Video is becoming increasingly important for marketers who want to make an impact on their audience, no matter the industry or platform. In 2015, daily video views on Facebook video doubled from 4 billion to 8 billion; to keep up with Facebook, Twitter added an autoplay standard; to keep with Snapchat, Instagram added an ephemeral Stories feature. Marketers have said that video is the content with the best ROI. So why is video so powerful and how can you use it? Let’s explore.
Why Video is Powerful
According to an article in Psychology Today, video is processed by a human brain 600,000 times faster than text. That’s a lot! That makes it a lot easier for a visitor or follower to engage with your video content than read the newest blog post. Watching a video is also easier because the brain function it takes is less demanding than reading text, which needs to analyze the words, filter the content, be actively engaged, and create an inner monologue that reads the text.
Should we get rid of blogs or text altogether? Of course not! The Psychology Today goes on to outline two different types of consumers and why reading or watching appeals more to them. Consumers with a passing interest in your company are more likely to watch a video than read text on your website; it requires less work and they’re not truly invested in your company to commit to reading the text. But those who are interested in what your company has to offer—whether a product or service—are more likely to read through the text thoroughly and look to understand if you’re the right fit for them.
Text will always have its place on the Internet and beyond, but the ease with which video can now be created and disseminated has caused an increase in demand and viewership. Consumers crave video:
- One-third of online activity is now watching a video
- Businesses using video grow revenue 49% faster than those who don’t use video
- Video can drive a 157% increase in organic traffic
- 4x as many consumers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it
- 74% of millenials find video helpful when comparison shopping
Why You Need to Develop a Strategy
Video is becoming a necessary aspect of any company’s marketing strategy. Especially as the holidays and end of the year approaches, even a short video can help to increase sales. Video can draw in those at the top of the funnel, and help them spark an interest in what your company does. It can lay the groundwork for trust in your product or service. Through webinars and how-to videos, it can educate your audience, causing them to see you as a go-to resource in your industry, much like educational blog posts.
Just like any other marketing tool, you need to have a plan in place to set benchmarks and goals, create the appropriate material, and analyze if the engagement is worth continuing the strategy. Click below to download our Video Planning Guide with the 10 questions to answer before you begin to develop your video marketing strategy.
{{cta(‘d04895e4-fab5-4f8c-88bd-778057d1dc05’)}}