Marketers used to target their ads to an audience that they knew would be watching TV for hours. This audience is now watching less and less television though. This group may be watching less TV, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not watching at all. The target audience that used to sit in front of the TV is now directing their attention toward online video.
According to thinkwithgoogle.com, “one in three consumers say they’ve never had cable or no longer do.” This means that subscriptions with cable companies and the ads showed on cable channels are not being viewed like they used to. Online video and cable subscriptions are now competing for attention from the same audience.
The ease of watching online video is literally at people’s fingertips. It could be at work, home, school, a dorm room or anywhere else people use their smartphones. Popular websites and apps like YouTube are where audiences are going to watch online videos. Research from Google shows that, “in 2015, 18 to 49 year olds spent 4% less time watching TV, while time on YouTube went up 74%.”
The trend of watching online videos instead of TV can be related to factors like costs, content and accessibility. Cable companies use yearly contracts that bind customers to their service and YouTube is a free website that is powered by advertising. This means that before YouTube videos, viewers may have to watch a five second ad and occasionally, a minute-long ad may be played before whatever video that’s being watched.
When it comes to live television, the viewer does not have much control over what they get to watch. Viewers are subjected to various programming produced by TV networks and commercials that last around two to three minutes. Viewers cannot skip the commercials unless they plan ahead and prerecord the show they want to watch. When it comes to DVR, there is still fast forwarding and rewinding to deal with.
Using YouTube involves a search for whatever the desired content may be and a click of the play button. Fast forwarding and rewinding is an option, just like DVR, but this is all controlled with your mouse or fingertip. YouTube can be accessed on multiple platforms whether it be through the Web or through the app. People are watching YouTube on their smartphones, desktops and even the TV.
The target audience is still watching, but just in a different way. Thinkwithgoogle.com says for North American viewers, “by 2025, half of viewers under the age of 32 will not subscribe to a pay TV service.” More of the target audience is following the online video trend. They’re looking to YouTube and the advertisers that are using online video.
More stats from Google about the online video trend can be found on thinkwithgoogle.com or here.
Today, millennial dads are more involved in their children’s daily lives than ever before and they are looking to the Web for instant answers to their parenting questions. Fathers are using their smartphones for information when it comes to I-want-to-know, I-want-to-go, I-want-to-do and I-want-to-buy-moments.
Parenthood comes with endless questions for raising kids. From food, sleep, bathing and everything in between, new parents are responsible for their baby’s first years. Some things are not so simple, especially for young dads. Anytime an issue arises with their newborn, even in the middle of the night, dads are searching for the best answers.
According to research from BabyCenter.com, “being the ‘perfect dad’ is at least somewhat important to 88% of millennial dads.” Striving to reach that ‘perfect dad’ title can pressure fathers into needing to know more and more things to make their baby happy.
Using smartphones and searching the Web for all kinds of information is second-nature to millennials. Millennial dads are sticking to what they know, but their searches are now related to strollers, babyproofing and baby-care accessories. Research also shows that, “59% of millennial dads looking for parenting information online use their smartphones the most.”
Even with an upset baby that won’t fall asleep, smartphones offer convenience to new dads with pages of information and answers to any parenting question. “Google data shows that searches for baby-related terms on mobile have grown 52% year over year.”
Any second of the day can present questions or a situation that needs answers. Anything like ‘how to’ or ‘near me’ searches can all be done through smartphones. A date with the wife, preparing for the baby and activities with the kids are just a few opportunities for millennial dads to find new information online.
Wanting-to-know, go, do and buy moments occur every day in the life of a new dad. Searches for baby-related content are growing online, but dads are wanting more information and more ‘dad-focused’ content as well.
Moms and dads are now both involved with childcare and purchases important to the family. With new dads saying there isn’t enough content focusing on dad-related topics, marketers can take things that used to be targeted toward moms and target fathers too. Millennial dads are an audience that is growing and brands can make an effort to appeal to them.
Starting a family is full of questions and smartphones are keeping new dads informed on everything they need to know for being a parent. As millennial dads strive to be the ‘perfect dad,’ their mobile device will continue to be there to find necessary information at any time.
Importance of Having a Multi-Screen Website written by: Thomas Lopez
In the world of online marketing, adapting to the needs of the consumer at every stage of the buying cycle can mean the difference between conversions and failure. In the world of multiple devices, a customer will rarely complete a purchase from initial research to the final checkout on a single machine. You may find a consumer researching for a product on one device such as a laptop or tablet and completing the transaction much later on a different device such as their smartphone.
A website, that is able to take all these factors into consideration, can mean a lot for businesses. This is because the customer can be reached with a Multi-Screen website through each stage of the buying cycle. Engaging with the client on more than a single device also means a lot more time spent looking at your site which can significantly increase conversion rates. A Multi-Screen web design has a lot to offer businesses that target customers across multiple platforms and marketing channels.
All business should utilize a Multi-Screen website because consumers today are constantly connected and moving between devices. In order to maximize retention at all stages of the buying cycle, it is important to have a website that can be where your consumers are and that can be from tablet to desktop to smartphone. Having the right website can increase the number of purchases made on different devices and it will show the right type of call to action when the time comes for the consumer to make a purchase. For instance, to a customer who is in the checkout process, it is very counterproductive to show a branding ad, have the user click on the ad, and take them to a non-mobile website. Understanding what the user is doing on a website is paramount as it enables a business to adapt their marketing approach in order to better engage the customer.
Websites that are built for a Multi-Screen world will allow the user to access the businesses products or services across different platforms and devices, while still providing a consistent and uniform user experience. Consistency is what reflects a brand, enabling the customer to better relate to the company. There is a lot that a business stands to gain with a Multi-Screen website that takes the digital buying cycle into consideration. For one, the company will be able to maintain a steady and long term relationship with their customer if the website has the pages that are not only relevant to the device, but also relevant to what the user went there for in the first place. Additionally, a company can also adapt their marketing strategy to customize the consumer touch points based on where they are at in the digital buying cycle. For instance, the advertisements that are shown to a user when researching are different from the ones shown when the user is making a purchase. This is because research is all about search for information to consume. When a user is able to see a brand at the beginning of the buying cycle, when the user is consuming information, they will associate better with the brand and grow in trust with that brand. When the consumer/user is ready to make a purchase and knows what product or service they need, they will remember the brand from their research and continue to search for that company. This results will increased long term revenue as the user has had more touch points throughout, since the strategy has already been put into place with the multi-screen website design and development for users across platforms.
At Lead Clickz, we provide custom solutions for businesses to provide them with an online presence in addition to giving them a personalized customer retention solution. Our analytics solutions and responsive web design will ensure that your business is able to reach more customers and keep them for longer. For more information, feel free to visit our website at www.leadclickz.com or give us a call on (281)869-7004.