Video is very quickly becoming an imperative for the success of brands rather than an optional extra. A 2014 Cisco report predicts that of all global consumer internet traffic, 79% will be IP video traffic by 2018.
Used in the right way, video is powerful content that can create brand awareness and engage new customers—it allows for informative and educational content, while also being entertaining and perhaps less intimidating than other marketing channels.
Here are five reasons why you should start using video marketing and work towards making it a core component of your marketing strategy.
- Powerful engagement
Video has the potential to be more powerful than copy. Huge amounts of information are conveyed in a short space of time, engaging those who may not have the time or patience to read your web copy. 44% of email marketers in the US reported a significant increase in their engagement with clients if their emails contained video.
- Improves search rankings
Relevant, keyword-optimised video helps increase your website’s SEO, providing another rich channel to not only disseminate your content, but also bring new users to your site. It is proven that consumers are much more likely to click on video adverts rather than standard banners. Video is easier to share, and hugely effective on social media: Facebook has reported that since June 2014, it has averaged more than a billion daily video views with more than half of daily Facebook users consuming at least one video a day on the channel.
- Improves user experience
The use of video will aid a smooth, sleek, user friendly experience on your website. Video helps to engage with passive users on your website, preventing bounce rates and increasing the likelihood of conversion rates. Reports suggest that retail site visitors who view video stay two minutes longer on average and are 64% more likely to purchase than other site visitors. Video is also highly optimised for mobile; its use has increased 65% globally. It is also reported that mobile video will account for 69% of total mobile data traffic and increase 14 times.
- Higher consumption of content
Video can be used to educate about your brand and convey multiple messages to customers. If you invest in good quality video, reports suggest 87% of video ads get watched to completion if relevant to the customer. This also in turn increases time spent on your site by the user.
- Build credibility
Videos have a huge impact on your credibility as a brand, increasing brand association up to 139% if used in the right way. Training and how-to videos are good content to convey knowledge and expertise as well as proving your company to be an information resource. This allows your video and its message to stay relevant for years.
Every digital marketer should be looking at how they can use video as part of the marketing mix. The sleek and engaging nature of video allows core messages to be conveyed cleanly, and opens a whole channel to support your wider marketing activity.