According to a Pew Research Center report in 2013, eight out of 10 American Internet users regularly watch or download videos. The rapid expansion of video on the Web over the past five years has largely been powered by the adoption of smartphones, which make creating and uploading videos faster and easier than ever. This research indicates that in 2015 and beyond, video will continue to be an essential medium for content on the Web. As marketers, we often hear that video is the way to engage customers when developing creative for our companies or clients, but how do we know whether the investment is justified? How do we know that using video is any more effective for delivering a message to our audience than simple copy and static imagery? In this 35-minute Web clinic, our research team shares strategies for leveraging video to increase the performance of online marketing collateral, including one test that helped boost mobile conversion by over 50%.

1. Incorporating Video in Your Mobile Strategy:
2 key principles that helped one company boost mobile
conversion by over 50%

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#WebClinic

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Today’s speakers
Austin McCraw
Senior Director,
Content Production
MECLABS Institute
Jon Powell
Senior Manager,
Executive Research and Development
MECLABS Institute

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Experiment: Background
Background: A company offering a variety of dieting programs and memberships with the
goal of helping their audience lead a healthier lifestyle.
Goal: To increase landing page membership conversions on mobile and tablet devices.
Research Question: Which use of video will generate the highest conversion rate?
Test Design: Multi-treatment variable cluster split
Experiment ID: TP 11157
Record Location: MECLABS Research Library
Research Partner: (Protected)

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Mobile side-by-side
*Anonymized
Control Treatment A Treatment B Treatment C
34%
in conversions
*Video is the same for the Control and Treatments

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Design Conversion Rate Level of Confidence % Relative Change
Control 0.14% ---
Treatment A 0.19% 99% 34.4%
Treatment B 0.17% 97% 22%
Treatment C 0.16% 89% 14.5%
Experiment: Mobile results
Relative increase in conversion rate34%Treatment A resulted in a 34.4% relative increase in conversion rate.

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Tablet side-by-side
*Anonymized
Control Treatment A Treatment B
52%
in conversions
*Video is the same for the Control and Treatments

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Design Conversion Rate Level of Confidence % Relative Change
Control 0.14% ---
Treatment A 0.21% 98% 52.3%
Treatment B 0.18% 90% 31.2%
Experiment: Tablet results
Relative increase in conversion rate52%Treatment A resulted in a 52.3% relative increase in conversion rate for tablets.

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Treatment A
Treatment A
Why did these treatments perform better?

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Online video is everywhere
• 8 out of 10 adults watch or upload online videos
• 1 out of 4 have uploaded a video
• 1 out of 5 have posted original content
• YouTube is the 2nd largest social networking site behind Facebook
*Pew Center for Research

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Mobile adoption and video consumption
*Pew Center for Research
Founded in February 2005 Apple iPhone 1st Generation
released June 2007

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Mobile adoption and video consumption
*Pew Center for Research
Founded in February, 2005 Apple iPhone 1st Generation
Released June, 2007
2005 2007 Today
Online video
consumption
Smartphone
adoption

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When should I use video, and how do I make it
effective in my mobile marketing campaigns?

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Mobile video strategy
Today, we are going to review two principles,
based upon seven years of mobile offer
testing, that will help you identify how to use
video more effectively on your pages.

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Effectively leveraging video
FPrinciple #1: The medium impacts the message
1. First, we must view video as a medium (form) for the message, rather than the
message (substance) itself.
2. Second, we must understand that medium impacts the message. Different
mediums (copy, images, video, etc.) will have different strengths.

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When video worked
47%
in conversions
TP 11085: Video strategy Test 1
Version A (without video)
Version B (with video)
Video added

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TP 1291: Landing page test
Version A (without video) Version B (with video)
231%
in conversions
When video did not work

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When the right video worked TP 1433: Video Test
Version A (with Video) Version B (with video)
54%
in conversions

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Effectively leveraging video
FPrinciple #1: The medium impacts the message
1. First, we must view video as a medium (form) for the message, rather than the
message (substance) itself.
2. Second, we must understand that medium impacts the message. Different
mediums (copy, images, video, etc.) will have different strengths.
3. The value of video is tied to directly to the unique impact it has on the message.
Marketers should strive to leverage video only when its form strengthens, not
subtracts, from the substance of the message.

