Video was once considered an add-on element to digital strategy, more of a nice-to-have than an essential tool. But, over the past few years video streaming has improved by leaps and bounds, and each of us now always has a tiny screen with us, enabling us to consume video wherever and whenever we want. The result is that appetites for video content are ravenous, and brands must find ways to meet the demand if they hope to stay relevant with their audiences.
Why video is essential to an effective digital marketing strategy
When strategically implemented, video can bring tremendous value to any digital marketing strategy. A few key ways include:
Impact on conversions and sales
More than almost any other form of marketing content, video has a clear and direct impact on sales, particularly in the ecommerce space. Video has been shown to have a positive impact on conversions when it’s included on a landing page or a product page. The data shows that video viewers are 64-85% more likely to make a purchase after watching a product video.
Influence on search engine visibility
If organic search visibility is among your marketing goals, then adding video to the mix is a smart move. YouTube is the world’s second most popular search engine after Google, and Google itself displays videos in search results. Video opens up new opportunities to appear in organic search results. Not only that, as naturally shareable, rich content, video can help increase mentions and links, which are key ranking factors.
Enhance the consumer experience
Humans are hardwired to seek out novelty and entertainment. We derive pleasure from experiences that provide either or both of these things. Video, for the most part, is vastly more entertaining and novel than reading is, even when the information being conveyed is relatively straightforward. When given the chance, users will usually opt for video-based over written content. At the very least video can act as a persuasive supplement to written information.
How to incorporate video content in your marketing strategy
The value of adding video to your strategy is clear, but what does implementation look like? And what are the things you need to focus on as you plan your next steps?
Focus on storytelling
Video is a natural medium for telling a story. Take advantage of this fact when crafting videos for your brand. Do you need to help customers understand your brand values and attributes? Are you looking for ways to highlight success stories and showcase happy customers? Video can help you build a story around these types of messages. Incorporating an element of storytelling will make your videos more interesting, more memorable, and more shareable.
Invest in quality
Creating high quality video is more affordable and accessible now than it has ever been before. But there is still cost associated with generating good video content. Even video content that’s designed to feel casual and of-the-moment carries a cost. Bigger brands will usually choose to have a dedicated person or team in-house, but smaller brands should estimate annual or quarterly video needs and allocate a portion of the marketing budget to cover the costs of hiring an agency or freelancer.
Keep video content short
As we’ve discussed, earned attention is a critical component for successful digital marketing. The proliferation of channels through which to consume media, and the subsequent rise in the sheer volume of content available for consumption means the competition for attention is fierce. Though long-form video content has its time and place, leveraging short form video content on social feeds is an effective hook to convert users over to landing pages or longer video content.
Don’t limit yourself
There are so many different ways to make video a central part of your marketing strategy, so don’t limit yourself to creating only one kind of video. Really successful brands are increasingly making video a core attribute to everything they do and building a diverse video library to help meet each of their marketing objectives.
Some of the most popular types of brand video content include:
- Social Media Stories: Social Stories are some of the most popular content on social media. Capitalize on that by creating short and compelling videos for your story channels. This quick 24 hour content can help increase customer engagement and interaction. For more insights on leveraging Stories for your brand, check out our blog post on 24-hour content here.
- Live Streams: Stream an event, a conversation, or a behind-the-scenes moment to allow audiences to feel part of the action.
- How-Tos: Demonstrate use cases and teach customers how to be more effective with a product. You can also teach a skill that is adjacent to a product or service you offer.
- Product Videos and Demos: Increase conversion rates by sharing product videos and demos that allow users to see products in action.
- Client Testimonials: Persuade prospective customers by letting previous and existing customers tell their stories of success with your products. This will help to provide a deeper level of authenticity and trust with your current audience as well as potential customers.
Summing up
There’s no denying that video is an essential component of an effective marketing strategy in the digital era. Digital audiences crave video content and brands should be investing in this channel in order to stay relevant and connect with their key consumer groups.
