Of all the big-ticket trends in marketing right now, video remains the hottest, with statistics painting a compelling picture of how video is rolling out across websites and social media as a tool of choice to capture the attention of consumers.
As a digitally savvy public, we are eagerly lapping up this video content, with internet analyst Mary Meeker recently noting our video consumption has skyrocketed from five minutes a day in 2012 to 35 minutes a day in 2018.
So, let’s shift focus to video marketing and point the wide-angle lens at how you can use it to great effect.
Some serious video marketing stats
As the internet attains greater speeds and the way we use it becomes increasingly mobile, video content is a medium we can consume anywhere, anytime.
That’ seeing a rise in how much we view, along with an increase in the content on offer, with statistics indicating:
- 78% of people watch online videos every week, and 55% view online videos every day. (HubSpot)
- By 2020, online videos will make up more than 80% of all consumer internet traffic (85% in the US). (Cisco)
- Users view more than 500 million hours of video each day on YouTube. (Business Insider)
- In the past 30 days, more online video content has been uploaded to the web than the past 30 years of TV content. (Blue Corona)
- 51% of all video plays are on mobile devices. (Adelie Studios)
And we’re not just using that video for entertainment. Often, we are seeking it to find out more about a brand or see a product in action.
- Nearly 50% of internet users look for videos related to a product or service before visiting a store. (Google)
- Searches related to “how to” on YouTube have grown 70% year on year. (Google)
- Four times as many consumers would rather watch a video about a product, rather than read about it. (eMarketer)
- 80% of consumers believe demonstration videos are helpful when making purchases. (Blue Corona)
So why does video have such power?
The power of video
They say a picture paints a thousand words, but moving images paint 10 times that, with Forrester Research noting one minute of video is worth 1.8 million words.
Not only does video encapsulate a story quickly, it also allows a brand to showcase their feel and their services in bite-sized pieces that a consumer is more likely to share.
Research shows followers are 10 times more likely to engage with a post and share it if it consists of a video and the more you can get your followers to share your posts, the more reach you have.
Meanwhile, science notes the human brain has the ability to process visual content 60,000 times faster than it can text. And in a fast-paced digital world we all understand that time is a sought-after commodity.
While we are mentally processing video, we’re also retaining it, with Wirebuzz explaining viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text.
What’s driving the trend
A series of factors are driving the video trend, not least of which is the speed of the internet.
Where once a single image took minutes to load, now it happens in a millisecond, while the days of buffering and slow loading are almost long gone.
In the meantime, video has become portable courtesy of the smart phone and mobile devices. It can be consumed on the train, in the office, at the bus stop and even while shopping. And it’s offering brands new ways to catch the attention of consumers, with very real results.
So, how do you employ video to boost your brand?
Five ways of using video
Video comprises a series of content types ranging from professionally filmed and edited content through to off-the-cuff Facebook Lives, and each has its role in any marketing strategy.
Professional video allows your business to present itself in the best light, encapsulating all the elements of your branding and feel.
Meanwhile, amateur video is a quick and easy content type that is incredibly affordable to produce and Facebook Lives offer the opportunity for your consumer to get to know you, your brand and your staff better.
Here’s an insight into how it can be used…
On your home page
The simple act of including video as part of your landing page allows viewers an insight into the tone and feel of your brand. Critically, including video on landing pages can increase conversion rates by 80%. (Unbounce)
Take for example Sydney-based orthodontist Norwest Orthodontics. A leader in their field, Norwest Orthodontics is renowned for their professionalism and state-of-the-art clinical facilities. Part of the marketing strategy we devised with them involved showcasing this to best effect through video.
Not only did we use video as part of their landing page to illustrate the practice facilities, it was also employed to allow potential clients to meet their staff and take a tour of the facility. You can view other marketing services we employed for Norwest and their full cinematic reel here.
Explaining products
Whether you employ a professional videographer or use the services of a staff member armed with a mobile phone, simple explanations of how your products work, or the story behind them, allows consumers to connect emotionally with your brand.
In an age where product selection is as much about the back-story as it is about the offering, product explanations are a great way of fostering brand loyalty.
It also acts as a point of reference akin for viewers to almost experience an item themselves, and helps form a memory associated with your products. Meanwhile, Adobe notes shoppers who view demo videos are 1.81 times more likely to make a purchase than non-viewers.
Business insight and testimonials
Just as the consumer wants to know how your products operate, they want an insight into the ethos of your business, and again video can play an essential role.
With Norwest Orthodontics, video was utilised to introduce potential customers to the key staff within the business, allowing people to get a feel for the brand.
It was further harnessed to showcase customer feedback with recorded testimonials, allowing people to see the result of the services provided.
The result is a campaign that builds trust and transparency, and these are key strategies in any marketing campaign.
A recent study by Label Insight found up to 94% of consumers surveyed said they were more likely to be loyal to a brand that offers transparency, while 73% said they were willing to pay more for a product that offers complete transparency.
While in the Norwest case the videos were professionally produced, they needn’t always be so polished. A simple in-house interview with a staff member or behind the scenes tour of a business can offer a similar result.
Facebook Live
When it comes to social media, Facebook Live is a must, ranking highest amidst content preferred by the Facebook algorithm.
Facebook Live is a unique medium that can be effectively harnessed to allow you to become an influencer or authority in your field. Best of all it’s simple to use and affordable to produce, taking just minutes to create engaging, shareable content.
For example, a quick Facebook Live video answering a frequently asked customer question is a great way of engaging with your audience.
Advertising
Just as video allows for engaging, shareable, transparent content, it’s power also applies to straight advertising, with Business Insider noting video ads have an average clickthrough rate of 1.84%, the highest of all digital ad formats.
These ads can be on Facebook, Google, your website or elsewhere but the upshot is advertising that is eye-catching, informative and uses imagery to tell a compelling story that simply cannot be effectively painted in words.
The results of video
If, after all the data above, you are not convinced of video’s immense power, here are just some of the statistics compiled over recent years:
- On average, people spend 2.6x more time on pages with video than without. (Insivia)
- Before reading any text, 60% of site visitors will watch a video if one is available. (Single Grain)
- 55% of people pay close attention when consuming videos — more than all other types of content. (HubSpot)
- Companies that use videos in their marketing have 27% higher clickthrough rate and 34% higher conversion rates than those that don’t. (Buffer)
- 80% of users can recall a video ad that they viewed in the last 30 days. (Single Grain)
- 65% of executives have navigated to a vendor’s site and 39% have called a vendor after watching a marketing video. (Forbes)
- Using the word “video” in an email subject line was found to increase open rates by 19% and clickthrough rates by 65%. (HubSpot)
- Blog posts that incorporate video attract three times as many inbound links as blog posts without video. (Moz)
- 53% of smartphone users feel more favourable towards companies whose mobile sites or apps provide instructional video content. (Google)
Not only do consumers prefer video, search engines and social media also give it priority ranking.
- Statistics show that you can boost your odds of getting your website on the front page of Google by adding videos to your site by 50 times.
- The Facebook algorithm ranks video content highest, with Facebook Live content in poll position
About Openseed
At Openseed we work with business to understand the internet playing field and how you can harness it to showcase your strengths.
We create intuitive branding, websites and quality content strategies that reflect the internet trends as they are now and will be in the future. Among the tools we harness to leverage your content for the greatest reach is Video, and we employ it on websites, social media and within advertising campaigns.
We do so in the knowledge great marketing is all about getting to the heart of your business message to help your business rank foremost on Google and at the front of your consumer’s mind. You can learn more about our services here or contact us directly to learn more about how we can help.
