Video is the most popular form of online content right now, and if you are not convinced, it’s time to start getting on the bandwagon. 86% of organizations said they were utilizing video as a marketing strategy in 2021. Furthermore, 93% of them consider it a crucial component of their overall strategy.
Brands are responding to the consumer demand for video. This article discusses why you need video content to boost your marketing strategy.
Exposure and Engagement
The Instagram Engagement Report shows that video is the most engaging content on the social media channel. On Twitter, Tweets with video attract ten times more engagement than those without. Video has grown from only having YouTube as an available platform to including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Twitter, making the exposure and audience reach almost infinite.
Instagram launched Reels in the latter part of 2020, to compete with the short-form video concept that TikTok has popularized during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Images via Instagram
According to Invisia, viewers retain 95% of a video message after watching as compared to only 10% when reading text. If you want to hold attention for longer and catch the eye of new audiences, video content is a must-have rather than optional.
Video popularity
Research from Optinmonster shows that 72% of customers would prefer to learn about products and services via a video, and 84% have been convinced to buy a product after watching brand content. Before the pandemic, Cisco predicted that 82% of consumer internet traffic would be made up of video content by 2022. That figure could be significantly higher given the engagement and reach of the media and with 72% of people reporting that video reduces their stress levels and makes them happier.
More than ever before, consumers expect brands to produce engaging, entertaining content on social media, and video is one of the most successful formats for doing so.
The lifespan of video content
Video content tends to be available on social media for far longer than images or text. The primary reason is the volume of shares and likes that video achieves as compared to other forms of content.
The TikTok algorithm, for example, is a recommendation system that determines whether your videos appear on a user’s “For You” page. As long as users continue to interact with the content, your videos will appear on feeds. As video gets more shares than text and images combined, it will likely stay relevant for much longer than traditional forms of content.
Appeals to the right demographics
The Gen-Z generation has grown up with access to smartphones, iPads, Wi-Fi and streaming services, meaning technology has been around them since day one. More than one-third of TikTok users fall into the Gen-Z demographic, albeit Millennials are beginning to join the party over time.
Marketing Charts Demographics and audiences
Brands need to appeal to younger audiences who will ultimately be the future of their products and services. Video content is what they demand, and that is what brands should strive to offer.
Video is a multi-platform media
While it might take you significantly longer to produce a video than it does a Tweet or a photo, when complete, you can quickly repurpose it across multiple channels to reach different audiences. There are various tools that help users distribute videos to all social channels with a single click.
As both TikTok and Instagram Reels have the same 9:16 structure and similar goals, this is a trend a lot of influencers and companies do well with. There are several overlaps with how users consume social media which makes being present across multiple platforms an important part of the plan.
DataReportal DIGITAL 2021: GLOBAL OVERVIEW REPORT
The majority of social platforms now offer a live streaming facility which changes the game even more. In 2021, 80% of internet users say they would prefer to watch a live video than read a blog post when learning about a brand and its products. That’s not to say it’s the end of written content, but marketers should always use video to augment their blogs and SEO.
Video content shows your brand personality
Video content helps to humanize your brand and develop emotional connections with the audience. Whether it’s social content, explainer videos or ads, video can tell your story in an engaging and personable way. Ikea did this superbly during the global pandemic when many people were more isolated than they had ever been before.
The video serves as a reminder that we are all in this together and captures everyday moments from home. Employees made it with limited resources who shot the video when forced to work remotely.
As well as developing an emotional connection with watchers, the video showcases products in a far more interesting way than static advertising.
Video as a selling tool
Video is being used by sales and marketing teams to differentiate themselves from the competition and convert leads. While email drip campaigns and digital ads are valuable tools for creating consumer touchpoints along the buyer’s journey, video is a more appealing, dynamic medium that helps brands tell a better story. To that point, 76% of marketers claim video has helped them improve sales.
The video below from Man Crates does a great job of presenting the product while emphasizing the brand’s personality, all in under thirty seconds.
Authentic videos can eventually lead to a higher level of trust. You give buyers quality information that isn’t hidden by beautiful angles and lighting by delivering product videos. They better understand the items they are ordering and are satisfied with their purchases. You gain more and more trust with each successful transaction.
Summary
As we move into 2022, video content isn’t going anywhere, and new trends look set to take centre stage. Animated explainer videos, live video streaming, 360-degree videos, shoppable videos, extended video narrative, and vlogging combined with influencer marketing will all soon take over our screens.
If you haven’t started your video content strategy yet, now is the time to start.
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