Facebook, Twitter To Lead Digital Display Market By 2017

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Spending on digital display advertising continues to flourish, as companies intend to spend as much as over $27 billion this year alone. However, new figures from eMarketer indicate that the number will continue to grow over the next couple of years — and social sites like Facebook and Twitter will lead the charge.

By 2017, according to the site, US digital display ad spending will reach $37.36 billion — a $10 billion increase in just two years’ time — and Facebook and Twitter will account for a third of that market, over 33 percent. That’s increase as well, since both sites have a 30.2 percent grip for this year in itself.

Facebook’s digital display ad revenue is quite impressive, set to reach $6.82 billion this year, which will account for over 25 percent of the overall market. Twitter may be behind, but it’s seeing profit as well, with revenues of $1.34 billion, and five percent of the overall market. By 2017, both these sites will see a minor increase, with Facebook accounting for 26.9 percent, and Twitter at 6.8 percent.

Even with its smaller numbers, Twitter will be able to surpass Yahoo in digital display ad revenues for the first time. Yahoo will still see positive results from its campaign, with 4.6 percent of the market for this year, but that’s a drop from the 5.5 percent it had last year, and the 7.2 percent it had in 2013.

Google will remain healthy in digital display ad funds, with 13 percent for this year. However, it’s worth noting that it’s a drop from the 13.7 percent reported last year, and eMarketer estimates it’ll dip even further, down to 11.1 percent, by 2017.

So where are all these changes coming from The report indicates that mobile advertising plays a big part of it, with an increase to $14.67 billion — over $5 billion more than what was spend last year ($9.65 billion). Desktop display ad spending has seen a drop by comparison, going down to $12.38 billion. That’s still a reasonable spending amount, but mobile is taking over.

Facebook will see $5 billion this year alone from mobile ad revenues, with Twitter following closely behind with $1.19 billion — accounting for 90 percent of its overall ad revenues. In just a couple years’ time, both of these numbers will grow, with Facebook accounting for $7.53 billion, and Twitter earning $2.29 billion — and continuing to hold a lead over both Yahoo and Google.

Digital display ads will be something to watch as far as trends and effectiveness are concerned.

Counting Down ION’s Top Techies

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Technology changes quickly, ensuring there’s virtually always something to talk about. Some top YouTubers are self-professed experts on the subject, covering anything and everything from household hacking and tips to destroying expensive precious iPhones. Whatever you’re looking for, YouTube is sure to have it.

5 Hacks For Niche Video Content Owners And Creators To Win In 2015

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by: Ed Laczynski

It’s important to think about how the worlds of entertainment and media have evolved, from cable packages/bundles to over-the-top content providers, from the living room television to tiny screens everywhere. Niche content owners and creators can now truly own their audience by taking advantage of all of the power currently at their fingertips.

How do I start owning my audience

I’ve seen these five hacks for premium content owners work, from large content library owners to individual content creators:

1. Know your viewer: Use tools like Google Analytics to understand who your viewers are and how they engage with your content. A direct-to-viewer strategy enables you to get even more information and drive useful engagement.

2. Take risks: With video content-management platforms you can try new strategies, like windowing, presenting in multiple languages, subscriptions, and more. Choose platforms that are low commitment, low cost, and grow with you to make risk taking possible. Self-service tools like VHX are a great way to try new monetization models.

3. Get on the set-top bus: There are so many new opportunities with ecosystems like Roku and Amazon Fire TV for all types of content owners and creators. These are new markets with growing adoption. Much like the iTunes store when the iPhone launched, get there quickly, and think about the keywords and content you use when publishing on those platforms. We launched a “Movie Trailers” app on Roku last week that already has thousands of new subscribers, with nothing but great keywords.

4. Own your discovery: Aggregators and consumer platforms like YouTube thrive on being search-engine friendly and discoverable on the open web and social media. Are you doing everything you can to make your content discoverable Do you have a destination site, and is it search engine optimized Free tools like Google Webmaster Tools, and paid tools like SEO Moz make it easy for anyone to start doing basic discovery improvements.

5. Own your marketing: With your own branded streaming destinations, you can leverage tools like Unbounce, Mailchimp, and Google AdWords for viewer registration, email marketing, and search-engine marketing. There is a whole universe of CRM and marketing tools available to content owners.

But what exactly is niche content Niche content can mean anything that a passionate audience rallies around and creates an emotional and loyal connection to viewers over and over again. Niche content matters because it has been a driving force for major shifts in consumer video since the beginning of broadcast television. So let’s look at how this evolved…

In the beginning, RCA created broadcast television.

The year, 1940. There was no niche. You watched what your dad watched, if you lived within the broadcast distance of a television station. The brands and advertisers you were exposed to were carefully planned, and the big broadcast networks were the ultimate gatekeeper. Simpler times indeed.

