Media consumers are increasingly turning to a wider variety of devices for viewing content, and video advertisers can use this proliferation to better reach their target audiences. A study from August found that users often switch between certain devices for specific tasks, and quality video advertising online can utilize this switch to better engage viewers.

For example, the study found that of the 56 percent of people who started watching an online video on a smartphone, 48 percent continued onto a PC, GigaOm reported. Additionally, of the 34 percent of the survey's respondents who began watching video content online from a laptop or desktop, 24 percent then went on to use a smartphone and 10 percent switched over to a tablet device.

The survey is "interesting in painting a picture about how intertwined our device usage is," Ryan Kim wrote in an August 29 GigaOm article. "This may be obvious to some but people these days are really using them all in concert, turning to certain devices when it’s more convenient or more helpful for a specific task. This may present a challenge for marketers and publishers, who have to contend with more screens. But it’s an opportunity as well for companies that understand how to hold on to a user’s attention as it increasingly zips back and forth between devices."

How internet video advertising should work with multiple screens
The key to understanding how users interact with one internet-enabled device over another is to look at how smartphones, tablets and PCs are commonly viewed. According to GigaOm, smartphones are typically used to initially gather information, be it from a search engine or a social media website. Tablets are used mostly for laid-back activities like watching videos, and PCs are used for more in-depth actions like online shopping and for more relaxing activities like viewing video content.

Video advertisers can utilize this insight into consumer behavior by tailoring branding toward how consumers switch from one internet-enabled device to another, according to GigaOm's reporting. For example, someone watching an online video ad on a desktop computer can then be prompted to use a smartphone or tablet to learn more about that brand or product.

"[T]he implications for publishers and marketers is that they need to build their strategies around this multi-screen reality," Kim wrote. "They need to be everywhere that their customers are and they should present a consistent experience between platforms. If they can, they should consider ways to follow users as they move between devices so they can maintain a seamless experience."