Here are a few examples from some of our leading partners, like Video Elephant. All of the statistics are from August 2020.
Krispy Kreme Expands to Walmart Shelves, Cheddar
This tasty update came from Cheddar’s main channel, covering business and market news. It really hit the sweet spot with users across the Primis network of publishers, having a well-known and well-loved American brand as the topic helping it generate a high engagement rate (9.96%).
The strengths of this video lie in its length (an efficient 2 minutes) and an intriguing headline, creating a desire to hear more details about this announcement.
Dream Theater's John Petrucci Plays His Favorite Riffs, Loudwire
At first glance, you might miss this pearl by Loudwire. Luckily, users that came across it when featured by our various music publishers identified its true value - a rare peek into a master at work. Dream Theater’s lead guitarist, John Petrucci, shares intimate stories about his guitar skills, ranging from his childhood in Long Island to Dream Theater’s biggest moments.
What makes this such an engaging video? The opportunity for viewers to learn from a true legend. This caused 2% of the users to click on the “Stay” option in Primis Next and view it in an uninterrupted experience.
Blizzard's controller support isn't about consoles: it's about accessibility, Bang Showbiz Gaming
The gaming vertical is the big winner of the pandemic, demonstrated in the trend analysis published earlier this year. Eye-catching graphics of gameplay made this short video, about one of the most successful games of all time - World of Warcraft, a must-see piece. One aspect that helped it stand out above the competition is its thumbnail image, garnering a 1.5% click-through rate when appearing as part of the playlist.
Man faints in front of Prince Charles & Beirut Blast: Aerial Footage Shows Scale of Destruction, ITN News
These two videos by ITN’s news channel stood out in their respective vertical on a very simple basis - meeting the expectations the users developed from those great titles. Unlike so many videos you’ll come across the web, failing to deliver what they promised in a bombastic title, these videos truly deliver. This invites the users to engage with the timeline to view the interesting footage again and again.
Supermarket Squat! Doctor Leads Workout Sessions for Customers Waiting in Line at Grocery Store!, ZMG Buzz60
This feel-good story about a Canadian doctor encouraging his fellow shoppers waiting in line to get their daily dose of exercise popped on our radar at the start of the pandemic, dating back to mid-March. Since then, it’s been a constant hit with users, generating all types of positive engagement and feelings about our ability to work together to overcome Covid-19. 1.45% of users opted to view the video in full screen, 1.8% unmuted it and 1.65% clicked on its thumbnail image when they encountered it in their playlist.
Driving Video Engagement in 2020
So, what have we learned?
- A good thumbnail will help you break through the clatter
- So can an interesting title
- Users are losing patience with videos that don’t deliver on a bombastic title
- Viewers appreciate real high-quality video over slideshows
- Feel-good stories do better during these challenging times
- There is no substitute for good storytelling.