In this sense, television itself started out as a niche medium, but gained significant power because there was previously nothing else like it. The early content providers dictated everyone’s favorite programs and genres. In other words, there was no place for alternative or specialized content—the idea of TV alone was special enough.

Read more…

This article was originally posted on VideoInk and is reposted on [a]listdaily via a partnership with the news publication, which is the online video industry’s go-to source for breaking news, features, and industry analysis. Follow VideoInk on Twitter @VideoInkNews, or subscribe via thevideoink.com for the latest news and stories, delivered right to your inbox.

 

Twitter Takes On Live Video With Periscope

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Video apps are becoming more and more popular these days, providing users with many ways to showcase what they’re doing with clips and live video feeds. Twitter, no stranger to sociality with its popular media-based site, intends to get in on this action with a newly launched video application called Periscope.

The app comes on the heels of Twitter’s acquisition of the site in a reported $100 million deal, and gives it access to a service that its millions of users are likely to latch onto, with live streaming support and other features, according to Variety.

“We think it’s a perfect complement to Twitter, which is why we acquired the company in January,” said vice president of product Kevin Well, in a blog post early today.

The app, which is available now for iOS devices through Apple’s iTunes store, allows users to create, edit and post videos up to 30 seconds in length, quintupling the time allowed for Vine videos (six seconds). With it, Twitter hopes to take on the popular Meerkat service, which launched last month to great success with its live broadcasting capability.

With Periscope, users simply need to push a button to activate live streaming, which in turn posts on their Twitter account that they’re broadcasting. “We wanted to create the closest thing to teleportation,” said the team in its recent blog post. “A picture may be worth a thousand words, but live video can take you some place and show you around.”

Twitter hasn’t figured out the financial side of Periscope just yet, as a business model wasn’t introduced at the time of the app’s launch. Big-name partners could be the golden ticket, as Meerkat currently has the likes of The Tonight Show‘s Jimmy Fallon, who uses the app to show what’s happening behind-the-scenes.

That said, the app could be a “positive game-changer for the company,” according to Rosenblatt Securities analyst Martin Pyykkonen. “Periscope enables live streaming video from mobile and other devices, which effectively can mean personalized live video content delivery over the Twitter platform. We think this could have profound implications for usage/engagement on Twitter and be one other challenge for traditional linear media delivery, as users would spend more time selectively watching live-streaming video from people and subjects that they follow as part of their Interest Graph.”

Early impressions from a number of users indicate that Periscope is very easy to use, and even “addictive” in some cases. But some believe that Meerkat will still take a lot to top, especially considering that it just landed $14 million in funding. David Pierce with Wired said, “Meerkat’s already caught on with some important people, and Periscope isn’t so obviously better that it will destroy the competition on impact. Especially not when the competition has a slight head start. For now, having both Periscope and Meerkat on your phone is easy enough, and as people continue to learn about live-streaming in general, each probably benefits from the other. But eventually, as the apps try to build larger and more exclusive social networks, it’s hard to imagine two live-streaming apps both winning out.”

We’ll see how well the app does over the next few months. For now, check out the sample clip below to see how effectively it works, per TechCrunch.

Russia Gets a Free-To-Play Version of ‘Halo’

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The Halo series has been a popular franchise for Microsoft over the past few years, and that success is sure to continue later this year when Halo 5: Guardians debuts for Xbox One. However, in the meantime, the company has chosen to expand the franchise, this time as a free-to-play title for an entirely new market – Russia.

GamesBeat is reporting that 343 Industries, the developers of Halo 4, The Master Chief Collection and the forthcoming Guardians, will produce the Halo Online spin-off, which will launch exclusively in Russia this spring. The title is currently in early beta testing, and developer Saber Interactive, alongside information technology company InnovaSystems, will operate the game as an ongoing service once it launches.

The Russian gaming market is actually quite huge, and an ideal fit for Halo Online. It currently generates around $1.5 billion in online games, with WarGaming’s World of Tanks leading the charge, and a title like Halo would easily fit in their gaming demographic.

“Halo Online is powered by a highly modified version of the Halo 3 engine and optimized for smooth performance on lower-end PCs,” said 343 in a blog post. “[It] is a learning opportunity for us as we explore ways to welcome new fans to the Halo universe. We’re excited to release a Halo multiplayer-only PC experience tailored for Russian gamers.”

This isn’t the first time that a major publisher has tailored a popular franchise to an exclusive overseas market, as Activision previously released a variation of its Call of Duty series exclusively for China, complete with online play.

With Halo Online‘s release in Russia, the game is likely to cater to other gaming markets, including the Ukraine, Poland and Romania. A report from SuperData Research indicates that spending on games in Russia and its other nations make up about 80 percent of overall spending in Eastern Europe, which actually grew an estimated seven percent in 2014, up from the previous year’s numbers.

