For over a decade, marketers have had their eye on the effect of the second screen when it comes to media consumption and advertising.
86 percent of internet users use another device while watching TV. That’s better than 8 out of 10 people who are looking at and interacting with content on another device while sitting in front of a television. Some might call this multi-tasking. Some might say it serves to show how distracted we are in 2020.
It’s also called opportunity. Beautiful, content-fueled opportunity.
A Technical Aside
Your first screen and our first screen may not be the same. Many people consume television content on their televisions while many others consume television content on their smartphones. For the sake of simplicity though, we’re going to assume the first screen is television.
What is Second Screening
Let’s define our terms. The “first screen” is whatever device you’re watching tv on, whether it’s a television, computer, tablet, or phone. So, if you’re watching television content on a television, that device would be the first screen and a smartphone might be a second screen. And by “might” we mean that there is a statistically significant chance that the second screener is second screening on a smartphone.
Second Screeners by the Numbers
The majority of second screen users are 18-24 (79 percent), but it is common for older generations to follow this pattern as well. In fact, 68 percent of 24-34-year-olds and 60 percent of 35-49-year-olds report using a second screen when watching TV.
Second screeners are 30 percent more likely to discover brands via recommendations and comments on social networks, and 50 percent of viewers use social media for product research.
Television advertising alone does not have the same impact that it once had because of the constant distractions from mobile devices.
But it’s not all doom and gloom for marketers. Please don’t throw in the proverbial towel over the interstellar domination coming from mobile devices and their effect on your audience’s attention; this is where a new arena of opportunity lies.
The Advertiser’s Best Friend
When our target audience uses multiple screens simultaneously, we marketers are handed the opportunity to show them creative on the second screen to reinforce the message coming from the first. We get to show them one touchpoint of our brand and then quickly show them another touchpoint all in one sitting. There’s even the possibility of targeting them with creative that is personalized to them which is more effective at driving action than a brand-building ad on TV. Second screening empowers TV viewers to take immediate actions both during an ad and after seeing an ad.
Imagine your most ideal customer is streaming The Bachelorette, and then your ad plays because you’ve done some pretty great targeting in your video campaign. That ad has its intended effect: it mesmerizes the viewer. Then they notice the well-placed QR code on the screen and, obviously, has to know more about your brand. So, the user snaps the QR code and is taken to your perfectly-designed landing page to learn more. Congratulations. Your strategy worked. You landed a visit to your landing page while your ad was playing.
86% of internet users use another device while watching TV.
How to Capitalize on Second Screening Opportunities
Adapt your retargeting efforts
As advertising grows with the advances in technology, more and more marketers are embracing the second screen revolution by integrating the second screen into their media strategies. By retargeting their audiences soon after their television creative airs, consumers can be up to 72 percent more likely to convert within the next 24 hours.
Nail the media strategy fundamentals
Understand your audience: We know, we know.. you’ve heard about the importance of understanding your audience so much that you’re blind to this language. We understand. But not taking the time to do this well will certainly leave you, at best, unprepared, or at worst, wasting your advertising budget. Neither are good. For second screen media especially, it’s essential that you have a clear understanding of how your customers are engaging with their first and second screens as well as what their relevant digital habits look like.
Understand how your audience engages with your content: The moment your audience connects with your brand, they begin to determine its value. How can you tap into what your audience is thinking? Consider their on-site behavior using tools such as Google Analytics. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube also have free tools that provide useful insights into how your audience is responding to your content and navigating from your media channels to your website. Understanding this audience behavior flow can lead to understanding how and where it can be improved upon, both in your media channels and on your site.
Seek for precision: It’s imperative that your audience have a positive experience every time they engage with your brand. This makes precision vital when it comes to targeting your audience on specific mediums with specific messaging. To say it plainly, create platform-relevant content that speaks directly to the second-screen channel that your user is on. Audience engagement data is worthless if you don’t make choices that align with the insights your data provides.
Are you looking for a media partner to help you get the most bang for your buck? Contact Mad Genius to get started.