Jul 26 2024
Top 7 Most Emotionally Engaging Olympics Ads (P&G Campaigns Are Winning) via @sejournal, @gregjarboe

With the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris officially opening today, DAIVID used its advanced content testing platform to see which ads from the global sporting event have elicited the most intense positive emotions of all time.

Procter & Gamble (P&G) dominates DAIVID’s chart, with five of the top seven ads – including the top three positions.

So, the rest of the search and marketing community will want to figure out what the American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio has understood for more than a dozen years.

1. P&G Thank You, Mom – Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games

A P&G 2014 Winter Olympics campaign honoring the crucial support mothers provide to athletes is the most emotionally engaging Olympic ad ever.

This accolade comes from DAIVID, a creative effectiveness platform, which found that the “Pick Them Back Up” campaign evoked the strongest positive emotions among viewers.

“P&G Thank You, Mom | Pick Them Back Up | Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games” led the chart with 59.6% of viewers responding with intense positive emotions. As the video’s description says, “For teaching us that falling only makes us stronger. For giving us the encouragement to try again. Thank you, Mom.”

2. P&G – Thank You, Mom – The Winter Olympics (2018)

Following the (emotional) success from 2014, Thank You, Mom – The Winter Olympics (2018) was close behind in second place with a score of 59.5%.

This video guides the viewer through moms supporting their kids with their dreams and through their circumstances – whether it be bias over color, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.

3. P&G ‘Thank You Mom’ Commercial: “Best Job” (London 2012 Olympics)

P&G’s ad from the London 2012 Olympics took third place, with 58.4% of viewers responding with intense positive emotions.

In this 2012 edition of Procter & Gamble’s ad campaign, supportive mothers take their children to practices and help the kids deal with setbacks on their way to becoming successful Olympic athletes.

4. National Lottery Funded Athletes – TV Extended Version

The UK’s National Lottery ad, ” National Lottery funded athletes – TV advert Extended Version,” took fourth place with a score of 56.9%.

It was inspired by the story of 800-meter runner Jenny Meadows’ mother and showcased how National Lottery funding supports British athletes in achieving their dreams.

5. P&G ‘Thank You, Mom’ Campaign Ad: Strong (Rio 2016 Olympics)

Another from P&G’s Thank You, Mom series for the Rio 2016 Olympics was placed fifth, with 55.9% of viewers responding with intense positive emotions.

In this two-minute commercial, P&G features supportive mothers helping their children persevere through difficult circumstances on their way to becoming Olympic champions.

The brand positions itself as the “Proud sponsor of Moms” and uses the tagline: “It takes someone strong to make someone strong. Thank you, Mom.”

6. We’re The Superhumans – Rio Paralympics 2016

Channel 4, a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel, took sixth place with its “Superhumans” trailer for the Rio Paralympics 2016. The 3-minute video ad got a score of 55.7%.

7. Procter & Gamble – Your Goodness Is Your Greatness

Your Goodness is Your Greatness from P&G took seventh place, with 55.5% of viewers responding with intense positive emotions.

Now, P&G was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. Do you think this gave them a head start on the rest of the field?

DAIVID CEO’s Insights

In a press release, Ian Forrester, CEO and founder of DAIVID, said:

“When it comes to emotional Olympic campaigns, no brand has ever gone faster, higher or stronger than P&G.

The company’s incredible tributes to the role mums play in helping to put future Olympic champions on the path to Games glory really tug at the emotional heartstrings and are capable of turning even the most cynical viewers into emotional wrecks.

‘Pick Them Back Up’ is a worthy gold winner, generating some of the most intense feelings of positivity we’ve ever seen for an ad.”

He added, “It’s also great to see Channel 4’s sensational campaign, ‘We’re The Superhumans’ in the top 6. Generating incredibly intense feelings of inspiration, the ad has played a crucial role in putting the Paralympics firmly in the hearts and minds of viewers all around the world.”

What can I add?

I’ve known Forrester since September 2012, when he joined the Unruly Group as global insight lead. And I talked with him several times over the next six years about Unruly’s Viral Spiral charts, which showed which video ads were among the most shared.

So, I’ve learned that Forrester has the kind of Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) that not only Google talks about, but skeptical journalists and bloggers value, too.

That’s why I’ve quoted him – along with other video gurus – in articles like “What’s The Alternative To Spending $7 Million On A Super Bowl Ad?” as well as “How To Make A Video Go Viral.”

And that’s why I’ve cited DAIVID’s critical data and strategic insights in articles like “The Best 5 Super Bowl Ads in 2024 (Brands That Got It Right)” as well as “39 Emotions Digital Marketers Can Use In Advertising.”

But if you want to figure out what P&G already understands, then it’s worth spending a few moments learning more about DAIVID’s methodology.

Check Out DAIVID’s Methodology

Based in London, DAIVID leverages technologies like facial coding, eye tracking, and computer vision to help advertisers enhance the emotional and business impact of their campaigns.

Their platform allows marketers to assess and improve ad effectiveness on a large scale using advanced data analysis methods.

DAIVID’s study of the most emotionally engaging Olympics ads utilized its Self-Serve solution, trained on millions of consumer data points, to predict the emotional reactions and attention levels ads would generate, along with their potential brand and business impacts.

The analysis involved 56 Olympic ads, excluding those from the current Paris Olympics.

Watch For Yourself To See Why These Videos Trigger Emotion

So, watch the seven ads above and see for yourself what kind of video content triggers intense positive emotions in viewers. You may see something that I might have missed.

But the next time you want to know if your ad creative is working, test it. I know, talking about testing social videos the way that Madison Avenue once tested TV commercials seems like pie in the sky.