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Should I use copy, imagery or video?
Copy Images Video
Strengths
Scannable, Direct, Specific,
Precise, Immediate,
Definitive
Visual, Realistic, Cross-cultural,
Emotive, Arresting
Evocative
Demonstrative, Emotive,
Tone, Drama, Humor, Virality
Narrative
Weaknesses
Tedious,
Monotonous,
Lifeless
Ambiguous
Open-to-interpretation
Can be Misunderstood
Time-consuming
Large Size
Complex
Uses
Orientation,
Frameworks,
Lists,
Specific details
Show the People
Lifestyle/Aspiration Imagery
Product Imagery
Attention-Grabber
How-To Videos
Testimonials
Lifestyle Videos
Dramatization

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Should I use copy, imagery or video?
Copy Images Video
Strengths
Scannable, Direct, Specific,
Precise, Immediate,
Definitive
Visual, Realistic, Cross-cultural,
Emotive, Arresting,
Evocative
Demonstrative, Emotive,
Tone, Drama, Humor, Virality
Narrative
Weaknesses
Tedious,
Monotonous,
Lifeless
Ambiguous,
Open-to-interpretation,
Can be misunderstood
Time-consuming
Large Size
Complex
Uses
Orientation,
Frameworks,
Lists,
Specific details
Show the people.
Lifestyle/Aspiration imagery,
Product imagery,
Attention-grabber
How-To Videos
Testimonials
Lifestyle Videos
Dramatization

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Should I use copy, imagery or video?
Copy Images Video
Strengths
Scannable, Direct, Specific,
Precise, Immediate,
Definitive
Visual, Realistic, Cross-cultural,
Emotive, Arresting,
Evocative
Demonstrative, Emotive,
Tone, Drama, Humor, Virality
Narrative
Weaknesses
Tedious,
Monotonous,
Lifeless
Ambiguous,
Open-to-interpretation,
Can be misunderstood
Time-consuming,
Large size,
Complex
Uses
Orientation,
Frameworks,
Lists,
Specific details
Show the people,
Lifestyle/Aspiration imagery,
Product imagery,
Attention-grabber
How-to videos,
Testimonials,
Lifestyle videos,
Dramatization

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Why use video
The Strength of Video:
• Use of copy: Copy is first used to immediately
orient the visitor with precise clarity. Copy is
then used at the bottom of the page to
further explain the membership benefits.
• Use of imagery: Imagery is leveraged for
immediate visual brand recognition, both for
the personal trainer and the media platforms.
• Use of video: Video is leveraged to visually
tell the story of a discouraged woman named
Kathy who used the program to successfully
lose weight.
*Anonymized

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Video does what copy and still images cannot
*Anonymized
Audio: Video was narrated by the warm, friendly, genuine voice of the main personal trainer
Visual:

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What you need to understand
FPrinciple #2: All “asks” must be earned
1. Content is not free. There may not be a cost financially, but there is always a
cost psychologically.

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Calm.com

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What you need to understand
FPrinciple #2: All “asks” must be earned
1. Content is not free. There may not be a cost financially, but there is always a
cost psychologically.
2. Watching a video play, like any other action, is an “ask” with implied costs in
the mind of the customer:
1. Time-based Costs — How long is the video? How much of the content is actually relevant to my
needs?
2. Effort-based Costs — Will I have to view an advertisement first? Is my Flash up-to-date? Will I have
to sit through constant buffering?

