It’s a trying time in the media world at the moment with media consumption habits shifting seemingly overnight. And they will continue to shift. Digital demand generation channels are seeing mixed results depending on industry.
According to Wordstream, average conversion rates in paid search have dropped by 21% three weeks into the shelter-in-place. Much of said performance is industry-specific, but metrics have been eye-opening so far.
- How do you shift budget around to meet your marketing goals in Q2 & beyond?
- With circumstances making it impossible to meet in person, how can you reach prospects working remotely?
- How can you creatively keep your sales pipeline healthy?
One Solution: YouTube
Perhaps more than any other platform, YouTube offers solutions to engaging your customers and accelerating pipeline growth in Q2.
YouTube is far more than just kids’ entertainment, music videos, and influencer content. It’s a sophisticated platform with opportunities for direct marketing and audience nurturing.
Here are a few reasons why YouTube should be part of your media mix in Q2 and beyond:
1. Greater B2B and B2C Volume Than Ever Before
The mass move to work-from-home has increased digital media consumption worldwide as people spend more than ever at home. A lack of in-person communication with coworkers and clients has resulted in a YouTube traffic boom as people are at home all day.
Time usually spent with friends or on entertainment like watching sports, or going to the movies or restaurants has shifted to watching video at home. While streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu are capturing a large portion of that, YouTube is as well.
As proof of this phenomenon, YouTube, Disney + and Netflix have all announced they will adjust default video quality so their networks can handle the surge in traffic.
Furthermore, your target personas (including at-home employees) are part of the many users on the platform. A rising tide lifts all boats.
2. Allows You to Deliver Rich Experiences and Personalized Creative at a Distance
How can you reach new customers who are trying to move forward during these trying times?
If you can’t host or attend in-person marketing events, what’s the next best thing? Delivering rich creative and experiences at a distance.
74% of marketers say videos on average are better than traditional content like blog posts for generating leads (Databox). Whether targeting potential customers with awareness, educational or conversion-focused content, video works.
What’s more, the lack of physical interaction can cause people to feel isolated. Virtual personalization elements can add an element of thoughtfulness and connection for audiences right now.
Getting creative with converting potential customers or keeping them engaged at a distance is the name of the game.
3. Allows You to Smartly Invest More in Branding
YouTube viewers are not only accessible, but more open to engaging with new content than ever before. Many are browsing the platform to find news, learn new things, and engage with others during these times.
While other brands pull back, why doesn’t your brand deliver content that offers leadership, reassurance and new experiences? Your customer audiences are more open to it than before.
Keep an eye on your competitors and surge to fill the gap if they’ve dropped off. Even in industries slowing down, creating a branding impact now will pay dividends down the road.
As the market returns to normal in the coming months, customers will surge to buy.
4. Can Sustain Lead Generation Goals
It’s an often-overlooked fact that YouTube is a lead gen friendly platform. The medium can drive not only branding but leads for your sales pipeline.
TrueView for Action campaigns add CTAs and end screens to your video ad, letting you convert users or collect their information. YouTube Lead Form Ads let you collect contact information through native form submissions. Your customer doesn’t need to leave YouTube to complete a form fill.
YouTube’s surge of active users can sustain not only your branding goals, but adding to your sales pipeline.
5. Lower Cost Than Other Formats
As other brands decrease their marketing investment, you can increase your share of voice at lower costs than ever before. Between a drop in competition and more ad inventory available, YouTube will experience lower average CPMs & Costs Per View in Q2.
With some savvy advertisers increasing their investment on channels like TV, remember this: YouTube video buys are also significantly cheaper when compared to TV RFPs.
To conclude, YouTube is a uniquely positioned platform as we enter the new quarter amidst large-scale societal changes. Now more than ever, marketers are being challenged to pivot and try non-traditional tactics.
If you’ve never invested in YouTube, this may be the time to do so. If you’re active on YouTube, this might be the time to increase budget.
