Four Things We Heard From Brand Marketers At The Digital Marketing Masterclass in London

The Digital Marketing Masterclasses held by Masterclassing are some of our favorite events here at Pixability. So when we found out Masterclassing was hosting an event for brand marketers in London, we were eager to be there. These events are the polar opposite of trade shows and impersonal conferences, offering small and short sessions and breakout groups.

We shared some of our insights on the evolving video space, and there were some surprises — here’s what we heard from our brand marketer audience in London:

The Internet Is Turning Into A Video Channel

A good chunk of the audience was surprised that by the end of 2020, analysts predict that 82% of internet consumption will be through video. This is truly a massive shift in user behavior and video consumption, so they’re right to sit up straight. Some of the brand marketers we met with were either only dipping their toe into video, while a handful had no video strategy to speak of (organic or paid). The stat was something of a wakeup call, shocking them into action to put video first in their marketing strategy.

The Second Most Popular Search Engine Online Is YouTube

When people think of search engines, most people think of Google. Some might even think of Bing. But after Google, the second most-popular search engine is actually YouTube. By thinking of YouTube not only as a video platform, but as a video platform that fuels discovery, marketers can understand the extreme efficiency of YouTube. It drives engagement among consumers showing intent (through searches on both Google and YouTube) and helps reach consumers that are looking to discover new content around their passions and interests.

Organic Is A Challenge

Based on the above, a lot of marketers were focused on organic content during the round-table discussions. Specifically, there were many questions and concerns around how to efficiently execute an organic presence on YouTube. We discussed how organic should really be the starting point of a YouTube strategy, as paid media can drive eyeballs to a channel, but an optimized channel retains audiences and keeps them coming back for more. By optimizing for search, using insights on audience behavior to drive content creation, and implementing interactive video features, marketers can keep their audience engaged.

Going Beyond Awareness

A lot of marketers see video as purely an awareness play. But in reality, digital video can drive impact through the buyer’s journey: driving consideration metrics like search lift, and even conversion metrics like purchases or store visits. Through ad formats like TrueView for Action, and measurement tools like Brand Lift 2.0, marketers can not only drive awareness, but also deep-funnel metrics.

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