WHY VIDEO MARKETING IS IMPORTANT

WHY VIDEO MARKETING IS IMPORTANT

It’s no secret that we are living in an increasingly digitised society. With digital content a mere click away for most consumers, it follows that the speed and ease with which content can be consumed tends to dominate marketing decisions. There are few mediums that are as quick and effective as video.

The distractions of modern life mean most people don’t have the time or energy to thoroughly research products. The consumer simply wants to see evidence of the product in action so they can determine whether it would be a worthwhile investment. With video projected to claim more than 80% of all web traffic by 2019, it’s important to recognise the strengths of video marketing early on…

1. Visual aid

It is undeniable that visual media boosts customer engagement, whether that be a photograph or, in this instance, video. After all, vision is our most dominant sense.

There’s a reason people say a picture is worth a thousand words. It gives the viewer an instant snapshot of a location, situation or product in a way that words would take much longer to replicate. Video takes that a step further, capturing all of that as well as the imagination.

Websites that use videos have an immense advantage over those who rely on simple text and images, something that various tech giants have capitalised on. Videos automatically play on Facebook and Instagram, for example, while media outlets such as the Mail Online now has a pop-out video feature which also plays automatically as soon as a reader scrolls past the link in a story. This lessens the likelihood of a potential customer simply scrolling past a monetised video. Moreover, seeing a product in action naturally evokes a greater faith in its capabilities. The use of visual material will help a buyer feel more confident about their purchase. The online clothing retailer Boohoo features short videos of models wearing the products they are selling. This gives consumers a useful visual aid that allows them to envisage how they would look in the products. Video marketing therefore gives a brand more natural credibility.

There are also statistics that clearly support the value of video for brand promotion. Hosting a video on your website’s homepage has been shown to increase conversion rates by as much as 80%, while using the term ‘video’ in an email subject can boost email open rates by 19%.

These stats are causing more and more businesses to get on board with video. In the past year, 61% of businesses have started using videos to support their marketing strategies, 66% of which weren’t using video a year ago.

Video marketing also provides a particularly useful visual aid when it comes to launching a new product or service. Creating a video to introduce its features is infinitely more accessible than an intimidating block of text, which many consumers will either skim over or pay no attention to at all. Animated videos are also useful when trying to explain a difficult concept, as the animation helps to bring concepts to life, supporting live video with short, clear instructions.

2. Brand credibility

Brand credibility is the foundation of conversions and sales. The whole concept of content marketing is based on trust and creating long-term relationships with consumers. Potential customers are far more likely to respond to interesting and useful information in an accessible format than an easily ignorable advert. Ultimately, consumers will have more faith in a brand that cares about how it presents itself, and its products/services.

It certainly pays to present yourself well as, according to research, two out of three people admit they would rather watch a video about a product than read about it, while three out of four say they’ve been convinced to buy a product primarily thanks to a video. However, the stats also suggest that having video for the sake of video isn’t the right approach with three in five having been put off a product/brand due to a poor video. It’s therefore essential to have a video that does your product/service justice and not just look to tick a box.

Another big strength of video marketing is its highly visual and auditory nature. This naturally makes it easier for users to remember than text-based content. When consumers remember your video marketing content, they also remember your brand, leading to more sales for you. Video content should be produced in line with your brand guidelines to ensure they are as effective as they can be. This means keeping colours, fonts, logos and tone of voice the same in your video marketing as they are in your blogs and articles.

3. SEO

Video marketing is also important in that it allows you to increase the time spent by visitors on your site. Longer exposure signals to search engines that your site has good content. For example, research shows that you’re 53 times more likely to show up as the first result on Google if you have a video embedded on your website.

Since Google now owns YouTube, there has been a significant increase on how much videos affect your search engine rank. Moreover, it is always worth opening the door for potential customers to take the next step. Writing interesting titles and descriptions will demonstrate a thoughtful and polished touch that customers pick up on. Providing links to your website, products and services will also make your video more easily searchable.

4. Social media

As previously mentioned, social networks are now encouraging users to post more video content with new features. In a short space of time, Facebook launched 360 Video, Live Video and Lifestage. Instagram brought out 60 second videos and Instagram Stories, while YouTube is the second most popular social network in the world. These features have encouraged video marketing to the extent that 500 million people a day are watching videos on Facebook. As most consumers spend at least several hours a day using these networks, they are more likely to see, and spend time looking at, your brand if you utilise similar resources. Customers have come to expect visual material when browsing the web.

Considering that the average 18-24-year-old spends 36 minutes a week watching videos on their smartphone, it’s unsurprising then that Facebook receives eight billion video views daily, while Snapchat receives six billion. It’s worth bearing in mind though, that 85 per cent of Facebook videos are watched without sound, so the visual content needs to be particularly engaging.

Square videos (1:1 ratio – ideal for social platforms viewed on mobile) are the most likely to be viewed according to research from digital agency Laundry Service, with view rates 28% higher, and people 67% more likely to watch a full length square video than a horizontally orientated one.

Speaking of watching the full length of a video, in the last two years, 56% of videos have been under two minutes - any longer and you start to lose engagement. It is also worth noting that nearly two-thirds of consumers prefer videos under 60 seconds when they watch videos on their mobile. Therefore, it is probably worth cutting videos down before sharing them on social media. While video marketing does provide easily consumable data, short, snappy videos are more likely to retain the attention of the average user.

5. Emotion

Videos are one of the most powerful ways to evoke emotions online. Background music and close-up shots offer a variety of attributes beyond traditional content like tone of voice and written descriptions. Moreover, consumer behaviour suggests that purchases are made when a personal connection has been established. There is great scope for creativity when it comes to video marketing, all of which can be used to forge a connection with your consumer.

Video marketing and visual media are becoming increasingly important in our digitised world. Luckily, video marketing is also becoming more accessible to smaller businesses due to falling productions costs and the fact you no longer need to be overtly technical to understand how to use it. However, it is worth bearing in mind that quality always trumps quantity when it comes to visual media. If your business has the budget and expertise to produce higher quality videos this will certainly pay off in the long-term. The rise of social media means that consumers have come to expect high quality visual media, so it is important for brands to deliver on this.