Video marketing is exploding. By 2023, online videos will comprise more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic. With more and more consumers preferring video content, it has become an extremely effective way for businesses to engage with customers and promote their brand.
Implementing video marketing provides many benefits that can help generate more leads, increase conversion rates, and ultimately boost sales. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore why video works, proven video marketing strategies, and how to track the ROI of your video content.
Why Consumers Love Video
There are several key reasons why video is so effective:
Attention-Grabbing Medium
Videos are highly visual and stimulating. Viewers emotionally engage with on-screen footage, automatically paying more attention than they would to plain text or images. Videos literally bring your content to life.
Higher Conversion Rates
Because of their engaging nature, viewers are much more likely to buy or convert after watching a video. Videos allow you to demonstrate your product in action, tell a story, and better connect with your audience. This drives them to take action.
Cisco research found that video can increase conversion rates by over 80%. Video marketing should be a core part of your conversion optimization efforts.
Improved SEO
Google is increasingly favouring rich media like video in its search algorithm. Videos increase dwell time on your pages. When visitors spend more time engaged with your content, Google sees your pages as providing something valuable.
This signals that your website should rank higher in results pages, boosting organic traffic. Optimize your videos with keywords to improve search visibility.
Humanizes Your Brand
Seeing real employees and getting a behind-the-scenes view of your company allows customers to personally connect with your brand. Videos help showcase company culture and values in an authentic way.
Rather than just claiming you provide great service, show it in action through video customer testimonials or case studies. Videos humanize what you do.
Higher Social Engagement
Video is one of the most highly shared forms of content on social platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Audiences consume video while scrolling through their feeds at a much higher rate than text and image posts.
Short, entertaining and educational videos tend to go viral, expanding your audience reach immensely. Include links back to your site to drive traffic.
Provides Value
Quality videos tailored to your audience’s needs or interests provide useful information and build trust. Offer tutorials, thought leadership insights, tips, and other valued content through video. Valuable videos establish your authority and expertise.
Brief commercials have their place, but most video marketing efforts should aim to entertain or educate while subtly promoting your brand. Provide value first.
Memorable Medium
Viewers retain 95% of a message when delivered through video compared to just 10% when reading text. Videos stick in our minds because of engaging imagery, motion, music, and emotion. This memorability gives video marketing greater influence.
Flexible Creation
With the rise of affordable video equipment and editing software, it’s easier than ever for businesses of all sizes to create professional-grade video content. Smartphone videos have demolished production barriers so anyone can tell compelling brand stories.
Metrics and Optimization
Digital video provides a wealth of user data that makes it easy to track viewership, engagement, drop-off rates, social shares, conversions, and more. You can see what resonates and continuously improve your video strategy using hard data.
With all of these video benefits and advantages, it’s no wonder video marketing has become an essential component of digital marketing success. Let’s explore some proven strategies to effectively integrate video content.
Video Marketing Tactics That Work
While the creative possibilities are endless, here are some fundamental ways businesses should leverage video based on proven results:
Product Demo Videos
Short videos demonstrating how your product works in real life are extremely convincing for buyers. Seeing it in action builds confidence to pull the trigger. These could be software walkthroughs, product assembly, or showing devices in use.
Tools like Videly make it easy to produce quality demo videos showcasing the most compelling features and use cases. Optimize them with keywords like “software demo” for improved visibility. Find out more from this videly review.
Customer Testimonial Videos
Peer reviews and testimonials are some of the most trusted forms of promotion. Video testimonials take it further by capturing emotions and enthusiasm. Happy customers can explain first-hand why they love your product.
Ask loyal brand advocates to film short videos and post on your website and YouTube channel. This provides authentic social proof at multiple touchpoints in the buyer’s journey.
Behind-the-Scenes Videos
Give customers a peek into what goes on in your company behind closed doors. These videos build trust and affinity by making your brand more relatable. Film office tours, events, employees at work, prototypes and more.
Promote the videos through social media and email newsletters. Behind-the-scenes access feels like an exclusive privilege that humanizes your brand.
