Russian government officials are claiming Ukrainian forces attempted to kill President Vladimir Putin with a failed drone attack.
Officials say two drones were used in the “assassination attempt” at the president’s residence within the Kremlin compound, but were disabled by Russian defense systems.
No injuries or damage to the residence was reported. Putin was seen in video and photos released Wednesday meeting with a regional governor outside Moscow.
The Kremlin called the incident a “terrorist action” and threatened retaliation.
“The Kremlin has assessed these actions as a planned terrorist act and an assassination attempt on the president on the eve of Victory Day, the May 9 Parade,” RIA said.
Videos circulating online appeared to show a drone being shot down over the Kremlin, and smoke rising in Moscow.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Video marketing is here to stay. Cisco predicts 82 percent of all internet traffic will be video by 2022. Also, according to HubSpot, 53 percent of users want to see more video content.
If video is part of your digital marketing strategy, you’ll want to pay attention to the new learning video rich results from Google. This structured markup is fast becoming a cornerstone of video SEO for learning content.
So what is it, why does it matter, and (more importantly) how do you optimize for learning video rich results?
Here is what you need to know to implement this feature.
What Are Learning Video Rich Results, and Why Are They Important?
Learning video markup is structured data that displays key moments in educational videos, along with a short description and a time stamp, right in the search results. This allows users to see what topics a video covers and quickly skip to the most relevant part of a video.
According to Google, it is designed to provide more search visibility for educational video content.
A few notes about this new type of markup: learning video rich results only display in English, though they’re available anywhere Google Search is available.
They can show up on both mobile and desktop search results, but remember, this feature is only available for learning-related content.
Here’s an example of the code used for learning video rich results:
Why is this new markup significant? There are a few reasons why digital marketers should be paying attention.
First, schema markup helps SEO by making it easier for Google to understand what a video is about. From a user perspective, it helps users quickly find the information they need without watching an entire video.
Even better, the video rich results have a CTR of 62 percent, making it one of the top-performing rich result types.
Learning video rich results also take up more space in the search results, helping to increase visibility and click-through rates.
Here’s a look at the space a normal video takes up in the search results and another with rich results:
The rich result is bigger and far more useful than the standard video search result.
According to Google, publishers can add this markup to educational videos at any stage, from preschool to professional training.
Technical Implementation Guidelines for Learning Video Rich Results
To use this new feature, Google requires a few technical adjustments. First, your video must be educational content. Then, take these steps:
In addition to the Learning Video markup, Google requires adding the VideoObject schema markup, which includes a description, name, thumbnail URL, and upload date.
Your video must be public and cannot require a subscription to watch.
Video must be at least 30 seconds in length. (Though I suspect longer videos are more likely to be selected for rich results since they can be more comprehensive.)
Learning Video markup must be added to the page where users can watch the video.
Then, like other rich results, it’s up to Google to decide which video will show up in the search results with these features.
You can optimize for the feature, but you can’t make Google choose your website.
Types of Learning Video Rich Results Properties
Learning video rich results display more information about concepts and skills taught in the video. In addition to the video object markup, there are several other properties Google suggests adding.
These include:
educationalLevel, educationalAlignment, or learningResourceType : Tell Google the educational level, test, or exam the video is related to, such as “common core” or “SAT test.”
hasPart: A list of clips in the video that defines what each clip is about, including options like problem walk through, overview of a concept, or the text of the problem being solved.
These parts of the coding are crucial to helping Google understand what concepts the video covers.
Best Practices for Rich Results Optimization
Rich snippets add new features to the search results, including Learning Video Rich Results, product images, product reviews, and a longer description. Like other rich results, publishers can add the markup to videos, but Google decides which search result is the best fit.
There are, however, a few steps you can take to improve the chances of Google displaying rich results for your educational content.
Add Structured Data To Your Website
This is the most important, and arguably the most difficult step. Head to Google or Schema.org to find the coding you need to add structured data to your website.
Structured data helps Google understand your content by sharing details in pre-outlined formats.
What is the difference between structured and unstructured data? Imagine a teacher asking students to turn in a 2,000-word essay, and some students turn in their papers on construction paper, written on large cardboard boxes, or even in digital files. It would be challenging to read and grade all those papers—that’s the equivalent to unstructured data.
Structured data would be like the teacher providing an outline for the essay and asking students to type their responses in Arial,11-point font and print it on 11 x 7 paper—they’d have a much easier time reading and grading those papers!
Structured data is similar—it’s a set of guidelines that helps Google understand content better by ensuring it fits into a format they understand.
While the coding might feel overwhelming, it might not be as complicated as you think. Head to Google to grab their code, then adjust it to fit your video. You may need the help of a developer or a plugin to add the code to your website.
Make Sure Your Content Is Useful to Users, Not Just Google
Learning video rich results is another way for digital marketers to help Google understand content—however, it’s not a silver bullet. This markup won’t make mediocre content go viral.
Rather, this will help users find really great video content that is already out there. You’ll still need to follow video SEO best practices and create useful video.
Aim to answer users’ questions thoroughly, ensure your video and audio are clear and easy to understand, and include keywords in your descriptions.
Validate Your Structured Data
Structured data is coding that helps sites snag those rich results. Because it’s structured in a specific way, Google (and other search engines) can easily understand your content.
However, because it’s coding, things can go wrong.
