution. While video platforms are favoured by 59 per cent of all respondents, marketers rate social as by far the most important (65 per cent).
  • Live stream is on the radar and is likely to see increased advertiser investment. Eighty-nine percent of respondents are considering using live-stream video advertising in the next year (18 per cent will definitely use live stream, and 71 per cent responded they “might”).
  • Social platforms (e.g. Facebook Live) are ahead of video platforms (e.g. YouTube Live) among both agencies and marketers for live-stream video advertising.
  • Forty percent of respondents believe Facebook should set the standard for the future of the video industry, indicating the Facebook in-stream auto-play topic is ripe for debate.
  • Short-form video is most popular and use of micro video (5 seconds or less) is likely to grow. Forty-one per cent of respondents plan to run short-form video content in the next year, with another 55 per cent considering it.
  • Overall, budgets for digital video advertising spending are rising. Sixty-five per cent of agency respondents predicted an increase in the use of digital video over the next 12 months, with 32 per cent of the digital video advertising spend overall being transacted programmatically.

“Facebook made a bold move with in-stream video. They followed that up with Facebook Live. At Trusted Media Brands, we’ve embraced both and wanted to get the facts from our clients and partners on what they see working in the marketplace,” said Rich Sutton, chief revenue officer of Trusted Media Brands. “Hats off to Facebook – it looks like they will overtake YouTube as the video advertising platform of choice.”

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