• by Gavin O'Malley , September 18, 2019

Combining social media and video advertising continues to yield strong user engagement and brand recall.

That’s according to new research conducted by Twitter, Publicis Media, Firefish and The Numbers Lab, which surveyed nearly 1,500 users of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Brands running video ads on social media saw shifts in brand perceptions among consumers, while consumers who saw in-feed video ads were more likely to consider taking brand actions, the research partners found.

When surveyed two weeks after being exposed to video ads, 89% of consumers who had made a purchase recalled seeing the ads.

While they have become lightning rods for criticism, social networks have continued to grow in size and influence in recent years. Today, a majority of consumers spend at least two hours a day viewing and creating social media.

Yet, Twitter and its research partners see different platforms as serving distinct functions within the broader social ecosystem.

For example, they see Facebook and Instagram as “look at me” platforms, which serve as a preferred means of keeping up with family, friends and trends.

By contrast, they consider YouTube to be the de facto platform for learning to do new things.

Twitter considers itself to be a “look at this” platform, and the place where consumers are most likely to connect with what’s happening in the world.

Along with its research partners, Twitter also found its platform is effective at connecting brands with consumers.

Relative to other platforms, for example, Twitter found its uses are 70% more likely to search for brands; 78% more likely to post or share about brands; and 120% more likely to message brands directly.