As the old adage goes, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’ And while that may be true, get this: According to Forrester Research, a mere 60 seconds of video is worth a whopping 1.8 million words.
Video is big business these days. YouTube rakes in over one million unique visitors each month, second only to social giant Facebook (which, let’s face it, is inundated with video content). And according to Cisco, by 2017 it’s expected that video will generate almost 70% of consumer internet traffic. Search engines can’t get enough of video and neither can we. So, when it comes to adding video to your marketing mix, it really is a no-brainer.
Of all the marketing channels, video is the most stimulating. When we watch a video, the movement captures our attention while the sound evokes emotion – something which can’t be achieved through reading text or looking at an image.
And the great thing about video? All businesses can utilise it. If you’re an SME, video marketing is one of the most effective ways to get your name out there. You don’t need a Tarantino in your team to create an attention-grabbing vid; and thanks to new tools and tech, video creation is now easier and more affordable than ever before.
If I haven’t bored you with the benefits of video already, here are some more reasons why it rocks:
– It’s personal.
Video helps to humanise your brand. It breaks down communication barriers by granting people behind-the-scenes access to your company and people. This will help your business to become familiar among consumers, earning their trust in return.
– It complements other channels.
Create engaging videos and all your marketing channels will benefit! If you share videos on your social channels and people like and share them, for instance, your follower numbers will start to climb. And, if people view an engaging video on your website, they will browse it for an average of two minutes longer.
– It’s shareable.
The most shareable form of content, actually. Create a show-stopping video and people will be all over it. They’ll share it with their own online communities and before you know it, your video will be viewed by people on the other side of the world. The question is: are you ready for that sort of fame?
– It’s easy to digest.
The digital age has brought with it an overload of information and as a result, our attention spans are dwindling (down to eight seconds, according to a recent Microsoft study). Now more than ever, people are craving content that’s easy to digest and, well, that basically makes video baby food.
Video enables you to create rich, unique content that will resonate with your audience and make your marketing messages memorable. What’s more, it’s versatile, meaning you can create a video for all sorts of purposes. Here are some ideas worth considering:
A how-to video
How many times have you started a Google query with ‘How to…’? Too many times to count, no doubt. Well, now’s your turn to become a source of knowledge! How-to videos, also called explainer videos, provide people with useful advice and information on how to do something (forgive me for stating the obvious). If you’re thinking of making one, it should be linked to your services and/or products – a product demo is a good place to start.
Customer testimonials
It doesn’t matter how legitimate the customer reviews are on your website, someone will always doubt them. People prefer hearing it straight from the horse’s mouth, i.e. from your customers instead of from you. And the best way to prove the authenticity of those testimonials is to (kindly) ask some of your loyal customers to take a seat in front of the camera and share their experiences of your business!
Behind-the-scenes video
As I mentioned previously, videos are great for giving customers insight into your business. For example, if you create a ‘meet the team’ video, this will help build familiarity and will get people thinking, “now that’s the kind of company I want to do business with.”
Industry insight video
All businesses want to be regarded as experts in their field. You can accomplish this by taking to the camera to discuss recent, relevant and industry-related trends and sharing your business views. This is a great way to build your reputation and establish yourself as a market leader.
A product video
If you’re about to launch a new product, video is a great way to introduce people to it! You could start off by explaining its benefits and then film a few clips of the product in action! It’s a much more engaging way to market a product than by sending out a leaflet or email to consumers about it.
Actually, come to think of it, perhaps I should have made a video instead of writing this article…