Video landing pages are an effective part of marketing campaigns. After all, video is the most engaging media out there—and engagement is a key step on the buyer’s journey. But if you’re going to add video to your campaigns, you can’t just slap any video on any landing page and call it a day. Here are five steps to making video landing pages that actually work.

1. Put your video in context

Does your video align with the rest of the content on your landing page? If not, you run the risk of confusing your audience and turning them off. If your landing page is informative and educational, don’t add a video that’s focused on your product. Take a video-first approach in your campaign planning—that means you have video in mind right from the start, then build your landing page around the primary message within that video.

2. Make your video BIG

Have you noticed how screens keep getting bigger?  Our phones, tablets, living room TVs and even movie theaters are all getting bigger. Video demands to be BIG, and the same is true for your landing page. Viewers love videos that fill the screen—and the fact is, when it’s big, they’re more likely to click “play.”

3. Put your video front and center

Speaking of filling the screen, your video should be front and center when viewers arrive on your landing page. Do you have a hero banner at the top of your page?  Maximize that prime real estate and make it a video. You’ll quickly capture your visitors’ attention and keep it.

4. Choose your thumbnail wisely

There’s a hurdle to your viewers clicking “play” on your videos; they want to know if it’s worth their time before they start watching. You need to tell them exactly what they’re getting right off the bat, and a clear, helpful thumbnail is how you do that. You can even add text so it’s super obvious (example: “Three tips to maximize SEO”). Having a person in your thumbnail also entices viewers to click “play.”

5. Optimize your landing page—including the video

SEO is commonly overlooked with video content—but it shouldn’t be. Video Schema Markup helps search engines crawl your video content and deliver your pages to the right audience in search results. Check out our post on video SEO to learn how it’s done.

Video landing page DON’Ts

We’ve gone over the things you should be doing, but there are also a couple things you should avoid when adding videos to your landing pages.

Autoplay

When people go online, they want to be in control of their experience. When they land on a page and a video starts playing immediately (especially with sound on—yikes!), they’re understandably upset. Don’t set your videos to autoplay. Exception: If you are driving people to your video landing page from an email, autoplay is actually a better experience. Your viewers have already clicked the thumbnail within the email; they don’t want to click again.

Lightboxes

Video lightboxes are pop-ups that take over your webpage. These are just another way of taking control away from your viewers; they can’t scroll away or look at any of your other landing page content while the video plays. Embed your video natively, within the landing page so that your viewers can interact with it however they choose.

Ready to go forth and create your next video landing page? Consider taking it to the next level with an embedded lead form. You can check out my blog post on Hubspot to learn how.

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The demand for OTT services is booming across the Asian market—with online video growth forecasted at 15% per annum and revenue expected to hit $21 billion by 2024. And today’s native streaming companies, pay-TV operators, mobile telcos, and free-to-air broadcasters are all focused on one thing: profitably distributing content directly to consumers. The battle to attract and retain subscribers is on—and media companies must deploy a variety of strategies to build a sustainable business.

Are you ready to maximize the potential of your OTT service? You’re in luck: Brightcove teamed up with YouGov  to discover the how, why, and what behind today’s OTT streaming landscape in Asia. We surveyed 9,000 participants across Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam—and found some really fascinating results that you don’t want to miss. Here’s a quick snapshot of some of the key highlights.

Consumer preferences and behaviors

According to our findings , today’s OTT service providers across the region should focus their efforts on understanding the kind of user experience mobile-centric consumers have come to expect. When asked to choose the features users most wanted in an OTT service, the top five selected were:

• Offline download and playback (42%)

• Access on mobile (39%)

• Access on streaming devices such as Apple TV and Android TV (34%)

• The ability to use less data when accessing the service on mobile (34%)

• Seamless viewing between devices (31%)

The results also highlighted that there’s a demand for multiple OTT services to co-exist in the market. From wanting access to niche content to meeting the programming demands of an entire family, consumers stated that not all of their content needs are satisfied on just one OTT service. In fact, 43% of respondents said wanting more content options was the top driver for sign ups to multiple services.

