Viewer engagement longer than originally thought

A new study from Accela Communications is muddying the waters of viewer engagement with online video. According to the study, most viewers are actually engaged for 4.6 minutes, but according to other studies, engagement lasts for only 10.8 seconds.

by Kristina Knight

Bill Reinstein, CEO/President, Accela Communications said, “There’s a huge difference between 10.8 seconds and 4.6 minutes in terms of viewer engagement, and the latest iteration of this study proves that. Plus, the best rich media advertising is not interruptive; it respects the viewers’ web browsing experience, and entices them to explore, engage and act.”

Acccela followed 32,000 online video viewers who watched 20 in-banner programs for the study. The programs were built with the AccelaCast inBanner Rich Media Platform for long form videos. The platform supports in-video ads and encourages viewer interaction with polls, surveys and direct viewer feedback opportunities. Ads built into the program are built to mesh with long form videos.

By including these "extras" within the video scape, Accela is trying to prove that there is more going on with online video than originally thought. With other studies clocking engagement at 10.8 seconds, many advertisers have been racking their brains to find a good way to engage and intrigue a user within 10 seconds or less. This study pushes that thought process over, by proving that viewers will be engaged for longer periods of time if given the opportunity. Giving the viewer control on the video, what is clicked on and what is ignored gives them the option to keep viewing or turn off the stream. According to this study, given the choice, viewers will keep watching.