Every digital marketer knows the importance of having a well-rounded marketing strategy. But the production and consumption of videos, in particular, has become increasingly prevalent on social media sites. According to one source, over 80% of consumer internet traffic will be taken up by videos by 20191. This means that video marketing is – and will continue to be – significant for the success of any given marketing project. Here are 5 top reasons why videos have become a powerful marketing tool, and why this is a development that business owners must not ignore.
Which marketer doesn’t want her marketing material to be distributed far and wide? The unique thing about social media is that it allows user-generated content to be shared 1200% faster than links and texts combined2. Social media users don’t just share cute baby photos, they also share videos that have little to do with their personal lives, simply because they are funny, uplifting, or emotive. In other words, we are prone to sharing emotions, and video is the perfect medium for that.
”Videos can be used to create an instantaneous sense of community.
The average social media user has an attention span that is shorter than that of a goldfish3. Consumers will begin to abandon slow websites in a matter of seconds, while a one second delay in page-load time can result in as much as 11% fewer page views4. Therefore, it is always important to consult with a wordpress expert on how you can optimize your page load speeds.
It’s safe to assume that the same goes for social media content as well. Hence the question: How can you pack your message into a few seconds and still communicate it in an interesting manner? One solution – you guessed it – is to use videos. A marketing expert puts the communicative power of videos at 1.8 million words per minute5. Disregarding “expert opinions” for now, we all know from experience that videos have the upper hand in communicating subtle meanings and affective content, simply because they are highly visual and auditory.
”Keep your message short and communicate it well. Videos are your best bet at achieving this target.
With the growth of high-speed internet connectivity and internet penetration rates, watching videos on a smartphone has become increasingly convenient – so much so that social media activities are increasingly performed from mobile devices, squeezed into little pockets of time spent waiting for the bus, or riding the subway. In fact, recent increases in social media time have been overwhelmingly driven by mobile usage6. This trend does not seem to be reversing anytime soon, and it is a good sign for social media marketers. The caveat, however, is that people are also becoming more selective with the content they choose to consume.
”Your social media marketing strategy must create an incentive for people to spend their limited time on your content.
Internet content is structured by algorithms, but algorithms are written by humans. And the humans behind algorithms have made it clear that they prefer video content over other formats. Facebook and Instagram algorithms, for example, are built such that a video advertisement is likely to reach a wider audience than the same advert in a static image form. Search engines are also programmed to favor videos, meaning that videos can be used as a powerful SEO tool. According to Moovly, your website is 53 times more likely to show up on the first page of Google’s search results if you have a video embedded on the landing page.
”Use videos. Your business will be rewarded.
Which is always the end goal, right? Statistics show that the use of videos has a positive impact upon sales. Emails which include videos can increase click-through rate by up to 200 – 300%, while 57% of customers reported an increased confidence in online purchasing after watching videos9. The relationship between videos and sales is therefore not simply one of correlation: Videos build trust and generate interest; they improve brand awareness and recall, all of which leads to increased conversions and sales.
”Video marketing content goes a long way in maximizing your return on investment.
The moral of the story? Videos are – and will remain to be – the mainstay of marketing. Use it, and you stand to kill many birds with one stone. Shun it, and your business risks obsoletion, no matter how good your offerings are. Which is precisely why we have included a free ebook on how to optimize your video content for mobile platforms.
Sources:
[1] https://www.inc.com/gordon-tredgold/20-reasons-why-you-should-boost-your-video-marketing-budget-in-2017.html
[2] https://www.singlegrain.com/video-marketing/just-stats-science-video-engagement/
[3] http://www.aberdeen.com/research/5136/ra-performance-web-application/content.aspx
[4] http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/a-minute-of-video-is-worth-18-million-words-according-to-forrester-research-1900666.htm
[5] http://marketingland.com/digital-growth-now-coming-mobile-usage-comscore-171505
[6] https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/274590
[7] https://www.moovly.com/blog/4-great-reasons-you-should-use-video-marketing
[8] http://www.e-tailing.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/EtailingGroup_Whitepaper_3.pdf
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