It's no shock to anyone that video has become an essential tool in any savvy marketing strategy. The facts speak for themselves. Studies found that 54% of people actively want to see branded video content, 55% of people consume video content thoroughly as opposed to skimming through (as they do with website copy), and a whopping 81% of all IP traffic in 2021 was video (it's likely much higher now). With all that being said, there must be some clear benefits to using video content in your marketing strategy - so what are they exactly?
Video Can Complement Your Current Marketing
First out the gate it's worth saying that video is a great way of bolstering the marketing strategy you're already engaged in.
If you're sending emails, why not include a video about your service, or even a personalised video message for those really dream clients? Or if you're posting in a weekly blog or on LinkedIn/social media, can you include a video to support it?
Video doesn't have to replace your current strategy if it's already working for you, but it could help to make it even more effective!
Keeping Up With The Times
Truth be told, whether we like it or not (we actually do) people expect videos now. They're everywhere you look.
And so, failing to engage your audience with video of any kind can make you look a bit like a dinosaur.
But that being said, there are still huge numbers of firms and companies within all sectors that still haven't made the leap into the modern day, and so getting your act together and creating some slick videos can quickly set you apart from the competition! It really isn't too late! We promise!
It's really important that you don't look to be behind the curve (or not on it at all), and to do that, you're going to need to roll camera!
Google LOVES videos
If you're trying to drive organic traffic to your website, uploading new, regular, optimised videos can do absolute wonders.
Google values pictures way higher than words, and videos way higher than pictures, so creating engaging, relevant, informative videos to post on your website can get you pretty pally with the old algorithm!
Not only this, but posting those videos to Youtube and social media etc with backlinks to your site not only drives people directly to your door, but also aids in making google see you as a hub of useful information, again, pushing you up those search results without having spent a penny in PPC and Google Ads.
And just when you thought it couldn't get any better, 80% of marketers say that video has increased dwell time on their sites as the average user spends 88% more time on a website that contains videos. When people land on your site and stay there a while, Google sees this as a very good thing and you'll show up in searches more frequently.
Video Influences Buying Decisions
We all know this, because, well, we all buy things!
Audiences routinely go to Youtube to make their buying decisions, seeking reviews and opinions that give an insight into what they are buying.
90% of customers say that product video helps them make a buying decision. It's generally true that our purchase decisions are made on an emotional level, but once we've made that emotional level decision to buy something we look for rational sources of information to support that decision.
64% of people asked said watching video makes them more likely to actually make a purchase. So it's safe to say that including explainer videos about your products or services can help nudge customers into getting their wallets out.
The fact is that video is the easiest to consume, most accessible way of showing off what you sell, with 97% of marketers saying video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service and 80% of customers saying that product demos are helpful.
If this isn't something you're doing already, it seems fairly clear that you should be!
Video Builds Relationships and Trust Between a Brand and Its Customers
So, we've established that people like watching videos, and that video content is responsible for driving sales, but there's a longer term side to this.
Building a brand is a concept that's bandied about quite flippantly these days, but often incorrectly.
A brand is an expectation, a vehicle for reputation and shorthand for all sorts of meaning that we associate with a product or organisation. This takes time and patience to achieve and is developed through a consistent positive engagement and accumulation of touch points between you and your customer.
Video has a unique ability to show the whites of your eyes, to speak directly and clearly to your audience and establish yourself and brand as championing values and principles in a way that carries far more authenticity than other media formats.
People want to know who they're dealing with and if you can communicate that quickly and early on in their customer journey that relationship can grow and flourish to become loyalty.
Final thoughts...
So there you have it. The reasons for including video in your marketing efforts stretch even further than this, but this should give you a little flavour of what you can expect to achieve with the use of video.
Of course, every case and business is different and some tactics will work better for you than for others.
If you want to know more about how video could work for your specific market and business goals feel free to drop us a call and we can run you though some options that might be right for you, absolutely free and with no obligations attached.