Some people have preconceptions that video marketing is just a fad, or that “It sounds expensive”, but the reality is, that it is here to stay as an effective marketing tool with a high return on investment. Also, video marketing doesn’t have to be expensive, professional videos can be produced on different price levels including some relatively inexpensive ones. Reputable marketing data backed by studies consistently proves video is a cost-effective investment and why your organization needs video marketing. Here are some reasons why.
1) Why Video? – Because People Trust Other People Conveying what your business or organization does via video results in a more personal connection with viewers. The Fusiform Facial area is a brain function that makes us humans pay attention to faces for information and believability (Forbes.com). We may be in the information age and sit in front of computers, but our brains are still wired to listen to each other – even online. An interview or testimonial video is simple and affordable and can help you capitalize on this evolutionary trait. Tell a story to your audience.
2) It Encourages Action – User engagement is increased via video marketing. Forty-six percent of people say they would seek out information about a product or service after seeing it in an online video (Brainshark). Why? Because when someone is watching your video, they are spending more time with your brand and organization. The more time they spend on your organization, the more trust is built. The consumer feels more informed, making them more likely to take actions beyond just a share or “like”. How much more likely? In 2010, visitors to retail sites who watched video content stayed on the site two minutes longer and were 64% more likely to make a purchase than visitors who didn’t watch video (COMSCORE).
3) Internet Video Increases Viewer Focus – It’s hard to get an internet user to focus on anything for very long. You know this because you are one. A video can make the most of that precious, limited time. There is that old adage that says, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, a recent study showed that one minute of video is worth 1.8 million words (Forrester Research).
4) Its Cost Effective – Videos aren’t just for YouTube, they are a fabulous, one-size-fits-all form of content. With one, well produced video, you now have content for an email blast, your website and various social media accounts, even in-person presentations, without spending time and money on customizing and generating new content for each outlet. Not only that, but video content provides the second highest return on investment (ROI) for businesses, just behind featured articles (eMarketer.com). In 2013, 78% of adult internet users watched or downloaded online video (Pew Research Center), and that percentage is only growing. How much are they watching, you ask? As of 2014, six billion hours of video is watched each month – and that’s just from YouTube (blog.digitalinsights.in). If you post it, wherever you post it, they will watch, and your company will benefit.
5) Create Backlinks and Increase SEO – Why is video marketing 53x more likely to rank than plain text content? Several factors influence ranking, but a big one is a recent Google search algorithm update – Hummingbird – which prizes “quality content” over keyword optimization.
6) Video Marketing – It’s The Future – It would be crazy not to use one of the best tools in the box to stay relevant. Sharing pictures is still a proven method for attracting engagement, but these days you need to have more. Gone are the days of grassroots marketing via Facebook. Now you are competing with sponsored (read as “paid for”) posts to make it into someone’s news feed. Even if it’s just a simple testimonial, a video attracts more engagement than the average post, making it more likely that your followers will see you while coasting through their feeds. In 2014, 73% of marketers (3 in 4) said they plan to increase their use of original videos. Only 46% said they would increase their curation of other people’s content (socialmediaexaminer.com). Don’t get left behind.
Takeaway: Video marketing increases sales and leads. If you’re not using video marketing, you’re losing customers to those who do. Businesses that incorporate video. marketing into their overall marketing strategy see higher engagement rates, higher click-through rates and higher conversion rate. Why would you leave all that value sitting on the table?
by Joseph A. Lypowy – Lypowy Studio Video Productions
