It's almost a certainty that your patients spend time on YouTube. Not only is the video-streaming website the world's second-largest search engine, it's also by far the most popular place to stream music online. YouTube boasts 1.5 billion monthly users worldwide. With this kind of wide-reaching popularity, it makes sense for eye care practices to utilize YouTube advertising. But are YouTube ads right for your practice? And what should your strategy be?
In a recent Opti-Port Marketing Mastermind webinar, Eugene Shatsman (National Strategic Group), shared his deeply researched insights into the ROI on YouTube advertising for ECPs. Here are six of the highlights from Eugene's presentation.
1) The human brain processes video 60,000 times faster than the written word
When it comes to presenting your message in the most engaging way possible, video wins, hands down. Our brains simply process video way faster than other mediums, which is why TV advertising has been so popular -- and expensive.
2) Digital media will surpass TV in the coming years
As we increasingly live our lives online, the numbers show that Americans will spend more minutes per day on the Internet than watching TV by 2020. The average time spent watching live TV has plummeted in the last five years. However, TV ad prices are not declining alongside this dropping viewership.
You may already know that Millenials have ditched television for online videos and streaming services, but did you know that Americans under age 45 now spend more time with digital video than traditional TV? Even more astonishing is that the average YouTube session is 40 minutes long.
3) There are several different types of YouTube ads
YouTube is the world's #2 search engine, so it has a massive amount of traffic. This is why it's important to know what you are spending your ad money on. The six main types of YouTube ads are below.
A good one to focus on is the skippable video ads. Why? Because you don't pay for these unless the viewer watches 30 seconds or more of your ad. This means that even if someone skips your ad within the first 30 seconds, you get an impression that you didn't have to pay for.
4) Targeting your audience is more precise with YouTube than TV
TV networks use ratings to tell you who is watching what TV program. Google (who owns YouTube) already knows exactly who is watching their videos. So whether you want to target your audience based on age, gender, parental status, household income, geography or more, it's as easy as selecting a box in YouTube. You can also create custom audiences based on interests like Beauty & Wellness, Food & Dining, Sports & Fitness, and many more. It can even be as specific as targeting viewers that have shown interest in Warby Parker, 1-800 Contacts, etc.
5) There are tons of good examples of video ad content for ECPs
If you're not sure where to start with video ad content, here's a few suggestions:
Office tour
New frames
Product demos
Explain parts of an exam, or how to read a Rx
Employee spotlights
FAQs or myth-busting
Life hacks for glasses/contacts
6) There are real conversion opportunities for ECPs on YouTube
Brand awareness is a wonderful thing, but what are some practical ways to drive conversion with YouTube?
Website Remarketing - For people who went to your website, but didn't book an appointment, you can use YouTube ads to target those people and put compelling content in front of them to build a connection.
Recall - You can upload emails or physical addresses of patients that are overdue for an eye exam. This is a great way to remind them about the brand. If your phone call, email, or direct mail piece hasn't engaged them yet, it could be beneficial to get in front of them on YouTube.
Upsell Between Exams - For someone who has recently had an exam or bought a pair of glasses, you can then upsell them on a second pair or on sunglasses with a call to action in the video to entice them back in.
Members: Click here to view the full webinar