But with AI as your co-pilot, making creative testing affordable, you can fix problems and identify solutions faster and easier than it could back in the old days.

Okay, this may not bring tears to your eyes – like “Pick Them Back Up” probably will – but it can help you catch up with P&G, which already has a 12-year head start.

More resources: 

Featured Image: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

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Jul 15 2024
20 Confirmed Facts About YouTube’s Algorithm via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Instead of counting the number of clicks or views a video gets, YouTube’s algorithms focus on ensuring viewers are happy with what they watch.

This article examines how YouTube’s algorithms work to help users find videos they like and keep them watching for longer.

We’ll explain how YouTube selects videos for different parts of its site, such as the home page and the “up next” suggestions.

We’ll also discuss what makes some videos appear more than others and how YouTube matches videos to each person’s interests.

By breaking this down, we hope to help marketers and YouTubers understand how to work better with YouTube’s system.

A summary of all facts is listed at the end.

Prioritizing Viewer Satisfaction

Early on, YouTube ranked videos based on watch time data, assuming longer view durations correlated with audience satisfaction.

However, they realized that total watch time alone was an incomplete measure, as viewers could still be left unsatisfied.

So, beginning in the early 2010s, YouTube prioritized viewer satisfaction metrics for ranking content across the site.

The algorithms consider signals like:

  • Survey responses directly asking viewers about their satisfaction with recommended videos.
  • Clicks on the “like,” “dislike,” or “not interested” buttons which indicate satisfaction.
  • Overall audience retention metrics like the percentage of videos viewed.
  • User behavior metrics, including what users have watched before (watch history) and what they watch after a video (watch next).

The recommendation algorithms continuously learn from user behavior patterns and explicit satisfaction inputs to identify the best videos to recommend.

How Videos Rank On The Homepage

The YouTube homepage curates and ranks a selection of videos a viewer will most likely watch.

The ranking factors include:

Performance Data

This covers metrics like click-through rates from impressions and average view duration. When shown on its homepages, YouTube uses these traditional viewer behavioral signals to gauge how compelling a video is for other viewers.

Personalized Relevance

Besides performance data, YouTube relies heavily on personalized relevance to customize the homepage feed for each viewer’s unique interests. This personalization is based on insights from their viewing history, subscriptions, and engagement patterns with specific topics or creators.

How YouTube Ranks Suggested Video Recommendations

The suggested videos column is designed to keep viewers engaged by identifying other videos relevant to what they’re currently watching and aligned with their interests.

The ranking factors include:

Video Co-Viewing

YouTube analyzes viewing patterns to understand which videos are frequently watched together or sequentially by the same audience segments. This allows them to recommend related content the viewer will likely watch next.

Topic/Category Matching

The algorithm looks for videos covering topics or categories similar to the video being watched currently to provide tightly relevant suggestions.

Personal Watch History

A viewer’s viewing patterns and history are a strong signal for suggesting videos they’ll likely want to watch again.

Channel Subscriptions

Videos from channels that viewers frequently watch and engage with are prioritized as suggestions to keep them connected to favored creators.

External Ranking Variables

YouTube has acknowledged the following external variables can impact video performance:

  • The overall popularity and competition level for different topics and content categories.
  • Shifting viewer behavior patterns and interest trends in what content they consume.
  • Seasonal effects can influence what types of videos people watch during different times of the year.

Being a small or emerging creator can also be a positive factor, as YouTube tries to get them discovered through recommendations.

The company says it closely monitors success rates for new creators and is working on further advancements like:

  • Leveraging advanced AI language models to better understand content topics and viewer interests.
  • Optimizing the discovery experience with improved layouts and content pathways to reduce “choice paralysis.”

Strategies For Creators

With viewer satisfaction as the overarching goal, this is how creators can maximize the potential of having their videos recommended:

  • Focus on creating content that drives high viewer satisfaction through strong audience retention, positive survey responses, likes/engagement, and low abandon rates.
  • Develop consistent series or sequel videos to increase chances of being suggested for related/sequence views.
  • Utilize playlists, end screens, and linked video prompts to connect your content for extended viewing sessions.
  • Explore creating content in newer formats, such as Shorts, live streams, or podcasts, that may align with changing viewer interests.
  • Monitor performance overall, specifically from your existing subscriber base as a baseline.
  • Don’t get discouraged by initial metrics. YouTube allows videos to continuously find relevant audience segments over time.
  • Pay attention to seasonality trends, competition, and evolving viewer interests, which can all impact recommendations.

In Summary – 20 Key Facts About YouTube’s Algorithm

  1. YouTube has multiple algorithms for different sections (homepage, suggested videos, search, etc.).
  2. The recommendation system powers the homepage and suggested video sections.
  3. The system pulls in videos that are relevant for each viewer.
  4. Maximizing viewer satisfaction is the top priority for rankings.
  5. YouTube uses survey responses, likes, dislikes, and “not interested” clicks to measure satisfaction.
  6. High audience retention percentages signal positive satisfaction.
  7. Homepage rankings combine performance data and personalized relevance.
  8. Performance is based on click-through rates and average view duration.
  9. Personalized relevance factors include watch history, interests, and subscriptions.
  10. Suggested videos prioritize content that is co-viewed by the same audiences.
  11. Videos from subscribed channels are prioritized for suggestions.
  12. Consistent series and sequential videos increase suggestions for related viewing.
  13. Playlists, end screens, and linked videos can extend viewing sessions.
  14. Creating engaging, satisfying content is the core strategy for recommendations.
  15. External factors like competition, trends, and seasonality impact recommendations.
  16. YouTube aims to help new/smaller creators get discovered through recommendations.
  17. AI language models are improving content understanding and personalization.
  18. YouTube optimizes the discovery experience to reduce “choice paralysis.”
  19. Videos can find audiences over time, even if initial metrics are discouraging.
  20. The algorithm focuses on delivering long-term, satisfying experiences for viewer retention.

