Kudos to the Discover Boating team on its plans to utilize the widest variety of advertising outlets ever for this year’s national campaign, including a first-time schedule on the fastest growing media called Connected TV. Not familiar with it? It is relatively recent.

But for starters, it’s hot now. Media experts define Connected TV advertising as ads served up to TV sets via the internet. It usually involves a smart TV but can be some other device such as a Blu-ray player, game console, Roku and more.

The fact is the use of Connected TV is growing faster than spring weeds in the garden because the number of connected TV users keeps increasing. The eMarketer Newsletter now projects that more than half of the US population, 57.2 percent will watch connected TV in 2019, up from 51.7 percent in 2017. Moreover, the amount of time viewers will spend watching will increase, too, which means the amount of connected TV inventory available to advertisers is mushrooming.

It is notable that the degree to which connected TV is changing varies depending on the research you look at. Regardless, all agree the growth trend is clear and, therefore, getting our Discover Boating message out there through these channels is a cutting-edge move.

The opportunities to target our DB ads has increased substantially because the connected TV inventory has grown over the past 12 to 16 months. For example, the Comcast-owned video ad server, FreeWheel, had similar study findings. In the 4 quarter of 2018, FreeWheel served 42 percent of its ad impressions through connected TVs. That was a year-over-year increase of 11 percent. Moreover, even platforms that get much of their traffic from mobile can benefit from the growth in connected TV.

Take YouTube, for example. While most of its video is watched on mobile devices these days, there is indication that the site is also contributing to the rapid rise of connected TV. Between 2016 and 2018, the share of YouTube video views that occurred on TV screens in the US increased by about 6 percent. And, as supply levels rise, the costs of using connected TV are expected to continue to decline making it even more attractive.

It seems certain the continued growth in connected TV inventory will increasingly affect how and where ad dollars are spent going forward. That will be especially true for if an advertiser has good video, and that is Discover Boating’s strongest suit.

Reminder: there’s a wide range of action-packed videos; professionally-shot boating still images; digital marketing education help; social media content; and in-store promotional materials and tools you can use, all available free to you as a dealer. Not using some of what’s there is like leaving money on the table. Go to: www.growboating.org to learn more.

How’s Your Video?

If you’ve read this blog down to here, you’ve undoubtedly noted that video is mentioned many times. That’s because people are consuming more video than ever, especially on smart phones. But aside from taking advantage of the video available from Grow Boating, shooting your own may now be a good marketing idea.

Perhaps producing your own videos can seem daunting, especially when you hear the latest technical jargon like 4K, DSLR and 360-video. Forget it. It’s a fact you don’t have to be a Stephen Spielberg to make and use simple video to reach your customers and prospects.

Here, thanks to Brian Pittman, a consultant and webinar manager at Ragan Communications, is a quick breakdown of four steps that can start you being a DIY producer:

  1. Keep cameras simple — don’t drop big bucks. Your video camera might already be in your pocket, says videographer Lou Bortone. Yes, your smartphone or tablet is really all you need to create a YouTube video or a vlog. If you’re shooting outdoor action you could step up to the GoPro Hero5 ($300). If you’re running Facebook Live streams and want multiple angles or more features, the Livestream Mevo camera is a good bet ($300).
  2. Sound is important. Microphone selection will depend on your camera set-up. For example, if you’re doing a talk from your desk, like Baxter (Tim Allen) does from Outdoor Man in the popular TV sitcom “Last Man Standing,” getting a Blue ‘Yeti’ USB mic will do the job well ($150). Or, a simple lavalier mic, like a Rode smartLav+ ($75), is even cheaper and easier to hide for video interviews,
  3. Dip into video editing — start free and upgrade later. Editing footage can mushroom into a time-consuming task, says Bartone. Don’t let it. Instead he recommends WeVideo for the DIY-minded. “It’s simple, affordable and user-friendly for any skill level,” he says. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re on a Mac or a PC, because it’s online. You can even start for free and upgrade later.”
  4. Experiment with live video — start with Facebook AMAs. This might take you out of your comfort zone, albeit not that complicated. But Facebook Live is an informal video environment, and most viewers are quite forgiving. “It’s a safe place to experiment,” says Bortone. “You can even ‘go live’ to only yourself by adjusting your privacy settings. This will let you to review your video first. The real magic of Facebook Live lies in the interaction and community building – you can actually interact with a live audience.” To venture into this, Bortone recommends third-party tools like BeLive.tv. It allows you to display viewer questions in real time and even bring guests on camera right into the livestream.

Every dealer has lots of interesting short stories that customers and prospects would enjoy hearing about. And they’ll watch your video for the subject matter you’re offering that interests them with little regard to how fancy your production may or may not be. And, since video is so prominent in today’s digital world, it may be worth your effort now to give it a try.