Over seventeen years have passed since the launch of an obscure little website called YouTube, and there’s no doubt the ability to stream video cheaply and easily has changed a great deal about our culture. But is it truly an essential tool for marketers? And if so, how do we use it?
A full case for using video in the 2020s could take up a book, and a hefty one at that. But let’s briefly review some reasons supported by recent studies and surveys.
Your competitors are doing it — Eighty-six percent of companies are making use of video in their marketing, and 31% are publishing two to four videos per month.
Tens of millions of users prefer it and grow their understanding with it — The fact that your competitors use it might cause a shrug, but you can be sure your customers do and want more.
In 2020, there were 244 million regular video viewers in the United States, and more than 50% of consumers prefer video over other forms of content. Some research places that number over 60%. Fifty-four percent of consumers have expressed an interest in seeing more video content from brands they follow.
Video educates, too: 94% of marketers that use videos say they have helped increase user understanding of their product or service.
Video opens up new audiences — Video is a great way to present your message to users who use handicapped accessibility features. Seventy-eight percent of companies use some accessibility features in their videos with 65% of them using captioning.
It’s effective with solid ROI and lead generation — Ninety-six percent of marketers rated video as having average or high ROI with 83% saying video has helped them generate leads.
Don’t DIY — Here’s another tidbit from recent research: 39% of marketers say the biggest obstacle to publishing regular video content is difficulty creating an effective video strategy, while another 33% cited lack of time for video creation. Unless you already have a strong in-house video team with a streamlined, time-tested process and solid strategies, it’s well worth your time and money to bring in an agency which already has those assets. This will allow you to jump right into regular video publishing and make the most of it.
Use all the parts of the buffalo — The best results for marketing video are for clips that are either shorter than one minute or between two and five minutes. When you make a video, especially if it’s at the lengthy end, make multiple shorter versions. More importantly, put them everywhere: YouTube, Instagram, and other social media platforms, paid social media ads, blog posts on your website, landing pages for the product they promote, embedded in emails, etc.
Make sure you ask for the “sale” — Each video should include a clear call to action and be paired with a link or button where the viewer can answer that call. Send them to a landing page where they can order the product or learn more. If you’re not getting them to an actual sale with your video, make sure the goal of your interaction is a solid lead (an email address at least) you can follow up on.
We can help you create high ROI video marketing with top quality production and smart strategies for publishing and growth. If you’d like to do more with video and get more leads and sales out of it, get in touch with us today.