Insight From Industry Experts

While putting together this article, I reached out to industry experts to ask about their take on YouTube’s algorithms and what’s currently working for them.

Greg Jarboe, the president and co-founder of SEO-PR and author of YouTube and Video Marketing, says:

“The goals of YouTube’s search and discovery system are twofold: to help viewers find the videos they want to watch, and to maximize long-term viewer engagement and satisfaction. So, to optimize your videos for discovery, you should write optimized titles, tags, and descriptions. This has been true since July 2011, when the YouTube Creator Playbook became available to the public for the first time.

However, YouTube changed its algorithm in October 2012 – replacing ‘view count’ with ‘watch time.’ That’s why you need to go beyond optimizing your video’s metadata. You also need to keep viewers watching with a variety of techniques. For starters, you need to create a compelling opening to your videos and then use effective editing techniques to maintain and build interest through the video.

There are other ranking factors, of course, but these are the two most important ones. I’ve used these video SEO best practices to help the Travel Magazine channel increase from just 1,510 to 8.7 million views. And these video SEO techniques help the SonoSite channel grow from 99,529 views to 22.7 million views.

The biggest recent trend is the advent of YouTube Shorts, which is discoverable on the YouTube homepage (in the new Shorts shelf), as well as across other parts of the app. For more details, read “Can YouTube Shorts Be Monetized? Spoiler Alert: Some Already Are!“

Brie E. Anderson, an SEO and digital marketing consultant, says:

“In my experience, there are a few things that are really critical when it comes to optimizing for YouTube, most of which won’t be much of a surprise. The first is obviously the keyword you choose to target. It’s really hard to beat out really large and high authority channels, much like it is on Google. That being said, using tools like TubeBuddy can help you get a sense of the keywords you can compete for.

Another big thing is focusing on the SERP for YouTube Search. Your thumbnail has to be attention-grabbing – this is honestly what we test the most and one of the most impactful tests we run. More times than not, you’re looking at a large face, and max four words. But the amount of contrast happening in the thumbnail and how well it explains the topic of the video is the main concern.

Also, adding the ‘chapters’ timestamps can be really helpful. YouTube actually shows these in the SERP, as mentioned in this article.

Lastly, providing your own .srt file with captions can really help YouTube understand what your video is about.

Aside from actual on-video optimizations, I usually encourage people to write blog posts and embed their videos or, at the very least, link to them. This just helps with indexing and building some authority. It also increases the chance that the video will help YOUR SITE rank (as opposed to YouTube).”

Sources: YouTube’s Creator Insider Channel (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), How YouTube Works

More resources: 

Featured Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

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Jun 17 2024
YouTube Tests Crowdsourced Annotations For Videos via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

YouTube is piloting a new experimental feature allowing users to add contextual notes to videos to provide supplemental information.

The “Video Context Notes” feature, currently being tested on mobile in the United States for English language videos, allows invited contributors to write short annotations.

Screenshot from: blog.youtube.com, June 2024.

In its announcement, YouTube describes how it intends for people to use context notes:

“These notes could clarify when footage contains parody material, point out if a product review is outdated due to a newer version release, or confirm whether viral clips actually depict current events.”

Notes build on other YouTube efforts to present context alongside videos, such as information panels and disclosure labels for altered or synthetic media.

However, YouTube recognizes there’s potential for inaccurate or unsuitable notes during the experimental phase, stating:

“We anticipate there will be mistakes – notes that aren’t a great match for the video or potentially incorrect information. That’s part of how we’ll learn from the experiment.”

Availability

A limited number of YouTube channels in good standing will be invited to write and attach context notes to videos.

Viewers in the U.S. will be able to see and rate the helpfulness of these notes.

Third-party evaluators, the same contracted personnel who provide feedback on YouTube’s search and recommendation systems, will also assess the quality and accuracy of posted notes.

Their ratings and viewer input will be processed through a “bridging-based algorithm” to determine which notes get published broadly.

YouTube explains in the announcement:

“If many people who have rated notes differently in the past now rate the same note as helpful, then our system is more likely to show that note under a video.”

As the pilot progresses, YouTube plans to explore having contributors rate each other’s notes to further train the note-publishing system.

Why SEJ Cares

Letting users add context could add another layer of credibility to videos, such as confirming or debunking the presenter’s claims.

While there are bound to be some growing pains, if YouTube can get this new notes system right, it could raise the bar for transparency when it comes to video content across the web.

Featured Image: Queenmoonlite Studio/Shutterstock

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Jun 11 2024
YouTube Rolls Out Thumbnail A/B Testing To All Channels via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

YouTube will launch a new “Thumbnail Test & Compare” feature for all channels over the next few weeks.

This tool allows you to upload and test up to three different thumbnails for each video to see which performs best.

How Thumbnail Testing Works

The ‘Thumbnail Test & Compare‘ feature lets you upload multiple thumbnail options when publishing a new YouTube video.

During the testing period, YouTube will randomly display the different thumbnails to some of the video’s viewers.

After collecting enough data, which takes around two weeks, YouTube analyzes which thumbnail generated the highest “watch time share” from viewers.

