In the past, integrating video into digital marketing was seen as a wise choice – but wasn’t a requirement. Today, this is no longer the case. If you want to engage your customers and reach them where they are, then video has to become a fundamental component of your overall strategy.
The Value of Video
Video has always been an engaging mode of communication. It’s engaging, visual, and interactive. But what you probably didn’t know is that video towers over text in terms of clearly and effectively communicating ideas between brands and consumers.
According to Boast, a video testimonial app, 60 percent of website visitors will watch a video (if available) prior to reading any text. Furthermore, it’s estimated that one minute of video is worth 1.8 million words. In other words, video is much higher returning than other marketing mediums – even traditional content marketing.
4 Ways You Need to Use Video
If you aren’t currently using video as a marketing tool, then you’re probably unsure of how and where to use it. The good news is that video is incredibly versatile and can be utilized in various ways to fit your specific needs.
Here are a few ideas and examples to get your creative wheels turning:
- Educational Explainer Content
According to research from Animoto, 80 percent of consumers believe a video showing how a product or service works is important when learning about a new company or brand. This is why a lot of marketers invest in educational video content that’s designed to reach customers by explaining how different products and services work.
As an example, check out The Micklin Law Group’s video consultation room. As the page explains, “Our goal is to make sure that our clients fully understand the situation they are facing and are given the information they need to make an informed decision about their future.”
The videos on their page are used to put prospective clients at ease and reduce friction in the client onboarding process. They weed out unqualified clients and encourage qualified ones to seek out more information. Are there similar ways you could use video?
- Product Landing Pages
Another onsite area where video is commonly used is on product landing pages. Since the goal of a landing page is to convey as much information as simply as possible, video is the ideal solution.
Think about how much more successful your landing pages could be if you didn’t have to rely on copywriting to convince and convert visitors into customers. With a simple 30-second video, you can communicate the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of words of information.
- Live Streaming
A new and rapidly evolving video marketing niche is live streaming. Between Periscope, Meerkat, YouTube Live Streaming, and Facebook Live, there are now a variety of ways to disseminate live video content to the masses.
While the thought of going live may seem daunting at first, the truth is that this is the future of video marketing. Customers want to enjoy uninhibited, real-time video content that meets them exactly where they are. Live streaming video is the only way to accomplish this.
One of the top brands currently using live streaming is the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). They do a variety of things with live streaming, including 10-minuted pre-fight Q&A sessions with ring girls, post-fight recaps, and more. It’ll be interesting to see how live streaming evolves over the next few months.
- Homepage Background
Have you ever considered using video as an integral component of your homepage web design? It may sound strange at first, but this is exactly what some of today’s leading brands are doing. Just check out Airbnb and Periscope. In the past, brands like Spotify, Louis Vuitton, and even Phillips have used background videos.
More than anything, background videos are immersive. They catch a visitor’s eye and encourage them to stick around for more. However, you have to be very careful when using homepage videos. They key is to use fluid videos that are muted and subtle. Anything too fast or over-the-top will actually have a negative impact on your website’s conversion goals.
Ignore Video Marketing at Your Own Risk
Emphasis on video in the digital marketing landscape is only just beginning. In the coming months and years, look for there to be more widespread adoption, increased consumer demand, and a critically important shift in the permanent trajectory of content marketing.
While nobody is going to force you to adapt your strategy to account for video, it’s certainly the smart thing to do. As the data shows, customers find video more engaging, reliable, and rewarding. In order to satisfy the needs and desires of your customers, it’s imperative that you make video a priority.