We probably won’t be seeing Halo Online outside of the Russian market, mainly for two reasons. Number one, that particular gaming experience is catered specifically to that market, even though its gameplay would certainly be accepted by the hardcore fans of the series. Secondly, and this is probably most obvious, Microsoft doesn’t want to take any focus off of the Halo console releases, especially with Guardians prepping for release this fall. (Activision probably has similar thinking with Call of Duty Online, thus why it remains exclusive to China.)

So, enjoy, Russian fans. This Halo‘s for you.

VR, the Future, and Marketing

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Oculus’ chief scientist Michael Abrash took the stage at Facebook’s F8 developer’s conference to talk about virtual reality (VR) and why you should be excited by it. Why is Facebook interested in VR Because their mission is to help people share experiences, and VR offers some very compelling experiences.

Abrash quoted from The Matrix: “Real is just electrical signals interpreted by your brain.” said Morpheus. He’s right, Abrash opined, showing a number of illusions to verify to the audience that “reality is constructed by our minds, rather than recorded by our senses . . . Our experience of the world is an illusion, one that has been highly honed . . . All reality is virtual.”

The technology has advanced to the point where we can now hack your perceptions and create compelling illusions. “VR is about driving our perceptions the way they are made to be driven. It’s more real than movies,” Abrash said. VR is now good enough to create this effect, but there’s plenty of room for improvement. That’s why the future is so bright, in Abrash’s view. He provided three main reasons to support this contention:

  • VR is already compelling and shipping soon
  • There is broad industry participation
  • There is long-term commitment to VR

Once Facebook acquired Oculus, the long-term commitment issue was no longer in doubt. What does it all mean to Abrash He sees VR as the next major paradigm shift in tehcnology, perhaps even exceeding ultimately the impact of the Internet and smartphones. It will be a long time before its potential is fulfilled, but it’s well on the way. “VR has the potential to change almost everything about the way we live. No one knows how movies will work or what a Facebook Wall will look like. Sooner or later you will want to be a part of it . . . I’m hoping it’s sooner,” Abrash concluded.

The takeaway from Michael Abrash’s talk on VR at Facebook’s F8 is straightforward: VR is coming, and it has the potential to transform society worldwide. Exactly what shape this will take, it’s far too early to tell. Of course, developers will help shape that future… as will marketers.

Is it too early for marketers to begin considering VR Not at all, as the process is already under way. We’re seeing VR films under development, and plenty of VR games are being worked on. How are these VR experiences going to be promoted. How will people be informed and persuaded Beyond the technology itself, how can VR transform industries or create brand awareness.

For one thing, while the technology is in its early stage there’s opportunity for brands to associate with this exciting new leap. Sponsoring a VR production is one way, and so is using VR to demonstrate at conventions (as film production companies did at ComicCon last year). On the game front, CCP is getting a lot of attention for its EVE Valkyrie VR demo.

For game developers of all sizes, though, Sony’s Project Morpheus looks like a good place be. We already know the time frame (early 2016), and Sony’s got all the pieces in place: it’s driven by the best-selling PS4 console, they have controllers already, and of course the PlayStation Network for distribution. Testing the waters of VR for game developers is a matter of resource, and right now it looks like Sony will make it pretty easy to get into this new medium.

It’s time, though, to start thinking about how VR experiences will be monetized, and where opportunities may lie for advertising. Yes, you don’t want to interrupt someone’s VR experience with an ad . . . all the more reason to get creative now about how an advertiser might be involved in the magic of VR. How about a cool experience brought to you by Marriott? Or a VR experience that takes place partly in a Marriott facility? Or even just the product placement of seeing a Marriott hotel in the Martian landscape as you drive by, pursuing an alien menace across the drifting red sands, under the hurtling moons of the future Barsoom.

Abrash is right to say that we know VR will happen this time, given the technology and the level of commitment already shown. That means it’s time for the creatives to start making dreams into reality, and shaping the future of VR and AR. That’s as much the purview of marketers as it is filmmakers and game designers. Any technology that will have this broad an impact is going to mean massive challenges and opportunities in advertising and marketing, and the prizes go to those who act early with creativity and intelligence.

A Hands-On Approach To Virtual Reality

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Playing virtual reality games is one thing, but playing virtual reality games will full involvement of your body is another.

While experiencing a game like Doom 3: BFG Edition while wearing an Oculus Rift headset and a controller can be thrilling, some players prefer the “full” virtual reality experience, using body tracking to implement their entire selves into the game, so they actually feel more of said experience, instead of “just another game.”

A report from Re/code indicates this, as the site explains that making a mount for the player to wear just isn’t enough for a gaming experience, especially with developers trying to make more involved applications.

With that, Leap Motion has begun work on a new virtual reality-based experiment, one that hand-tracking sensors that implement their usage into certain games and applications. Many OEM’s are already on board with the project, including Razer, which introduced its Open Source Virtual Reality headset earlier this month at the Game Developers Conference.

