Table of Content
What do YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels have in common? They’re both short-form video platforms that keep you glued to your screen for hours. Our focus today is on YouTube because once you make video content part of your digital signage strategy, the sky is the limit. Not only that, we’ll be discussing why Look Digital Signage software is the only video marketing partner you need for your signage content.
The Power of YouTube for Brand Awareness
The Impact of Video Content Across Industries
If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling past a video because it was too long and monotonous, that is proof enough that people’s attention spans are shorter than ever. Most people prefer bit-sized video content because they can consume it on the go. Videos can also evoke emotions when combined with storytelling, which is more memorable and impactful than text-based content. YouTube is the second most popular website in the world after Google with over 2 billion logged-in users visiting monthly.
Here are some video content statistics that you should know:
- 68% of YouTube users turn to the platform to assist them in making informed purchase decisions.
- 60% of video marketers measure the ROI of their video content by tracking engagement metrics such as likes, shares, and reposts.
- 51% of people say they use YouTube to learn new things while 90% of consumers say they discover new products or brands from YouTube.
- Short-form videos have proven to be the best format for most marketers, with 39% finding 30-60 second videos the most impactful, followed by 1-2 minutes (28%), 30 seconds or less (18%), 2-3 minutes (10%), and videos exceeding 3 minutes being the least effective (5%).
Benefits of YouTube Marketing
Increased Engagement and Conversion Rates: Comments and live chats make viewers feel more connected to a brand when they share their thoughts or talk to others. Viewers who actively engage with content are more likely to view the brand favorably and are more receptive to calls-to-action (CTAs).
Enhanced Brand Awareness and Recall: When Google introduced Universal Search, it meant that YouTube videos could appear alongside traditional web pages. Even as you create high-quality content, it’s beneficial to make a video version of it that caters to consumers who prefer video explanations. If you optimize the videos for ranking, they not only drive traffic to your YouTube channel but also create multiple touchpoints for potential customers.
Real-Time Interaction with the Audience: Asynchronous communication, such as email, is no longer sufficient for businesses. They’re way too slow, and by the time a response kicks in, the consumer has already moved on. More and more businesses are using YouTube live and live chat to directly connect with their audience during a stream by answering questions, responding to comments, and even making viewer suggestions part of the content.
Leveraging Look Digital Signage's YouTube Integration
Using the Built-in YouTube App
Look Digital Signage comes with a full package of inbuilt apps, one of them being YouTube. It simplifies live broadcasting by providing an easily accessible way to connect with your audience in real-time. Here is a step-by-step guide to configure your digital signage displays with YouTube on Look CMS.
Step-by-step Guide
- Navigate to the Look Digital Signage Apps page and select the YouTube app.
- Log in to your YouTube account.
- Choose the specific livestream you want to broadcast on your digital signage displays and paste the link in the search phrase field. You can find the link to your live stream on your YouTube dashboard.
- Decide whether to schedule the live stream for a specific time or initiate it immediately.
- Use the mute slider to configure audio settings.
Real-Time Synchronization with Digital Signage Displays
Once configured, Look Digital Signage ensures your live stream/video is synchronized on the screens of your choosing. Any changes or updates made on YouTube during the live stream will be automatically reflected on your digital signage.
Best Practices for Live Streaming Events and Updates
Promote in advance: Announce your live stream ahead of time on your social media channels and website to generate anticipation and maximize viewership.
Prepare engaging content: Plan your live stream content to keep viewers entertained and informed. That should include Q&A sessions, polls, or interactive elements to encourage audience participation.
Optimize video and audio quality: The live stream needs to have good video and audio quality so that the viewing experience is top-notch.
Monitor and moderate comments: Actively engage with viewers by responding to comments and questions in real-time.
Repurpose content: After the live stream, you can edit and repurpose the content for on-demand viewing on your YouTube channel and digital signage displays.
Promoting YouTube Channel Videos
Displaying Curated YouTube Content: On Look Digital Signage, you can handpick specific YouTube videos or playlists to showcase on your displays. This ensures that your display content is perfectly on brand and targeted for the right audience.
Cross-Promotion Between YouTube and Digital Signage: On your YouTube videos, mention your in-store digital signage and encourage viewers to visit your physical locations to see more. Conversely, use your digital signage to promote your YouTube channel by displaying QR codes or short URLs that customers can easily scan or remember to access your channel on their mobile devices.
