As short-form video becomes more common across mediums and platforms, consumers are getting more used to video content – and with that, they have expectations for what a positive viewing experience should be like.
In an oversaturated market, it’s more critical than ever to have a strategy for creating non-disruptive, effective and meaningful experiences for consumers visiting your website.
Connatix recently polled more than 1,000 U.S. consumers aged 18+ to better understand how publishers can create meaningful and effective experiences in today’s overcrowded digital ecosystem. Here are our top tips.
We found that while consumers are watching a multitude of video content, they don’t want to jump around - the majority of viewers (68%) prefer to visit three or fewer channels in one viewing session. So there’s an opportunity for publishers to create experiences that keep consumers engaged and on your site longer. But how?
A positive reader experience may be dependent on both the content itself and any recommended content that accompanies it. Not only do consumers notice when recommended content relates to content they previously saw, they prefer it – 57% of respondents said they are more likely to watch a recommended video if it’s about the same topic they just consumed. For example, if a viewer is already on a page reading a recipe for a Thanksgiving turkey, they may be more likely to subsequently elect to watch a recommended video about how to carve one. Serving contextually related recommendations on one piece of content can help extend the time that viewers stay on site interacting with that content.
According to consumers’ responses, publishers’ websites still remain a core destination for video despite the surging popularity of social channels. And viewers are game for video – 46% of consumers surveyed reported that they spend more than 10 minutes and up to an hour a day watching video. But the current saturation of content in the industry means it’s still a challenge to stand out in a crowded market. Instead of just listing information in a standalone article that would blend in with the countless other listicles out there, try accompanying that content with a slideshow video. Rather than just using a written story to report on sports events or statistics, try pairing that article with video content that updates dynamically with the most recent scores. Connatix’s video creation suite offers a straightforward way to make these creative video options, with a variety of templates available to add some new spice to the video content accompanying your articles.
Consumers are more willing to engage with sound-on video than they have been in the past. As stated in the report, while this behavioral shift can have several causes, it may be connected to consumers being more used to watching video content on multiple platforms, such as social media or news sites. 54% of survey respondents said they watch with sound on either always or most of the time. Only 6% said they never watch with sound. Take advantage of that increased willingness by prioritizing a catchy song or pleasant voiceover to enhance storytelling and engagement in your video content.
Identifying specific consumer habits and how they influence engagement can be the difference you need in creating a more effective viewer experience. By prioritizing unique and interesting content based on these stated consumer habits, hitting engagement and retention goals can be easier than ever.
Interested in learning more? Download the full report here.