Although novels have pages filled with words and little else, video marketing is much more appealing to audiences because they engage more of the senses and are more exciting. Companies have become much more aware of what their consumers want – and need – and it is obvious that the entire planet simply loves watching videos. Omnicore recently posted that each day, there are 122 million daily active YouTube users and that the average time spent on the platform, per person, is 18 minutes a day.
Benefits of Using Video for Your Business
According to Brid.TV, videos give people a break from all the textual information online, are easier to digest and are more relaxing. Using video for marketing is efficient and convenient while providing companies with versatile, shareable and appealing ways to grab and hold audience attention. And it’s not as expensive as you might think, because the return on investment (ROI) can be more than worth the cost. Studies have shown that 89 percent of marketers believe that video leads to a good return on investment (ROI).
And if those statistics weren’t impressive enough, it has been reported that 74 percent of users who watched explainer videos made purchases; 77 percent became convinced they should make a purchase. Besides that, videos on landing pages may increase conversion rates by up to 80 percent. The main reason why these numbers are so high is that videos are simply a fantastic storytelling medium. Human brains become hardwired to seek out moving images and the more they see, the more they want to keep watching!
MotionCue points out one of the most important reasons why video matters to businesses, and you may have already guessed it: Google search results. When you enter search terms, video thumbnails show up towards the top quite often. Having videos seems to increase the chances of websites showing up on Goggle search result first pages, and this is often the main goal of much of a company’s marketing efforts.
Making Videos That are Appealing to Audiences
Google also loves audiences to stay engaged with websites, and it takes time to watch videos. Of course, the video has to be well produced and follow the rules of writing good content; it must be informative, engaging, creative and meet audience needs. It is not that difficult to produce your own videos, or you can hire a company to help you with the details. Vimeo offers some suggestions for companies that are new to video production, explained next.
You can’t just take a video of a product without showing how it fits into the bigger context of your audiences’ lives. Instead, ask yourself how the product will make them happier and inspire them to do more. Video demos and explainers are instructive and show consumers how to use products. So if you’re selling mascara, you can hire an influencer to describe the great ingredients, show people how to apply the product and enhance it further with some of your eyeshadow.
You can also use the video to introduce your company and mention any social initiatives you are involved with, like sustainability, nonprofits you partner with and anything else that will make an invaluable good impression. Cater to your target audience, avoid using scare tactics (these make companies look shady), and add personality and a call to action towards the end. As for length, a quick demo can last from 15 seconds to a minute; an explainer from 30 to 90 seconds and a quick tutorial can be longer. For an in-depth tutorial on YouTube, it could be as long as 15 minutes.
Why Else is Video Good for Business?
Here are a few more statistics to consider: Mobile device users are 1.4 times more apt to watch ads than people watching TV or computers, and are more likely to share them with others. Besides that, 90 percent of consumers out there watch videos on their mobile phones. People are drawn to video because it is more efficient for explaining challenging subjects – seeing someone use a product is more helpful than reading an online manual. It is easier to understand and remember something you see than something that you read.
Videos also boost email effectiveness. BRID.TV adds that just one video used in an email could result in a 200% to 300% surge in click-through rates. Be sure to place the word “video” in the subject line, as this can drive up your open rates by as much as 19%. All of the main social network platforms have live videos, too. Twitter uses Periscope, Instagram has Stores and Facebook has its live videos. It has been shown that these kinds of videos produce – get ready for it – 12 times more social shares than regular images and text COMBINED.
Adding video to your marketing plan is the best way to keep up with your competitors, as long as you integrate it carefully into your strategy. To get started, do your research by seeing what they are up to; how can your videos be better than theirs and draw customers in? Remember that professional videos look better produced and though you can produce your own, you can’t just dive in without understanding things like camera angles and light. It is a learning curve but not a steep one, and you will be amazed at how videos boost your sales!