Validating your structured data ensures the code embedded in your site is valid and can be easily read by search engines. Use Google’s Rich Result Testing tool to ensure your markup is working properly.
Keep an Eye on Google Search Console for Errors
Google Search Console has a rich snippet report that shows which rich snippets your site is eligible for and reports issues. Note, you will only see this report if Google finds a rich result in your property and if the rich result is supported by the report.
To access this report, look for “Enhancements” in the menu pane. The report includes a summary chart of valid and invalid items, a list of issues, and a link to get more information about problems found on your site.
Check this report regularly so you can fix any issues with rich results fast.
Top Rich Results Testing Tools
As already mentioned, Google has a rich results testing tool that ensures your markup is working correctly. However, there are a few other options, including:
ClassySchema.org: Validates code and shows you what it might look like in the search results.
Schema.dev: see if your JSON-LD code is accurate and check for warnings.
SEO tools, like Semrush, may also provide information about rich snippets on your site.
FAQs
What are rich results?
Rich results are expanded search results that include additional information. Rich results have a higher click-through rate, but require site owners to add coding to their website. Note that Google chooses which sites appear with rich results.
How do I get rich results on Google?
Getting rich results on Google is a 2-part process. First, you need to set up the appropriate schema on your page to give Google the technical capability to recognize your content in a schema format. After that, you need to build up the SEO presence of that content so Google decides your content is worth getting a rich result.
What is Google’s rich results test?
The rich results test is a free tool that Google offers that allows you to test any publicly accessible page to see potential rich results that it can have based on its schema.
What is Videoobject schema?
Videoobject schema is schema that describes a singular video, generally as part of an embedded object.
What is video structured data?
Like all structured data, video structured data is a set format to provide info about a page and create a set category for its data. In this case, it’s classifying the content as a video, but also elements about the video, like highlighting essential parts through the Key Moments feature.
How does marking up my educational video help CTR?
Adding markup to your educational video increases click-through rate by making it easier for users to tell if your video is relevant and by taking up more physical space in the search results.
How do I test if my schema markup is implemented right?
Use a rich snippet validation tool to ensure your markup is implemented correctly, and check the Rich Snippets Report in Google Search Console.
Rich results are expanded search results that include additional information. Rich results have a higher click-through rate, but require site owners to add coding to their website. Note that Google chooses which sites appear with rich results.
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Getting rich results on Google is a 2-part process. First, you need to set up the appropriate schema on your page to give Google the technical capability to recognize your content in a schema format. After that, you need to build up the SEO presence of that content so Google decides your content is worth getting a rich result.
The rich results test is a free tool that Google offers that allows you to test any publicly accessible page to see potential rich results that it can have based on its schema.
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Conclusion
Google has made it clear that they care more about user experience than keyword stuffing or perfectly optimized content.
Between its upcoming Helpful Content update and the more recent learning video rich results feature, digital marketers need to focus on delivering value, not just link building or keyword stuffing.
By highlighting important topics and moments in educational videos, Google is helping improve click-through rates for videos and deliver a better user experience.
Have you added learning video rich results to your website? I’d love to hear about the results.
TikTok has boomed due to the potential for anyone to become an influencer on its platform. You don’t need to be a professional to create cool videos or even have a huge following to go viral. All you need is a phone and a personality—then your audience will come to you.
However, content creation does come with a warning: not every video you create is going to be perfect the first time around.
Editing is a great way to sharpen footage to improve the quality or create something that would be impossible with just one take. Perhaps you want a video where you are having a conversation with yourself. Through editing, this is possible.
If you don’t know where to start when it comes to editing videos on TikTok, this in-depth guide will have you creating viral-worthy TikTok videos in no time.
How to Edit TikTok Videos
Luckily, it’s pretty straightforward to edit TikTok videos, and in-app features allow you to make changes and adjustments without complication.
Step 1: Create a Video
You’ll need to record a video before you start editing one. Open up the app, choose the length of video you want to create, and get recording. Record several clips if you mean to stitch clips together, or upload footage if you have video content already.
Now let’s get editing.
Step 2: Adjust Clips
Tap “Adjust Clips” if you want to cut your videos down to size. Simply move the red lines on either side of the video bar to change the start and stop points. Tap and hold video clips to rearrange them or delete them. You can also split a video in two by using the white line that runs down the video bar.
Step 3: Add Filters
You can quickly add a filter to your video by clicking on the “Filters” tab. Blanket filters come in four categories:
portrait
landscape
food
vibe
Pick whichever seems most appropriate to your video, and you’ll be good to go.
Tap on the “Sounds” section at the bottom of the screen to explore all of the pre-loaded music the app offers. You can browse trending songs or search for a specific track you have in mind. Once you’ve found the perfect sound, choose where you want it to start.
You can also play sound while you record to better sync your shots with the music—a great feature for when you are joining in on TikTok trends.
Step 5: Add Effects
Effects are what make TikTok videos stand apart. Tap on the “Effects” tab to add a huge range of visual effects to your video. You can speed up your video, reverse it, add special filters, and create transitions between video clips.
Step 6: Add Text
Tap on the “Text” tab to add captions to your TikTok video. There’s a huge range of fonts to choose from and you can also change the color and alignment of your copy.
Type what you want to appear on your video, as well as the font and color. Then choose at which point you want it to appear on the video and for how long. Simple.
Step 7: Add Stickers
Finally, you can add stickers to any part of your video. These include polls, timestamps, and emojis.