Retail: Enhancing In-Store Experience with Video Content
Attracting and Engaging Customers
Using Live Broadcasts for Product Launches and Promotions: A study by Livestream found that 80% of consumers would rather watch a live video from a brand than read a blog. This is an avenue where you can tap into FOMO and create exclusivity with product launches.
Featuring Customer Testimonials and Reviews: Research by BrightLocal revealed that 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Video testimonials can be particularly impactful, as they allow viewers to see and hear the genuine enthusiasm of satisfied customers. This emotional connection can be far more persuasive than a simple text-based review.
Driving Sales and Loyalty
Interactive Video Content to Showcase Products: Interactive videos have an 11x higher conversion rate than standard videos and that includes shoppable videos. These videos feature clickable product tags that display information like price, availability, and purchase options. That way, consumers can explore and make purchases without ever leaving the video.
Highlighting Special Offers and Discounts: You can use dedicated video content to showcase limited-time deals, exclusive promotions, or seasonal sales to create a sense of urgency and excitement among viewers. To maximize the impact of these videos, it's important to include clear calls to action (CTAs) that encourage viewers to take advantage of the offer. You can display the CTAs as annotations or at the end of the video.
For instance, a clothing retailer could create a video showcasing their latest summer collection and offer a 15% discount code for viewers who purchase within the next 24 hours.
Advertising: Amplifying Campaign Reach
Creating Dynamic and Interactive Advertisements
Utilizing Video Ads on Digital Signage: Most people fall in love with what they see, especially if that’s a tantalizing food ad that practically makes your mouth water or a new car model's sleek design and innovative features, depending on the audience. With video ads on digital signage, you’re combining two powerful mediums that are likely to influence impulse purchases.
Engaging Audiences with Interactive Features: Interactive features can significantly enhance the engagement potential of video ads on digital signage. By incorporating QR codes, touchscreens, or gesture recognition technology, you can encourage viewers to interact with the ads and explore additional content.
Real-Time Campaign Adjustments
Adjusting Video Content Based on Real-Time Analytics: YouTube has visualizations where you can monitor views, watch times, likes, comments, and shares which point out well-performing content and the ones that need improvements. This data can then be used to make real-time adjustments to video content to optimize its effectiveness. For example, if a video is not receiving many views, you can adjust the title, thumbnail, or description to make it more appealing to viewers.
Promoting Trending Content for Maximum Reach: Video content that is relevant to current trends piques interest and creates conversation surrounding these topics. This can help videos gain more views and shares, as people are more likely to watch and share content that is relevant to their interests. To identify trending topics, marketers can use tools like Google Trends or social media listening tools.
Corporate: Strengthening Internal and External Communication
Enhancing Employee Engagement
Broadcasting Company Updates and Announcements: Employees are likelier to watch a short video than read a long document. Instead of sending out lengthy emails or memos, companies can create informative and visually engaging videos to announce company updates. This could include new product launches, policy changes, or upcoming events.
Sharing Training Videos and Corporate Messages: Videos are also a valuable tool for employee training and development. Companies can create tutorials, how-to guides, and informational videos on various topics, making learning more engaging and accessible for employees. Additionally, corporate messages delivered through video can reinforce company values, mission, and vision and create a stronger sense of purpose and unity within the workforce.
Building Brand Image
Displaying Brand Stories and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Activities: Consumers are interested in seeing the human side of your brand. That’s why video is so effective in showcasing your commitment to social and environmental causes and demonstrating a dedication to positive impact.
Showcasing Client Testimonials and Case Studies: You can help potential customers reach decisions faster by showing them video testimonials of customers in a similar situation who solved their problems using your solution. These authentic accounts build trust and credibility and solidify your position as an industry leader.
Best Practices for Using Look Digital Signage's YouTube App
Creating High-Quality Video Content: Look DS showcases your videos in their default resolution, it does not compress files. Therefore, if you invest in professional video production, the Look app with show your video content with the same crispness and clarity.
Tips for Producing Engaging Live Broadcasts: For live broadcasts plan and structure your content to keep viewers engaged. Start with a strong introduction, maintain a conversational tone, and interact with viewers through live chat or Q&A sessions.
