Consumer consumption of video has exploded over the past few years, with marketers experiencing a full-on video revolution in the past year alone. Wyzowl reports that 61% of businesses have started using video content marketing and 66% of these companies were not using video a year ago.
(excerpt. See the full infographic, The Future Of Video, How Powerful Is It?)
Additionally, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality industries are expected to be worth $150 billion by 2020.
As virtual technologies become more widely accessible to the general public they will allow companies to showcase products and services in new and exciting ways, make shopping easier and connect on a much deeper level with customers.
Opace have great infographic on the subject: From VR Marketing to VCommerce (excerpt below)
But perhaps you’re still having doubts on whether using videos to promote your business is really worth the time and effort? The most recent statistics present pretty good arguments for including them in your promotional arsenal:
- You’re 53 times more likely show up first on Google if you have a video embedded on your website.
- Videos build trust; 57% of consumers have said that watching videos gave them more confidence to purchase online.
- The average online user spends over 16 minutes watching video ads every month.
- Adding a product video on your landing page can increase conversions by 80%.
- Video adds work. The average click-through-rate of video ads is 1.84%. That’s the highest CTR of all digital ad formats!
Great news for the South African market in particular, Google tells us that smartphone users are twice as likely than TV viewers and 1.4 times more likely as desktop viewers to feel a sense of personal connection to brands that show video content or ads on their devices.
A recent study of mobile usage in South Africa showed that, “With low levels of PC use and near-universal mobile ownership, South Africa is an excellent venue to observe mobile Internet use among resource-constrained communities. Some estimate that there are more active users of the mobile Internet in South Africa than there are traditional Internet users.”
Having an appropriate video marketing strategy in place can clearly benefit your business and distance yourself from your closest competitors. Here are some tips to get started:
- The best place to integrate your product video is on the product page itself. Key elements of a successful product page video include showing the product and demonstrating the features in a simple, non-distracting environment (as opposed to a “branding” experience)
- Capitalize on YouTube. YouTube is the second largest Web search engine after Google. Moreover, this platform is one of the best ways to gain social signals for SEO.
- One of the best ways for a brand to be heard in this crowded social sphere is to leverage paid ads. Facebook posts including a video generate about 100% more engagement than the average post. Always remember to set ‘audience targeting options’ to show video ads to the right audience. Ensure your video is short, relevant, has a great value proposition and includes solid call-to-action.
- Leverage User-Generated Videos. “A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is – it is what consumers tell each other it is.” – Scott Cook
- include videos in marketing emails
- create video embedded landing pages or
- include relevant videos in blog articles
If you’re looking for inspiration on the actual content of your videos, you might want to consider the following:
- Showcase how your products are made.
- Show your team working on a new project.
- Explain how you service client equipment.
- Consultants – what tips and advice can you share on your area of expertise?
The good news is that your videos don’t have to be perfect. It’s the content that matters! Latest research shows that users are mostly put off by videos that don’t explain the product or service clearly enough. Low quality and poor design didn’t matter nearly as much.
And finally, 76% of users say they would share a branded video with their friends if it was entertaining. So, create fun, entertaining videos to encourage social shares. Emotionally charged, creative video advertising can be spread on the Internet in a matter of days, getting millions of views. And this is the whole point of video marketing!
To get those creative juices flowing, you might want to view a few examples of excellent video marketing:
Chatbooks’ ‘Stop Wasting Hours Making Photo Books’