Video marketing has become one of the most potent and viable trends in marketing over the last decade. Virtually anyone can leverage the power of video from the palm of their hand with mobile devices now capable of shooting 4K video for crisp images and editing is made simple with software built-in on Android and Apple devices.
In 2022, video marketing continues its rise in popularity with a reported 86% of businesses using it in their marketing plans.
What is Video Marketing?
Video marketing refers to the use of videos to raise brand awareness, increase engagement across different marketing channels and drive leads or sales for a product or service.
92% of marketers claim that video is an important part of their marketing strategy and as technology becomes easier and cheaper to access, we can only see this rate of adoption continue to grow.
So why is video marketing so popular with businesses?
Next, we’ll look at the benefits of video marketing and why it’s important. If you aren’t already using it as part of your overall marketing strategy, these stats might just convince you to start sooner than later!
6 Reasons Video Marketing is Important
Video is used to meet different objectives from raising brand awareness to generating leads and sales. Here we’ll break down the most common uses for video marketing with supporting data to highlight its importance for businesses.
1. Customers love watching videos
People watch an average of 19 hours of online video content per week. Because video is easy to digest and can be educational or entertaining, it serves as a fantastic entry point for customers to learn more about a product or service.
- 73% of people said they’d prefer to watch a short video to learn about a product or service.
- Mobile video consumption on YouTube has increased 100% year on year.
2. Video can boost conversion rates and leads
86% of marketers say that video marketing helps lead generation and 81% say it has a positive impact on sales.
Due to video’s highly engaging format, it works wonders across multiple channels. Embedding video content into your website and service pages is a great way to drive engagement, often you’ll see clever companies using video in these areas to demo products and services.
The same applies on social media too, where explainer videos or even customer testimonials can be shown to boost lead generation and sales.
88% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy after watching a brand’s video
78% of people say they have bought or downloaded software or an app due to video
3. Video is highly shareable
Because so many of us enjoy video content, it makes it more shareable with our friends, family and colleagues. For businesses, this means more people are getting to see your brand and its offerings.
- People are 2x more likely to share video content over posts and pages.
- The average engagement rate for short-form videos is 53.9%
- Native videos on Facebook get 10x more shares than linked videos
- Tweets on Twitter get 10x more engagement
4. It gets more emails opened and decreases unsubscribe rates
Email marketing is still a force to be reckoned with as it continues to offer businesses the highest ROI of any channel but did you know that embedding video into your emails helps make it even more effective?
- Putting the word “video” in your headline can increase CTRs by 200-300%
- Using video in emails decreases unsubscribe rates
Video can be used in multiple ways for email such as welcoming new customers with an introduction video or giving an explainer video on a product that they've shown interest in.
5. It helps you rank better on Google
Businesses use video to improve their SEO efforts. You have to of course make sure your content is SEO optimised but using video marketing helps palace you higher on Google’s search algorithm.
- Invisia says that by using video, you are 53x more likely to reach the front page of Google
- 31% of marketers use video to improve SEO.
- 60% of marketers say customer acquisition has gone up.
YouTube video previews are a great example of how Google prioritises video content for users. It's worth saying however that the content must be relevant to the user first, this is primarily what Google is looking for when trying to satisfy a search query.
6. Video builds trust and credibility
Businesses can connect with customers in a more personalised and professional way using video. From explainer videos and how-tos to product demos and virtual tours to ‘meeting the teams’ and onboarding. There are dozens of applications that help to build trust with your audience and establish your brand as a leader.
- 91% of users are happy to watch video content.
- 31.3% would like how-to videos.
- 29.8% want educational videos.
8 Types of Video Marketing
Now we know how valuable video marketing can be for your business let's turn our attention to some types of video marketing with a few examples. These range from long-form videos to short-form and from educational to sales-focused but all have immense value in their own right.
1. Brand videos
Brand videos serve as part of a larger marketing campaign to raise brand awareness and increase traffic. So much can be conveyed with a brand with video; the art style, direction, and the message itself tell customers who the brand is and shed light on its values, mission and culture.
Brand videos are a powerful video marketing tool to pull your target audience in very quickly and offer tons of impact.
2. Explainer videos
Explainer videos are a great way to show how your product or service can benefit the end user, the customer. Often these will involve storytelling, creating fictional circumstances where the person finds a solution to their problem using, you guessed it, your brand! Or, these can be funny or edgy by tapping into a brand’s target audience in the best way possible like the example below.
3. Demo videos
If explainer videos introduce people to your brand when they’re at the top of the funnel (the awareness stage), demo videos go a little deeper to showcase your product or service in more detail.
With demo videos, you can highlight specific features and benefits to drive interest and conversions.
4. How-To videos
How-to videos help to educate your audience on your product or service in a very convenient way. This video marketing example is hugely popular for onboarding as brands can show a customer exactly how to do something and then a well-timed call to action increases signups!
It also strengthens the customer relationship by increasing trust and authority in your niche by providing valuable content.
5. Expert Interviews and Q&A videos
These types of videos answer customers’ most burning questions and that you’re listening to your audience. They also help to build authority and credibility in your industry by providing deep dives on relevant topics with the most influential or valued members of the community.
6. Event videos
If you have a hot event coming up then event videos are a great way to generate interest and spread awareness. From fundraisers to webinars and conferences, use this video marketing strategy to let people know what, when and where it’s happening.
7. Case Studies and Testimonial videos
Social proofing is a powerful marketing strategy that leans on using customer experiences to inspire confidence in new customers. We’re naturally more inclined to trust or try a new product or service if we see that it has worked for other people and they've had a positive experience. Use case studies to show customers how your product or service has helped solve a particular pain point or challenge and use testimonials to promote confidence and trust.
8. User Generated Content
Collaborating with your audience saves time, promotes your brand and raises awareness whilst building social proof simultaneously. Encourage your audience to interact and share content with competitions, guest blogs, influencer marketing and more.
Casper on Instagram: “Today Santa will be catching up on some serious ZZZ's.”
Will You Join 79% of Marketers Planning to Use Video?
Of the companies already using video marketing in their overall marketing strategy, 99% of them will continue you use it. And of those that don’t, 79% said they would.
With almost 9 out of 10 customers wanting to see video content online, there’s a clear demand for the medium and savvy businesses are already reaping the rewards of incorporating video marketing in their campaigns.
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