It will then designate one of three potential outcomes:

  • Winner: A clear winner outperforming the other options based on watch time. The winning thumbnail is automatically applied.
  • Preferred: One thumbnail likely performed better than others, but the results are less certain statistically.
  • None: No thumbnail emerged as a clear winner. The original uploaded thumbnail is kept.

You can manually select your preferred video thumbnail even if it isn’t the winning option.

For a full demonstration, see the video below:

YouTube Thumbnail Best Practices

As part of the demonstration, YouTube outlined best practices for designing and testing thumbnails.

YouTube suggests creators start by testing thumbnails on a limited number of older videos to get initial guidance. Then, apply any learnings to testing thumbnails for more recent videos.

For thumbnail design itself, YouTube offers these tips:

Balance & Focal Point

“Ensure your images are balanced with a focal point to direct viewers’ attention towards.”

High Contrast

“Utilize high contrast allowing your subject to stand out against the background in both Light and Dark mode.”

Facial Expressions

“If there’s a face in your thumbnail, consider emotion. Be expressive and consider how you want viewers to feel when seeing your thumbnail.”

Concise Text

“With text, remember that fewer words can be impactful while too much text can be difficult to process while scrolling.”

Depth & Blank Space

“When it comes to depth of field keep your background in mind and play with blank space.”

Rollout To All Eligible Channels

All channels can access the ‘Thumbnail Test & Compare’ feature in the YouTube Studio desktop application. To do so, the “Advanced features” setting must be enabled.

YouTube is gradually rolling this out over the next few weeks to all channels that have opted in and meet those requirements.

The company says it will provide updates on expanding availability, such as potential mobile app support, in the future.

Optimizing For Watch Time

In an FAQ addressing common questions, YouTube explains that thumbnails are judged solely based on their ability to drive watch time, not other metrics like click-through rates.

YouTube states

“We want to make sure that your thumbnail and content gets you the highest amount of viewer engagement, so we are optimizing for overall watch time share over other metrics.

We believe that this metric is the best way to guide your content strategy decisions & support your chances of success on the platform.”

Why SEJ Cares

The Thumbnail Test & Compare tool addresses a pain point by allowing true A/B testing. Previously, creators had to rely on best guesses or small-sample polls when selecting thumbnails for new videos.

By optimizing for watch time as the key success metric, YouTube is putting an emphasis on long-term viewer engagement over short-term clicks.

However, it’s understandable that some channels may also want data on how thumbnails impact initial impressions and click-through rates.

How This Can Help You

Smarter, higher-performing thumbnails could boost your content in YouTube’s recommendations and keep viewers watching more videos.

Video openers and thumbnails are the first make-or-break moments on YouTube, so having data-backed tools to perfect those first impressions could be a difference-maker.

Featured Image: Chayjitti Hongmanee/Shutterstock

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Jun 4 2024
How To Increase Website Traffic After The Google Update: 5 Blogger-Tested Tips via @sejournal, @getStay22

This post was sponsored by Stay22. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

The latest Google update hit our partners – travel bloggers – hard. Despite the challenges presented by this update, we are amazed by their resilience.

Although we cannot influence Google, we can definitely take charge of the things within our reach.

Here are five travel blogger-tested ways to increase website traffic after the latest Google update.

Get the most out of each visitor. Check out our guide, Ten Tips for Maximizing Revenue for Travel Bloggers.

1. Use Pinterest As An Additional Search Engine

Many people think of Pinterest as a social media platform, but it functions much more as a search engine.

Pinterest’s tools make it a fantastic way to get visitors to your website.

How To Get Started With Pinterest

  1. Create a new business account or link/convert a personal account to gain access to business tools like Pinterest Business Hub and Pinterest Analytics, which allow you to monitor searches and keywords.
  2. Write a catchy bio for your profile. If you have niche keywords you use on your website, include them here.
  3. Claim your website, allowing you to track whenever someone shares your website content on Pinterest. Additionally, it will automatically include your Pinterest profile and a follow button so you can attract more visitors.

How To Use Pinterest Like A Pro

Pinterest is built around pictures, so having great visuals is critical. You want to make yours stand out on the page.

  1. When you travel, snap many pictures and pick the best ones later.
  2. Use design tools like Canva to add text, create interesting layouts, and add branding elements.
  3. Create boards to organize your content into categories, such as by destination or blog post type.
  4. Just like any other search engine, keyword research is necessary on Pinterest. Use business tools like Pinterest Trends, which lets you see keyword search volume and which pins are most popular for them.
  5. Use your selected keywords everywhere possible, including pin titles, pin descriptions, and board descriptions.
Screenshot from Pinterest Trends, June 2024

Before you start pinning, optimize your blog posts to maximize revenue to ensure every visitor counts. See how to do that in our guide Ten Tips for Maximizing Revenue for Travel Bloggers.

2. Keep Visitors Engaged With Email Marketing

Email marketing is important because you own it. Instagram could ban your account, Google can derank you, but your email list is always yours.

Use this strategy to build less volatile, consistent traffic instead of new traffic.

How To Get Started With Email Marketing

  1. Select an email marketing provider. Travel bloggers love MailerLite and MailChimp because they are low-cost and simple.
  2. Start collecting email addresses. Create a mailing list signup form with your website host and insert it at the end of posts to collect your readers’ information.

How To Use Email Marketing Like A Pro

  1. Create a lead magnet that entices readers to share their information in exchange for it. Popular lead magnets in the travel blogging community are travel guides, ebooks, and itineraries.
  2. The goal of email is to get your reader onto your site. Keep your emails short and include impressive pictures and a clear link to your website. Leave them wanting more so that they click through.
  3. Before sending an email directing traffic to one of your pages, ensure the page is set up to maximize revenue. See how in our guide, Ten Tips for Maximizing Revenue for Travel Bloggers.

