Skip to content

Industry Insights

Why you should consider video

With each passing minute, 72 hours worth of video content is uploaded to YouTube with users spending over 3 billion hours each month absorbing it . Facebook alone generates at least 3 billion views each day. US adults spend an average of 5.5 hours each day consuming video content. Video was 55% of mobile data traffic in 2015. By 2018, it is estimated that 69% of total internet traffic will be video .

What does that mean for your brand? Should you be investing in video content? We’d say “yes” but not before explaining some specifics about what video can do for your business and how it can develop relationships that lead to sales. Based on the stats above, it would seem people like to watch video. REEEEALLY like it. But why?

Authenticity

People like video because it gives them the opportunity to see who you really are. As the saying goes, the camera doesn’t lie. But we’ve come to learn that Photoshop sure can. Video, on the other hand, makes it harder to hide your true self. Often, this scares people away because they feel uneasy about putting themselves out there for the world to see. Trust me, I know the feeling. And yet therein lies a huge opportunity. Those who are courageous enough to use video have a distinct competitive advantage. And people love it!

So have some confidence in your brand. If your services are worth selling, they’re worth putting in front of the camera. If you promise customer satisfaction, why not feature a few client testimonials on your website? According to research, customer testimonials are rated the most effective form of video content that you can release. Testimonials, when done properly, deliver many positive results. Video allows people to safely experience more of your brand without commitment. They’re looking for evidence that they can trust you before they have to commit. Video testimonials deliver.

Emotional Response

People also connect emotionally to a great story. And every brand has a story to tell. Video is a powerful storytelling medium. One of the very first motion pictures viewed by public audiences was of a train coming straight toward the camera. Audiences scrambled and ducked to get out of the way of an oncoming train that was in reality, just light dancing on a screen. Such is the emotional connection to video. We’ve since grown wise to the illusory effects of moving images but video is still an emotionally engaging medium combining visuals with movement, sound, music and voice. Stories told this way are more likely to be remembered.

If we all love a good story, we also love sharing a good story. Thanks to resources such as social media and other media channels, it has never been easier to engage with great stories. Facebook alone generates over 3 billion views per day and 48 percent of these views come from shares. Help others help you by giving them a story worth sharing.

Products and Services In Action

Most people can read article after article regarding the significance of your product without understanding what your product is until they see it in action. People are skeptical, and sometimes, as much as they want to believe in your brand’s value, they may have uncertainties based on previous products or services similar to yours. Nevertheless, if what you are offering them really can solve a problem in their life or fulfill a need, then video is a great way to display this. Show people exactly what it is you are offering and how it works. If you are a service-based business, then walk them through the process of how you operate. In regards to the previous point concerning authenticity, it is important to realize that people really do care about the ins and outs of a product or service. They also want to know with whom they are working. Step up and show them.

Dwell Time

Dwell time is the amount of time that a user spends on a page before returning to the search results page. The longer a user spends on a page the better. Studies have shown that search results with video content have a 41% higher click-through rate than plain text results. Often, Google will place a YouTube video with an intriguing thumbnail at the top of the search results that stand out on a full page of text. Once people click through to your page, they can stay up to six times longer on average if they have the option of watching a video rather than reading context. Dwell time is a very important metric. Relationships take time. The more time someone is willing to spend with your brand online, the more likely it is that the relationship will grow. Of course, this is dependent on the video being either useful or entertaining, or both.

Targeting Capabilities

Due to the wide array of tools currently available to us, we are now able to successfully tailor our content towards specific audiences (people who we know will be interested in what we are offering). A single video can quite easily be edited into several intriguing snippets that can be shared in multiple places. These video teasers can be used to engage even the most unaware or unmotivated browsers. It’s important to create content with a specific audience in mind. The goal is always to be helpful. On average, it takes six to eight touch points with a consumer before you are able to consider them in a sales ready position. It takes time to develop a meaningful relationship with a customer. 90% of online consumers say that a video can be helpful during the process when considering to buy a product. With the amount of information that you need to provide to a consumer, video gives you the opportunity to give them everything they need to know without overwhelming them.

Conclusion

Video is going to continue to play a vital role in our marketing strategies. It is not a question of if you will need to begin using video but rather a question of when you can begin leveraging video. In 2015 alone, global ad spend online for video reached $16.1 billion. Ultimately, marketing is about storytelling and connecting with the right people. You need to be sure that before investing in video marketing, you have a roadmap laid out with a specific audience in mind. In short, video creates an opportunity for powerful, meaningful, long-lasting impressions with your audience. What are you waiting for?

Written by Jason Bouwman, RGD

January 6, 2017