67 million people were born between 1995 and 2010. Dubbed “Gen Z”, these shoppers value choice and flexibility more than their older counterparts, according to Hulu CMO Kelly Campbell. Campbell was speaking during Advertising Week, an industry convention focused on emerging best practices. Not surprisingly, video was a large part of the conversation.
[Tweet “50% of Gen Z has reported that they ‘can’t live without YouTube.’”]
50% of Gen Z has reported that they ‘can’t live without YouTube’, with The Center for Generational Kinectics reporting that Gen Z uses YouTube to discover and research new products. 19% of Gen Z report that their purchasing decisions can be influenced by prominent YouTubers’ opinions or endorsements, but that’s not the only marketing channel available to small business owners.
Video ads, which generally appear before or in the middle of the videos Gen Z viewers went to YouTube for, are another viable marketing message. Research released by Animoto, a video ad creation company, reveals that 73% of shoppers have been influenced by seeing a video ad on social media.
Other useful benefits of video advertising:
Messaging Efficiency: People absorb up to six times as much information from video than they do from text. This type of recall is important for building brand identity as well as gradually moving the viewer into the sales funnel.
Virality: People engage more with video content than they do with other forms of content. Video gets three times as many shares as text and images combined. This can dramatically extend the reach of your marketing.
Every social media platform offers some sort of video advertising opportunity. YouTube is not your only option! Video advertising on Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook can be targeted to reach your preferred target audience. And while it’s not likely you’re targeting Gen Z shoppers on Twitter or LinkedIn, should that be part of your strategy, there’s ways to make it happen.
Many small business owners shy away from video advertising because they don’t know how to create a video ad. The process is much less complicated than you might think, particularly when you’re working with an experienced team who can help you make the best use of this powerful marketing tool. Have questions? Let us know. We’re here to help.
