Digital advertising spend is still on the rise but are your ads capturing consumer attention?

Digital advertising spend has increased dramatically worldwide in 2021. Global advertising spend is expected to surge by 10.4% to $634bn, whilst overall UK ad spend is forecast to grow by 18% by the end of the year to reach a total of £28bn.

This growth has largely been attributed to fast-rising consumer confidence (as we recover from the global coronavirus pandemic) and the prevalence of the connected customer (due to a year of lockdowns) creating a burgeoning e-commerce market.

Digital advertising is now a vital part of any integrated brand campaign, but with a media landscape that's evolving almost daily, it can be hard to keep up and ensure your ads stand out, drive consumers to buy at a premium, and increase loyalty.

So how do you get the most from your budget?

Social media and online video have eclipsed traditional advertising

Currently sitting at an average 100 minutes a day, the amount of time people spend viewing online video on social platforms continues to increase year-on-year. Let’s break that down a bit:

• Video now accounts for almost half of all time spent on Facebook
• On-demand video, like in Facebook Watch, is also growing quickly and at a faster rate than other types of video or content in the News Feed
• Reels is already the largest contributor to engagement growth on Instagram
• YouTube booked a whopping $7bn in quarterly revenue last quarter
• TikTok now has 15bn daily views globally

More and more brands are benefiting from strategic video advertising on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat and Twitter - but this means they are becoming saturated. So how can you create compelling integrated brand campaigns that stand out from the crowd and leverage the platforms for the best end results?

User generated video is the surest way to ensure your ad campaigns attract attention

User-generated video (UGV) is the ultimate in digital advertising – selling your product/service and brand values alongside your customers' creativity.

UGV is proven to forge deeper connections with your customers and target markets, because it offers your brand the chance to tell a more authentic story by way of persona association - through the real people who buy your products or services interacting with them. Some of the best adverts of recent years have come from the highly creative minds of everyday people.

It works. 90% of consumers say UGC holds more influence in buying decisions and UGV-based advertising generates 4x higher click through rates. So, it’s somewhat surprising that despite the rapid increase in digital advertising, only 16% of brands have a UGV strategy.

Keep pace with demand and ahead of consumer trends

So, I’ll admit, I’ve crammed a lot of facts and figures into this piece. The key message I want you to take away however is simply this – lean into UGV to ensure your next digital advertising campaign attracts and holds attention on a crowded feed.  

There’s a veritable hivemind of creativity out there for you to harness.   Consumers are creating and sharing videos in record numbers.

Newsflare is the largest collection of rights-cleared user generated video in the world. Access to our platform gives agency and brand teams the ability to create and tell new stories that will connect your brand with your customers and target market emotionally and authentically. We are certain you will find the clip that delivers the message you need, but if not our 45,000+ global contributors are ready to respond to your brief and create your ideal content to order, fast – opening up exciting new possibilities across all your campaigns and market channels – from one-off digital video ads to a constant stream of content for social.

Chat to a member of our team today, to explore how UGV can deliver greater loyalty for your brand and increase the chances of savvy-consumers buying your products at a premium.