Our digital era gives us access to some great information. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. Pop-ups appear as if from nowhere trying to sell us into something. Video allows a respite from the constant sea of words. It gives us an easy-to-absorb format of interesting and relevant marketing information. According to YouTube, the world watches over a billion hours of their social videos per day. Let's discover why video is so important to your marketing strategy. Video marketing is a booming business; in fact in the US, over $135 billion booming. Brands are embracing their value and distribution capabilities.
Video is of huge value to business and a powerful medium for both B2B and B2C, and it's growing exponentially. Research shows that:
72 per cent of people prefer to use video to learn about and understand a product, and
79 per cent say that a professional video influenced them to purchase a product.
Video is engaging and has a substantial impact on business results. Almost 90 per cent of people would like to see more video content about the products and services they are interested in. Brands are quickly reacting by at least doubling their investment in video to create captivating content in interesting and appealing ways.
Video marketing and ROI
Video is a hugely versatile and engaging marketing format. Video affords an easy-to-understand picture of the marketer's message; it could be fun, serious, or even pull at the heartstrings depending on the purpose of the video. Viewers enjoy watching a video because it's relatively short, easy to digest, engaging, and simple to share across multiple channels. In a nutshell, videos allow for substantial potential return on investment (ROI).
Industry research shows that
51 per cent of marketing professionals consider video as the best ROI and
that their businesses and revenue grow 49 per cent faster than those who do not utilise video.
Marketers also disclosed that having a video on a landing page increased their conversion rates by a staggering 80 per cent.
You can’t afford not to have a marketing video.
Without question, the numbers should be proof enough that video marketing is an essential part of your overall strategy. Videos can be good, bad and even ugly, so it's essential to invest in exceptional videos that captivate your audience, but first, you should understand how your customers interact with video in general.
According to Wyzowl Research,
97 per cent of marketers stated that video content helps their customers understand their products.
There is so much overwhelming choice of product in the market that businesses are offering value-based information rather than a complex sales 'pitch'. By having a well-considered video as part of your marketing collaterals, you'll give your customers an intimate look at your product or service.
A good explainer video will encourage interested people to look around your website, two minutes longer if there is a video. Different platforms have distinct optimal video lengths. YouTube – 2 minutes, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter – each 1 minute. You'll want to ensure the best engagement and boost your SEO by using relevant captions. Also, ensure that your videos are mobile and tablet-friendly.
To use video as a robust marketing tool, you need to understand exactly how your videos perform by regularly checking your metrics. Remember to make your call-to-action clear - which could mean subscribe, shop, download, visit us, order, or learn more. The first few seconds of your video need to be compelling and make people stop scrolling and focus on your content instead. Videos hold people's attention five times more than still photos. YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram are great platforms to upload your videos and boast impressive targeting features that allow you to reach your different audiences through budget-controlled ads.
Cisco insights show that by the end of 2021, over 80 per cent of all web traffic will consist of or contain video. Search engines such as Google react well to video content. You will see an SEO improvement by using film-style content as part of your marketing portfolio by optimising it well with the appropriate metadata, keywords, and strong titles.
There is an interesting array of videos that companies are using to engage their consumers.
Thought Leadership
Cleverly made thought leadership videos can position you as an industry expert and give you a platform to discuss new ideas and significant movements or news within your industry. You can focus on your niche and even answer common questions that your buyers have. Not only will this help you attract new customers, but also retain current customers by supplying interesting information.
Company Culture
Viewers enjoy seeing what goes on behind the scenes, so by showcasing your company culture, your customers will understand what they are buying into, understand your brand personality and meet your teams. It's a great way to engage your audience.
Live Videos
Whilst this might seem daunting, live videos are one of the newest trends. Your viewers want to be captivated by your content in real-time. It's vitally important to be consistent so that your audience can tune in and make your live conversation part of their routine. Live video gives customers the opportunity of asking questions; this interaction will allow you to gauge their interest in various topics. You'll be able to quickly assess the topics of particular interest and create a live video increasing loyalty to your brand.
Demo Videos
Demo videos are a brilliant way to show off your products. You can walk viewers through features of your product or service but remember it has to be engaging and relevant to your customer. Research by Harvard Business Review states that customers who are connected emotionally to a brand are likely to spend twice as much on products than the average ‘satisfied’ customer.
Explainer Videos
Explainer videos are short and contain relevant information about your product or service, its benefits and how it works. The videos should provide concise information about your company to encourage viewers to find out more.
Make life easier for your clients
When customers were surveyed,
72 per cent said that they would prefer to learn about a product by video and that
88 per cent would spend more time on a website with video than just text .
Almost half of the potential buyers intently search for a video before visiting a store.
Interestingly, viewers retain 95 per cent of the message when watching a video rather than 10 per cent of those that read traditional text.
Six out of 10 people explained that they'd rather watch online videos than television.
It's thought that by 2022, online videos will make up more than 80 per cent of all consumer internet traffic.
We all live in an impersonal digital world, and we crave connection and interaction. So by creating well-considered videos, you are providing real-life and meaningful context to your product. Video is one of the best ways to get close to your audience and give them a behind-the-scenes peek into what you, your business, and your clients are doing with your product or service.
Marketing, in general, is based on trust and relationships, which you can gain by sharing your philosophies, valuable information, industry and interesting news. The more they know about your progressive practices, the longer they will stand by you and buy your product. Videos can evoke different emotions, allow you to tell a story, and get people excited about your brand.
There are endless statistics available to show that using video content for your marketing materials is not only essential but expected.
You can learn more about how to make a killer video in one of our previous posts. We will be happy to answer any of your questions, so do not hesitate to contact us.