Video is no longer a novelty. A few years ago, it was a perk of having the latest smartphone or video game console. Now, video is everywhere—from social media to news to television ads (and even in this blog post!). Video has exploded in popularity because it gives us a chance to connect with people on an emotional level, and studies have shown that emotionally engaging with content increases engagement overall. So if you’re wondering how your brand can benefit from this trend? Read on!
Why Video?
Video is a great way to get your message across.
Video is a great way to connect with customers.
Video is a great way to tell your story.
Video is a great way to show off your product or service, and in doing so, the whole brand experience becomes more immersive and engaging for both parties involved—you and your customer:
Engagement = ROI
Ask yourself this: What is the purpose of your business? If your answer is “to make money,” then you are in the right place. Video marketing is a powerful tool for increasing engagement and ultimately leads to more sales. Let me give you an example.
When we were getting started with HubSpot, we had no idea what we were doing. We knew that video was important because it could help us engage our audience and increase our brand awareness and visibility, but at that point in time it wasn’t clear how much value video had until I saw how much engagement my first few videos received on social media channels like Facebook and Twitter. The bottom line: Engagement = ROI!
The research says so.
Video is the most engaging form of online content and is more likely to be shared, watched in its entirety and remembered long after viewing it. Video also provides instant credibility when used by a brand as a tool to share information with their audience. According to an eye-tracking study conducted by Visible Measures, people pay attention to what they’re seeing on screen for 80% longer than they do text-based content.* This study also showed that viewers are twice as likely to watch videos that have been optimized with high quality sound – meaning you should always have high quality audio even if you don’t plan on making your video interactive!
More and more, it’s the media of choice for consuming content.
The world is changing, and it’s happening faster than ever. As consumers become more demanding, they need to be able to access your brand in the way that works best for them. Video is an increasingly popular medium for this purpose—and one that you should consider integrating into your marketing strategy today.
For example: according to Adobe Digital Insights, people watch more than 3 billion hours of videos on their mobile devices each day. That’s 1 hour 22 minutes per day on average!
Consumers trust it.
Consumers are more likely to trust video than text, and they’re even more trusting of it than they are of brands themselves. If you want your customers to buy from you, make sure that you have videos showcasing your products and services.
In fact, research by LeadsBridge shows that when a consumer views a video testimonial from someone who has used the product or service you’re offering, it increases their trust in that product or service by 240%. This is because people don’t just believe what they see—they also believe what they hear. Video testimonials give credibility and authority to your brand without being overly promotional or salesy like traditional advertisements can be.
It has staying power.
This is one of the most obvious benefits of an engaging video, but it’s important to mention. A well-made, shareable video can not only help your brand in the short term, but also build a lasting relationship with your audience.
For example, let’s say you have a new product that you want to launch. Having a video about this product will allow potential customers access to all the information they need without having to dig around on your website or other sources. The video could even take them from “I might be interested in buying this thing someday” all the way through their purchase decision (and maybe even beyond).
It’s one of the most effective ways to reach customers.
Video is one of the most effective ways to reach customers, and it’s no wonder that so many brands are investing in this medium. With the ability to deliver a powerful message, engage large audiences, and reach people on their own terms, video is everything you need to keep your brand top-of-mind (and top-of-market).
The Marketing Funnel
You’ve probably heard the term “marketing funnel” before. It is a useful concept that can help you think about your marketing strategy. The funnel represents the stages a customer goes through from discovery to purchase and it helps you identify where you are losing customers, as well as how to improve retention rates.
In short, when people discover your brand they like what they see and hear in the video but don’t buy anything. This could be because of three reasons:
- They never really clicked with your product or service (the value proposition wasn’t strong enough)
- They are waiting for something specific before moving forward (they need more information)
Video is here to stay, and it’s a cost-effective method for finding new customers and keeping old ones.
Video marketing is here to stay. If you’re still not convinced, just look at the numbers:
- Video generates more engagement than any other type of content.
- It’s incredibly effective across all platforms and devices—including mobile, which is increasingly important for business growth.
- It has the highest ROI of any kind of marketing—seven times higher than print and display ads, according to MarketingSherpa.
So whether you need to establish your brand or drive sales through product demos or explainer videos (which we’ll talk about below), video can help you achieve your goals faster than any other medium could.
Conclusion
Video is a powerful marketing tool, and it’s one that no company should ignore. The key is to start small and make videos as part of your regular content strategy. Then, use the insights gained from these videos to improve upon future efforts—which will help you grow your fanbase and build an audience for your brand.