Interested in more data-driven insights on how to maximize the potential of your OTT service? Download the full Asia OTT Research Report —sponsored by Evergent and SpotX —for more survey results.

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When it comes to generating revenue from their online video inventory, it’s not uncommon for publishers to rely heavily on third parties like YouTube as a source of ad dollars. It makes sense—YouTube seems like an easy avenue to monetise video assets through its revenue share model. But what appears to be a revenue share is more like a revenue tax.

Not only do third parties like YouTube essentially tax publishers who choose to host their videos on its platform, it also denies them control over the branding and user experience that surrounds their content. Plus, they cede control over their users’ data—a touchy subject in this day and age. Publishers who hand over control to third-party vendors face a significant risk—but finding out a way to address that, on top of existing challenges like driving traffic to their website and then monetizing it, can seem insurmountable.

As the online advertising landscape continues to evolve, publishers are looking for new ways to transform their revenue streams. Using a video platform solution can give publishers more control over their video inventory, plus an opportunity to increase their advertising revenue. Download our new Strategy Sheet for Publishers to learn about publisher-friendly tech stacks, plus more top strategies for monetising and thriving in the online publishing world.

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Apathy is a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. It is synonymous with indifference. For B2B sales, apathy is a deal-killer. For B2B marketing, apathy is a non-starter.

Apathy may just be one of the greatest threats facing any B2B organization. Consumers have an abundance of other things to read and watch, and a plethora of other vendors to choose from in nearly every industry.

From where I sit, apathy is so scary because it threatens our core responsibility as marketers to create engagement, capture attention, drive interest, build loyalty, and ultimately drive action and change. None of that is possible unless a buyer is willing to lean in, engage with, and consume our content.

In short, we have to make buyers give a damn.

How do marketers use video to defeat buyer apathy?

The antidote to apathy is curiosity. Curiosity is what makes human beings give something their attention, engage with it, and ultimately take action because of it. Curiosity is what ignites change.

For marketers, video has become a standard tool in our toolkits to drive curiosity among buyers. Eighty-seven percent of businesses now use video as a marketing tool, and more than ever (83%) say it gives them a good return on their investment. However, 90% of video marketers feel the level of competition and noise has increased in the past year.

How do we ensure our videos stand out? How do B2B firms use video marketing to break through to indifferent buyers?

A couple of weeks ago at PLAY 2019 in Boston, I presented a few ways to defeat buyer apathy using videos. Below, I’ve included five of these tips and some relevant examples, and my take on why they’re so effective:

1. Know your niche, serve them well

Sixty percent of B2B brands admit they don’t understand their buyers, according to SiriusDecisions . Yet, buyers are 50% more likely to buy when they see personal value for them, or a positive impact on their career.

Before Eloqua was bought by Oracle for its marketing automation capabilities, it ran a video series about Modern Mark. It demonstrated exactly how well this brand understood its audience, and allowed potential buyers to see personal value through the eyes of this character, who was personally benefiting from the advantages Eloqua’s marketing technology delivered.

2. Talk like a human being

One surefire way to make a buyer stop listening to your video is to speak the way our company boilerplates do, that is, heavy-handed and full of buzzwords.

This product demo from Lucidchart shows us the power of simply talking like a human being.

For future evidence of how refreshing this is, check the comments on YouTube:

This customer testimonial from Slack achieves the same simple, approachable, engaging tone that makes you want to watch to the end. (When was the last time you wanted to watch a customer testimonial video through to the end?)

3. Drive urgency

Sure, we’re familiar with FUD: fear, uncertainty, and doubt. It’s a standard tool in the security and risk industry as we try to drive urgency among buyers. But fear-mongering gets old when every vendor in the space uses it. It also has a tendency to feel hyperbolic.

This video from Cisco took a ransomware attack storyline and flipped it on its head, exploring the attack from the perspective of the hacker themselves. It’s a script that makes your heart pound as you watch for its conclusion, and demonstrates how well Cisco understands each angle of this threat.

