When it comes to online advertising, we are in what Borrell Associates' Corey Elliott considers the third wave. First came search engines, then social media, and now video. Video is what consumers want, so local advertisers are looking for ways to deliver. As a local media company, you are in the perfect position to create, distribute and monetize video content. Luckily, we have a video solution that you can sell right now, thanks to our friends at VIDEOBOLT.COM!
According to research from Borrell's 2021 advertiser survey, small and medium businesses that use content marketing are using video for the following kinds of ways:
Live videos - 43%
Broadcast TV - 39%
Digital/Streaming/OTT - 36%
Reels - 29%
Cable TV - 24%
Furthermore, advertisers that use content marketing are more likely to use video to connect with audiences. The research also found that businesses that use content marketing prefer to distribute their videos on their own social media pages first, followed by their YouTube channel, website, traditional TV spots, as pre-roll ads within streaming apps and within emails.
"They're very interested in videos and they're distributing through their own channels for the most part, and they're coming up with content marketing ideas themselves," said Elliott, EVP of local market intelligence for Borrell.
There's also been a big focus from national brands to advertise on TikTok, which specializes in short-form videos. Local advertisers have been slower to test the waters, but they should re-consider, considering the video sharing app has more than 1 billion monthly active users!
If your local media company is looking for a short-form video solution, we have you covered, thanks to VIDEOBOLT.COM, which produces scalable, turnkey, market-ready videos. The videos are affordable, flexible and very easy to generate through the platform's innovative AI technology.
"It's a very robust back-end technology that automates most, but not all of the video creation process, and what that allows us to do is provide videos to companies like Hearst at a very affordable wholesale price point with a quick turnaround time and consistent quality," said VIDEOBOLT.COM Founder and CEO Brian Albert.
Hearst Newspapers currently uses the platform for one of its video package offerings, and has seen a lot of success doing so.
"I'm a big fan of VIDEOBOLT.COM and what Brian and Lauri can do without going on location," said Brandon Mercer, senior director of ad product: video, content and programming. "The technology is just amazingly good now."
To create a script, you gather a few pieces of information that an advertiser wants to highlight, enter it into the platform, and the technology does the rest by creating an editable script. You'll also choose video length, dimensions, and if you want a spokesperson or voiceover. You upload photos and logos and then in a couple of days - your video is delivered to your inbox.
"In terms of the wholesale cost, we charge publishers a wholesale rate of $300 per video," Albert said. "So in just about every market in America, with almost any kind of business, you can do these videos with significant margin and still be the low cost provider and add significant value to your customers."
The Meta Branded Content Project has also partnered with VIDEOBOLT.COM on our video collections, mirroring what we've done with our lifestyle text-based content. We have six lifestyle video series that produce one 30 second video per week.
They are: Healthy Habits, Legalese Please, Money Matters, Schooled, Tech Time, and The Listing. These turnkey series can be sponsored by local advertisers in your market.
"One gets published every single week, so 52 weeks per subject matter are available here, and it's very simple. Drag and drop interface just like the spokesperson video, and it brands the video, not just for your media outlet, but for the sponsors," said Chief Operating Officer Lauri Blaire Schulman.
These series are very affordable, at just $300 a month per series. See a sample video here! The content calendar that accompanies each series provides advertisers with a clear idea of what's ahead, a great selling point for local reps. There are no restrictions on how you can use the videos. Place them on your websites, in e-newsletters, on social media, on broadcast TV or in CTT/OTT inventory.
Check out the video series collections and other turnkey video options at this link!
Video is one of the best ways to reach a broad audience, and we are thrilled to be able to provide this opportunity for local media companies who can create new streams of revenue through video creation, distribution and monetization.
Reach out to Julia and Liz at julia@brandedcontentproject.com or liz@brandedcontentproject.com for additional information and branded content strategy inquiries.
The Meta Branded Content Project is designed through a strategic partnership between the Meta Journalism Project, Local Media Association and the Local Media Consortium to help facilitate additional growth, engagement, and revenue success for more publishers of all shapes and sizes.