It’s a new year, and that means it’s time to reflect.
And crunch some numbers!
So what did 2024 tell us when it comes to video ads and commercial ads in general?
Which trends soared and which ones bored?
Let’s dig in.
1. The number one way customers are moving from discovering a brand to purchasing its products is video ads. (Animoto)
This sounds obvious at first, but it’s an important factor: video ads don’t just introduce your brand, they convert them from viewers into active customers.
It’s a testament to just how primal and engaging video really is.
2. According to Biteable, around 68% of marketers claim a return of the investment of a video is better than from one of Google Ads.
Moreover, YouTube is claimed to have a better ROI for the video content than Facebook or Instagram.
This is big.
2022 saw a shift from regular online ads to video, and the numbers back it up.
Investing in video pays off more reliably than Google, Facebook and Instagram.
And it shouldn’t be surprising.
The internet started out as mostly text with a few images.
But as the world moved from dial-up modems to ubiquitous broadband and high-speed mobile data, the internet and social media evolved with more images and video.
So it makes sense that ads have followed suit and evolved to take advantage.
3. Shoppable video is starting to show higher conversion and click-through rates than those of display ads. Source
Video is now the king of driving conversions, and there’s scores of data to back it up.
Video has surpassed display ads with higher success rates. And it’s not hard to see why.
Text is easy to read, but images are visual.
Moving images grab attention even better.
And moving images plus sound capture our two most dominant senses together.
It’s even more natural and lifelike because this is largely how we perceive the world around us already.
See how we helped Electric monkey grab attention with an animated commercial video!
4. Combining video with full-page ads boosts engagement by 22%. Source
Of course, it doesn’t have to be a binary choice.
Combining ads with video clearly has a powerful effect on engagement.
It’s time to update your marketing strategy and include these kinds of hybrid approaches for best results.
1. 24% of consumers are making more purchases due to ads on social media than they did last year. Animoto
That’s a big jump in just one year.
But it’s a testament to the power and speed of social media’s ubiquitous growth.
And serves as a warning of sorts: catch up or be left behind!
Your ad messaging has to be present wherever your audience goes.
2. Video ads on social media are the most common way for consumers to find new brands and products before purchasing. Animoto
Ads are one thing.
But testimonial videos, reviews from enthusiasts and critical analysis from experts all give consumers an added level of information and take the risk out of blindly trying a new brand or product.
And they’re all on video.
A slick ad campaign by a company boasting about its product’s features is compelling; but a consumer will readily trust a first-hand testimonial from a fellow user like themselves.
Find out how you can use video ads to increase brand awareness!
3. 46% of consumers watch more video ads on social media platforms than on TV. Animoto
That’s nearly half your audience, and that statistic is likely to keep growing.
If you’re focusing on television and more traditional/old-fashioned channels for your messaging, you’re pretty much handicapping your marketing.
It’s time to go where your audience already lives: on social media.
4. 80% of marketers feel positive about the ROI of video ads published on social media. Source
Chances are your marketing team will happily back this up, too.
Today, social media is a sure-fire thing as far as your ad messaging is concerned. The numbers don’t lie!
1. TikTok’s brand takeover ads guarantee 5 million daily impressions. Source
TikTok seems to be a somewhat unusual and niche platform at first glance.
But regardless of how well you understand its appeal or which side of the generation gap you’re on, it cannot be denied that the app has massive reach.
Five million daily impressions is nearly the population of Toronto, Canada being reached every single day!
TikTok may be bizarre and silly to some, but those numbers are nothing to laugh at.
25% of marketers plan to start using TikTok as an advertising channel in 2021. Postclick
…And this past year, marketers took notice of those numbers.
A full 25% of marketers started using TikTok to increase their reach, and it’s done wonders for their messaging.
1. Video Website Cards on Twitter videos give a 2x higher clickthrough rate as compared to standard video ads and boosts user retention by more than 60%. Twitter
Twitter is no different.
What started out as a text-only microblogging platform with a 160-character limit, has evolved over the years into its own unique social media platform with its own style and culture.
And video ads are flourishing here, too!
2. Video is the fastest-growing advertising tool on Twitter. (Twitter)
The statistics speak for themselves.
Video is popular and growing even moreso, everywhere, and Twitter is no exception.
3. Twitter Video Ads save more than 50% on cost per engagement. Source
Not only is video wildly popular, it’s also surprisingly economical.
The broad impression people have is that video is expensive and laborious.
But studies show that you actually spend less on cost per engagement, especially on Twitter.
4. Twitter Video Ads with Website Buttons deliver a 2x higher click-through rate than standard mobile video ads and increase user retention by more than 60%. Source
Twitter has overtaken standard mobile video as the go-to platform for ads.
It’s not just a question of reach, but interaction and conversion, too– and by a long way.
1. Facebook has more than 500 million active video advertisers every month. Source
The popularity and value of Facebook in 2023 needs no explanation.
It’s no surprise that it’s also a powerful advertising platform today, beating out all competing traditional giants in the field.
2. Almost 75% of brands use video ads on Facebook.
The internet as a whole has been steadily moving from text and images to video, and that includes social media.
Video is the new text, a native language among netizens and mobile users.
So it makes sense that video advertising has never been so popular, even on Facebook.
1. About 25% of Instagram advertisements consist of a single video.
A highly visual platform, Instagram lends itself naturally to video as well as images– and video ads and video branding work especially well in this space.
It doesn’t even need to be a long and/or expensive campaign– even a single Instagram Video can do the trick just as well.
2. Instagram video ads receive 3x more engagement than image ads, by means of comments. Source
When we say “naturally” this is what we’re getting at– not only are video ads tolerated by Instagram users especially well, they’re great for interaction and engagement.
Whether you watch them on your feed or as you look through your Instagram Stories.
Communicating with your audience is especially important, so pay attention to the comments as well as the view stats.
3. 47% of consumers appreciate ads on Instagram Stories. (Animoto)
Instagram incorporates ads into stories as well, and they’re powerful and effective, blending seamlessly and unobtrusively into the format and experience.
This is a great space to take advantage of and get your brand seen and heard.
Need more on commercial videos? Check out the best animated commercial videos of 2022!
So there you have it, our report on commercial video trends for 2022.
How does this inform and influence your strategy going forward into 2023?
Is there anything we missed out on?
Let us know in the comments!
And until next time: keep telling your stories!