7 External Editing Tools for TikTok Videos
TikTok’s internal editor is a fantastic tool, but it does have its limitations. For example, you can’t add the “Ken Burns” effect (which creates motion from static images) or record time-lapses. That’s why many TikTokers prefer to use an external editor to take their videos to the next level.
Some require editing skills, but there are others that can be used by anyone.
1. CapCut
CapCut is a free all-in-one editing tool owned by TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance. It’s packed with all the editing functions you need (trimming, filters, stabilization, and splitting) plus all of the functions you’ve been dying to experiment with (such as zooming, filters, stickers, and loads more). The app also has a massive library of licensed music you can use for free in your videos.
2. InShot
InShot is an undisputed leader when it comes to editing video clips for social networks. Best of all, it’s easy to do from your iPhone or Android device. As well as the standard editing features you’ve come to expect, InShot has an abundance of visual and audio effects, and you can also import your own tunes. There is a slight downfall, however, that InShot doesn’t have its own built-in music library.
3. Zoomerang
Zoomerang is a simple and easy-to-use video editing app that’s perfect for anyone looking to get started editing TikTok videos. Inside, you’ll find helpful tutorials, a library of more than 100 effects, filters, music, and loads more. You can buy a subscription to have an ad-free experience, but the free version works perfectly well.
4. Videoshop
The Videoshop app is available on the App Store and Google Play. You can add music, captions, and a wide range of effects and filters. You can also adjust the video speed. Videoshop is one of the best apps for merging and splicing clips from different videos.
It also allows you to upload videos directly to every major social media platform—making an influencer or digital marketer’s job just a little easier.
5. Funimate
Funimate is another excellent app for editing TikTok videos. The app is available for free on the App Store and Google Play, but you’ll need to pay for advanced features like removing the Funimate watermark.
Free features include splicing clips, adding music, and inserting a range of effects and stickers. What makes Funimate stand apart from other video editing apps is its daily challenges. These are a great way to enhance your editing experience and get better every day through new and exciting ways. Funimate’s prompts are great for inspiring creativity.
They offer an extensive editing suite complete with all of the functionality you need to create killer TikTok videos. It also has its own in-built library of music, making it easy to find the perfect song. If this sounds overwhelming, don’t worry. VEED has a great user platform, which is simple to learn, and you’ll soon be editing like a pro.
7. BeeCut
If you’re looking for a free video editor that works on both Windows and Mac, you can do worse than BeeCut. This popular editor is easy to use and comes packed with a suite of editing tools. You can add filters, transitions, and overlays, as well as a host of TikTok effects.
5 Tips for Editing TikTok Videos
The beauty of TikTok’s platform is that anyone can make awesome edits to their videos. If you’re serious about editing your video, follow these tips:
Tip 1: Focus on the Sound
Sound is one of the most important elements of a great TikTok video. (Here’s a lesser-known secret: it’s almost as important as the video quality). If you’re not going to layer sound over your content, then make sure you’re using a good quality microphone when speaking and minimize background noises.
The TikTok photo editing trick is a neat way to create stunning, vibrant images. Plus, it’s not hard to do. Just add these settings to your images:
highlights: -35
shadows: -28
contrast: -30
brightness: -15
black point: 10
saturation: 10
vibrance: 8
warmth: 10
tint: 39
sharpness: 14
definition: 23
exposure: 0
brilliance: 0
Tip 3: Save Your Favorite Effects and Filters
Have you ever come across an awesome effect or filter on TikTok and wanted to use it in your own videos? You can now save filters and effects to your favorites section for easy access when editing your next video.
For tracks, tap on the “Sound” tab at the bottom of the screen and click “Add to Favorites.” For effects and filters, you can find the name above the TikToker’s account details.
Tip 4: Use the Green Screen Effect
The green screen effect lets you change your drab background into literally anything. You can find it in the “Effects” section in the bottom left-hand corner when creating videos. You can either use a photo as your background or a video. Choose whichever you like then hit record.
Don’t forget you can change your background between clips to mix things up!
Tip 5: Add Voice Effects
Is there anything worse than the sound of your own voice? On TikTok, you don’t have to settle for it. Once you’ve recorded your video you can use the “Voice Effects” tab to change your voice into a robot, a chipmunk, or dozens of other fun alternatives.
Yes, you can make exactly the same edits to a saved video as you can to a video you’ve just recorded.
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Conclusion of TikTok Video Editing Guide
It doesn’t matter if you’re just using TikTok for fun or to promote your brand, knowing how to edit your videos effectively will help make creating high-quality, engaging videos with the potential to go viral ten times easier.
High-quality video content is a great way to showcase products professionally in an e-commerce store. AI Multiple, a digital B2B research firm, found that video content makes website visitors 64-85% more likely to buy a product, compared to static images.
There are many ways to edit your videos for free. Free video editing software has become increasingly popular in recent years, and the perks of the programs are always evolving.
These days, you can create high-quality, engaging video content that converts without paying the high sticker price of big-name software. If you’re not sure about product videos for e-commerce, or you don’t know where to invest your money, then free video editing software is a great place to start experimenting.
Is Free Video Editing Software as Effective as Paid Tools?
Paid doesn’t always mean better. Free video editing software has come a long way since its inception, and the latest platforms are incredibly versatile.
Many paid tools have impressive free versions, so you can use your favorite software without paying a subscription fee. This is a great way to test out content types and figure out the design direction for your videos.
