Want to know how powerful video marketing is?
Hold that thought.
Let’s first do something video does better than virtually any other marketing strategy—show rather than tell. Let’s take a look at this game-changing video from Dollar Shave Club.
That video, edgy (some would argue profane) does everything a great brand awareness video should do. It identifies and effectively addresses a key customer pain point (the cost and inconvenience of continually shopping for shaving supplies), demonstrates the quality of the products and services it offers consumers and uses humor to create a powerful emotional connection with its target audience.
But here’s the takeaway—that video and the ones which followed it worked. The bottom line: a startup business that began with $100,000 topped $65 million in sales just two years later.
Does Video Marketing Work?
In a word, “yes.” Video marketing works so well, in fact, that marketers who leverage its power grow revenues almost 50% faster than those who don’t. Still not persuaded? Then, consider these compelling metrics from WordStream:
- 1 of every 3 hours of online activity is now spent watching video
- More than 85% of Americans watch online videos
- More than half of marketers say video is the content with the highest return on investment (ROI)
- Videos on average increase organic traffic from search engine results by almost 160%
- Posting video on a landing page increases conversions by more than 80%
What Are the Top Benefits of Video Marketing?
Video marketing can help any kind of business, both large, enterprise organizations and small businesses, both B2B and B2C businesses and businesses across virtually every industry. But video is an especially effective marketing strategy for small and local businesses because it levels the playing field, highlighting their products and services to competitive advantage against the big boys on the block.
Although every business is different, there are some benefits to video marketing that transcend those distinctions, including the following 4:
1. Video Builds Trust in Your Brand
Think back to that Dollar Shave Club video. It cemented an emotional relationship between seller and buyer in a way no other marketing content could. And that emotional connection is critical to establishing trust and promoting loyalty. Think of it this way—people justify what they buy based on logic, but they make purchase decisions based on feeling. That competitive neighbor of yours might say he bought the edgy sports car in his driveway because of “great mileage,” but you know it’s about feeling a little younger—and making you a lot more envious. Video harnesses powerful emotions to connect with your target audience and build trust.
2. Video Boosts SEO
A professionally designed video dramatically increases the odds of winding up on the first page of Google search results. The reason? According to Search Engine Watch, it’s because people spend more time with video than any other kind of content:
“The ease, accessibility, and immersion of video means that people spend a longer time watching content that you produce. If you can make an engaging video, people spend more time on your webpage, increasing the what is called the ‘dwell time’…The more dwell time you have, the better your pages will be ranked…According to Martech.zone, a well-optimized video can increase your chances of getting featured on the front page of Google by as much as a factor of 53.”
3. Video Increases Return on Investment (ROI)
Marketers who contend that video boosts ROI are right. For one thing, video is surprisingly inexpensive to create. For another, it’s effective in achieving a host of marketing goals, from lead generation to increased conversions to stronger sales. According to several studies, for example, posting an explainer video on your landing page will increase sales by as much as 80%.
4. Video Helps Articulate Your Brand
Brand awareness is central to an effective marketing strategy. A strong video will help your target understand the key elements of your brand, not only who you are, but also what you do and why you do it. Said differently, video can provide a far more compelling presentation of your company’s mission statement and value proposition.
What Are the Main Types of Marketing Videos?
There are probably as many types of video as there are businesses using them. Among the more popular for marketers are the following 5:
- Brand videos: these tell your target audience what your business is all about, extending the reach and influence of your brand.
- Culture videos: these help prospective customers understand your workplace culture (for example, highlighting the fact that you and your employees are committed to outstanding customer service).
- Product videos: a well-designed video can make your products and services come to life, showing customers how they work—and how they solve problems for them.
- Tutorial videos: these so-called “how-to” videos show viewers how to use your products and services. They can also provide useful DIY information to increase customer trust and loyalty.
- Social media videos: these are videos you post on sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. They increase the relevance and influence of your social media posts.
Conclusion
The bottom line is this: video marketing can be among the most powerful weapons in your digital marketing arsenal—but to make it work, you shouldn’t wait until you have all the perfect resources or budget.
Video marketing is like any other kind of marketing. It is iterative, it grows and learns over time. Study and watch as much as you can and get started on creating your videos. Every video will get better and better; and if you commit, you will develop a powerful video marketing strategy.
Spencer Shahidzadeh is a Producer and Account Manager at Sparkhouse. Spencer has worked on thousands of marketing projects with hundreds of different brands. He studied Strategic and Corporate Communication at Chapman University which lead him to his passion for the science behind how people perceive information.
Video marketing stock photo by Wright Studio/Shutterstock
