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Imagine a day without videos! When you google something, you can find that pages with videos rank higher than the ones with no videos on Google.
Be it on social media, websites, landing pages, etc., videos impact people more than any other form of content. People prefer watching a video rather than reading textual content, figuring out infographics, and more.
Videos are everywhere, and businesses are making full use of them to grow. According to Cisco Video Networking Index, videos make up 82% of Internet traffic in 2022. Growth marketing today seems to be incomplete without videos.
Without a doubt, the video marketing business is today one of the most looked upon and booming businesses. It shows no trajectory of slowing down.
Wondering if you are too late to start with video marketing? Well, this is the best time to start working on a video marketing proposal for your business. In this blog, let us explore how animated videos benefit business along with what video marketing is and everything that businesses need to know about it.
What is video marketing?
In simple words, the answer for what is video marketing is that it is advertising or marketing your product or service through different types of videos on a wide range of platforms.
I am pretty sure you have seen video ads popping up while you open videos on YouTube and also in between your Instagram feed.
Let's take a look at other instances. You must probably have checked out a product or service that your favorite TikTok or Instagram influencer suggested. Also, there might be attractive video ads that show stories, unboxing of products, etc., on Facebook and even in between the video games that you play.
All these are the platforms that businesses make use of to market their products or services, and this is what video marketing is all about. Moreover, with the COVID-19 pandemic, people were more confined to their homes, and businesses have switched all digital to keep up with the new normal.
Video marketing is a powerful marketing tool that businesses can make the most out of to stand out and grow in the digital market. Companies produce videos to do a variety of things, such as advertise their goods and services, generate leads, educate consumers, and stimulate interest.
Video marketing, like many other forms of marketing, relies heavily on data, so you'll want to keep an eye on a variety of indicators and follow how engaged your audience is. Let us see the importance of video marketing and understand its benefits. Also, I have listed some stats to help you understand the impact of video marketing on businesses.
Video marketing Importance: Benefits and stats!
I am sure you might have an answer to why video marketing is important. Be it small or big businesses, video marketing is an investment for them to grow and is considered the best form of marketing.
But the benefits of video marketing and some stats that can give you a clear idea why it is important:
It can be watched on mobile devices
People use their smartphones today more than ever before. Internet users on mobile devices are a major force in the growth of the video industry.
An overwhelming majority of respondents (77%) to a recent survey conducted by Statista reported watching web videos on a mobile or tablet device. Facebook also claims that daily smartphone video viewers outnumber PC viewers by a factor of 1.5.
Video marketing improves SEO
Adding video to a website improves its quality and makes users stay on the page longer, two factors that search engines value. HubSpot reports that 31% of marketers use video in an effort to boost SEO.
Videos are remembered more
Only approximately 10% of what your clients hear will still be recalled three days later. On the other hand, if the information they hear is accompanied by appropriate visuals, they are more likely to remember around 65% of it three days later. Creating a video that is both entertaining and informative might help people remember your business.
Videos encourage more shares
92% of people who watch videos on their mobile devices also share them with others. Video content has always been at the heart of platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
Other social media platforms, like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc., have also supported videos that are widely shared by consumers. Video marketing is so important that even platforms without native video upload support are emphasizing it.
Video marketing helps businesses grow
The use of video content is fostering expansion for businesses. Over 93 percent of businesses claim that sharing videos on social media resulted in new business. Also, 63% of companies have found the highest return on investment through social media videos alone.
There are a lot more video marketing advantages than this. It also increases click-through rates, conversions, and sales. It can be rightly said that video marketing is changing the face of doing business, especially in a post-Covid-19 pandemic era.
In a world that is rapidly changing, people are attracted to content that is eye-catching and helps them understand a business in a short time. Videos serve this purpose and so will be the most preferred type of content.
Types of videos for marketing
There are many types of video marketing that you can do for your business or brand. Here are 10 of them from which you can derive video marketing ideas:
Explainer videos
Explainer videos are short videos that simply define your product or service in a simple, understandable, and interesting way. These videos can be non-animated as well as animated videos like whiteboard animation, character animation, motion graphics, 3D animation, etc.
Product demos
Product demos, as the name suggests, are those videos that demonstrate the use, features, and other important product or service highlights. Potential clients can be better informed about your business and your offerings with their support through product demo videos.
Brand videos
Building brand awareness is very important, especially if you are starting out. The use of brand videos is a great way to spread the word about your brand, products, and services. It may be a video of how your brand came into existence, or your brand's benefits and features, etc.
Live videos
Live streaming videos are a terrific way to interact with your audience in real-time, and most social media sites now allow users to make them. It can be done using a behind-the-scenes approach, interviews, and demonstrations, as they are a dramatic and engaging way to capture the interest of the audience.
Testimonial videos
Today, people prefer to make purchases based on reviews and testimonials. Businesses can make use of real-life feedback and testimonial videos to attract customers and help gain the trust of potential customers.
Social media videos
Social media platforms can be utilized to make entertaining videos in a minute or less. This includes Instagram and TikTok videos, YouTube shorts, etc. Paid social media ads can draw a large audience if done correctly.
Tutorials
Tutorial videos are great ways to educate your audience about your product or service by showing them step-by-step instructions or providing answers to frequently asked questions. These videos are ideal for developing trust and credibility and positioning your brand as a helpful resource.
User-generated videos
Your audience can also act as resources. You can make use of videos related to your business shared by your followers and users.
Personalized videos
Personalization has become a main trend in business marketing. A company can get in touch with a customer to respond to a question or provide a recommendation through the use of personalized videos.
Event videos
Creating videos from company events can showcase your brand's personality or highlight key efforts. You can record and edit recap videos or live stream on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.