These free versions allow you to test out paid products and see how they work. If you’re a beginner, there are tutorials and walkthroughs that can get you started.
That being said, there are many free tools with equal or greater editing options as paid tools. It’s important to figure out what kind of features you’re looking for, whether that be short-form, DIY social videos, product testimonials, online ads, or animated clips. Once you know what you need, it will be much easier to find the tool that suits your verticals.
How to Use Free Video Editing Software to Help Your E-Commerce Site
Video content can help you display your products in new and inventive ways. Customers appreciate being able to see a product in action. They also want to know what other people think of it, so posting reviews and demos can be a great way to target those audiences.
The CMO Council, a marketing research firm, found 48% of consumers want to see content that reflects products or services they are already interested in. Likewise, 43% of consumers want to see content that gives them clear information on the next steps they need to take in order to purchase.
Free video editing software can help you speak to this growing demographic and introduce your products to their vast sales funnel.
With well-edited videos, you can showcase the way your products move, answer FAQs, make your own promotional videos, highlight customer reviews, and give live product demos. This offers new value to your consumers that static content misses.
Want to find out how to get started with video marketing? With just a few simple tools you can maximize your conversions and extend your reach online.
What Features to Look For in Free Video Editing Software
Free video editing software can help you to create stand-out video content for your e-commerce platform.
There are so many different programs to choose from and even more features to consider.
But don’t get overwhelmed!
The first step is to figure out what you want your content to look like. Are you making short-form ads for Instagram Stories? Are you creating Google ads, Facebook banners, or on-site product pieces? Different content requires different features, so make sure you know what you’re looking for.
Once you know what you want to create, sorting through the noise is easier. Here are some features to consider when choosing your free video editing software.
Choose Your Video Editing Skill Level
If you’re brand new to video editing, it’s best to start simple. Choose video editing software that doesn’t have too many complex features and one that will give you a tutorial. You can also find an online walkthrough to explain the best ways to use the software.
Give yourself enough time to play around with software before your project deadline. These tools can have a learning curve depending on which software you choose, so keep that in mind before you commit.
Video Editing Supported Formats
Some platforms, such as Youtube, require specific formats in order to upload content. It’s important to research what your format requirements are before diving into the new software.
If you want to publish your content in 4K, or maybe convert it to 720p, it’s a good idea to factor that into your content creation planning.
Some free video editing software platforms have a range of compatibility options, while others are very limited. Be sure to read the fine print before downloading anything.
Audio Video Editing Tools
Depending on what kind of content you’re producing, you may want to add audio tracks or musical elements to your videos.
Some free video editing software support audio mastering, while others don’t have those options. You may be able to add audio in through a secondary program if you want to, but it’s probably better to find software that does everything you need it to from the start.
Likewise, the audio tools may be limited to in-program purchases or pre-determined tracks. So be sure to choose software that will allow you to upload outside media if that’s what your content needs.
Titles and Subtitles
Titles and subtitles are a great way to overlay branding or text. You can also increase accessibility and speak to consumers who may have their volume turned off as they scroll.
Many free video editing software platforms have title and subtitle options. That being said, not all of them allow you to export or import these and you may need to do a bit of extra research to find a platform that supports more advanced text options.
Collaboration
If you’re looking to involve your team members in the editing process, then choosing a tool that supports collaboration will be important.
Many of these tools have limits on how many collaborators can participate, so make sure you know how many people will be logging onto the software and in what capacity they will be contributing.
Best Free Video Editing Software
No matter what kind of content you want to create, there is a free video editing software out there that can make your e-commerce dreams come true.
Remember, there are different apps for mobile, desktop, and even Instagram-specific editing tools. Read the software details to ensure you’ll be able to use your video on your desired platform.
Adobe Spark
Adobe Spark is one of the most approachable free video editing software platforms. You can add images, soundtracks, and animations directly into your uploaded videos. You can also edit and share your videos from the app, so you don’t have to spend time waiting for lengthy uploads.
Adobe Spark features:
Seamless social sharing options
Variety of typography, animations, imagery, and themes to choose from
Metric tracking for content
The free version gives you access to most of their basic editing software. You can also go premium for $9.99 per month.
Avidemux
Avidemux is a great beginner video editing software. It can be used on Windows, Mac, or Linux operating systems and boasts a clear, simple, easy-to-navigate interface.
The downside is there aren’t as many features as some of the other software platforms we’ve discussed. That said, if you’re just getting into video editing, this is a great place to start.
Avidemux features:
Cutting
Encoding
Filtering
Audio integration
Avidemux is 100% free.
Clipchamp
Clipchamp lets you edit clips directly in your browser without having to upload anything. It’s compatible with all file sizes and offers a range of customizable video templates curated by industry professionals.
Clipchamp features:
Video editing
Compression
Converting
Add audio
Add text
Clipchamp is a great option for those looking to do some quick and easy editing. Although it lacks some of the in-depth, professional features that can be useful, it makes up for it by being easy to navigate and learn.
The basic platform is free for up to 5-minute pieces. Premium plans begin at $14 per month.
HitFilm Express
HitFilm Express is a professional-grade free video editing software that can be used on either Mac or Windows systems.
HitFilm offers advanced and beginner features that rival some of the best paid platforms out there. The catch? You have to post about them on social media before you can start editing.