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What you need to understand
FPrinciple #2: All “asks” must be earned
3. Overcoming these mental costs requires that a video be sequenced precisely
to ensure that the perceived value of watching outweighs the perceived cost of
watching.
Cost
Force
Value
Force

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Treat all of your collateral like a video
Headline Copy
Vide mazim interesset
mel eu. Debitis
admodum
Qui ea graeco
nostrud
Vide mazim interesset mel eu. Debitis admodum eum
ne, sed ei movet fastidii. Vix alii tota iriure at, quas
adolescens ad
Qui ea graeco nostrud deseruisse. Ius atqui pertinax
ne, usu fugit fierent partiendo an. Dicat referrentur
te eam, ad dico nonumy consequat sit. Qui ignota
assentior et. Dolores asentior quo in.
Headline Copy
CTA
Micro-yes
Micro-yes
Micro-yes
Micro-yes
Video Title
Video Title

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Side-by-side
*Anonymized
Control Treatment A Treatment B Treatment C
*Video is the same for the Control and Treatments

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Experiment: Control
Control:
• The original version does use a headline
to orient the reader as well as build the
problem.
• However, what is missing is the
connection to the authority (the
personal source behind the content)
that gives the visitor the motivation to
engage with the content.
*Anonymized

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Experiment: Treatment C
Treatment C (14% increase):
• Like the Control, Treatment C maintains
the orienting headline that begins
building the problem addressed by the
content.
• Treatment C attempts to build authority
by introducing the personal source
behind the content.
• However, this page’s conversion rate is
mitigated because the authority is built
after the main video content is
presented.
*Anonymized

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Experiment: Treatment B
Treatment B (22% increase):
• Like the Control and Treatment C,
Treatment B uses the headline to
orientate the reader and build the
problem.
• Treatment B immediately establishes
authority by leveraging the personal
source behind the content
• However, conversion rate is mitigated by
the overuse of supportive copy. It causes
unnecessary friction in the sequence.
*Anonymized

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Experiment: Treatment A
Treatment A (35% increase):
• Treatment A leverages all the strengths
of Treatment B. However, it rearranges
the sequence of information to give
priority to the main content
immediately after building the problem
and establishing the authority.
• This sequence made the most logical
narrative sense in the mind of the
customer and generated the greatest
response from readers.
*Anonymized

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Summary
Principle #1: The medium impacts the message
Principle #2: All “asks” must be earned
Content is not free. There may not be a cost financially, but there is always a cost psychologically.
Watching a video play, like any other action, is an “ask” with implied costs in the mind of the
customer. Overcoming these mental costs requires that a video be sequenced precisely to ensure
the perceived value of watching outweighs the perceived cost of watching.
Different mediums (copy, images, video, etc.) will have different strengths. The value of video is
tied directly to the unique impact it has on the message. Marketers should strive to leverage
video only when its form strengthens, not subtracts, from the substance of the message.

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Checklist
Is video the most effective or only medium that can accurately communicate the value
proposition of my product or service?
Does my video intensify the problem presented on the page and create an emotional
connection with the problem of the visitor?
Does the value of my video justify the length-based and difficulty-based friction that it
creates in the minds of visitors?
Does my page build sufficient equity in the minds of visitors through statements of
credibility and value to earn the micro-yes (click)?
Is my video presented at a point in the customer thought sequence where the
perceived value of watching outweighs the perceived cost?

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39. Live optimization

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Live Optimization: American Gunsmith Institute
Primary Audience: Visitors searching for
the definitive resource on gunsmithing
Page Purpose: Sign up for free lessons or
purchase the gunsmithing info package
Homepage

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Live Optimization: Cooper Pest Solutions
Primary Audience: Visitors searching for
pest control services in Pennsylvania
Page Purpose: Schedule a pest evaluation
Homepage

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Live Optimization: Motovideo
Primary Audience: Dirt bike and motocross
enthusiasts
Page Purpose: Upload a video or donate
Homepage

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Live Optimization: Body Ethics
Primary Audience: Prospective customers
searching for a variety of medical spa
services
Page Purpose: Book a free consultation
Homepage

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Live Optimization: Sandford & Oving
Primary Audience: Visitors looking to
purchase high-quality Italian wine
Page Purpose: Initiate contact to purchase
wine via email or contact form
Homepage

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Interested in optimizing your online business?
MECLABS conducts rigorous experiments in the new science of optimization. We
apply our discoveries to help leaders optimize the financial performance of
their sales and marketing programs.
Learn more about how you may be a fit
for a MECLABS Research Partnership:
• Select Research Partnership
Opportunities on the post-webinar
survey
• Contact us directly:
info@MECLABS.com
1-877-635-0565
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