“While SEO is often touted as the king of traffic, good email marketing is the absolute queen. We regularly see spikes in our web analytics when we email our audience, but those spikes aren’t just temporary. They help our users build habits. We simply wouldn’t have nearly the business we have today without activating our email list.”

Beth Stanos, Wanderful CEO & Founder

    3. Add Your Content To Flipboard To Grab More Website Visits

    Flipboard is an article curation website that lets users flip through articles from different publications, like magazines.

    How To Get Started With Flipboard

    1. Download the Flipboard app on mobile and create an account and profile.
    2. Create Flipboard magazines. These are topic categories that group your content (much like Pinterest boards).
    3. Add your blog posts to them from the magazine page on Flipboard or the Flipit Chrome bookmark.
    Screenshot taken from Flipboard, June 2024

    How To Use Flipboard Like A Pro

    1. Add your fresh blog posts to Flipboard right after publishing.
    2. Add relevant content to your magazines that isn’t your own. Engaging with other bloggers’ content and maintaining new content in your magazines helps your reach.
    3. Include your target keywords in your magazine descriptions, post captions, and profile.

    “Flipboard has become a major traffic source for all 3 of my websites. They have fantastic tools for creators, like storyboards, scheduling, and RSS feeds for magazines, making creating and sharing compelling content easy.”

    Amanda O’Brien, theboutiqueadventurer.com Founder

    4. Get Discovered With Short-Form Videos On Social Media

    Did you know 77% of travelers use social media when planning their trips? Get their eyes on your content with short-form videos on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube shorts.

    These platforms have algorithms to serve your content to people who don’t follow you, making them ideal for readers to discover you.

    How To Get Started Making Videos

    1. Create your accounts on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
    2. Download Capcut, a free mobile app for video editing. It’s better than the in-app editing functionality, with pre-installed templates and effects.
    3. Create a Linktree account or an alternative. All three platforms make it difficult for users to leave and visit your site, so a place where users can go for all your links is necessary.
    “PLACES ON EARTH WITH THE BLUEST WATER” by @thetravelshack, June 2024

    How To Make Short Video Content Like A Pro

    1. While traveling, keep video creation in the back of your mind. When you see eye-catching scenery or an interesting environment, be ready to capture it in video. Your video’s “wow” factor differentiates between a mediocre and a fantastic video.
    2. On Instagram, write detailed captions. On YouTube and TikTok, keep captions as brief as possible.
    3. Voice-over, on-screen text, and music are crucial to your engagement rate. You can add these with Capcut or in-app.
    4. Pick your video thumbnails carefully. Make sure they stand out in a grid of other videos.
    5. Finally, keep your short video short. The ideal length for a Reel is seven to eleven seconds, a TikTok 21 to 34 seconds, and a YouTube Short 25 to 35 seconds.

    “TikTok helped us to get our second blog on Mediavine. We shared detailed videos about “how to do something” and always included a call to action, directing viewers to our blog for more information. In recent years, we’ve had videos go viral while encouraging followers to visit the link in our bio. This has resulted in thousands of clicks to our websites.”

    Natasha Alden, theworldpursuit.com Co-Founder

    5. Expose Yourself To New Audiences With Guest Posting

    Having your writing published on another website gives you access to a whole new audience, making it an excellent strategy for attracting new readers.

    How To Start Guest Posting

    1. Find places that accept guest posts. Many publications have open submissions that you can submit to.
    2. If you see a site that has guest posts but no open submissions, find their contact information and send an inquiry email.
    3. Create a pitch by explaining your travel expertise and provide writing samples.

    How To Guest Post Like A Pro

    1. When creating your pitch, understand the site’s needs. What content gaps do they have? Focus your pitch there.
    2. Organic guest posting opportunities arise if you take the time to network. Meeting and developing friendships with travel bloggers is a great way to share audiences. You can network on social media, as well as in-person events like TBEX, TravelCon, and Traverse.
    3. Create a clear link back to your blog and include a catchy description so readers will be enticed to read more of your content.
    4. Strategize by monitoring the traffic of potential sites with tools like SEMRush and pick the best option.
    Screenshot from japan.travel, June 2024

    “Creating content for another publication to share as a standalone article allows you to share new expertise about a certain area. Whether through the article itself or subsequent social shares, a new audience gets exposure to you as a writer.”

    William Tang, goingawesomeplaces.com Founder

    See how William Tang made travel blogging his full-time job with the help of Stay22’s revenue-boosting tools. Read the case study.

    Compensate For Traffic Dips By Maximizing Your Revenue.

    Maximize your conversions with strategic CTA placement and Stay22’s cutting-edge AI-powered affiliate tools! Skyrocket your affiliate sales with these proven tips:

    DOWNLOAD OUR GUIDE: Ten Tips for Maximizing Revenue for Travel Bloggers.

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    Image Credits

    Featured Image: Image by Shutterstock. Used with permission.

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    May 17 2024
    YouTube Unveils New Content And Ad Offerings At Brandcast via @sejournal, @gregjarboe

    YouTube unveiled four new content and ad offerings at its 13th annual Brandcast at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center.

