YouTube. It has fundamentally changed the way we use the Internet. Anything from spinning cats to news, clips to music and everyday people doing ordinary and extraordinary things. YouTube has made celebrities out of ordinary people who were brave (or stupid) enough to upload their video for the world to see.
We love YouTube. However, the one thing we don't love is the adverts that interrupt our beloved clip.
So, why are those ads there? Does anyone actually watch those YouTube ads? Are they effective at all?
I have read many articles showing that some people do watch the advert some of the time, but it all depends on the content and what they want to see. Since South Africa does not behave like the rest of the world, I set out to understand the local viewing preferences for YouTube ads.
I realised early on in my investigation that simply surveying people was not going to cut it. I needed a more scientific test to accurately measure how people react to the adverts they see on YouTube.
The most optimal way to conduct this research was by tracking and measuring the user experience. This can only be done accurately by using the Eye Tracking system. This system locks on the pupil of the eye and unobtrusively tracks and records the movement of the pupil as the test subject views the material on the screen.
The Eye Tracking system is made up of a combination of the TOBII hardware and the Attention Eye Tracking software; along with the South African modifications, this becomes the perfect solution. The reason I chose the TOBII hardware was for its ease of use and the portability, as I could set up the mobile lab at any location. The Attention software also allows for on-the-spot analysis to be done for instant results.
The test group
The test group was made up of random strangers that I asked to help, when I set up the system in a coffee shop in Johannesburg. It was made up of 32 people, both male and female, ages ranging from 21 up to 52, with varied ethnicity.
Results
The ads that appear before the YouTube video clip you have selected are known as TrueView In-Stream (pre-roll ads). These ads last between 30 and 60 seconds and can be skipped after five seconds of viewing.
The research shows that 32 out of 32 test subjects (100%) were simply waiting for the 'skip' button and did not view the advert at all. When asked about these ads, they all said they could not recall what the ads were for and could not recall a time when they watched the entire advert (during the test or previously). All of the test group clicked on the skip button as soon as it was available.
Full Eye Tracking video clip of pre-roll ads:
During the videos, there are pop-up text ads that can appear. These were much better received. Thirty out of 32 test subjects (93%) said ads that were related to the video they were watching were not deemed as having interrupted the viewing experience, but rather enhanced it. Twenty-seven out of 32 test subjects (84%) clicked on the ad.
Full video of effective pop-up ads inside YouTube clip:
It seems our eyes are automatically attracted to any text that appears inside the video clip. When we tested the group on the 'Sensation' video clip, 32 out of 32 test subjects (100%) were instantly attracted to the text.
Full video of effective text inside YouTube clip:
So in summary:
The Eye Tracking system clearly revels how the test subjects experienced and reacted to the adverts when they appeared inside YouTube.
Initially, I would have thought that absolutely no ones clicks on any YouTube adverts, but it seems like people do. The golden secret: if the advert is text-based, and appears while watching the clip and not before, and the text is related to what they are watching, then people do click on it.
The full extent of the research also shows which video clips work best for brands over other clips that do not, and the Eye Tracking technology is something that any brand spending money on YouTube (or any other medium) should deploy to always ensure their best work is produced, maximising the effectiveness of their material.
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