Video is the medium of the future for digital marketers, business owners and content producers alike. Regardless of niche, demographic or budget, video is simply better at achieving key business outcomes – be it loyalty, awareness, conversion or trust.
According to BI Intelligence, 2016 will see a 78% increase in online video ad revenue since 2013. The medium is clearly on the way up. If you haven’t got a handle on it or you’re not using it in your own marketing campaigns, it might be time to think long and hard about finding a way to do just that.
Why video works
Video works because it’s inherently engaging and shareable – two key qualities for great marketing content. You can use it to teach your audience, demonstrate product strengths to your audience and more. And given the recent influx of video integration in social media (Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Vine, etc.), it’s easier than ever to introduce video content into your marketing efforts.
For a long time, technology limited us from using video pragmatically. Internet connections were too slow and our mobile devices too limited. But given that just about everyone has a smartphone these days (and they use them to view content), it makes sense now more than ever to jump on the bandwagon.
Keep this in mind when producing video content
Statistically, the longer the video, the lower the retention. That’s not to say that you can’t succeed with long-form video content, but brevity is key. Be short, sharp and to the point. Know what you want to say, and use the medium to deliver your message quickly and effectively.
Of course, there are no hard and fast rules – just guidelines. Like everything else, you should be testing the length of your videos against your KPIs and wider business goals. Longer videos might get less views but more conversions, for instance.
Video is statistically superior
But regardless of your business goals, you can rest assured that video will do the job better than just about any other kind of content. Ads featuring video outperform standard display ads by about 9 times when it comes to clicks, and 92% of people who watch videos with their mobile devices share videos with their friends. In fact, video is shared 12 times more than links and text combined. Setting up a viral-focused campaign with the right audience can mean instant reach for your business, and to the right kinds of people.
Now is the time
If you’ve never experimented with video before, aren’t sure how video can apply to your business or you just don’t know where to start, now would be the time to get a move on. Video marketing will only become more useful, powerful and effective in the future. As far as time investments go, video is one of the strongest ones you can make.