    Key announcements include:

    • WNBA Friday night games: Google and Scripps Sports announced an agreement for YouTube TV to show the locally televised WNBA Friday night games on ION in both the home and away markets of the teams playing. This season, YouTube TV will be the only digital multichannel video programming distributor (dMVPD) carrying local and national WNBA games. The games will be part of the YouTube TV Base Plan starting May 31 and continuing through the regular season.
    • Creator Takeovers via YouTube Select: YouTube announced the expansion of this takeover option to more creators, which was initially piloted at the end of 2023. With the formalization of this program, brands will be able to collaborate with top YouTube creators to own a 100% share of voice on their channel, leveraging creator-fan solid connections.
    • Non-Skips for Video Reach Campaigns: YouTube announced a new AI-powered format optimized for connected TV (CTV), using non-skippable assets across in-stream inventory.
    • Branded QR Codes: YouTube launched branded QR codes, enabling advertisers to drive more interactivity by putting their brand front and center in a more modern QR code.

    In addition to these news announcements, YouTube’s executive bench also took the stage to talk about their vision, the importance of content, and innovation in advertising.

    Neal Mohan, the CEO of YouTube, said, “Creators are drawing audiences on the big screen because they’re the new Hollywood. They have business strategies, writers’ rooms, and production teams. They’re reimagining classic TV genres, from morning shows to sports commentary. And they’re inventing entirely new ones!”

    He added, “Along the way, creators are redefining what we think of as ‘TV.’ And they deserve the same acclaim as other creative professionals. I believe it’s time a creator won an Emmy.”

    YouTube CEO Neal Mohanan speaks onstage during YouTube Brandcast 2024 at David Geffen Hall on May 15, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for YouTube)

    Mary Ellen Coe, the Chief Business Officer of YouTube, said:

    “No one is more engaged than loyal YouTube fans. They excitedly count down to new videos, rewatch old ones, and create their own in response. And they rush to their favorite creator’s channel in the 24 hours after new videos are released. Which presents an ideal moment for brands to engage with these fans.”

    Sean Downey, the President of Americas and Global Partners at Google, said:

    “Google AI has been at the core of our ads solutions for years. As we advance, our ability to help brands drive ROI keeps improving.”

    The night featured musical performances by Billie Eilish featuring FINNEAS, Benson Boone, and Stray Kids, as well as various YouTube creators, including Haley Kalil, Kinigra Deon, Ryan Trahan, Shannon Sharpe, and Zach King.

    This highlighted why a survey conducted by Kantar found that viewers in the United States say that if they could only watch one service for an entire year, YouTube would be the #1 platform they chose.

    Mary Ellen Coe, CBO, YouTube, speaks at YouTube Brandcast. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for YouTube)

    The audience gleaned other critical data throughout the evening event, which was part of the Upfronts.

    For example, according to Nielsen’s total TV and streaming report for the US, YouTube has remained the leader in streaming watch time every month since February 2023. And 9 out of 10 viewers say they use YouTube, according to a Pew Research Study.

    According to YouTube’s internal data, the key CTV metrics included:

    • Views in the living room have increased by more than 130% from 2020 to 2023.
    • On average, viewers watch over 1 Billion hours of YouTube content on the big screen (television) daily.
    • YouTube TV has more than 8 million paid subscribers.
    • Over 40 of YouTube’s top 100 channels by watch time have TV as their most-watYouTube’sen.
    • Last year, views of Shorts on connected TVs more than doubled.

    Advertisers in the audience also snacked on these news nuggets:

    • According to a custom MMM meta-analysis commissioned by Google with Nielsen, on average, YouTube drives higher long-term Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) than TV, other online video, and paid social.
    • Based on a meta-analysis across 13 NCS sales lift studies, AI-powered video reach campaign mixes earned an average ROAS 3.7x higher (271%) than manually optimized campaigns.
    • According to a Kantar survey, viewers in the United States agree that YouTube is the #1 video platform for gaming content, outperforming TV, social, and streaming platforms.
    • According to a Google/Ipsos YouTube Trends Survey, 54% of people would rather watch creators break down a significant event like the Oscars or Grammys than watch it themselves.

    Now, that’s a lot of news to digest. Still, as I mentioned in “Google Unveils Updates At IAB NewFronts 2024,” YouTube is also “expected to make more announcements at VidCon A” aheim 2024, which will take place from June 26–29, 2024, at the Anaheim Convention Center.

    So, as TV newscasters would say in the old days, “Don’t touch that dial.”

    Featured Image: Muhammad Alimaki/Shutterstock

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
    Apr 30 2024
    Google Unveils 4 Updates At IAB NewFronts 2024 (YouTube Fails To Share Any News) via @sejournal, @gregjarboe

    Google unveiled four Display & Video 360 updates during IAB NewFronts 2024 on Monday morning, while the YouTube evening reception failed to make any news during their Monday evening event.

    Why did Google hold one NewFront event on Monday morning and YouTube hold another one on Monday evening at the 2024 IAB NewFronts?

    There’s a classic strategy for maximizing your retail shelf space that involves product segmentation to get more space allocation (minimizing your competitors’ space on retail shelves).

    Procter & Gamble (P&G) has used this strategy for more than a hundred years, which is why it has multiple brands of laundry products (including Ariel, Cheer, Era, and Tide).

    The marketing executives at Google and YouTube may have segmented the audience that attends IAB NewFronts into two groups: one focused on connected TV (CTV) and another on social video.

    The Right Time To Unveil How Google Display & Video 360 Has Evolved

    As I reported last week in Video Ad Spend And Trends Revealed Ahead Of IAB NewFronts 2024, the IAB expects ad spending on CTV to grow by 12% to $22.7 billion in 2024.

    However, when people now say they “watch TV,” it means different things than it did in the past. Today’s viewers seamlessly jump from hit shows to creator content on their CTVs. Heck, they’re even watching YouTube Shorts on their smart TVs.

