With a whopping 90% of Americans spending regular time online, you can be sure your online marketing strategies are worth improving.
But what is the best way to market to your online audience? Two words: video marketing.
Some businesses might be slightly skeptical of this “newer” method, or they may simply be unsure of how to use video marketing to create valuable content for their target audience. Don't worry!
Here are 15 benefits of video marketing and how you can use video marketing to reach, relate to, and ultimately retain your potential customers.
15 Benefits of Video Marketing
If the old adage “a picture tells a thousand words” is true, then think how much more effective video is at getting your business's message or story across…
With the advent of YouTube, DIY videos, and those ever-appealing cooking videos played in 2x speed, the appeal of video marketing is growing at an ever-increasing rate.
After all, why read something if you can watch it, right?
1. Google Loves Video
Need we say more? If you're a business owner trying to market to an online audience and don't already comprehend the all-important influence of Google, you're in major trouble.
One of your best tools for getting your company website noticed by Google-bots is to create and publish videos that are relevant to your product and audience. Just be sure that you tag those videos appropriately using relevant and highly searched keywords.
Since Google now owns YouTube (and half the universe), embedding a YouTube video on your website will go a long way in boosting your site's ranking when potential customers are searching.
There are endless ways to use YouTube to improve your online marketing power.
2. Increase Your Company Sales
It's true, the more comfortable potential customers are with how to use a product, it's ins and outs, the more likely they are to purchase or invest.
Unfortunately, we don't always have the luxury of sending our best sales associate into every user's home to explain the benefits of our products and services. But we do have video…
The more you can anticipate the questions your customers might have about a product or service, the more helpful you can make your videos.
The more informative, clear, and entertaining your videos, the more products you're sure to sell. This one is a no-brainer.
Lest we doubt, reflect on the old “Will It Blend?” campaign.
3. Video Enhances Trust
We touched on this idea already, but when you create engaging videos for your audience, it builds their trust. That trust grows not only in your product but in your company.
Video gives your audience a feel of transparency.
It opens a door to your business and products and creates a more informed customer base. Knowledge and familiarity with your story, product, and company lessen any fear or apprehension.
Customers are less apt to think they will be swindled or short-changed if they've seen a video about how to use or care for a product or service.
The result? More sales.
4. Explain Complex Issues
Do you have a particularly complex product or service? Is it hard to write an explanation out on your website? And even if you do, how do you get people to take the time to read through it?
You don't. That's where you lose people.
But with video marketing, it's a whole new world of explaining opportunity!
Say you're launching a new product and need to clarify things to your clients or customers, how can you do it clearly? Answer: publish a video.
But remember, talking heads were never interesting viewing to begin with.
Animated videos, however, are often less expensive and a more engaging alternative for explaining concepts. Using video, you can do a lot of educating without boring your customers to tears.
5. Reach Phone Users
So much of online browsing and shopping is done from an individual's smart devices now. One of the best aspects of creating online marketing videos is that they are easily viewed on phones, tablets, laptops, you name it.
YouTube is especially good at helping you publish videos in different formats so your content will be clearly visible regardless of the size of the device it's viewed on.
6. Video Boosts Sharing
Besides cat videos, what are you most likely to share on social media? Cool videos.
Especially short, informative, humorous, or entertaining videos are much more likely to be shared by online users than some boring infographic or ad.
Do yourself a favor and make your content more shareable. Make it video.
7. Improve Your Email Marketing Strategy
If you're already creating great video content, why not increase the views by including every new video in your email campaigns?
Emails that include a video at the top of the body are more probably much more likely to get click-throughs. Kill two birds with one stone and use video in your emails to customers.
8. Introduce Your Brand
It can be hard to tell your brand story when you're not face-to-face with someone. What better way to get the conversation started than via video?
You can beautifully tell the story of your company, employees, vision, and purpose all in 2 minutes or less. No need to worry about potential customers misunderstanding your purpose.
Video is the best story-teller.
9. Convert Lazy Buyers
Let's face it, internet users are becoming more and more lazy. Very few people like to spend more than a few seconds or minutes, trying to figure something out or decide whether it's worth purchasing.
Video helps you appeal to those lazy buyers. It removes the barriers that long segments of text can create for those who are looking to understand quickly.
10. Stand Out
Despite the many obvious benefits of video marketing, many companies are still slow to jump on it. Thus, getting your toes in the water now and beginning your own video marketing strategy is a great way to get a leg-up on the competition.
Don't let myths about high cost or the challenges of creating quality content prevent you from getting ahead.
11. Widely Appealing
It's becoming more common for social media platforms to be divided among certain demographics. Individuals over 30 years old have been found to use Facebook more often.
On the other hand, marketing on Instagram, SnapChat, and other similar platforms is wise if you are trying to reach teenagers and young adults.
So how do you get your company's content to reach across these demographic borders created by differing social platforms? Video.
Video is one form of marketing media that works great across social media channels. Not only can you share it on almost any platform, but video content is also one of the most likely forms of social media content to produce high engagement numbers.
12. Create Curiosity
If you're feeling really motivated to create outstanding video marketing content, why not try a series?
It's very easy to spark interest and curiosity in a product or service if you leave your viewers with a cliff-hanger at the end of each episode. Show them how to use your product or service in a new, creative way.
Then, give them a hint or clue about what to expect in your next video to get them thirsting for more.
Video also allows customers a chance to leave comments or ask questions about the content you publish. This is usually a positive thing as the more engaged customers feel with a company or brand, the more they trust them.
13. Provide Question and Answer Opportunities
Another great benefit of video marketing is the opportunity it provides you to answer or anticipate customer questions.
If you're listening well on your social channels and seeing what customers common concerns or questions are, create a marketing video that directly addresses or answers their questions.
The right question and answer video can do a lot of good in clarifying concerns or even just showing customers that their voices are heard and their questions matter to you.
14. Greater Information Retention
Did you know that when you learn something visually you are much more apt to remember it than if you only learn it by reading? It's true, sight is one of our most impactful senses.
If you really want your customers to remember you, remember your brand, remember your product or service, show them.
Potential customers are much more likely to remember what they learned about your business if they watched it in a video than if they read it in a blog post or long website text.
15. Great ROI
Some marketing efforts are a real shot in the dark. Luckily, with video, you are at least more likely to get a good ROI. Google will appreciate your marketing efforts in this way, as will your clients.
While video marketing doesn't need to be expensive, it's almost always worth the investment,
What Marketing Strategy Is Best for Me?
The benefits of video marketing are undeniable. Companies that are looking to stay ahead of the game should tap into this treasure trove of effective marketing methods.
For more help figuring out what type of digital marketing services are right for you, check out our recent post on the subject.
