Video content used to be an extra asset to promote a business via television. But now, video content is an essential part of online marketing. Most of the world’s most visited websites incorporate video features or revolve around video sharing like YouTube.com.
Creating videos was crucial for digital marketing during the pandemic to reach customers at home no matter where they were located. But regardless, video is a mainstay and will only continue to grow in popularity. In 2017, Hubspot found audiences internationally want to view video content more than any other form. Furthermore, Wyzowl reports that 86% of businesses have already incorporated video in 2021 as a marketing tool. It’s not too late to use video for promoting your business and to learn how key they are in the marketing world. Still not convinced you should or can incorporate video into your business strategy? Well here are eight reasons to incorporate video in your business strategy:
- Videos come in lots of forms
- Inform the public about your products
- Videos affirm your brand
- Social media relies on video
- Promote engagement online
- Live videos are on the rise
- Incorporate video to improve SEO
- Videos tell stories
Videos come in lots of forms
Video isn’t a medium that’s limited to one platform or one style. When people consider the role of video in business, it’s not uncommon that they think about commercials. But commercials aren’t the only type of video that influences customers to buy a product or service. Demo videos that display a product in action are effective at having customers gain the ideal user experience of what you’re selling for free. Just check out this video by GoPro and how they use their product in action:
Videos still have guidelines just like image and text-based mediums. Certain subjects work better for documentaries and others work better for Facebook or TikTok. Not to mention differences in format, post-production requirements, and targeted audiences will also affect the type of video content you produce.
Let’s step away from videos made for consumers. Did you know video can be useful for internal communication within your business? These days companies choose to rely on video over text for employee training and recruitment. Videos can also be used to announce messages like company events or to affirm brand identity to employees. Basically, since most people are engaged by videos you can use them to communicate with almost anyone!
Inform the public about your products
Incorporate video not just to entertain but to inform others. Customers are looking to learn more about your business and what it offers, not just being sold to. So balance promotional videos with those that educate consumers. Instructional videos teach viewers practical information where the audience takes away a new skill. Videos that don’t sell to consumers are those targeted at those who have already purchased a product. These can be installation videos, FAQ presentations, or explaining multiple uses for the same product. Make these videos readily available to consumers by posting them on social media or a business website.
Videos affirm your brand
Producing engaging videos can lead to increased brand awareness leading to increased brand loyalty. Part of developing a brand means understanding visual identities, audiences, and consistency. These ideas are crucial to translate into video form. Along with images and text, videos can provide a voice to communicate brand values to the public and more effectively. Combinations of music, narration, and images invoke emotions that viewers associate with what your brand represents. Guiding these messages is crucial to brand loyalty and gaining new customers within your target audience.
Social media relies on video
Since more businesses are sharing more short-form video content than ever before, social media platforms are currently making the adjustments necessary. Changes are also necessary when 85% of users are counting on brands to release increased video content according to Wyzowl. Recently, Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced Instagram will be favoring video over photo content (via a social media video nonetheless!). Meaning videos for your business are more likely to be promoted to new audiences than photos.
People are increasingly watching videos and are more engaged with branded content on smartphones than desktops. Social media videos for your business need to be optimized to make personal connections with followers. They should be under two minutes, be used as calls to action, or redirect viewers to buy products or to other pages and websites. Depending on how you incorporate video into your business strategy by making original or repurposed content, it can take less time and effort than commercials and other presentations. Social media marketing is about creating customer relationships by keeping followers engaged, and there’s no better way to do so than through video!
Promote engagement online
Producing effective videos increases engagement online with followers and newly reached viewers. We previously mentioned that videos have the ability to include calls to action. This is how businesses gain followers and are given likes and comments. Social media users are more likely to share a video with their friends than any other type of content. And shares are a more valuable metric than comments and likes.
But engagement isn’t limited to social media marketing, it’s relevant to business websites as well. Including video on the front or main pages of your website can increase the total time spent and the likelihood of making a purchase. Video production is known for its return of investment (ROI) because of its ability to engage viewers to make purchases and interact with branded content.
Live videos are on the rise
One video marketing trend that brings together businesses and consumers in real-time is live videos. Brands typically use YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram to host live streams which are accessible to wide audiences. More than likely, communities begin to form around live streams from a particular brand when they host consistent events. After all, there’s a unique opportunity to ask questions in Q&A structure to business ambassadors or knowledgeable speakers. And businesses can then educate viewers on brand values, important announcements, or industry knowledge.
There are many subjects for businesses to live stream. For example, beauty retailer Sephora hosts a running series of live videos on Instagram featuring product demos and conversations with industry experts. Company events and webinars (which skyrocketed in popularity after the pandemic) are also great to live stream to reach wider audiences. A trend within small businesses’ live streams is live shopping streams when businesses market their products and customers are able to claim or buy items in real-time. Afterward, it’s common to reupload streams to social media for viewers that missed out and to keep viewers engaged even when events end. Livestreams are the perfect example that businesses don’t need studio spaces or expensive equipment to incorporate video into their business strategy.
Incorporate video to improve SEO
Videos have the ability to put your business closer to the top results of search engines. Buyers don’t just visit Google for research and insight, they also search for information on YouTube. Mainly as an alternative to articles that consumers interpret as not informative enough compared to visual presentations. Have video watchers find your business by uploading SEO-optimized videos to a business YouTube channel. The most basic SEO tools to use for YouTube videos are creating a unique title and thumbnail that entices viewers to watch your branded content.
When it comes to a business website, the best place for videos is on a landing or home page. This is an attempt to lengthen the amount of time people remain on your website. After watching a video, visitors are more likely to continue onto other pages and make online purchases. These videos and any uploaded YouTube videos have the potential to appear on the first page of Google’s search results under the video tab.
Videos tell stories
The last reason to incorporate video into your business strategy is the reason video is so powerful: its ability to tell stories. Srinivas Narayanan of Facebook said, “If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is a library” and he’s absolutely right. Viewers are more interested in visual storytelling than reading lists of facts. More than ever, loyal followers of brands are asking for emotional connections and greater knowledge of the companies they support. Producing videos around brand history and values, company culture, and displaying the progress accomplished by employees or even customer testimonials give authenticity to your brand. Don’t just tell the world straightforward messages, show them a powerful story with video.
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