    Audiences are fluid, so reaching them now means showing up when and where they watch the video content they love instead of appearing on the large-screen television during prime time in the family room.

    This explains why the Google NewFront seemed to be the right time and place to unveil how Google’s Display & Video 360 has evolved to help marketers and media agencies adjust their strategies and video ad buys to reach their audiences across streaming content.

    A Nielsen Media Mix Modeling (MMM) meta-analysis of 15 U.S. consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands, commissioned by Google, found that marketers using unified media buying through Display & Video 360 achieved a significant advantage. They saw a 120% higher return on ad spend (ROAS) compared to third-party video bought directly and an 18% higher ROAS than linear TV.

    4 Updates For Google Display & Video 360 Updates At NewFront

    At the Google NewFront event on Monday morning, Kristen O’Hara, the VP of Agency, Platforms & Client Solutions at Google, provided four updates that were amplified by a dozen other speakers.

    Kristen O'Hara, the VP of Agency, Platforms & Client Solutions at GoogleImage from Google NewFront, April 2024

    Strategic relationships with streaming partners

    First, O’Hara announced:

    “We’re strengthening strategic relationships with streaming partners like Disney, Paramount, NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery. For example, our integration with Disney’s Real-time Ad Exchange (DRAX) lets you tap into their vast inventory and reach at scale.”

    In response, Pete Chelala, the VP of Programmatic Advertising Sales at Paramount, said:

    “Paramount specializes in creating content fans love on the platforms they can’t live without. Partnering with Google ensures that our clients can access Paramount Advertising’s premium inventory seamlessly through Display & Video 360.”

    And Jill Steinhauser, the senior vice president of Ad Sales Revenue and Planning at Discovery Communications, added:

    “We’re thrilled to bring MAX’s diverse content to Display & Video 360. This allows advertisers to programmatically reach audiences at scale, unifying their media in one place.”

    Introducing Instant Deals Tool For Marketers

    To move as quickly as streaming audiences are these days, agencies also need more flexibility. So, the second announcement featured a couple of new products.

    O’Hara said:

    “We’re introducing instant deals – a new tool for marketers to configure customized deals with top publishers right from the Display & Video 360 interface, skipping the complex negotiation process.”

    She explained, “This buying method is already available today for high-impact reservation YouTube placements, like YouTube Select and Masthead. And soon, agencies will be able to access those same placements with non-guaranteed deals for even greater budget flexibility. Plus, instant deals are expanding beyond YouTube to major publishers like Disney.”

    O’Hara continued:

    “We also know managing yearly commitments across multiple publishers and deal types can be a tangled mess of spreadsheets. This is why we’ve built a tool called commitment optimizer in collaboration with our agency partners to streamline the process of managing commitments. Input your deal terms and goals, then Google AI intelligently optimizes the mix of guaranteed and non-guaranteed inventory for flexibility as well as reach.”

    Agencies that have been testing the commitment optimizer are already driving results, expanding access to premier deals to five times more clients.

    For example, Clare Ritchie, the senior vice president and global head of Programmatic & Inhousing at OMG, said,

    “Our co-development initiatives with Display & Video 360 enable OMG to deliver custom technology solutions that help our clients achieve better results.”

    Privacy-Forward Audience Solutions

    The third announcement at the Google NewFront event promises to help the advertising industry reach audiences accurately while respecting people’s privacy.

    Google has encouraged advertisers to invest in first-party data for years.

    Google’s Publisher Advertiser Identity Reconciliation (PAIR) solutions provide a way for advertisers and publishers to reconcile their first-party data securely. This enables marketers to show relevant ads to high-intent audiences, like past purchasers, while protecting privacy.

    To date, PAIR has delivered strong results for advertisers like Omni Hotels. According to LiveRamp, PAIR audiences provide 11% incremental reach compared to cookie-based lists.

    O’Hara said:

    “To further scale this privacy-forward solution, we’re collaborating to build open standards and contributing the PAIR protocol to the IAB Tech Lab. This will enable ad tech companies – and the industry as a whole – to adopt privacy-forward audience solutions that benefit everyone.

    Shailley Singh, the executive vice president of product and chief operating officer of IAB Tech Lab, observed:

    “It’s a big step towards making privacy-enhancing technologies mainstream in the programmatic supply chain.” He added, “We’re eagerly looking forward to ushering the PAIR protocol into an open industry standard.”

    Seamlessly Integrating Generative AI Into Display & Video 360

    The fourth announcement at the Google NewFront event focused on Google AI.

    O’Hara said:

    “The rise of programmatic advertising brought efficiency to media buying, but it’s time to evolve even further. We’ve heard from marketers and their media agencies that they expect a simpler, more intuitive DSP experience. So, we’re continuing to make Google AI an essential part of Display & Video 360, seamlessly integrating it into your workflows and bringing generative AI capabilities.”

    She added:

    “One of the first places you’ll see generative AI show up as a helpful collaborator in Display & Video 360 is in setting up your audience strategy with a feature called audience persona. Describe your ideal audience, and audience persona instantly generates a combination of audience segments that matches your goals.”

    This tool enables agencies to select the right audiences from thousands of options while helping them uncover new, high-potential audiences. It improves unduplicated reach and delivers better results for their clients.

    And even though Google AI offers suggestions, advertisers always have the final say. They can easily edit the generated selection, giving them full control over their campaigns.

    Audience persona is expected to launch this summer, starting with Google’s audience and demographic segments.

    “Of course, not all customers within an audience segment bring the same value to your business,” O’Hara acknowledged. “That’s where custom bidding comes in.”

