What is Video Marketing?
Video marketing is using online video content to promote your brand, product, or service. It is a way for your brand to emotionally engage and connect with customers and catch their attention in what is becoming a digitally overloaded world.
According to HubSpot Blogs research, 66% of consumers have watched video content (i.e., product demos, reviews, explainers, etc.) to learn about a brand or product. Videos give consumers the opportunity to see how a product or service works in real life. Furthermore, according to HubSpot this content might also appear to be more authentic than a heavily edited product shot, which can boost a consumer’s trust in a brand or offering.
Studies show that 54% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support (HubSpot, 2018). What’s more, 72% of customers said they would rather learn about a product or service by way of video. In fact, 84% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video (Optinmonster).
Video as content
So, why has video marketing become such a critical part of any online content strategy?
Attention span certainly plays a key role in this medium, a 2021 study by Microsoft concluded that the human attention span has dropped to eight seconds and according to the Nielsen Norman Group, users typically leave a website within 10 to 20 seconds.
There are many reasons why attention span is dropping, but it’s often attributed to the rise in mobile technology. With so much readily at our fingertips, we have grown accustomed to things being quick and easy for us when it comes to online web browsing.
It is also important to flag that Attention span is not an absolute value, it does differs depending on the person’s age and context.
Parking for a moment obvious tactics such as page load speeds, clear UX/UI/Navigation your website content and how this is presented is fundamental to attention span.
Keep in mind at all times, humans (i.e. your website visitors), are highly visual creatures. Research at 3M Corporation concluded that we process visuals 60,000 times faster than text.
Video content can increase engagement, and reach an audience more amenable to video than to traditional copy/text. Video can also foster an intimate bond between brand and consumer in a way that text simply can’t (especially if businesses use people in their videos).
In 2020, 96% of consumers increased their online video consumption, and 9 out of 10 viewers said that they wanted to see more videos from brands and businesses. In fact, as of 2022, an average person is predicted to spend 100 minutes per day watching online videos.
We could go on and on with the statistics but let’s be honest here, it’s no secret that videos have become the most popular choice for content consumption today.
What sort of video?
So, the next question is – what sort of video content should you consider?
This is very much dependent on your brand and offering regardless if it is a service or product.
Demo Video
Demo videos typically showcase/explain how your product or service works. Perhaps it’s a tour of your software or an unboxing of your product.
Brand Video
These are typically created as a part of a larger campaign, showcasing the company’s vision, mission, or products and services.
Interview Video
Capturing interviews with internal experts or thought leaders in your sector is a great way to build trust and authority with your online audience.
Explainer Video
This type of video can help your audience better understand why they need your product or service ‘a fictional journey of your customer persona who is struggling with a problem and your end solution’.
Case-Study or Testimonial Video
I’m not sure we need to explain this one – but this sort of video is an amazing way to emotionally engage and connect with customers by showing them how you have helped other clients ‘like them’.
Meet The Team Video
This is a fantastic way to make your company more personable – for example ending your service page with an introduction to the end team member your potential client will be interacting with.
The approach to filming
Once you have established the style of video you need, the next consideration is the approach and production.
For example, is it a ‘talking-head’ style of your CEO or account executive introducing your company and service or perhaps an ‘animated explainer’ video detailing the problem and solution in an engaging way.
Regardless of approach – all will require planning! Some key considerations here are:
- Scripting your video will help keep the message succinct. If you decide to skip this step (at your own peril) you will find yourself filming and editing more than required. If you are opting for an animation style, it will become almost impossible to develop without a script and very expensive.
- Storyboarding will help marry your script to some visual directions. While particularly important for animations it can also help with live-action to determine the type of setting and framing that will be required.
- Location and setting will bring your video to life but it’s important to keep in mind that it should relate to your subject and also be a suitable environment (think of noise concerns or clutter distracting).
- Prepping your talent – let’s not forget getting behind a camera (or preparing for a VO) can be intimidating and scary. Give your talent the script as early as possible and while memorizing it can be extremely helpful cue-cards or visual readers can help. Break the script into short manageable paragraphs and record each section until you capture a great take.
- Equipment is important, yes iPhones and Android can shoot exceptional content (especially for social media) but lighting, sound, multi-angles and storage all make a huge difference to the end result and production value.
- Editing, unfortunately you won’t be able to escape this. Even with the perfect well crafted and well rehearsed script some form of editing will be required. This may be piecing together several sections or adding different angles. The good news is that there is no shortage of editing tools from the most simple to the extremely complex.
Conclusion
So, our conclusion video is good – good for your brand and service or product. It gives versatility in your content strategy and certainly appeals to a growing demographic.
Video also improves your SEO (search engine optimisation). Websites see a search engine boost when they add video because it increases page quality and the time visitors spend on the page.
Telling your story through video is one of the most powerful ways to engage with consumers – and it should be at the core of your website strategy. You want your customer to associate with your brand, develop a positive opinion of it, and then subsequently make contact with you.
Feel free to contact us should you wish to discuss your video marketing strategy.
Check out these articles for some further reading and impressive statistics:
Wyzowl: https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics/
HubSpot: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/video-marketing-statistics
Invideo: https://invideo.io/blog/video-marketing-statistics/