How branded content on social can help push purchasing decisions

Nearly three quarters (74%) of consumers say there is a connection between watching a video on social media and their purchasing decision-making process.Video came out on top on the most preferred branded content on social networks (31%) and 79% agree that video is the easiest way to get to know a brand online. 45% of the folks surveyed said people are more likely to tell friends and family about a brand after watching a good video by that brand on social media – and 76% of people are more likely to watch a social video if recommended by friends or family.When asked what were the top attributes to look out for in branded social video, it was for the content to be relevant to consumer interests (44%) and engaging (40%).Meanwhile Facebook was the social network on which consumers are most likely to ‘like’ (51%), share (44%) or comment on (32%) a good social video.. Half of social video views take place on YouTube, a third on Facebook (36%) and the remaining 14% is divided between social networks like Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram.Also, after watching a video on social media, consumers will ‘like’ it 47% of the time, share it 37% of the time and click through for more information 33% of the time. The results also showed that two thirds (67%) of respondents watch more video on social networks, like Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat, than they did a year ago and the average consumer now watches just under an hour (49 minutes) of social video every day.60% of viewers expect the amount of social video they watch to continue rising over the next year.David Mendels, CEO of Brightcove, explained that in recent years a clear trend favoring video content on social media has emerged – especially as social giants like Facebook have moved to ensure video is prominent within the consumer news feed.“We’re at a point now where the billions of daily views and millions of viewing hours represent a significant opportunity for brands striving to engage with their audiences online. But it’s not without its challenges,” he said.He added that when it comes to successful online video there’s certainly no such thing as ‘one size fits all’. With so many social networks to be visible on, and each one having its own technology and culture, delivering the relevant, timely and tailored viewing experiences that consumers demand can be a complex task.“Brands need to be able to quickly and easily serve, manage, measure and adapt their video content across the ever-evolving landscape of social networks – not to mention their owned and operated properties,” he added.The findings were based on a new research commissioned by online video solutions provider, conducted with 5,500 consumers in the UK, France, Germany, US and Australia, nearly half (46%) of viewers have actually made a purchase as a result of watching a branded video on social media and another third (32%) have considered doing so.