Video content stimulates the senses and is easy to watch on mobile devices. Is it any wonder, then, that in 2017 experts projected video marketing would account for a full 80% of all web traffic by 2019?1
And video consumption is still on the rise. Cisco estimates video traffic will make up 82% of all consumer and business IP traffic by 2022.2
If you haven’t yet embraced video as part of your overall marketing strategy, now is the time. Also, it’s getting easier and more affordable to create a solid video marketing campaign. Read on to learn why you need to be doing video marketing in 2019.
1: Consumers Want More Video
Video is the future. Actually, it’s the present—99% of marketers are already using video and have no plans to stop. And 88% of marketers plan to devote more resources to video marketing content in 2019. That’s a wise plan, since 9 out of 10 consumers surveyed say they’d like to see more video from brands this year.3
If you’re thinking, “I don’t have time to produce video content,” or “No one on my team is experienced in front of (or behind) a camera,” you’ll be happy to learn that video production quality matters less to consumers than the substance of the video content. A survey found that more consumers were put off by videos that didn’t explain the product or service clearly enough than by poor quality. Only 5% were put off by bad animation.4
So, if your crew isn’t ready for prime time, start with a short (45-90 seconds) animated video that concisely explains your product or service. It’s an affordable way to break into video, engage your customers, and build trust.
2: Video Boosts Conversions and Sales
Whether it’s getting prospective customers to open an email, go to a landing page, or buy a product or service, video is proven to boost conversions. Viewers are 64% to 85% more likely to buy after watching a product video.5
One retailer has had major success embedding instructional and how-to videos on their landing pages. Visitors who view videos on the site stay twice as long. They also view twice as many pages as those who don’t watch video.5
Adding video to your landing pages is an easy way to improve click-through rates across the board. And research shows 83% of marketers say video gives them a good ROI.3
3: Video Builds Trust
Building trust with customers helps them connect with your brand and makes them more likely to buy your product or service. Videos can help you establish trust in a way words on a page simply can’t (which is not to suggest that solid marketing content isn’t important, too).
But, think about it. Say you’re in the market for something unusual, like an organic latex mattress pad. It’s an expensive purchase and you know there’s no shortage of unscrupulous retailers who will slap a meaningless “organic” or “natural” label on their product.
Then you land on a video of a knowledgeable, articulate company rep physically interacting with the product. He explains how the company makes their mattress pads and where they source their non-toxic materials. And he includes video clips from inside the factory. You’re sold.
This is the difference video can make. Here are four common types of video you can use to engage your audience and build trust:
- Explainer Videos
- Product Demos
- How-To Videos
- Testimonials
4: Videos Are Easier to Recall
People are likely to remember only 10% of what they hear three days after they hear it. But if a relevant image is paired with that information, retention shoots up to 65%.6 That’s because most people are visual learners.
It’s no wonder YouTube has more than a billion users—representing almost a third of total internet users. Collectively, people watch more than 500 million hours of videos on YouTube every day.7
YouTube marketing is a winning strategy, and your ads are virtually guaranteed to be more memorable with video. Just make sure to keep the colors, fonts, and logos in your video the same as other content on your site to ensure viewers connect with—and remember—your brand.
5: Video Appeals to Mobile Users
Mobile marketing is a must. Video will make up 75% of the world’s mobile data traffic by 2020, according to Cisco.8
People want on-the-go entertainment. Even more, people are drawn to mobile video on Facebook and Instagram because it offers them personally relevant content, connects them to friends and family, and gives them something to talk about with others, according to a Facebook-commissioned study.8
Even the act of watching video on a mobile device versus a TV produces a stronger emotional reaction and higher levels of engagement.
Where do people watch videos on their mobile devices? Basically everywhere. At home, during their commute (hopefully not while driving!), in the bathroom, at work, in public locations like restaurants, and outdoors, according to the Facebook study.
The takeaway is you need to optimize your marketing videos for mobile devices. If you’re hosting videos on your website, that means encoding videos to work on mobile and making your site responsive to mobile. Also make sure your calls to action are mobile friendly—use big icons that are easy to click.
What Makes a Good Video Ad?
Ok, so you know you need to be doing video marketing. What’s the key to creating a successful video—maybe even one that goes viral?
Think about the video ads you remember the most. More than likely they don’t tout benefits or features or talk pricing. Instead, they tell a story. Remember BBC dad, whose kids burst into the room while he was in the middle of a serious video interview? Adorable. Or Dove’s short film, Real Beauty Sketches, imploring women to be more self-accepting? Powerful.
Storytelling is one of the best ways to engage people with your brand, and impressions are everything. But you need a great promotion strategy. That means making sure your video is optimized for SEO, posting at the best times, and seeking out influencers who can push your video to a larger audience.
The fight for video ads supremacy is never-ending, but you can get in on the game with the right strategy.
Get Help from Our Video Marketing Experts
Ready to launch a killer video marketing campaign? Whatever your goal—boosting time on page, creating brand awareness, converting leads to sales—our team will create a targeted campaign to help you achieve it.
National Positions is a full-service SEO agency. We’re constantly researching and finding new ways to empower your campaign with the most innovative technology to drive traffic, leads, and sales to your website. We use an array of tools, licensed through strategic partnerships, along with proprietary technology developed in-house.
Call us today at (818) 918-5188 to get started on your video marketing campaign or visit our contact page to get in touch with an expert.