Video marketing has been gaining momentum for the past few years. It is not hard to notice why video is so popular these days. It is an easy-to-digest format that saves us from the overwhelming textual information available online. As per Tech Crunch, around 1 billion hours of YouTube videos are watched worldwide every day.
This unbelievable metric is not surprising since videos have dominated the digital marketing arena for quite some time and are forecasted to reach even higher engagement figures, which is why it is critical to include video marketing as a part of the digital marketing strategy.
What is Video Marketing?
If a photo is worth a thousand words, can you estimate how much more valuable a video is? The foundation of video marketing is that it integrates engaging videos in marketing campaigns.
The definition of video marketing is simple, using video to promote or market your brand, product, or service. Additionally, it can build customer rapport, promote customer testimonials, deliver entertaining content, and build how-tos and live-stream events.
Why Video for Marketing?
Video is one of the most versatile and engaging formats that not only provides us a real-life pictorial representation of what is going on but is also easy to share across multiple platforms. Customers appreciate it because it is easy to digest, appealing, and entertaining. On the other hand, marketers like it because it can generate a considerably good Return on Investment (ROI) through multiple channels.
Easy access to anyone with internet connectivity, both to watch and produce, is another major reason. Anyone can hop onto their laptop and create a video within an hour. However, there is certainly an inclination towards high-quality videos on a professional level.
If we’re to believe statistics, here are some of the most impressive numbers that prove the importance of video in digital marketing:
- 81% of businesses have now incorporated video marketing in their digital marketing strategy
- 97% of marketers claim that videos provide a better product understanding to their customers
- Live videos account for 13% of total traffic in 2021
- 90% of consumers claimed videos would help them in making purchase decisions
Types of Videos
A number of different types of videos are present out there. Still, marketers need to have a clear understanding of their objective before creating a video (or any other kind of content, for that matter). To that end, ensure that both the type of video and the channel where it is being posted fit the video’s purpose.
Let’s have a look at the different kinds of videos.
- Explainers
Such videos are used to educate people about your product and generally include instructions, customer service activities, and various other applications. - Interviews
These videos are helpful in situations where you intend to encourage conversation between sides or showcase a special influencer or guest. - Product reviews & demo videos
Brand ambassadors or influencers usually create such videos in exchange for free products. If someone wants to boost their social media following, you can reach out to them to gain free advertising. It can also function as market research if the person doing the product review has a large amount of engagement and comments. - Live video
This video is great for giving your viewers a raw, unedited look into the content that your business wants to put across. You can utilize this to get close and personal with your audience. It works well on social channels, in particular.
Tips for Best Practice Video Marketing
1. Make sure all videos have closed captions, regardless of the platform:
More people choose to watch videos without sound – 85% of Facebook videos are now being watched without sound
This not only shows customers with hearing disability that you care about them but also keeps up with audiences who prefer closed captions over the sound
2. Create videos for the homepage of your website:
It can be key to converting leads
You can create a variety of videos for your website – introduction to your team or an overview of your products or services
3. Share short, snappy videos across social media platforms:
Helpful in building a strong connection with the audience
Can be behind-the-scenes shots of day-to-day company life, FAQs answered in video form, client tutorials, or quick product & service user guides
Conclusion
Video marketing is a subset of digital marketing, wherein we use videos for marketing our products & services with the help of digital technologies and other digital media and platforms. Video is currently one of the most popular content forms, and the truth is it is not going anywhere soon.
In an impersonal digital world, the video makes a lot of sense for everybody craving personal connection, we want to hear and see people in a real-life context. It offers a great way to connect with the audience and give them a glimpse of what you and your business are doing. The more they know you personally, the more the likelihood of them sticking around.