Why businesses should make a video marketing strategy an integral part of their overall marketing plans
Once hailed as the future of content, video marketing has proven to be more than just a passing fad — it has staying power that shouldn’t be underestimated. And, as you know, creating great content is the key to successfully marketing your small business.
That’s why I’ve taken the time to write this article. You see, this is not a suggestion, this is a directive: it’s time to shift your focus to video marketing.
If you’re ready to truly promote your business, there’s plenty of conclusive evidence to back video marketing as the best option available. If you still have doubts, look no further than the following five reasons why video is an incredibly effective marketing medium.
It Increases Your Visibility
Every day across the world, 1.3 billion YouTube users watch hundreds of millions of video. YouTube reaches more 18-49 year-olds than any cable network in the U.S, and 95% of online adults 55 and over in a month. Although YouTube dominates the field, it’s not the only star player.
Periscope, Instagram, and Snapchat have started to attract companies willing to get in on the cutting edge of video marketing. However, none of them hold a candle to Facebook, whose embedded videos and in-line livestreaming are reaching 1.86 billion active users. And since Facebook’s Newsfeed algorithm is placing serious weight on videos, you can be sure people are paying attention.
In addition to video’s ability to massively increase your visibility, it also allows you to collect and analyze data from social media. This social listening allows you attract new customers, find purchase signals, generate leads by solving problems, identify influencers, get feedback, and gauge customer sentiment.
It Makes an Impression
The majority of modern consumers research products online before ever contacting a vendor. This makes capturing their attention and standing out from the competition more important than ever. While images used to be enough to entice buyers, videos have a far more meaningful effect on today’s consumers. According to Forrester, if a picture paints 1,000 words then one minute of video is worth 1.8 million.
Consumers today are presented with so much information that they’re often left in a state of analysis paralysis. By providing a video of your product or service, you can offer a clearer understanding of its benefits and help them make a decision. Furthermore, video engages potential customers by entertaining and educating them.
That’s why 70% of marketers say video is the most effective means to driving conversions.
It’s Engaging
Not only do humans process video much more quickly than text, but video also allows us to process information that text can’t convey. Video’s effectiveness is due to a number of factors: Humans are predisposed to focus on faces, tone of voice can convey emotion (which is contagious), and movement naturally attracts our attention. This is why we find video so engaging.
Since the human brain requires emotional input to make decisions, conveying emotion in marketing is the surest way to convince a consumer to buy your product. And when it comes to conveying emotion, no technology available can beat video. These strong feelings can evoke an emotional bond that influences the buyer’s actions and choices.
Furthermore, consumers often make purchases based on personal connection. Videos are the perfect way to form a personal connection when you’re unable to meet consumers face-to-face. Through video, viewers are able to hear the tone of your voice, look into your eyes, and read your body language. Seeing you and sharing your emotions allows them to clarify your intentions and develop a greater trust and confidence in your business.
It’s Shareable
Speaking of making a connection — when people connect with something emotionally, they’re likely to share it. Seeing as they’re quick, engaging, and often entertaining, social media users love to share videos.
Businesses who create emotional, funny, or otherwise memorable videos online can reach a much larger viewing audience than those who advertise on television. As the video continues to be shared among different social media platforms, your business gains free exposure to millions of potential customers.
Search Engines Love It
Search engine algorithms have always favored rich media, but now that Google owns YouTube, SERPS are noticeably featuring videos among top results.
When determining if your site is authoritative and worthy of a high ranking, one of the things search engines look at is how engaging your content is. By allowing you to increase the time spent by visitors on your site, videos can boost engagement like you wouldn’t believe. That longer exposure signals search engines that your site is trustworthy and has quality content.
Final Thoughts
The perfect piece of video advertising — one that’s emotionally charged, innovative, or truly imaginative — can branch across the internet in a matter of hours, getting millions of views and changing the face of your business as you know it.
However, producing marketing videos isn’t as simple as whipping out your iPhone and demoing a product. It calls for a lot of planning, a basic understanding of human psychology, and a large dose of creativity. That being said, it needs to be done. It doesn’t matter what service or product you offer, if you’re don’t have a video marketing strategy, your competitors are going to be the ones who triumph.
Liz Greene
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