Video Marketing: Why Does Your Business Need It?

If you are serious about promoting your business, you definitely need to consider investing your time and/or money into video marketing, because it is the hottest trend right now. According to research done by SmallBizTrends, video will account for as much as 90% of all online traffic by 2019. Also, 90% of users agree that video has been helpful when they were deciding to purchase a service or a product. While those stats are certainly impressive, they are not surprising if you think about it.

Producing and distributing high-quality video is easier and cheaper than ever, and with smartphones becoming essential in the past few years, video marketing is set to become even more popular. In case you are not convinced yet, we have gotten in touch with Matthew Hawkins, who is the head of marketing for Bestdissertation. According to him, the following 5 reasons explain why your business needs video marketing:

1. Google Loves Sites with Video Content

There are several reasons why this is true. First of all, in order to view a video in its entirety, users need to spend a few minutes watching it, which means they will spend more time on your website, which is one of the factors Google takes into account as far as ranking is concerned. More time spent on your website signals Google, as well as other search engines, that your website is offering high-quality content. Also, if your content happens to come with an embedded video, it is far more likely to appear on the first page (53 times more likely to be exact).

And we cannot forget that YouTube is owned by Google, which means that YouTube video will be prioritized inside the search engine results. In order to improve your chances, focus on YouTube SEO. Include your target keywords inside video descriptions, create playlists, and insert links to your blog/website and social media profiles.

2. Mobile Users Can’t Get Enough of Video

Mobile devices, and especially smartphones, have become the dominant platform when it comes to content consumption, taking over from laptop and desktop devices. 55% of users watch video every day, and according to YouTube, mobile video viewing grows 100% every year. Smartphones are great for viewing video on the go. Their screens are getting bigger, as well as their ability to reproduce Full HD or even 4K video, and thanks to technologies such as 4G, users can access high-quality video content anywhere, anytime.

Also, mobile users are 1.4 times more likely to view ads on their devices when compared to their desktop and TV counterparts. 59% of marketing executives agree that video content also beats written content on mobile devices, provided that the user is given a choice between the two. This is fairly obvious, since not many people are going to bother reading extensive articles on their smartphones.

3. Video Makes Every Topic More Understandable

Explaining complex concepts in words can get a bit complicated. Sure, the number of words you can use is not limited, but the same cannot be said about your audience’s patience and their attention span. Most of them are willing to spend a few minutes or less scanning through the article. And no matter how concise your writing is, sometimes the best way to explain things is to simply show them. For example, regardless of how well you can explain a complex skill like origami, demonstrating it on video is always a better option.

And we don’t know about you, but we are absolutely in love with animated explainer videos, such as this one. They’re entertaining, short, and more easily digestible than articles. Video also allows your brand to strike a more personal chord with the users, as long as the video is capable of addressing their problems and pain points. They don’t have to go viral, they just have to be informative and authentic. And forget about those boring and generic reactions and unboxing videos. Nobody likes them.

4. Video Produces Better Engagement

Video beats any other type of content out there when it comes to user engagement. For instance, 65% of users will watch 3/4 of a video. On the other hand, they would scan a 1000-word article in a matter of moments, and remember very little in terms of new info. Instead of reading through a long-winded review or user guide, audiences would much rather view the product in action, and decide for themselves if it fits their needs or not.

Some of the courses and tutorials also work better in video forms, such as those focused on DIY, arts and crafts, as well as photography. Another proof of how powerful video can be is the fact that 85% of Facebook users watch embedded Facebook videos with the sound turned off. Marketers have found a way to make the best of it, and most of them provide captions or subtitles to go along with their videos.

5. Video Is More Genuine

Provided that you avoid making your video too salesy, and provide information your audience can actually use. Written content, for example, can be a bit faceless, even when it’s well-written. You don’t get a sense of the person which has written it, and more often than not, it has been written by a ghostwriter. On the other hand, YouTubers can’t hide behind their words, because they are there in front of you, and it doesn’t get more genuine than that.

Users are much more likely to convert and purchase a product or services once they find it’s recommended by someone whose opinion they value or whose work they follow. Even though it is still selling and advertising, it provides the customer with a much more personal experience, not to mention valuable information.

Conclusion

Video marketing is definitely a thing of the future, and it’s only going to get bigger from now on. Every serious marketer should focus on making use of high-quality video content and engaging their audience, because that is their best bet of getting them to convert and make a purchase, regardless of the niche they are in.

Justin is a teacher  from Leicester, UK. When not teaching his little students and rooting for Leicester FC, he loves to share his thoughts and opinions about education and self-improvement with other people on different blogs and forums.You could follow Justin on Facebook and Twitter.