HitFilm Express features:
Green screen effects
Advanced cutting tools
Video and audio filters
Layers and masking
3D video support
If you’re a beginner, factor in some extra time to learn the interface. Don’t worry too much, there are a range of tutorial videos to get you started which are based on popular Hollywood franchises like Star Wars and Marvel. The videos are fun to watch and you might even learn something!
Wave.video
Wave.video is free video editing software for creating branded content. They have a huge stock video and image library and an array of different templates you can add to your video.
Wave.video features:
Free library of image and video clips
Voiceover recording
Audio library of 300,000 royalty-free audio tracks
Ad-free video hosting
Wave.video is free for up to 15-second videos. Paid subscriptions start at $8.25 per minute.
Looking for more video editing software options? Check out these 5 video editing tools.
Next Steps After Choosing the Best Free Video Editing Software Tool
Once you’ve chosen your software, it’s time to get to work!
Depending on the software you pick, your next steps will look a little different.
If you choose a professional video editing software such as Avidemux or HitFilm Express, then you’ll need to upload some content of your own before you get started.
If you have some product shots or e-commerce reels, you can upload them into these platforms to cut them into shorter clips, add in text overlays or branded content, or add in audio tracks or music.
If you chose a more simple software like Adobe Spark or Wave.video, you could start by choosing a template and editing it to make it your own. You can also upload product images or videos and then utilize some of the free, in-app features like typography or animations to enhance your video.
To maximize your content for e-commerce conversions, make sure you tailor your content for your platform. If you’re trying to showcase how your product works, a product video is a good place to start. If you want to advertise a sale or discount on a Facebook ad, be sure to pay attention to sizing requirements and formatting options.
Conclusion
We know how important video content is for e-commerce conversions, but making video content doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag.
Organic and promoted videos serve multiple purposes for consumers in their increasingly multi-channel B2C journey. More than half of the participants said they switched between search and video channels (Google and YouTube) to make an informed decision about a purchase in a YouTube study. But it’s not just YouTube—Instagram’s video content consumption has shot up by …
Organic and promoted videos serve multiple purposes for consumers in their increasingly multi-channel B2C journey. More than half of the participants said they switched between search and video channels (Google and YouTube) to make an informed decision about a purchase in a YouTube study. But it’s not just YouTube—Instagram’s video content consumption has shot up by … Continue reading How to Use Promoted Videos to Generate More E-commerce Sales
But it’s not just YouTube—Instagram’s video content consumption has shot up by 80%, and Facebook users consume one million hours of video content every day.
All these platforms—along with most other social media sites—are ones consumers go to regularly. So as online sellers, these should become your go-to places for running promoted video content. In one study, US online shoppers said they expect to see at least three videos connected to each product when making an online purchase.
But how do you use promoted videos from paid campaigns that translate to tangible results for your e-commerce store?
Create Your Promoted Video E-Commerce Goals
Goals of promoted videos for e-commerce businesses mostly come down to these three:
Increasing brand awareness: -This essentially means if you make and sell, say, scarves, people looking to buy scarves know about you. Promoted videos are a great tool for building brand awareness as people are increasingly discovering new products through videos. In a YouTube survey, more than 90% of shoppers said they’d found new products and brands on the platform.
Boosting consideration: You want to know if people looking for scarves and checking you out are actually considering buying from you. When done right, promoted videos can push your “aware” audience base to the consideration stage. More than 50% of shoppers say online videos have “helped them decide which specific brand or product to buy.”
Generating more sales: YouTube’s “which product to buy” video watch time doubles each year. Promoted videos can give shoppers the push they need to choose your product.
Translate Your Promoted Video Goals Into KPIs
Take your goals for promoted videos and choose KPIs that reflect them.
Bigger e-commerce brands often use KPIs like ad recall, message association, and purchase intent, among others.
However, if you’re just starting out or are in your early stages of growth, these KPIs won’t make so much sense for you. Instead, you should map your goals to the more “real” KPIs, like upper funnel metrics like views and impressions, middle funnel metrics like watch time and view-throughs, and bottom-funnel metrics like click-throughs, signups, and sales. (Here’s a primer on e-commerce attribution modeling that can help you with this.)
Different video platforms have different ways of calculating these metrics. For instance, watch time of three-seconds counts as a view on Instagram (where video content maxes out at 60 seconds), whereas for YouTube, a view happens when someone watches the video content for at least 30 seconds.
Tap Into Your Users’ Moments of Need
Now that you’ve taken care of the “business side” of using promoted videos for your e-commerce business, it’s time to look into the “people side.”
One way to go about this is to tap into the idea of “moments of need” that drive video search and consumption. These are the things consumers want at this exact second.
The four key micro-moments of needs you must factor in when planning video content for paid promotions are:
I-want-to-watch
I-want-to-do
I-want-to-know
I-want-to-buy
These micro-moments represent opportunities for engagement, and videos fit seamlessly into them.
For example, if you sell skincare products, you could run a sponsored video on YouTube that targets users in your target market who also Googled “skincare products,” capitalizing on an I-want-to-buy moment. Google’s research has found advertisers who use YouTube video ads and Google search ads report 3% higher conversion rates and a 4% lower search cost/acquisition.
Or you could target broader audience segments and educate them about their top relevant concerns (ingredients, benefits, etc.). This is geared toward the I-want-to-know moments.