    This capability lets advertisers indicate their highest priorities within Display & Video 360. Then, Google AI uses these custom signals to focus on the impressions that deliver the results that an advertiser wants.

    She said:

    “Custom bidding now includes brand awareness and engagement objectives, so you can optimize for behaviors like ‘time on screen.’ We soon plan to add CTV-specific signals like genre as well.”

    O’Hara concluded:

    “Transparency is a key responsibility for Display & Video 360 as marketers harness the helpfulness of AI. This is why we’ve launched experiment center, a tool that lets you take control, test strategies and optimize the way you use Google AI for maximum impact.”

    The tool’s dashboard offers top-line insights, enabling quick, data-driven decisions. The experiment center goes beyond tracking just conversions, providing a comprehensive view across the entire customer journey – from awareness to consideration and action.

    It provides a new way for advertisers to see how their latest AI-powered strategies compare to their previous approaches and understand the impact of consolidating their video streaming buys on a single platform.

    Youtube Evening Reception Failed To Share Any News

    As I reported last week in Video Ad Spend And Trends Revealed Ahead Of IAB NewFronts 2024, social video is on track toward its second year of 20% year-over-year (YoY) growth and is projected to rise to $23.4 billion.

    So, I was expecting YouTube to unveil umpteen updates to their digital video strategies during their evening reception. However, YouTube didn’t share any news or presentations during the closed event for customers.

    Why not?

    Well, it’s worth noting that this year’s YouTube Brandcast event, part of the broadcast upfront week, is scheduled for May 15, 2024 at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall.

    This is probably where YouTube plans to share a plethora of strategic insights with television network executives, major advertisers, and the media at the beginning of an important advertising sales period.

    VidCon Anaheim 2024 will take place from June 26–29, 2024 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Over 55,000 attendees are expected to pack the Community, Creator, and Industry tracks. Stay tuned for more breaking news and important developments at this event.

    In the old days, TV newscasters would say, “Don’t touch that dial” or “Film at 11.” But neither of these statements makes any sense today. These days, CTVs don’t have dials, and digital cameras don’t use film.

    So, just as we’ve had to adjust to these changes in the way we watch TV, we’ll also need to adjust to the new way that Google and YouTube package and communicate their video strategies.

    In 2023, YouTube revealed its strategic direction over three key events, and in 2024, we may not get a clear picture of the changing landscape until the end of June.

    More resources:

    Featured Image: metamorworks/Shutterstock

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
    Apr 9 2024
    YouTube’s ‘Affiliate Hub’ Offers A New Way For Channels To Make Money via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

    As YouTube continues its push into ecommerce, it’s launching an ‘Affiliate Hub’ to make it easier for channels to earn affiliate marketing income.

    The Affiliate Hub, integrated into the YouTube app, is a central place to browse top affiliate partners, commission rates, promotional offers, and even request product samples.

    It’s one of several new shopping features YouTube has launched, targeting the lucrative creator economy.

    Other updates include:

    • Shopping Collections that allow creators to curate their own product galleries.
    • The ability for all creators (not just affiliates) to bulk tag products across their video libraries.
    • Integration with e-commerce platform Fourthwall to manage storefronts within YouTube Studio.

    The updates come amid a growth period for YouTube Shopping.

    In 2023, viewers reportedly watched over 30 billion hours of shopping-related videos, representing a 25% increase in watch time year over year.

    Here’s more about YouTube’s new shopping updates.

    YouTube Affiliate Hub

    For affiliate marketers considering YouTube, today’s update makes it more appealing and creator-friendly.

    “Who doesn’t love a good deal?” said Aditya Dhanrajani, YouTube’s Director of Product Management for Shopping. “The Affiliate Hub is making it easier for Shopping creators to find the information to start planning their next shoppable video.”

    For YouTube creators building an affiliate marketing business, the Hub streamlines a fragmented process of dealing with different brands across separate platforms and sources.

    Now, creators can view all the latest affiliate brand opportunities, exclusive promo codes to share with their audience, and commission payouts in one place.

    “Our creators understand the incredible opportunity for affiliate earnings on YouTube,” said Dhanrajani. “With an integrated Affiliate Hub providing partnership opportunities, promo deals, and seamless product tagging, there’s never been a better time to build an affiliate business on our platform.”

    Other New Shopping Features

    Shopping Collections

    YouTube highlights another key feature in this update: Shopping Collections, which allows channels to curate products from their favorite brands or their own merchandise lines.

    Creators can now group products into themed collections, making it easier for viewers to discover and purchase related items.

    Collections will appear in a channel’s product list, Store tab, and video descriptions. The feature is initially launching on the Studio app for mobile, with plans to expand to desktop soon.

    Expanded Product Tagging

    Last year, YouTube introduced the ability for affiliate shopping creators to tag products across multiple videos simultaneously based on items listed in the video descriptions.

    This feature is now being expanded to all Shopping creators, allowing them to tag their products and merchandise across their entire video library. This update could help creators earn more revenue from older, high-traffic content.

    Integration With Fourthwall

    YouTube is integrating Fourthwall, an e-commerce platform, into its list of supported shopping platforms.

    This integration will enable creators to create and manage their storefronts directly within YouTube Studio, streamlining the process of setting up and maintaining an online store.

    “We know that people come to YouTube every day to connect with the things and creators they love,” Dhanrajani stated. “We hope these new YouTube Shopping features make that journey even easier for creators and viewers.”

    In Summary

    As the spring shopping season kicks off, these updates enhance YouTube’s ecommerce capabilities and provide creators with more opportunities to monetize their content.

    View YouTube’s announcement below:

    Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments