It’s one thing to get a visitor to watch a video on your site. It’s something else to get them to watch another video… and another… and another.

That’s where content discovery or video discovery technology comes in. It’s an automated way to line up videos that will appeal to the particular user, meaning they spend longer on a site. In turn, that means more exposure to both the publisher’s own content and that delivered by advertisers.

More, more, more

Online video isn’t just big. Online video isn’t just here to stay. Online video is getting bigger.

Social Media Week’s Erica Perry notes that at current growth rates, in 2022, we’ll hit the point of 1 million videos viewed online every second. That’s not just because so many people watch videos regularly – 78 percent at least once a week and 55% every day – but because demand hasn’t yet been satisfied. In fact, 54% of people say they want to watch more online video.

Of course, people aren’t going to stick around a site that’s offering videos that don’t interest them, particularly when it feels like they are being served up clips with no rhyme or reason or when it feels like the hard sell is more important than their own needs.

The secret sauce

Video discovery technology is the answer to this challenge. In simple terms, it’s powered by dedicated algorithms that sort through a publisher’s own library, video syndicators, and other third-party videos to figure out what is most likely to hold the viewer’s attention.

These algorithms have to bring together relevant clues and insights and blend them in just the right way. It starts with the context of the website and page itself: after all, following up a cauliflower steak “how-to” video with one about the pork steak might make sense in isolation but will get the cold shoulder on a vegan cooking site.

The algorithms also have to bring together diverse sources of data in an effective manner. It’s not just about what videos a particular user has chosen to watch, but what other people with similar patterns of behavior chose.

Finally, the algorithm crunches the data to produce a unique engagement score for every video for the specific user. The score decides not just which clip to show next, but which are worth lining up for the future. Of course, how the viewer responds to a clip – watching in full or skipping through – provides more data and further refines the scores.

Everyone’s a winner

It’s hard to please everybody, but content discovery is a magical formula that means everyone involved benefits.

Users benefit by seeing genuinely engaging content discovery that’s relevant to their interests rather than a website feeling like an intrusive sales pitch.

Advertisers benefit by reaching customers in a more positive and welcome context in which the user is more engaged and open to relevant marketing.

Publishers get a double delight. They open up a new source of income from their site through targeted advertising. At the same time, they get users who stick around on the site, increasing the visibility of the publisher’s own content and increasing the chances the user explores other pages on the site.

The numbers don’t lie

Making the most of content discovery isn’t just about the algorithms, however. Publishers need a technology solution that physically delivers the videos smoothly and efficiently that integrates into the existing site’s style and design. That’s where an industry expert like Primis comes in.

Take the case of a financial website that used Primis’s services to implement video discovery technology into its own site, combining original content, high-quality third-party videos, and the site’s existing inventory of direct advertising. It didn’t take a financial expert to see that the effect on advertising revenue was dramatic:

Video discovery ads and other content are also a perfect fit for food and recipe site visitors, prompting them to spend longer on a site and return more often.

One site that specializes in real recipes from home cooks integrated the Primis player at the start of 2019, combining its existing in-house video inventory with external clips. In the space of just four months, its video ad revenues rose by almost 150%. 

A match made in heaven

Search helps people find what they are looking for online. Social media helps people see what is exciting their peers. But content discovery is the best way to expose people to content they didn’t know existed… and are glad when they do.

Combine this technology with video – fast becoming the mainstay technology online – and you’ve got a recipe for sites that work for visitors, publishers, and advertisers alike.