4. Earn trust

Forty-two percent of buyers don’t know which companies to trust, per Edelman . This was especially true in the world of SEO consultants before Rand Fishkin came along. The founder of Moz became known for being a transparent, educational resource among a sea of agencies keeping their SEO knowledge closely guarded.

To them, trade secrets were their secret sauce. To Rand, it became the foundation for a thought leadership platform that earned trust in an industry of secret tactics and shady business. His honesty led him to become the go-to authority on SEO, and his whiteboard Friday videos became a weekly example of this transparency.

In his book, Lost and Founder , Rand describes:

“We were called crazy and foolish for oversharing so much about the mechanics of the business. But we also became trusted, and, especially because the field of SEO and the broader world of tech startups are so often impenetrably secretive, it paid off.”

5. Be where customers want you to be

One major driver of apathy is simply invisibility. Why would I watch your video if it takes remarkable effort to find it in the first place?

Are you gating all of your video content? Relying too much on email to promote it? Putting all of your eggs in the YouTube basket? Hiding it below the fold on some obscure page on your site, or blog post? Liberate your video content!

According to the Content Marketing Institute , 70% of B2B marketers use sponsored content on social media to promote their content. In their study, this was the #1 paid content distribution method.

For B2B firms, I strongly recommend investing in video on LinkedIn. The platform now boasts 500 million members, 260M of which log in monthly. Forty percent of those users are on the platform every day. Note: These are not just job-seekers; 61M are senior-level influencers.

Per LinkedIn , these users spend almost 3X more time watching video ads than with static sponsored content. “Video is the fastest growing format on our platform right now, and the one most likely to get people talking,” said Pete Davies, LinkedIn’s director of product management.

Leverage this engagement to give your videos a boost, and consider trying their new live video broadcast service , LinkedIn Live. The example below demonstrates how Adobe Experience Cloud leveraged this during their recent 2019 Magento conference, broadcasting interviews live from the show floor .

It’s a beautiful interface on both desktop and mobile—and is a great way to be exactly where your audience is.

Overcoming buyer apathy is one of many challenges B2B marketers face over the coming months. But, it’s at the core of what makes our job so exciting. It just takes creativity and empathy in our video marketing strategy.

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Ad tech is a complex world, and video ads are their own country with their own unique language (all those acronyms!). Get a handle on the basics, and you’ll be speaking VAST, VMAP, and VPAID in no time. It’s worth the effort to get started now—video ad spending is expected to grow by double digits for the next three years.

Video ad types

VAST: Video Ad Serving Template

VAST is a set of instructions in code, which includes a link to the ad creative and tells the video player how to play it, how long it should last, and more. VAST ads work on the web, across devices, and in-app.

VMAP: Video Multiple Ad Playlist

VMAP is a playlist of VAST ads. This script tells the video player in which order the ads should play (ie preroll, mid-roll, post-roll) and specifies time slots for each of them.

VPAID: Video Player Ad-Serving Interface Definition

VPAID is another ad-serving format that allows JavaScript, hence allowing advertisers to introduce interactive features and track viewability. While VPAID is officially supported for desktop and mobile web, it often runs into issues on mobile web—and is not supported in-app.

Understanding platforms

Speaking of desktop vs. mobile, knowing where your ads will be served is an important first step for publishers. Video ads require high internet speed for deliverability, and mobile’s limited bandwidth can introduce issues. Add in the fact that many video ads layer in their own tracking, impression beacons, and viewability solutions—which all use up bandwidth—and you’ve got a recipe for loading errors.

Choosing an ad server

When it comes to how your ads will be served, you’ve got options. Ad Manager by Google (formerly known as DFP) is a common choice, but there’s also SpringServe, SpotX, and Freewheel, to name a few. The best choice for each publisher depends on ease of use, the revenue model (is it free? does it charge by impression? is the fee laid out in a contract?), and its unique capabilities. Perhaps the most crucial factor is support: if something goes wrong with your ad server, your ads won’t serve and you’ll start losing money right away. The sooner you can get in touch with support and fix the problem, the less money you’ll lose.