When you brainstorm ideas for videos using moments of need, don’t only think in terms of pitching your products. Some of these moments aren’t moments of buying but opportunities to connect with your users via meaningful video content.
The idea is to meet your users with relevant video content wherever they are in their buying journey with you—unaware, considering, or ready-to-buy.
Identify What Drives Your Users to Different Video Platforms
Each video platform has a unique video consumption pattern driven by the viewers’ intents.
For example, Pinterest users appear to have an appetite for “inspirational” video content, with searches for this content increasing 31 percent. “Inspirational,” in this context, means things like how-to guides and backstories of companies and products, making this platform great for “I-want-to-know” and “I-want-to-do” moments.
For YouTube, on the other hand, thetop four content categories are comedy, music, entertainment/pop culture, and “how to.” And, 68% of their users take this information and make purchase decisions—so, you can find all sorts of opportunities to use “moments” on this site to make your sales.
It’s also worth exploring how a user engages with the platform you’re using to promote your videos. Pinterest, for instance, serves as a wishlist for many users, as people save images and videos from all over to their personal pages. Meanwhile, a customer who uses YouTube may watch videos to learn how to use a product they want.
Instagrammers’ “moments” can fall into any category, but they want to use the information right now. When you create videos for Instagram, they need to be fast, informative, and provide easy purchasing information.
Before you pick a platform, dig into its demographics and research data. This information can help you set expectations for your promoted videos.
Optimize Your Video Content For Paid Campaigns
When it comes to creating video content you’ll pay to promote, the only rules are the ones mandated by the video platforms. These rules are about the formats supported and the approval policies, plus a few best practices.
Content-wise, there’s no one right way to do video. You need to know your company, your audience, and what works for similar brands.
For one brand, simply using stock photos, text, and music could do the trick.
Another brand might do better if they use video showing a product in action.
While there’s no one single way to create videos that work, some video types more consistently deliver results when promoted:
Product explainer videos: Sometimes simple product explainer videos—videos showing products in action—work as excellent content for promoting.
Storytelling/Sneak peeks/Behind-the-scenes videos: For some platforms, like Instagram, video content that tells a story, gives viewers a preview of new products, or shows them how things were created or who the workers are can generate great ROI.
How-tos: How-to videos directly address the “i-want-to-do” moments and often offer opportunities for showing products in action.
Unboxing and haul videos: Depending on your product(s), unboxing, or haul videos, too, can work well in paid campaigns. These are videos showing customers opening their new purchases and talking about their initial responses to the items.
Shop with me: In a two-year period, the watch time for “shop with me” videos increased tenfold on mobile alone, making this yet another video content type that can work well when promoted. These are videos where influencers literally share their shopping experiences with viewers.
Videos answering the “W” questions: Video consumers often have “W” questions— “what to buy?” “where to buy,” and “when to buy?” This may also include, “who should I buy this for?” Depending on your paid video campaigns’ goals, these questions can make good jumping-off points for promoted videos.
The above ideas for promoted video content may often overlap with the video content you’d produce for typical partnerships—but not always. It’s common for brands to create content specifically for partnerships and use it in addition to their other ads.
Alongside these promoted ads and partnerships, UGC (user-generated content) and testimonials can act as good ideas for promoted video content.
No matter what video type you choose, you need a video creative brief to prepare for your campaign. Below, Nic Burrows from Google shares a simple yet effective creative brief you can use to create compelling videos.
His template forces you to think about and research every aspect involved with creating useful, action-inspiring videos:
You can download your copy here (no opt-in needed).
To learn how to make your video content pop, Ben Jones and his team from Google review 1,000 video ad creatives each month and share how brands can improve. Check it out here:
Experiment With Your Promoted Videos
Like your other marketing assets, experiment with your promoted videos to know which ones drive the most revenue.
You can test pretty much everything, from your video’s length and opening sequence to the background music and interactive elements.
You’ll be surprised to realize significant savings with even simple experiments, so don’t shy away from trying all sorts of different things.
For example, when the coffee and bakery brand Dunkin’ experimented by creating an Instagram video ad with poll stickers and another version without them. By comparing these two concepts, they discovered a 20% lower cost per video view for those with stickers.
Avoid testing too many ideas in a single experiment because you likely won’t be able to tell why the winning version succeeded.
Document your findings to save on the next campaign. Additionally, your discoveries can fuel your follow-up experiments.
Analyze and Improve Your Promoted Videos
As with any other marketing channel, you may improve your ROI with your store’s promoted videos if you analyze their performance.
Just remember to look a little deeper than the top-of-the-funnel metrics like views and shares to uncover the “real” performance. No matter how impressive those numbers may be, they don’t necessarily translate to sales and profits.
So keep an eye on your sales volumes and value.
Also, when you use promoted videos on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, you can get instant feedback from your users via their comments, likes, dislikes, and shares.
Listen to the feedback they give and use any insights to optimize your videos.
Conclusion
When trying promoted videos for generating more sales, you should try a variety of platforms one by one.
That way, you’ll be able to identify which platforms produce the best ROI for your promoted video campaigns without needing to invest in complex attribution modeling.
Also, don’t think you need the most high-definition production equipment or the best creative agencies to produce the video content for promoting your products. Audiences crave for authentic content the most—so focus on that.
Remember, you’re competing against your own benchmarks, as there are no industry standards here.
Dive in, try different things, listen to your viewers, and—perhaps—have a little fun along the way.
