Facebook and TV work together

We talk a lot about the death of television with digital mediums like Facebook driving a stake into its heart.  But the reality is, TV is still alive and well.  Having said that, any sophisticated media buyer will tell you, successful video buying strategy means planning for multiple impressions using both television and digital media such as Facebook.

Facebook began the plan to become much more dominant in video over a year ago and 2016 looks to be the year when Google’s YouTube will need to look more seriously over their shoulder.

With any strong media buy, the obvious goal is to create the impression a message is “everywhere”.   That’s done by reaching a consumer in at least two different locations (viewing options) on more than two occasions over a short period of time.  Facebook proposes to give video strategists the option to both prime a television audience with the commercial in advance and supplement video impressions after the fact.

If you purchase video placement through Facebook prior to the start of the television buy, you’ll reach your target initially and prime the pump.  Then, when the viewer watches that same message again on conventional television, the “everywhere” effect begins.

Similarly, if someone sees a commercial on television, and then the same ad appears on their facebook feed the next day, the same goals are achieved with those “everywhere” cross platform impressions.

It’s important to also take  native advertising into account.  When Ontrack creates a commercial we take different elements into account based on whether it’s appearing just on television or as part of a cross platform digital strategy. You have your initial visual storytelling, but you should alter it to the screen it’s appearing on and take view patterns into account based on the medium it appears.  Elements of the initial video are mixed into the digital mediums to create the cross over brand impressions.

Here’s an excellent article from AdWeek talking about the importance of a multi platform digital strategy.

There's no denying 2016 will create limitless  opportunities for well crafted video and a purposeful media strategy.

About the Author    Tim McLarty is a Toronto based creative director and video strategist at Ontrack Communications.  He helps companies tell their stories through broadcast & web. In his spare time he makes short films and travels to any country that will have him.