Video marketing examples
Here are three famous video marketing examples that have captured the attention of audiences around the world:
Webdew's client review videos
Webdew is a top marketing video production company and one of the best digital marketing agencies that prioritize client satisfaction. They have shared the client testimonials and reviews on their website, Youtube channel, and social media platforms.
Ice bucket challenge
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge started in 2014 to raise awareness and funds for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). People had to pour ice-cold water over their heads and challenge three others to do the same and donate. These videos were shared rapidly on social media platforms.
Participants were told that if they completed the ice bucket challenge, donated, and challenged others, they could save an ALS patient's life. They created a sense of urgency and emotional appeal that resulted in the participation of 17 million people from around the world.
Paypal's explainer video
In their explainer video, PayPal uses musical humor in a way that is both entertaining and engaging to highlight how the app is designed to make payday a happier and more enjoyable experience.
PayPal is aware that time is of importance for the majority of customers who are considering using the service. They demonstrate how simple it is to carry out financial transactions in a little video that can be accessed here.
What is a video marketing strategy?
Businesses can reach their intended consumers more effectively through the use of videos by developing a video marketing strategy. It includes creating, curating, and sharing videos that are specific to the brand or business.
The ultimate goal of video marketing is to capture the attention of the audience and make them understand the product or service in an interesting way. The more interesting, convincing, and attractive the video, the better will be your growth as a brand.
As a marketer, I strongly believe conversion can be possible from the beginning of your marketing strategy if you employ videos to work their magic!
Let me tell you how a video marketing funnel acts as a model for businesses to scale up their marketing.
What is a video marketing funnel?
A video marketing funnel works the same way as any other marketing funnel does: it's a set of steps designed to lead potential customers from the top of the sales cycle all the way down to the bottom.
From top to the bottom, the funnel can be divided into 4 stages, which are the awareness stage, the consideration stage, the decision stage, and the retention stage. Let us see this in further detail:
Awareness stage: This is the stage where you make your target audience aware of your brand or product. The types of videos that can be used in this stage are social media videos, brand videos, documentaries, etc., that can help you attract people to your brand.
Consideration stage: In this stage, you educate your potential customers and make them understand the problems they face, and present your product or service as the solution. The types of videos that can be used in this stage are explainer videos, company culture videos, etc.
Decision stage: This is the stage where conversion happens as your potential customers take the crucial decision as to whether or not to purchase your product or service. In this stage, you can use testimonial videos, product demos, etc., that help them in making their decision.
Retention stage: Marketing does not end when customers make the purchase. You have to retain them so that you gain loyal, long-term customers. To keep them interested in your product or service, you can make use of 'how-to' videos, live videos, explainers on best practices, etc.
The use of video in your marketing can enhance the effectiveness of your efforts and enhance the consumer experience. No matter how busy you are or how tight your budget is, video is something you should not be afraid to try. If you follow the aforementioned steps, including video into your video marketing funnel will be a breeze.
How to get started with video marketing?
Getting started with video marketing is one of the best strategies for your business. Of course, like every marketing strategy, this also needs to be well-researched so that you get effective results.
Here are a few questions you should ask before moving to the creation of videos:
- Who is your target audience?
- At what stage of the marketing funnel do you need to focus?
- What resources are available to you?
- Where will you be posting the videos?
- What type of videos should you post?
After identifying these, you are good to move forward with video creation. Here are a few tips on video marketing that will help you stand out from the crowd.
Tips on video marketing
These tips will help you in implementing the best video marketing strategy for your business or brand:
Video quality matters!
If your video looks blurred or is not clear, it will negatively impact the audience. Therefore, make high-definition videos to make sure that everything in the video is clear to the audience.
Employ storytelling!
People don't have much time to listen to boring explanations, but people will listen if you talk about your business in the form of a story.
Keep your videos short!
Most marketing videos are probably going to be skipped by an audience that wishes to acquire everything quickly. It is, therefore, important to keep the videos short so that your audience gets the message in a short amount of time.
Use attractive thumbnails!
Thumbnails catch attention before a video starts playing. If you want viewers to watch, upload excellent thumbnails. If you don't upload thumbnails, you can be at a disadvantage of your audience not clicking on the video as it didn't show relevance at first sight.
Don't forget to add CTAs!
A CTA is vital for generating high-quality marketing videos. If you want to maximize the video's success, include CTAs. They inspire people to take action, such as clicking or signing up.
Track! Analyze! Update!
Keeping tabs on metrics and statistics will help you figure out which videos are most successful and why. It is important to track relevant metrics, analyze them and update your videos accordingly. This will also come in handy when you make new videos and launch new campaigns.
Don't leave out SEO!
Optimizing your video for the search engines is quite important for it to be discovered by your target audience. Following SEO best practices is the key to ranking your videos high on the SERPs.
Video marketing software
After seeing all this, does video marketing seem hectic? The creation of videos can be time-consuming as well. Also, if you think it's not feasible to include it in your budget, you might want to check out a few video marketing software.
Making use of video marketing software, you can cash in on the rising interest in online video. Amazing marketing videos can be made with no prior experience or knowledge of video editing tools.
In light of this, you should familiarize yourself with the processes of storyboarding, scriptwriting, and more. Don't fret over them; you'll figure them out as you experiment with and learn more about video marketing.
Looks like too much work? You can always depend on video production agencies that can do all this and more according to your business requirements in your budget.
Wrapping it up
Videos are not going anywhere. After reading this article, I hope you have gained a clear idea about video marketing and video marketing strategy.
Creating videos can help you grow your audience and strengthen your brand's identity, so get out there and start making something!
There may be many challenges to working out a video strategy and managing a business. Need a hand? Get in touch with us to avail best-in-class video services.