Have you tried promoting videos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or any other platforms? Share your experience in the comments!
In the next few sections, I’ll explain what YouTube analytics is all about, how to access it, what metrics you need to track, and how to leverage this information for better ROI.
What Is YouTube Analytics?
YouTube analytics is the native analytics platform on the site, providing access to vital metrics about video performance including watch time, viewer demographics, traffic sources, impressions, and more.
What is the point of all this information?
This data is here to help you understand what type of content your audience is interested in so you can improve your YouTube strategy.
If you hate wading through data, you’ll be happy to know YouTube analytics is pretty straightforward.
Instead of overwhelming yourself with a ton of information, you can choose to focus on the data that matters most to your brand.
Why Is YouTube Analytics Important?
Simply put, knowing about your YouTube videos’ performance levels is vital to understanding how effective your efforts have been. When you know that, you can create more of the content your viewers love.
This fact is of particular importance if your products appeal to this demographic.
But YouTube isn’t just for teens—people of all ages and demographics watch more than a billion hours of YouTube videos every day.
How to Access YouTube Analytics
Ready to dig into the data? Here’s how to access YouTube analytics.
From the YouTube homepage, navigate to the top right corner, where you see your account’s avatar.
Click on the image, and you’ll see a drop-down list of account options.
Select “YouTube Studio.”
On the next page, you’ll see the Studio dashboard.
There’s a sidebar on the left, which allows you to access different parts of your account.
Click “Analytics,” which takes you to an overview of your YouTube channel’s performance.
The overview page provides details like views, watch time, subscribers, estimated revenue, and real-time reporting.
You’ll also see four primary analytics tabs:
Reach
Engagement
Audience
Revenue
The statistics you see here are for the last 28 days. That’s YouTube’s default setting.
However, you can view metrics for a different period by clicking on the drop-down on your screen’s top right corner.
What if you want to see how well your videos have performed within 60 minutes or 48 hours of hitting the publish button?
The real-time report provides these details.
YouTube has information in place to help you understand the metrics, even if you’re a beginner.
All you have to do is hover over your chosen metric or click the “i” in a circle appearing near the metric’s name.
Here’s an example:
If you want to understand the metrics further, the “Learn More” link at the bottom of the box comes in handy.
In addition to overall channel metrics, you can also view individual videos’ metrics.
To access video metrics, click on any video from the overview page.
Click on “See More” to dive deeper into the analytics of a specific video.
Alternatively, you could click “Advanced Mode” at the top right corner.
Want to see how two videos performed against each other?
The comparison feature allows you to compare two videos, one video against itself over different periods, or a video with a group of other videos.
If the video is part of a series, you can discover how it compares to the others.
Additionally, you can discover if there is a difference in seasonal video performance.
To access this feature, click “Compare to” at the top right corner of the page.
Here, you can select the periods, video, or group to compare.
Another useful option is to add filters to your metrics.
You can find the filter option beneath the video’s title in the upper left, underneath the image from your video.
Clicking the “+” icon at the top of the table of metrics brings up a big list of metrics you can check out.
Want to save or share your data? You can easily export it for further analysis.
To do this, navigate to the top right corner of the page you want to export and click the download icon—a downward-facing arrow with a line beneath it.
This will bring up two options—Google Sheets and .csv—so you can choose the format you prefer.
Vital Metrics to Track on YouTube Analytics
It’s easy to get lost in the sea of data on various marketing platforms. There’s so much information, and it’s understandable if you get overwhelmed by all the filters, options, and tools.
And the same applies to YouTube analytics.
Don’t worry, though: YouTube analytics is comparatively easy to use.
Keep in mind you only need to view metrics answering a specific question you have.
These questions might include:
How do viewers engage with our videos?
When do they exit the videos?
Which videos convert the most viewers to subscribers?
Do our YouTube audience demographics match with our buyer personas?
With these and more questions in mind, it should become easier to view the metrics you need.
Below, I’ll share seven essential metrics in YouTube Analytics and insights you may derive from them.
1. Demographics
When creating a video, you need to know who you’re targeting—and who’s watching.
YouTube’s demographics data reveals details like the top countries and cities your viewers are watching from, viewers’ ages and genders, the times and days they most often watch videos, and more.
Location
If you have many viewers from a particular country or city, and your brand allows for this, you could tailor content to those locations. If you’re advertising a local product, but your videos aren’t generally being viewed locally, it may be time to investigate your keywords.
Age and Gender
Knowing who your audience is can help you create relevant and appropriate content. After all, you wouldn’t want to produce R-rated content if your viewers are typically 13-17!
Furthermore, the times and days viewers are on YouTube provides insights into when you should publish new videos.
If you run YouTube ads, having demographics information can also improve your ability to target content accordingly.
Finally, you can compare your demographics data to your buyer persona.
Do they match?
If so, great! If not, will you change your buyer persona or your content?
2. Traffic Source Types
Traffic source types indicate where viewers find your videos, such as YouTube search, Suggested videos, Channel pages, direct visits, views from external sources, and others.
In addition, you’ll see how viewers from each source behave.
These metrics provide information about the sources responsible for your video views. For example, you might find your blog drives a ton of traffic to YouTube, which means you may want to embed more videos in blog posts.
For more details about how people found you, you can click on each source. For instance, clicking on “YouTube search” will show you what keywords led users to your videos.
