Video is a versatile and engaging content format that not only gives us a real-life picture of what is going on; it’s also easy to share across multiple platforms. Consumers like it because it’s easy to digest, entertaining and engaging, and marketers like it because it can give a potentially huge return on investment (ROI) through many channels.
Video is also very accessible to anyone with internet access, both to watch and to produce. While there is certainly a trend towards higher quality video on a professional level, anyone can hop onto their laptop and create their own video in under an hour.
1. Informing and Educating
97% of marketers claim that videos help customers understand products.(Hubspot)
For the most part, marketers today are no longer taking a pitching type of approach – the reason? There’s simply too much choice out there. Consumers and businesses simply don’t’ need to be sold to; instead, they’re doing a quick internet search to find the best product in their neighbourhood or even in the world where they’ll proceed to order it online.
To this end, marketers in many fields (perhaps not all) need to approach audiences with a value-based offer instead of a “sale.” And videos excel at giving customers a really up-close look at a product, service, or even an influencer or teacher.
2. Search Engine Optimization
Over 80% of all traffic will consist of video by 2021. (Cisco)
Search engines love videos because they see them as high-quality content, so to this end, using videos in various types of content as well as on your main web pages can work wonders for your SEO — as long as the videos themselves are optimized properly as well. This means incorporating the right keywords, a solid meta description, and also a strong title.
3. Staying Competitive
81 % of businesses are now using video for marketing. (Hubspot)
Videos are amazing for getting all sorts of messages out there, and if we think in terms of practicality, a short, unique explainer video can do a world of difference when it comes to educating people on the ins and outs of your particular product. By using storytelling and unique types of media you can easily catch people’s attention and hold it while they’re actually entertained.
Depending on how it matches your product, you may want to use an animated or illustrated explainer video to stand out from the crowd (and not come across as too in-your-face).
4. Getting Personal
Live video will account for 13 % of traffic by 2021. (Cisco)
Ever wanted to check out Facebook Live or Instagram stories? If you’re in a digital marketing career, or you’re heading in that direction, you’ll need to learn how to create basic videos and optimize them.
Instagram Stories and Snapchat are both awesome for offering people intimate glimpses or short, personal glances of what you’re up to and they are so great for creative tools. The interesting thing about these videos is that they’re only up for 24-hours so that creates more of a real-time feel. It also gives marketers the opportunity to develop ads that are focussed on time-sensitive promotions.
Real-time, ephemeral content is great for:
- Offering a feel of face-to-face interaction
- Building brand trust
- Offering audiences casual, interesting updates (eg: behind the scenes)
5. Boosting Conversions
90% of consumers claim a video will help them make a purchasing decision.(Social Media Today)
Wyzowl claims that 74% of people who get an opportunity to see a product in action via an explainer video will buy it. And landing pages are great places to place videos, too. — supposedly boosting conversion rates by up to 80% (just be sure to keep autoplay off so as not to scare the customer away with loud noises).
Another reason why video is great for conversions on websites is that they actually keep people around for long enough to look around on the site. This is especially true for those who aren’t big readers (a good rule of thumb is to assume that people’s eyes could be tired from looking at a screen all day). Supposedly people watching a video stick around for some two whole minutes longer if there’s a video.