Live Streaming Video
Live video feels more raw, authentic and unscripted than produced content. Stream Q&As, interviews, conferences, product reveals, and other events. This gives followers a seat at the table for engaging live experiences.
You can also repurpose recorded live video into multiple pieces of content. Promote your streams across social media to attract a live audience.
Educational Videos
Teach your audience something valuable. Make tutorial videos on how to use complex products. Provide insider tips and industry expertise. Discuss and analyse what’s happening in your niche. Become a trusted source.
These informative videos showcase your thought leadership. Prominently display them in relevant sections of your website, playlists, and resource centers to attract search traffic.
Video Series
Don’t limit yourself to one-off videos. Create a consistent video series focused on a specific topic to go in-depth and attract a devoted audience. Useful series examples include:
- “How To” tutorials
- Business tips or growth strategies
- Product updates and release notes
- FAQs and troubleshooting
- Industry analysis and commentary
Commit to a regular production schedule and promote each new video across your marketing channels. Series build anticipation and keep viewers engaged over time.
Video Content Libraries
House all of your videos together in a searchable library or database. This gives viewers a single destination to conveniently find relevant videos.
Organize videos with tags, playlists and chapters. Transcribe videos to make them text searchable using AI tools like Videly. Enriching your library with metadata makes discovery easier.
Embed the library prominently on your website. Optimize it for SEO by including keywords in titles, descriptions and filenames based on topics. A searchable video library extends your reach and staying power.
Promotion on Social Media
Don’t just upload videos passively to YouTube and hope viewers come. Actively promote your videos across social networks like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Insert engaging videos into your social feed between text and image posts.
Add captions or subtitles to make videos stand out in silent feeds. Include links to drive viewers to your YouTube channel or website to watch the full video. Promote liberally across social for maximum video views.
Email Marketing Integration
Videos drive higher open and click-through rates in email campaigns. Include short, embedded videos in marketing emails to educate recipients or promote products. Maximize impact with attention-grabbing preview image frames.
Promote full-length videos by linking to them from call-to-action buttons in emails. Track engagement metrics to see which videos resonate best with your email list for further optimization.
Paid Video Advertising
While organic reach is ideal, paid video ads on platforms like YouTube and Facebook can put your videos in front of highly targeted new audiences. Experiment with paying to promote your best performing videos with pay-per-click or pay-per-view models.
Configure your target demographics, placement and budget. Paid ads also provide helpful data on ideal customers. Combine paid and organic video marketing for maximal exposure.
Website Page Integration
Don’t just relegate videos to a side channel. Seamlessly integrate videos into key pages on your website to boost engagement and conversions. Insert relevant videos into banners, sidebars, content, popups and other inline locations.
Feature promo videos on homepages, product videos on category pages, tutorials in support sections, etc. Videos can be embedded, linked or hosted natively for smooth playback without leaving your site.
Optimize for Search
Follow SEO best practices to improve video discoverability in search engines like Google and YouTube. Transcribe videos with Videly then include keywords naturally in titles, descriptions and subtitles. Tags also serve as keywords.
Feature keywords prominently on associated webpages and links pointing to the video for contextual signals. Videos uploaded natively to your site can be optimized like any other page with meta fields.
Measuring and Tracking Video ROI
The beauty of digital video is the wealth of data available to track performance. Monitoring key metrics helps justify your video investment and identify optimization opportunities by pinpointing what works.
Here are the top analytics to measure the ROI of your video content:
Traffic Sources
Analyze where visitors are coming from when they view your videos – YouTube searches, organic results, social media, website embed, etc. This reveals the best channels to focus on for distribution.
Engagement Metrics
Modern video platforms provide detailed engagement data like average view duration, % viewed, drop-off rates, shares, comments, likes, and rewatches. Review to improve video content and sequencing.
Conversions Tracked
Ultimately, videos should aim to drive conversions and sales. Track visitors who view videos then convert on your site. Connect views to corresponding goals like email sign-ups, purchases, form fills, etc.
SEO Rankings
If you’re optimizing videos for SEO, monitor their rankings on YouTube and Google search results pages. This shows whether optimization is paying off in higher visibility for relevant search terms.