Ensuring Video Relevance for Digital Signage: By this time, you already know the flow of traffic and have already placed your screens in strategic positions. The next step is to schedule your playlists to update content based on specific audiences. For instance, you could create a playlist of product demonstrations to play during peak shopping hours and switch to customer testimonials or behind-the-scenes videos during slower periods.
Optimizing Video Content for Digital Signage: It’s best practice to keep your videos concise and impactful. Avoid lengthy introductions or unnecessary details and remember to include a strong call to action to encourage viewers to take the desired next step.
Formatting and Resolution Requirements: Look DS supports up to 4K resolution. To ensure optimal viewing quality, make sure your YouTube videos are exported in high resolution, ideally 1080p or higher. However, it's important to maintain a consistent aspect ratio across all videos to avoid stretching or distortion on different screen sizes.
Incorporating Interactive Elements and Calls to Action: Make your videos interactive by adding clickable elements, QR codes, or links to your website or social media pages.
Synchronizing Content Across Platforms: Maintain consistency in your branding and messaging across YouTube and digital signage. Use similar visuals, logos, and color schemes to create a cohesive brand experience.
Maintaining Consistency Between YouTube and Digital Signage Content: Ensure that your video content on YouTube and digital signage is consistent in terms of quality, tone, and messaging. This creates a seamless brand experience for viewers across different platforms.
Coordinating Content Calendars and Posting Schedules: To maintain a consistent and engaging presence across platforms, you need a unified content calendar for YouTube and your digital signage. This will help you schedule new video releases on YouTube to coincide with their display on your digital signage to maximize the reach and impact of each piece of content.
Case Study: Dealerships - Coziahr Harley-Davidson (US)
Coziahr Harley-Davidson, a family-owned motorcycle dealership, successfully integrated digital signage with YouTube content to enhance their customer experience. The dealership used the Look DS platform to display a variety of engaging video content, including Harley-Davidson promotional videos, weather maps for current riding conditions, and information about upcoming events at the dealership.
This deployment enabled Coziahr Harley-Davidson to create a more informative and entertaining environment for their customers. This, in turn, led to increased engagement, improved customer satisfaction, and ultimately, a boost in sales.
Measuring the Impact of Your Video Content
Key Metrics to Track on YouTube
Views, Watch Time, and Engagement Rates: Views indicate the number of times your video has been watched, while watch time measures the total duration viewers spent watching your content. High watch time suggests your videos are captivating and holding viewers' attention. Engagement rates, including likes, comments, and shares, show how actively your audience interacts with your videos.
Audience Demographics and Behavior: YouTube Analytics will let you know who your viewer demographics are and how they interact with your content. Tracking these metrics helps you create content that is tailored to your viewers, and this is where you can tap into their suggestions to improve content to their liking.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Digital Signage
In-Store Traffic and Engagement: Sensors and facial recognition technology have helped retailers put a number on how effectively digital signage drives traffic. There, of course, has to be baseline data taken before the installation. Heatmap technology can further help in visualizing foot traffic patterns.
Conversion Rates and Sales Impact: Once retailers compare sales data before and after implementing digital signage campaigns for specific products or promotions, they can attribute any increases to the signage's influence. QR codes are a more sure approach since the impact can be measured directly.
Integrating Insights for a Holistic View: Combining YouTube analytics with digital signage data provides a better understanding of your video content's performance across platforms. High-performing content on YouTube can be repurposed for display on digital signage screens.
Combining YouTube and Digital Signage Analytics: Comparing video views and engagement metrics on YouTube with in-store metrics like dwell time and sales uplift can enable retailers to pinpoint which videos are most effective at driving in-store action.
Using Data to Refine and Optimize Content Strategies: Data-driven insights are your compass for continuous improvement. Make it a habit to continuously analyze which videos do best on digital signage in terms of audience engagement and sales impact. This is the data that will help you create content that your audience will love.
Conclusion
Integrating Look Digital Signage with your YouTube marketing strategy opens up a world of possibilities for engaging your audience, driving sales, and strengthening your brand. If you follow the best practices outlined in this guide and continuously analyze the performance of your video content across both platforms, you can refine your strategy, maximize your reach, and achieve remarkable results.
Don't wait – start exploring the limitless potential of Look DS & YouTube to transform your brand. Sign up for a 14-day trial period today!
