Video is the future of content marketing. We see it every time we scroll through our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds. And we see it in the stats. Per YouTube’s website, “every day people watch hundreds of millions of hours on YouTube and generate billions of views.”1 As of January 2016, Snapchat video was getting 7 billion views per day.2 For businesses, having a video on a landing page has been shown to increase conversions by 80%.3 Plus, more than 80% of senior executives watch more video than they did a year ago; 75% of executives are watching work-related videos every week. Given the choice, 59% of executives would rather watch a video than read an article.4 Whether you’re a B2C or B2B company, video is essential to your digital marketing strategy.
Looking beyond the stats, why is it that so many people love video? First of all, video is easier to digest quickly. The human brain was designed to take in images. As a result, video content can to be more succinct while conveying a lot of information in a short time. It grabs our attentions and holds it because it uses more of your senses. Since it’s naturally engaging, video content is great for storytelling and building an emotional connection, two things that are key for your brand.
Second, video is inherently shareable. We’ve all heard the success stories of viral video. When video content is done well, people share it, especially via social media. Check back in a couple weeks as we discuss how to harness the viral potential of video for your brand.
Third, video is mobile—and so is your audience, most likely. When consumers want something, they reach for their phones. And when they’re on their phones, they’re more likely to watch and share videos, including content from brands. YouTube has reported that more than half of all YouTube views happen on a mobile device.5 Research by Google and Ipsos has shown that Millennials especially are less distracted when they watch video on smartphones than on any other screen.6 As a result, video content—especially mobile-friendly video—is a must-have for your content marketing strategy.
Last but not least, video is easily searchable and packs a powerful SEO punch. High-quality video content naturally attracts a lot of links, which helps with ranking a website in the long term. Because of the shareability we mentioned above, it can generate a lot of social shares, which increases traffic. And all the major search engines have made video a key factor in their search algorithms. Whether it’s amusing or informational, video can make a significant impact on your SEO strategy if done well.
Despite its many advantages, video content marketing does have a few disadvantages, though they’re not impossible to overcome. First of all, there’s the cost. Part of the cost is that videos need to be continually produced since they don’t work as evergreen content as well—they become dated quickly as technologies continue to evolve. That said, it’s becoming cheaper than ever to create compelling, quality video content that engages customers. Productions costs continue to fall, and you don’t have to be a tech expert to learn how to use the latest video apps.
Like it or not, video content marketing is here to stay. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Videos can help improve brand awareness, lead generation and online engagement. Plus, your customers are already watching video. It’s your job to meet them where they’re at and give them what they want—while keeping your business goals in mind.
Have you seen video shine a light on your brand in the digital sphere? Share you story in the comments section below.
Learn more about Filament and how we can create the content your business needs.
1. https://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html
2. http://fortune.com/2016/01/12/snapchat-facebook-video-views/
3. https://www.marketingtechblog.com/10-benefits-video-marketing/
4. http://www.spiceworks.com/marketing/rise-video-marketing/
5. https://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html
6. https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/youtube-insights-stats-data-trends-vol6.html
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