Video Marketing - 6 Reasons Video Should Be in Every Marketing Plan

Video consumption doubles every year; it’s really a no-brainer to say that video marketing has to be in every business marketing plan.

Video Marketing is a Must with Millennial Buyers – Think with Google Infographic

Let’s face it, many of us are guilty of enjoying an occasional video binge on YouTube. Whether it was to pass that dull afternoon hour at work or to distract from studies or chores, we’ve all been there, and we’re not alone.

While you might believe video marketing has hit it’s max, it’s not true, especially among the Millennial workers who will make up three quarters of the workforce in less than 10 years. Millennials watch 47 percent less television than older Americans, and 4 in 10 say they only trust YouTube for videos about causes they care about. (ThinkwithGoogle.com)

6 Reasons Make the Case for Video Marketing to Be in the Marketing Mix

1. To Improve Your SEO and Get Found Online Up to 50X More Often

In a culture where nearly everyone, of every age, goes online to research and buy, optimizing your website and social profiles for search (SEO) is the first step in beating the competition. When visitors land on your site or find your videos on YouTube, these words “first step” should also be at the heart of your video marketing strategy. An LSA white paper found that 44 percent of consumers viewed an online video prior to making a purchase, and that 71 percent of those who viewed an online video while researching, followed through in making that purchase (SearchEngineLand.com).

In 2015, 44% of consumers viewed a video online prior to making a purchase.

Are your customers searching Google or Bing for businesses like yours by industry and/or location? Your video marketing should address the researcher who is at the beginning phases of the buying cycle and your videos should be uploaded, posted and shared in buyer-relevant sites. YouTube is a great start, but to make the most of your video content and keywords, embedding video into your website, blog posts, social updates and profile pages will boost your click through rates and ranking. Doing these things can improve your chances of being found on Google by over 50 times.

2. To Grow Your Brand’s Impact from 1 to 1.8 Million

This one is plain and simple. According to studies, a picture is worth a thousand words, so a one minute of video is the equivalent of 1.8 million words of text. Whether you want to showcase your company or tell a story, a short video is worth the investment and could dramatically increase your brand’s impact with prospects and customers.

3. To Take Advantage of the Power of “How-To”

Video consumption is on the rise, and “how-to” videos are among the most popular. According to Google, searches for these types of videos were up 70% year over year last year. Think about the last time you needed to fix something at home or had a DIY project tasked upon you.

Last year there was a 70% year over year rise in searches for How-To videos.

Did you go out to the store to buy a book or simply look it up online? The opportunity to take advantage of these “how-to” searches, especially on mobile platforms, is enormous. If you can figure out what your brand can teach, you can produce these videos and be ahead of the game.

4. To Share Your Brand’s Messages Everywhere

Video is a great medium for telling your company’s stories. Along with posting videos on websites and blogs, they can also easily be shared across all forms of social media. Hundreds of millions of users log onto Facebook and Twitter each day, making this a great place to get your word out. These sharing sites are optimized for video already. On Facebook for example, video loops will start playing automatically when a user rolls across it on their timeline.

5. To Get the Attention of Your Audience and Maximize Engagement

It can be difficult to grab the attention of consumers these days as there is a never-ending amount of media and advertising available online. All the more reason to engage your clients and stand out and one of the best ways to do this is through video. For example, a dentist might think about producing a video with customer or employee testimonials to show what makes them different and better than the competition. Another example, a delivery company might produce an exciting “how-to” video showing off their personality and creativity of their product. Videos like these stir up conversation on social media, increase inquiries for products and services, and increase brand awareness.

6. To Connect and Convert

Consumers don’t just want a business connection with your brand, they also want a personal, emotional connection. Even though leaving someone teary-eyed by telling a story filled with emotion might not result in a purchase right away, it will make your brand and cause stick with that customer for the long term.

Many consumers will stick with a brand simply because of the story behind the company, the way the company engages in the community, or things they stand for. This happens as a result of the positive impact that a powerful, emotion filled video can carry with it and is also key in converting clicks into customers.

Infographic: Think with Google