Before digital video marketing, the only opportunity to present your company, products, and/or services in a video format would be through television commercials. Not only were commercials expensive and time-consuming to write, shoot, edit, and produce, but they didn’t have hard statistics to measure. Reach and gross rating points, two key components to measuring a television commercial campaign, relied heavily on speculation— estimating the potential amount of viewers reached and the possibility that they viewed the commercial. With the technology available today, video marketing opens doors that never existed before.

We have metrics to measure nearly everything in digital marketing in real-time, from the reach of an ad to the return on investment of a campaign. Video marketing presents the chance to interact with potential consumers in real-time across platforms. From desktops to mobile phones, to video game consoles, video content promotes brand awareness, builds trust, increases customer engagement, drives response rates, improves information retention, and makes your brand more recognizable. Videos allow people to form personal connections with brands, which build loyalty and open opportunities.

The possibilities are nearly endless on how video marketing can improve your business. In an introduction video, a business can provide potential customers with insights about the company, how it functions, the company mission, and how your company can resolve their problems. An “about us” video can show the human side of your organization and tell your brand story. Sending thank you videos allows you to go the extra mile and make a lasting impression, especially if the video is personalized.

Why video marketing?

In a survey conducted by Hubspot, 54% of consumers polled stated they would like to see more videos from brands or businesses they support. Social Media Today discovered that  90% of consumers claim a video will help them make a purchasing decision, and one in five YouTube users (approximately 13% of the total adult population) have stated that the website is very important when it comes to deciding whether to purchase a product. 79% of people surveyed by Wyzowl confirmed they were more likely to buy a product or sign up for a service if they watched a branded video that explained the product, with a further 96% finding videos helpful when making purchase decisions online. 68% of people reported they’d most prefer to learn about a new product or service by watching a short video. Creating engaging videos has become imperative to the marketing strategy of any business.

Video has dominated social media, and adding videos to your brand strategy is imperative to outreach and campaign efforts. Seven in ten videos are cross-linked to other social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and it’s been estimated that video content will account for 82% of all internet content consumed by 2022. Videos can be used in combination with email marketing, increasing open rates, click-throughs, and conversions, as well. Video marketing accounts for 69% of all consumer traffic, and more adults watch YouTube during primetime hours than they do cable television. 87% of businesses now use video as a marketing tool; an increase from just 63% in 2017, and marketers who use video grow revenue 49% faster than non-video marketers. It is also 53 times easier to rank video content in Google’s search results than any other content, markedly increasing SEO.

Video content is helpful across the buyer’s journey. Videos bring awareness to your product or service, provide information on how you can solve the customer’s problem, demonstrate the product to show its usefulness, and provide testimonials on how it has helped others, just to name a few things that videos can do. Not only do videos increase website traffic and time spent on websites, but they also help convert leads and even help enhance the customer experience. 41% of marketers polled have said their customer support calls have been reduced by utilizing instructional, troubleshooting, and how-to videos.  

So now that we know video is the way to go, how should we do it?

Many people prefer to watch shorter videos— about 5 minutes or less— that have an interesting, humorous, or otherwise memorable title. Consumers reported they prefer high-quality images & visuals, 360° views of items, demonstrations of products/services, and informational content, rather than obvious advertising. 

59% of B2B decision-makers prefer video over text content, and B2B end users name video among the top three most useful types of content for making work purchases. Webinars are listed in the top five. Small moments of humor during videos leave a memorable impression on purchasers, and potential customers prefer videos to be useful, relevant, timely, and well done.

While having amateur footage isn’t necessarily a bad thing, such as during a “day in the life” video or customer testimonials, these shouldn’t be the first impression left on potential customers. B2B customers are quick to move on to another company if they feel that the business they’re researching isn’t professional. B2C customers may question the integrity of a business & quality of a product or service if their only video material is poorly created.

Many guides to video creation exist across the web, and HubSpot has a fantastic walkthrough, but sometimes, a professional digital marketing firm is the best choice. Just like purchasing a $10,000 camera doesn’t make someone a great photographer overnight, purchasing video software & reading a few guides won’t create high-quality video content overnight. Digital marketing specialists like Graziani Multimedia have the skill, training, equipment, and knowledge to create professional, engaging video content across a wide range of industries. Book a free consultation today to see how video marketing can help your business!