Direct vs. programmatic

Direct ad sales involve a publisher’s in-house team working *directly* with clients and agreeing on a contract. With this model, the publisher knows in advance exactly how many impressions they are filling, what the creative looks like, and how much they’re getting paid.

Programmatic advertising is an automated auction where advertisers bid on impressions and the highest bid wins. No internal ad sales team is involved; once the ad server is set up and connected to inventory, the ad operations team takes care of the rest. The downside is that there are no guarantees on fill rate , ad content or quality, or bids.

Most publishers use a combination of both approaches, filling as much inventory as possible with direct sales and making the leftover inventory available via programmatic auction.

Ad blockers vs. Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI)

Ad blockers detect VAST and VPAID ads within video content and block them from the viewer, which cuts down on publishers’ revenue. SSAI dynamically stitches ads and content together so they are delivered as a single stream. This solution cuts down on buffering for a better viewer experience, and bypasses ad blockers to help publishers’ bottom lines.

Ready to learn more? I’ll go over best practices for video monetization and more in an upcoming webinar, Jumpstart Your Video Advertising Strategy .

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It’s that time of year when the Brightcove team is in full-blown PLAY mode, planning out all the exciting final details of our annual conference. Scheduled to take place in Boston from May 14 through 16, PLAY 2019 will be a can’t-miss event for innovators in a variety of different industries and market segments. Whether you’re a PLAY newbie or a seasoned vet, here are five reasons you should attend this year’s conference:

1. Participate in hands-on learning and in-depth strategy sessions

Each year, our annual PLAY conference gathers the best and brightest industry leaders for a few days of learning and networking. While you’re there, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with Brightcove partners and sponsors, see upcoming Brightcove features and future innovations, and learn best practices that will take your video strategy to the next level. Check out our agenda for more information on each session.

2.  Enjoy an extra day of programming

This year, PLAY has extended from two to three days — which means you get to enjoy even more top-notch, curated content. Our 2019 schedule includes a full day of hands-on workshops, where you’ll have the opportunity to learn about everything from developing a video strategy to producing a video and using video throughout your sales process .

3.  Hear from inspiring keynote speakers

Prepare to be wowed by the keynote speakers at PLAY 2019. On Thursday, May 16, you’ll hear from Jade Simmons , a speaker, author, and concert pianist. Known as classical music’s “No. 1 Maverick,” Simmons’s riveting performances combine innovation and passion. She also trains visionaries, influencers, and future powerhouses on how to market their messages to the world and expand their platforms.

4.  Remain at the forefront of the digital revolution

Interested in staying on the cutting edge of your industry? Then PLAY 2019 is the conference for you. This year’s agenda includes a variety of exciting spotlight sessions, workshops, and TechTalks that will cover everything from incorporating video into your sales process to the latest wave of technology shaping the media world.

If you’re passionate about exciting new digital trends, you won’t want to miss Video Marketing’s New Frontier: Content With No Screens . During her session, Cathy Hackl, an Emmy-nominated communicator turned virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) speaker, will dive into the emerging technology driving the future of spatial computing and content marketing.

5.  Network to your heart’s desire

Every year, PLAY attendees tell our team that their favorite part of the conference is the variety of networking opportunities. By attending this year’s event, you’ll get the chance to connect with industry leaders and innovators during lunch, intermission breaks, and fun events like our sponsored happy hour and the annual PLAY party. Grab a stack of business cards and get ready to mingle with an engaging group of peers and prospective partners.

And if you want to take your networking experience to the next level, be sure to download our PLAY 2019 app. In the app, you’ll be able to connect with other attendees, create a personalized agenda, participate in live polls, answer surveys, and more. Stay tuned for updates on the app release!

Of course, there are way more than just five reasons to attend PLAY 2019 . This year’s conference is shaping up to be one of our best yet, and we hope you join us for three days of learning, networking, and fun!

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