Despite the many challenges that living through the COVID-19 pandemic entails, there are still opportunities to successfully promote your brand. As most of us are locked up at home, we’ve already got used to buying and discovering products online.
One of the most interesting types of marketing content that has become popular in recent years is video. Due to their entertaining yet informative format, videos can help you increase awareness about your brand and start new levels of conversation with your audience. And as incredible as it may sound, 2020 might be the best year to place your bets on video!
Think about it: as most of us don’t have access to physical stores, having videos at hand—whether they are product reviews, explainer videos, video tutorials, or any other type—can be very useful for exploring new brands and getting reliable information about them.
Mapping out a marketing setup for this year is possible, and it’s a great opportunity you don't want to miss. To help you with the task, we'll review seven relevant video marketing stats to keep in mind when devising your video marketing strategy.
1 - Video Marketing Projections Look Very Promising
If you have not made videos part of your marketing strategy yet, don't worry—the Roaring Twenties of video are a reality in progress, and it's not too late to join the trend!
Nearly all projections about the immediate future of video marketing are favorable: according to one data source, by 2022 videos will account for 82% of all Internet traffic. That is no less 15X more than in 2017!
As you consider ways to promote your brand online, keep these numbers in mind: a fresh video-based strategy might be the first move in your next success story!
Pro tip: To start experimenting, think about how your prospects could benefit from video content. For instance, product demos are always great for introducing your solution. But if your product is too specific in its setup, perhaps a step-by-step 'How-To' video is the one your audience needs.
2 - Videos Influence Buying Decisions
It is normal for customers to flounder a bit before buying a product —they have many questions and concerns they need to clear up before making a confident buying decision.
That said, by introducing informative and engaging videos into your marketing toolkit, you can effectively address most issues that can arise when prospects approach your brand.
Some data points attest that many online buyers already tend to rely on videos to inform their purchase decisions:
- 64% of customers report being more likely to buy a product after watching a video.
- Similarly, after viewing a product video or a ‘How-To’ video, 65% of consumers report remembering the visuals three days later.
Pro tip: Use videos to communicate to your prospects what’s useful and unique about your product and brand. Videos are not just great to explain your product, but also to start a meaningful conversation with your viewers. Connecting with audiences will give your company a good name and standing in their eyes.
3 - Educational Videos Are Reliable for Engaging Audiences
We have seen how videos can be entertaining, persuasive, and even fun. But they are also great educational resources to convey important information.
When you combine powerful animation and music with an engaging story, you can explain any complex idea with ease. For example, by one measure, whiteboard animation videos are said to boost viewers’ information retention by as much as 15%.
With the help of video, learning and entertainment are mutually reinforcing—they go hand in hand!
Pro tip: You want to use animated explainer videos to inform customers about the ins and outs of your product. You can use these videos in various forms: from showing customers your product's features and how it works to illustrating how it addresses their pain points.
4 - Live Video Is a Popular Choice Among Marketers
Most of us follow at least one social media account for which we have active live notifications. There’s just something thrilling about being the first to know and take advantage of what’s new about our favorite brands.
An increasing number of companies are taking notice of this. According to an estimate, 57% of marketers use live video as part of their social communications strategy. And their efforts seem to be right on target: at least on Facebook, users are 4X more likely to watch a live stream than a pre-recorded video.
Pro tip: Live videos are perfect for improving your customer communications efforts. You can use these types of videos to connect directly with the people that follow your brand by, say, offering live support, responding to their questions, or even taking them on an office tour.
You could also go live to promote your products’ launch. When you decide to do so, be sure to announce the live event early on to create interest and excitement around it.
5 - Google Searches Tilt Towards Video
You could say that Google is ‘biased’ in favor of videos. But don’t take that as a negative assessment of the service. On the contrary, that's your chance to improve your SEO and watch your content rise through the ranks!
Give it a try right now: google the name of your favorite brand, and most likely, one of the first things that you’ll see is a video. This is not an issue of mere chance, but of science: Google algorithms are optimized to first display pages that feature videos.
According to one report, at least 62% of Google results come along with a video—and that number might be even higher for brand keywords searches!
Pro tip: Along with images and text, make videos a common presence on your landing pages and social media posts. Videos are a perfect complement for product description pages.
But videos also pair well with Home pages and ‘About Us’ sections: with a company story video, for example, you can tell visitors about the mission and values that drive your brand.
6 - Companies Turn to Both Internal and External Resources to Produce Videos
One of the reasons pushing many marketers back from experimenting with video marketing is the belief that producing this type of content is very expensive. As reasonable as that intuition is—creating some videos can be pricey—it's not an issue stopping many brands out there.
52% of small and medium companies rely on a combination of both internal and external resources to create their content. Large companies do it even more, as many of them meet their production goals through both in-house and outside expert resources.
Pro tip: All your videos need a professional finish: low-quality productions can really hurt your brand’s credibility. However, that doesn’t mean you have to make a crazy investment to start producing your content.
Some types of videos, like product reviews and testimonials, can be easily produced in-house—and they come out even better that way, as they maintain an authentic touch. It is up to you to decide whether upskilling your team will meet the challenge and which areas you will need support.
7 - Facebook Users Engage More with Square Videos
Effective video marketing campaigns involve certain technical aspects—such as video editing, professional animation, and sound mixing—you need to account for to reach your targets. But it’s the small details that are often overlooked.
Seemingly trivial decisions could have a decisive role in whether your viewers engage with your video to the max. One such example occurs on Facebook, where you can increase your number of views by 35% by favoring square videos over the traditional landscape view.
This decision could also be more profitable: the same report found that getting someone to engage with square videos costs 7.5% less than getting them to watch rectangular videos.
Pro tip: Take the time to research the recommended video dimensions of your hosting platform before uploading your content. Then, optimize it accordingly so you can improve your users’ experience and achieve better results.
For example, whereas Facebook and Instagram are more friendly towards the square format, picking landscape videos for your website, blog, and landing pages is, for the most part, a better choice.
Wrapping Up
Making the video marketing move may be one of the best decisions you can take in this restless 2020: videos are expected to become even more prominent among customers and small and large businesses alike.
Some of the key stats we saw today shed light on a crucial lesson: your content should look both professional and relatable in your customers’ eyes. First, it’s essential to account for the technical, platform-specific aspects of your video. But it's just as crucial to address your audience in a friendly manner and to be of real help to them.
Many marketers have already tried and succeeded with video. When will you take up the challenge?
About the Author
Victor Blasco - CEO | Marketing Strategist - Yum Yum Videos
Víctor Blasco is the founder and CEO of the explainer video company Yum Yum Videos. He is also an audiovisual designer and video marketing expert. Aside from running the business, he loves studying Chinese Philosophy and is a real geek for science fiction films and comics!
