Why You Should Be Using Videos In Your Marketing Strategy
- Zoek Marketing
- Aug 18, 2020
- 4 min read
Have you ever found a great video that you just had to share with your friends? Maybe it was a cool commercial that you found appealing, or maybe you found a new product that you thought everyone should try. Or maybe you just found a cat video funny and needed someone else to laugh at it with you.
“Um, yeah,” you say. “Who hasn’t done this? Everyone watches videos!”
Well, we’re glad we’re on the same page with you, because that’s the point of this article: people love videos. And, as you’re going to discover, it turns out they can be pretty effective for your marketing strategy, even if you’re not a master video editor or never achieve that “viral fame” status.
A lot of companies have been starting to make their own videos, even without a big budget. Usually, they hope to go viral. In this article, we’ll talk a bit about why that is not a reasonable goal, and we’ll go over a few things that can point you in the right direction when you want to start incorporating videos into your marketing plan.
Attention spans are short. Make the most of this.
In fact, we’ve probably already lost a good chunk of readers at this point. That’s okay; it’s just how attention spans work in today’s information-saturated world. Some statistics say that our attention span hovers at around 8 seconds now, down from 12 seconds in the year 2000. However, other reports refute that, saying that attention can’t be measured in time; rather, it depends on what a person is doing. Namely, there are so many extraneous factors that it can be nearly impossible to stamp a number on this and say that people won’t pay attention.
Okay, that aside: people still don’t want to wait for gratification. They want it instantly. And we can tell you, as marketers, that people like to watch videos and listen rather than read. (So why do we blog? Is it all futile? Should we be questioning this in a blog post?) So if you make a short, engaging, and informative video, it stands to reason that this should be more popular than an article or podcast.
Sometimes longer videos are more appropriate, however. Have you ever looked up a tutorial and found that it’s too vague? How are you supposed to follow the steps if all the steps seem to be missing? In this case, it’s better to make a more thorough video, and this will naturally make the video longer.
The takeaway? When making videos, keep them shorter unless you need to be very detailed for a specific type of task. With practice, you’ll master the art of grabbing and holding attention.
Videos can be fun, and people are more likely to share them.
It seems like common sense to say that people are most likely to share entertaining videos. Why would they share something they found boring? So if you’re making videos, try to make sure that you keep them entertaining. Even if you don’t consider your business (or your personality!) to be comedic, that’s okay. We’re not suggesting you write a comedy script. Rather, keep the pace quick, the dialogue light and to the point, and use good lighting and sound. Good editing can make even the most routine video much more enjoyable to watch. That’s really all there is to it!
The best part about getting your fans and followers to share your videos is that you don’t necessarily have to spend any money to get this effect. All you have to do is make good videos, and your followers will do the rest.
People love knowing insider details.
Videos are a unique type of media. They not only allow us to intake information, as we would while reading, but we also get to hear tone of voice and see body language or demonstrations. In short, video is intrinsically interesting to our brains. People feel like they can see how your business works and know some “insider details” that they simply wouldn’t get from looking through a photo gallery or reading a blog post. This solidifies their connection to your brand, which helps make a lasting impression and improve your chances to get a loyal customer.
Videos are SEO gold and can help you bring in more traffic.
This was true five years ago and it remains just as true today. In fact, as the years go on, video becomes increasingly important. Part of this has to do with faster internet connections across greater geographical areas; some has to do with the development of faster and more powerful phones; and some of it has to do with personal preference in marketing trends. Hubspot put together an informative article looking at the state of video marketing in 2018. Here are some of the most important takeaways:
81% of businesses now use videos as a marketing tool.
Most people say they watched 1.5 hours of video a day (not all on smart phones, however—important note!).
76% of marketers say video help them increase web traffic.
95% of people have watched “explainer” videos to learn more about products.
85% of people WANT to see more videos from brands!
Finally, 72% of people want to use video to learn about a brand or service.
These results are clear: People want video. They love seeing video in search results, they love looking on YouTube, and they love watching videos before they choose which product to buy. YouTube itself is a big help with SEO, as you can drive traffic from your channel to your site easily. You can put hyperlinks within the videos as well, making it simple for people to jump to product purchase pages no matter where the video is shared from.
So, whether you’re new to video or you’ve been doing it a while and want to know if it is worth it to continue, this article should give you your answer: yes! Video is alive and well in 2018; in fact, it’s thriving. Best of luck to you as you begin on your video marketing endeavor!
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