You can also see which sources contributed little to your views and try to figure out how to boost those areas.
For example, a low number of views from YouTube search might mean you need to improve your YouTube SEO.
Or, a small number of views from Suggested videos might indicate you need to engage your audience better. Higher engagement means YouTube may see your videos as valuable and suggest them to people viewing similar content.
There are even more insights to uncover once you dig into the data.
3. Watch Time
Getting a lot of YouTube views is good, but getting a high watch time is even better. “Watch time” is how long users spend watching your videos.
YouTube’s algorithm uses this metric to help it understand your content’s quality. This means a long watch time improves your chances of showing up as suggested videos and on search pages.
You can analyze each video’s watch time and compare it to the video’s length.
What types of videos have high watch times? What types have low watch times? Why do you think that is?
Considering the differences between videos with high and low watch times can help you create better content in the future.
You should also examine videos with a high watch time at a particular time of year. This could be a seasonal video—and if it did well, consider creating a similar video next year.
4. Subscribers
When a viewer clicks the “Subscribe” button, they’re confirming their interest in your content. They’re then more likely to see when you post new videos—and watch them.
YouTube Analytics displays the number of subscribers you’ve gained and lost during a given period.
You’ll also see which videos contributed to your subscribers count.
Which videos are responsible for a high number of subscribers gained? Which ones are responsible for subscribers lost?
Analyzing these changes can help you improve the content you create. For example, if longer videos tend to drive more subscribers, then you should focus on longer videos
You can also view subscription sources, which tells you where subscribers found your content.
There’s another way to understand what drives subscribers—comparing them with non-subscribers.
For example, you can compare these two audiences on metrics such as watch time, including the time spent viewing and what percentage of the video they watched.
Thirty seconds means something very different on a 45-second video than it does on a 45-minute video!
In the image above, there’s an anomaly. You see, non-subscribers are outnumbering subscribers significantly. This data indicates a need for further investigation—perhaps check their traffic sources.
5. Top Videos By End Screen
If you’ve ever watched YouTube, you know many videos end with images of other videos to watch. Those images are there to entice users to keep watching.
The metric related to this tells you which end screens accounted for the most clicks.
By clicking on “See More” in the engagement tab, you’ll see details such as end screen elements shown, end screen element clicks, and clicks per end screen element.
As a result, you can identify videos that keep viewers watching.
Why is a specific end screen more effective than another? Once you figure this out, apply the insights to other videos.
6. Top Cards
Card elements are interactive and allow you to promote other YouTube videos or links to your website. You can see an example in the image below—the “Suggested” bar is a card element.
Card element metrics show you details such as card clicks, cards shown, clicks per card, and more.
From these numbers, you’ll discover which cards were most effective at converting viewers.
Ask these questions:
What makes these cards effective?
Are cards more effective on some videos than others?
At what time are cards most effective in a video?
What makes some card teasers effective?
By diving deeper into these metrics, you can find answers to these critical questions.
7. Revenue
YouTube ads are essential to revenue. However, to run YouTube ads, you need at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time. Focus on making great content using your metrics as a guide to get to these numbers.
You can see an example of an ad overlaying a YouTube video below.
If you’re running ads as part of the YouTube Partners Program already—or when you get to that point—the revenue section of analytics is crucial.
Here, you’ll find details such as your revenue sources, top-earning videos, ad types, monthly estimated revenue, YouTube Premium revenue, and more.
What are the top-earning videos? How are they different from the low earners?
You may get answers to these questions and more by diving deeply into revenue analytics.
All that said, you don’t have to monetize your channel through ads—I don’t do this myself. Instead, I use YouTube for branding, education, and to drive traffic to other resources.
Other YouTube Analytics Tools
YouTube analytics provides a ton of metrics about your channel performance, but it’s not the only source of data available.
That’s why you should use other analytics tools to gain more insight into your YouTube campaigns.
Using these tools, you can obtain analytics for other channels in your industry, enhance YouTube SEO, and get recommendations to improve.
Here are three other tools to better understand your YouTube video performance.
Vidooly
Using your YouTube analytics information, Vidooly provides suggestions about how to improve your videos.
They also grant access to video tag analysis—meaning the words in your video’s metadata—so you can discover high-performing tags.
To help you rank higher in YouTube keyword searches, Vidooly also has a keyword tool that may boost your videos’ SEO.
If you run influencer marketing campaigns, Vidooly can help you figure out which influencers may help grow your channel.
ChannelMeter
ChannelMeter provides access to extremely detailed audience insights.
Beyond that, you can monitor how videos from influencers perform. This is handy if you run YouTube influencer marketing campaigns—or if you want to emulate some of their ideas.
ChannelMeter also allows you to check on your benchmarks and follow trends among similar videos so you can adapt accordingly.
Unmetric
One of Unmetric’s most significant features is the benchmarking tools. These tools allow you to compare your strategy against your competitors.
For example, you can look at your competitor’s click-through rate, engagement rate, and video completions. This tool can help you develop campaign goals and identify new trends.
Furthermore, you can see how you fare against your competitors and obtain insights that may boost your campaigns. They even provide ideas for content creation.
Conclusion
YouTube Analytics is essential to running any successful YouTube campaign.
You can learn about your audience, what you’re doing well, and where you can improve—without being bogged down by unnecessary data, thanks to YouTube Analytics’ helpful filters.
What aspects of your videos do you think YouTube analytics can improve?
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