Did you know: audiences typically retain up to 95 percent of a video message vs. 10 percent of a written message? And that by placing a video on a landing page, you can increase conversions by up to 80 percent?
Video ads increase the chance of your audience receiving your message and, most importantly, taking action. But how do you deliver those video ads directly to farmers, ranchers, and other ag customers?
There are generally two options available to ag advertisers: endemic (or direct-placement) and programmatic (automated and data-targeted). This post will walk through each of them to help you determine the best option for your agribusiness.
How does endemic video advertising work?
Endemic advertising refers to ad placement that is driven by a particular market or niche. In ag, an example of endemic advertising would be placing an equipment ad on a farm equipment publisher’s website.
This approach works well if you have a solid relationship and track record of success with a particular ag publisher. It also can be an effective brand-building tactic.
But the problem with endemic advertising is that you can’t control who sees the ad and when. You can make an educated guess by selecting a specific publication, but neither you nor the publisher actually gets to control who actually sees the ad once it’s online.
You shouldn’t have to settle for this limitation. There are more effective media tactics out there that can help you be more targeted and precise.
How does programmatic pre-roll video work?
Have you ever watched a news clip on CNN and saw the ad that played before you got to your clip? Those ads are programmatically targeted.
Programmatic advertising is the process of purchasing digital ad space in real-time, with the assistance of dedicated software and algorithms that automate the process. With data driven programmatic buying, segmented audience data helps you target the exact farmers that you want to reach (e.g. row crop vs. specialty growers, large vs. small farms, Corn Belt vs. Sun Belt, etc.).
When you can target the right farmer with a highly contextual and attention-grabbing video, you can start to realize the benefits that we listed earlier. This is how you truly 10X your digital ad effectiveness.
Which media tactic is better?
There’s no question that endemic advertising has longevity and popularity within the ag industry. It’s been around for long enough that many advertisers trust it.
But there are significant downsides to endemic video advertising, especially considering that it’s not the only option any more:
- Targeting. With an endemic ad, the best you can do in terms of targeting is to pick a publisher who’s in your specific industry. With programmatic, and data-driven programmatic specifically, you can target specific crop growers and livestock producers based on specific demographics (learn more here).
- Segmentation. Most endemic ads don’t allow for segmentation down to the individual user. Programmatic ads, on the other hand, allow you to personalize your creative based on geography (state & county), crops, acreage, irrigation type, farm income, consumer demographics (e.g. age, gender, educational level) and much more.
- Distribution. When you purchase an endemic video ad, that ad will only display on one website. However, with programmatic ads, your ad will display across hundreds of sites (e.g. news, sports, weather, etc.).
- Cost. Endemic advertising is expensive. And while investing in marketing is essential to growing your agribusiness, spending money without knowing exactly who you’re targeting can be wasteful.
Obviously, it’s up to you which media tactic you want to invest in. But we think we’ve made a pretty darn good case for the benefits and ROI of data-driven programmatic video.
If you’re thinking about diving into data driven programmatic, check out our Top 10 tips on how to run a successful campaign.