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Part 2: Why Your Mobile Strategy Should Include YouTube Ads

Posted by Robert Helstrom on Mar 25, 2015 2:45:00 PM

A few weeks back, we posted the first part of this article, “Why Your Mobile Strategy Should Include YouTube Ads,” where we made the case that, because YouTube mobile apps are at the top of a couple key categories (apps installed and most used), incorporating YouTube mobile video advertising into your mobile media plans is a no-brainer.

Now, here are four more compelling reasons why you should absolutely include YouTube advertising in your mix if mobile is a focus for your brand—or your clients’ brands. (They’re all contained in a free, shareable info graphic, too.)

First, YouTube has the greatest share of mobile video-viewing time by the video/movies audience, by far.

Users who watch mobile video spend 68% of their time on YouTube

YouTube-video-ads-infographicThe next top mobile video-viewing apps in the video/movie category are the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), Hulu and Flixster. In comparison, their shares are 3.5%, 1.6% and 0.5%, respectively. The fact that the online video viewing market is pretty fragmented, whether people use mobile or other devices, makes YouTube’s dominance even more dramatic.

Next, YouTube has an even greater share of the people (i.e., audience reach) who watch mobile video each month.

91% of people who watch video on mobile watch it on YouTube

IMDB reaches 24%, and Hulu and Flixster each reach 6% of the mobile video-viewing audience.

Why YouTube advertising should be part of your mobile strategyYouTube monthly mobile video sessions also dwarf the competition.

The monthly number of U.S. visits to YouTube via mobile devices is tops in the category—1.59 billion

That’s more than 10x IMDB at 140 million, which is followed by Hulu with 40 million and Flixster with 20 million video sessions.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of these figures is that YouTube’s mobile minutes have increased by 70% year over year, a growth rate matched only by Hulu in the category. In sheer numbers, though, YouTube’s 70% represents and increase of 660 million visits vs. Hulu’s 16 million.

Finally, viewability is not an issue with YouTube TrueView advertising.

YouTube TrueView video ads are 100% viewable

YouTube Trueview ads are 100% viewableViewability is a major concern for media buyers everywhere, though maybe less so on mobile.

As we spotlighted in our recent video, “The Viewability Hot Button,” the current industry standard for viewability is a low bar: 50% of an ad’s pixels must be visible for at least two continuous seconds.

By contrast, YouTube TrueView in-stream ads are skipable after five seconds and the advertiser isn’t charged unless someone watches the complete ad or the first 30 seconds of it, whichever is shorter.

Bottom line, viewability is not an issue with YouTube TrueView ads and what you actually pay for has significantly more value than other mobile video ad inventory because they are full views that the audience has chosen to engage with.

In summary, when it comes to mobile video, YouTube has the greatest reach, the greatest share of screen time, the most monthly vists—all by a wide margin. And, its ads are most viewable. If your mobile media strategy doesn't include YouTube video advertising, give us a call.

And BTW, if you’d like to download a free, shareable info graphic of these stats, just click this button:

 

Sources: Nielsen Mobile NetView and VideoCensus, September 2014

Topics: Video Advertising, Multi-Screen Reach, Mobile Video

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