Is Video the Future of PPC?

By now we are all well-informed about the importance of Digital Marketing (but if you aren’t, be sure to look at our previous PPC blog!), we know the importance Digital Marketing  has in growing your business. However, in a world that is ever-changing and constantly evolving– cough cough, the marketing world– it is imperative that we stay up to date on the newest trends as well as look to what is coming next.

With that being said, you might be wondering: well what’s  next  in the PPC world?

*Enter video marketing.*

PPC in general has been one of the most reliable sources of “eyes” or views on your website since it was established. It is a guaranteed opportunity for people to see your business’s website. Compared to SEO, PPC lends a more direct approach to the possibility of a potential customer making a purchase. In fact, over 50% of people are more likely to make a purchase coming in from an ad than from an organic link, according to information pulled from 2021.

With that being said, video marketing for PPC is the next step in widening your audience and growing your business.

Where Does Video Fit In?

There are millions of videos uploaded to the internet every single day. As a matter of fact it is estimated that 500 hours of video content are uploaded to YouTube every minute! Therefore, there are millions of different opportunities to advertise your business, website or product throughout those videos.

Did you know that over 80% of internet traffic comes from videos? It would seem silly to not implore more video marketing in an area that drives the most traffic, right? Additionally, a block of text might be unimpressive and easily forgettable to a user, but a video that instills exciting imagery and resonating values will be much more effective.

Why Use Video?

There are many reasons and benefits to using video ads rather than traditional display ads– one of the most important is the price!

Whether you are just starting out your marketing venture or you’ve been around the PPC block, you know that advertising for your business doesn’t come without a cost, and the cost can add up pretty quickly.

Because video advertising tends to be less expensive than digital ads, it allows you to use your ad budget more efficiently. In 2021, the average cost-per-click (CPC) for Google Ads was between $1-$2, according to Localiq.com. However, that same year the average view for an in-stream video ad on YouTube was only between $0.10-$0.30. It’s important to remember that factors such as bidding and audience targeting greatly affect the price points for both display ads and video ads– the price to produce a video ad can fluctuate depending on a variety of other factors too. However, typically, video marketing will lend you the cheaper hand.

Another great benefit of video ads is arguably even more important than the cost– and that’s the engagement.

Yep, you heard me right. Video ads drive a higher engagement rate– and the higher engagement you have on your ads, the higher chance you have at gaining new customers and increasing your profits.

Video ads across Facebook– you might need to sit down for this one– have seen nearly 60% higher click-through-rates (CTRs) than still images, or display ads. Instagram is seeing similar results as well, with 3 times higher engagement rates on video ads!

You must be thinking there can’t be any more good news after that, but just wait, there is:

One of the best parts of video ads is the flexibility of the placement of your ad. Now you don’t just get total free reign of putting your video ad anywhere and everywhere, but with most video ads, especially those implemented in YouTube, you’re able to choose between pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll. Pre-roll tends to be the most popular as it gets more views.

YouTube also has different types of ads: skippable video ads, non-skippable video ads, bumper ads, and overlay ads. All four of these give you different benefits and opportunities for your ad to be viewed.

Tips for a Successful, Memorable, Totally Awesome Video Ad?

Alright so now that we’ve covered why video marketing is the next step in expanding your business, we’ve got to cover how to do it.

And that all comes down to the actual video. The video in your video ad is the most important part of your marketing efforts (duh). Your ad will be a reflection of your brand and will make or break the initial connection you build with first-time customers. We’ve drawn together a few key tips to follow to ensure that your video does all of the work for increasing your engagement.

#1 Make the First Few Seconds Of The Video Count

The beginning of your video is the most crucial part of the entire ad. It will either cause the viewer to keep watching or click that pesky “skip ad” button (which, in a perfect world, no one would click). In order to do so, you want to hook your viewers and spark interest by making a statement that will make them want to keep watching.

#2 Why’s Your Business Important?

The next thing you want to check off your video ad to-do list is the part that shows the viewer why your business is important and why the viewer should care. You should be reiterating, in different ways, constantly throughout the ad why your business is awesome.

#3 Timing of Your Ad

The timing of your ad is everything. You’re creating an ad for your business, a snapshot on why the viewer needs your business. You’re not making a documentary starting from the beginning of time. This isn’t to say the history of your business isn’t important– it most definitely is but this would be a great topic to post as a blog on your website, not to focus your 30-second video ad on.

#4 What Now?

Finally, you must include a good call-to-action (CTA) for your viewers. If you’ve got them hooked within the first few seconds and blow them out of the water with a perfectly executed ad but don’t tell them where to go or what to do next, then you’ve essentially wasted everyone’s time. You want to establish a goal for your ad: is it driving traffic to your website, is it increasing sales on a particular product, is it getting more leads or clients? Figure out what your ad’s goal is and gear your CTA towards that.

Takeaway

Now I could keep going on and on about PPC, but I figure this is enough information for right now. Diversifying and expanding your digital marketing tactics are the best ways to help your business grow. Take it from us! We recently made our very first video ad, check it out on our YouTube channel if you haven’t already seen it in action!

While PPC is one of the most important aspects in your digital marketing, remember it’s not the only thing that is going to be responsible for driving traffic to your site. You still need to be up-to-date on your site’s SEO.

If SEO feels more like a headache than an easy checklist item, take a look at our SEO blog series where we break it all down for you!

If you’re interested in getting started with PPC advertising for your business, don’t hesitate to contact us! PPC advertising is the core of Torchlight Marketing and we’d be thrilled to get you started.

To learn more about our PPC services, contact us on our website or give us a call at (805) 481-0118.