The original headset, dubbed the “hacker dev kit,” is set to ship this June for $200, although those who want to use Magic Leap’s hand-tracking technology – probably a wise decision when it comes to app development – can opt to pay around $280 instead, even though the price isn’t finalized.

With the technology, Leap hopes to focus more on the virtual reality front. “Reaching into a computer, grabbing an object and having it move exactly as if you touched it – there’s something magical and powerful about that,” said Leap CEO Michael Buckwals about the technology. “VR is now a mature enough market that it probably is our top priority, and it’s because it’s the truest form of that original vision.”

Various types of controls may be used with VR, but CTO David Holz added that hand-tracking really is the best bet when it comes to the ultimate experience in VR. “If you want to play a racing game, having a wheel and pedals is probably going to be the best experience, or if I’m playing a shooter, having some kind of gun thing,” he explained. “But I’m not going to use the gun thing for the driving game. I’m not going to use the driving wheel for the gun game.”

The company has already put an “interaction engine” into play with the hand-tracking software, where users can “grip” onto items in an environment. No word yet on how this will be implicated into app usage, but developers are sure to find a way.

Other OEM’s could partner up with the technology down the road, but for now, Magic Leap simply wants to perfect hand-tracking. We’ll have to see where this goes – virtually – over the next few months.

Media Companies Love Snapchat, and Here’s Why

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In the past, we’ve discussed Snapchat’s somewhat pricey advertising plans, and how some companies were hesitant to jump on board — especially for a daily $750,000 asking price. Lately, though, there seems to be more reasons why companies should jump on board its social program — and most of that comes from its young demographic.

A report from Re/code states that media companies and advertisers alike would benefit from the Snapchat audience, mainly because they’re getting harder to track down in other forms of media. comScore recently posted a report indicating that the user demographic has a strong reach on the social app, with 71 percent of its users falling within the 18-34 age range. Out of those, the number of 18-24 year olds are slightly smaller at 45 percent, but that’s still a high count that shouldn’t be ignored.

The chart above breaks down demographic composition across age groups for all social sites, and, as you can see, the 18-24 range leads by a larger number on Snapchat than on other sites, dominating at 45 percent while other sites range from 15 to 28 percent.

With that, despite paying incredibly high fees to advertise on the site, companies have a better chance of reaching said audience through “flash” ads and other types of programming for Snapchat. And the app’s new Discovery platform makes it easier for certain ads to be seen, making the investment worthwhile.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that more companies are hopping on-board the program — in fact, we suggested in a recent article why brands need to hop on the app’s bandwagon. With its young audience still going strong, and more people discovering both the main app and Discover every day, it’s likely to continue its success. Granted, that could mean even higher rates as its popularity grows, but, as suggested by comScore, investment would be a wise idea when it comes to a campaign’s outreach.

You could say that companies should, ahem, “snap” to it . . .

The Must-Know Tricks for Growing Your Audience on YouTube

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by Jessica Klein

When it comes to growing your audience on YouTube, there are several important things you have to consider. First and foremost, YouTube fosters an incredibly personal environment, where, unlike TV audiences, viewers will get to know you or your brand on a more intimate and interactive level. This means you have to actively and directly engage your fans instead of sitting back and hoping they’ll get engaged all by themselves.

Other than that, you have to get to know the video platform. It offers plenty of tools aimed at helping video creators succeed. From various analytics to subtitles, embrace what YouTube has to offer. Also, make sure that you have a holistic vision of your channel. Make yourself recognizable, and then just make great content. As long as you’re doing at least that, you’re off to a good start.

Once you’re off to that start, here are some other tips you can use to grow your audience on YouTube:

The first step—get to know your viewers:

  • Ask Yourself the Right Questions

Start off by stepping into the YouTube viewer’s shoes when assessing your videos’ effectiveness. Think about whether your content will leave viewers with the desire to visit one of your stores/website, the ability to recognize your brand in different venues, and the drive to recommend your products (or even just your funny video!) to their friends. If you don’t think it will do any of the above, try something else.

  1. Know Your Audience

Get to know what kinds of videos your target demographic like to watch and how frequently they’re on their cells. If they troll Facebook twelve hours a day, that’s another important thing to know (although, we hope they don’t)! The “Playbook for Brands” mentions some Google tools to help you answer these questions, like the YouTube Trends Dashboard, Our Mobile Planet, and Google Think Insights.

Read more…

This article was originally posted on VideoInk and is reposted on [a]listdaily via a partnership with the news publication, which is the online video industry’s go-to source for breaking news, features, and industry analysis. Follow VideoInk on Twitter @VideoInkNews, or subscribe via thevideoink.com for the latest news and stories, delivered right to your inbox.