Movies are a time-honored art form. TV shows have existed for decades. Netflix is a booming venture. Once upon a time MTV even showed music videos. All these options are forms of video entertainment that we love to consume.
When it comes to marketing for businesses, however, video isn’t just an option; it should be a necessity.
In these digital days, people are watching and sharing videos at an exponential rate, which makes including this component in your marketing stack even more important. According to research from Hubspot, 86% of today’s businesses use video in their marketing, with 87% reporting that their video efforts are generating a positive ROI. Only 33% reported an improved ROI from videos as recently as 2015, so the growth is crystal clear.
If you aren’t currently using video in your marketing strategy, here are five big reasons why you should.
1.) Video is Powerful Content
More than any other visual medium, video conveys strong emotions – this is what audiences connect with. People remember what they feel. A well-crafted video can channel your passions (and expertise, authority, and sense of humor) in relatable, engaging ways that offer an interactive experience for viewers.
2.) Video is Versatile and Accessible Across Platforms
Videos help you extend your brand awareness by reaching new people on any device, anywhere. Additionally, the more people view your videos on social media channels, the more likely they are to share them. This can drive an entire social media strategy because it can increase your videos’ reach and can get your business in front of both active and passive audiences.
Also, you can get a lot of digital mileage from even one single video. In addition to posting to social media and sites like YouTube and Google, videos are perfect content pieces to add to your website, blog, email campaigns, or as an ad. This in turn makes for a big SEO boost as your videos become more discoverable.
3.) Videos are Sharable and Engaging
A good video not only tells your story in compelling ways, but because it’s sharable content, it encourages interaction. Every engagement on social channels (likes, comments and shares) increases the chance of more customers coming your way. For B2B companies, video is especially useful because of the well-tailored way it allows you to provide quality information, educate your audience, and cast a wider, expert net in your niche.
4.) Video Helps Build Trust and Loyalty
Video campaigns can creatively show not just what you do, but why, and in memorable ways. Staying top-of-mind is key to converting leads into sales, and the catalyst for that is for your audience to retain the information you give them. Many people are visual learners, and video is the perfect vehicle to tap into their sensibilities and show them you not only understand their needs, but you have a solution. This builds trust – and that trust leads to customer loyalty.
5.) Video Leads to Better ROI
Make no mistake, producing quality videos is an investment – and a strategic one at that. You’ll want to create videos that are not only informative and helpful but relevant to your audience and what they want.
The good thing is that due to video’s versatility, accessibility and trust-building power, the returns on these types of campaigns can be huge.