Get Your Video Content Personalised

It’s no secret that the increasing market penetration of tablet devices and smartphones is changing the way that we consume content and communicate with one another, says Mark Blair, vice president of Brightcove Australia and New Zealand.

Video as a medium has seen a huge growth trajectory in recent years, which brings with it infinite possibilities for content creation and consumer engagement.

With this increase in content, how are content creators and consumers sorting through all the noise?

Kevin Spacey put it eloquently when he spoke about how Netflix knew through data that House of Cards would be a success, and how giving power to the consumer was in the best interest of the media industry.

There is an increasing expectation now among consumers that online content will be relevant and tailored to their needs. If your marketing department isn’t grasping the opportunity to utilise data in order to provide a personalised video experience, you risk being left behind in a hyper-competitive market.

So, how can your organisation personalise the video experience using data-driven recommendations?

Personalisation and Video are Interconnected

Irrespective of the size and focus of the organisation creating video, the primary goal for video distribution should always be the same: deliver the right content to the right person at the right time. Like any content form, video will succeed only if it is tailored to its target audience and appropriately promoted. Recommendations matter, and you must know your audience, even down to measuring their geographic location, which will allow you to segment your audience even further.

To determine the effectiveness of your content and the relevance of it to your audience, measure the video views and the bounce and exit rates on your video. If your visitors are leaving seconds after they hit play, you need to tweak your content. Monitoring the average viewing time will also enable to you to see a pattern in the type of content that reaps the most engagement, allowing you to focus your energies on creating the type of content you know your audience is searching for.

Diversity in Video Offerings Matter

Particularly for traditional print outlets, convincing their existing audience (and new visitors) that they are now a video destination takes work. For example, Boston.com has cultivated a variety of genre-specific video content (i.e. musical performances or video chat with its popular bloggers) and places tremendous emphasis on live video, particularly for breaking news, in order to drive video traffic.

Creating a TV Experience on the Web
The importance of longer-form online video content cannot be discounted, specifically from a monetisation perspective. Increasingly, we are seeing a shift away from the traditional mode of watching TV, to an increased penchant for online catch-up services and content that complements print media, TV and radio.

High-quality content is key to audience engagement in the future. It’s Marketing 101, but the phrase ‘Content is King’ is a cliché for a reason. Content creators need to provide their audiences with unique material that keeps them (and by extension, advertisers) coming back for more. When successfully deployed, video marketing should improve the average time visitors spend on a page, increasing the chances of conversion and also enhancing your SEO.

Drive User Engagement with a Smarter Media Experience

It can be challenging to capture data from video content in order to speak to people in a way where they feel as though they are being catered to as individuals. But, it is possible. And, truly investigating user behaviour to create realistic personas is key. Content creators should work to maximize engagement at every step from first click to last click. Measure your conversion rates by including a call to action in the video. If the data indicates a lack of engagement, you need to tweak your content accordingly to create a more personal experience that is tailored to engage your particular audience.

Ensure Consistency of Experience

Finally, consistency of experience and quality across all channels (web, mobile and mobile app) is important in ensuring that content creators do not alienate their audience. Your customers should see the same quality content regardless of if they are viewing your video on their smartphone, tablet or PC. As a content provider, yours is a relationship of trust with the customer. Make sure they can watch the same quality video while going home on the bus as they could watch from their laptop at home and trust that both will be of the same quality. Content and consistency are your allies in building brand loyalty in a hyper competitive market.

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