Web Analytics
Your web analytics software provides valuable insights into on-page video performance. Track metrics like bounce rates, time on page/site, and which pages earn the most embeds and video clicks.
Brand Lift Surveys
Survey viewers after watching branded video content to measure impact on brand awareness, favourability, purchase intent and more. Ask which messages resonated to refine content.
Cost Per View
For paid video ads, examine your average cost-per-view and cost-per-click rates. Assess campaign profitability by comparing to conversion values. Adjust bids and targeting to hone your ROI.
Analyzing both quantitative engagement data and qualitative brand impact will reveal your video marketing strengths to double down on. Continuously review performance and optimize efforts.
Now that we’ve covered why video marketing is so effective and strategies to maximize your impact, let’s briefly discuss what kind of content performs best.
Creating Compelling Video Content
Video production needs to hit a perfect balance between entertainment and substance. Here are some principles for creating winning video content that connects with audiences:
Tell Stories
Don’t just showcase products or services. Craft stories that tap into viewer emotions and keep them engaged from start to finish. Build narratives that highlights your brand values in action.
Keep It Brief
Online viewers have extremely short attention spans. Boil down your message to its absolute essence and focus on concise delivery in under 2 minutes when possible. Longer videos can work when useful or exceptionally entertaining.
Inform and Educate
Rather than overt sales pitches, make content that teaches viewers something of value. Share insider tips, highlights trends or provides actionable takeaways. Position your brand as a trusted resource.
Entertain and Inspire
Videos are the perfect medium to make viewers smile, laugh or feel inspired. Work humour and emotion into your storytelling. Surprise viewers with unexpected moments that delight.
Show Personality
Let your brand’s personality shine by capturing authentic interactions between real employees, customers and partners. This human element builds familiarity and likeability.
Highlight Customer Success
Satisfied customer stories are powerful social proof. Feature real users sharing their positive experiences and tangible results using your solution.
Call-to-Action
Every video should direct the viewer toward a tangible next step, whether visiting your website, claiming an offer or making a purchase. Cleverly incorporate your desired CTA into the storyline.
High Quality Production
Invest in quality equipment, lighting and editing software to make professional videos, or leverage services like Videly for easy professional creation. Polished production enhances brand image.
Optimize for Mobile
Record vertical videos optimized for mobile devices, where the majority of video consumption now occurs. Ensure compelling visuals and audio on small screens to maximize impact.
If you can consistently check off these video content best practices while promoting videos across your marketing channels, you’re primed for success with video marketing.
Video Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
On the flip side, there are also some common video marketing mistakes that could sabotage your efforts:
Passive Promotion
Don’t just upload a video and hope it gets found. Actively promote new video across all your platforms through emails, social posts, website banners, etc. to maximize viewership.
Ignoring Analytics
Failing to monitor video metrics means you can’t identify the most effective platforms, types of content and opportunities for improvement. Analyse performance to optimize efforts.
Prioritizing Branding Over ROI
Brand awareness has its place, but video content should also aim to directly impact sales and conversions. Track ROI and build videos to move viewers down the funnel.
Amateur Production Quality
In the age of 4K video and surround sound, poor camerawork, lighting, and audio can ruin the viewer experience. Invest in your production or use AI services like Videly.
Creating Without a Strategy
Don’t just wing it. Map out an intentional video content calendar aligned to marketing campaigns, product launches, and other initiatives throughout the year.
Stuffing Videos with Keywords
Avoid awkwardly over-optimizing video content with repetitive keywords that feel unnatural. Focus first on an engaging viewer experience.
Ignoring Accessibility
Make sure to include captions and text transcripts to make video content accessible for all audiences, which also aids search visibility.
Over-Commercialization
Avoid hard sells. Build goodwill and trust first through valuable content before pitching your product or service. Help viewers, don’t hunt them.
The Future of Video Marketing
Looking ahead, expect video marketing to become an even more significant competitive advantage as consumer demand for video explodes.
Cisco predicts that by 2022, video will make up more than 82% of all internet traffic globally. YouTube watch time exceeds 1 billion hours daily. From live streaming to augmented reality to shoppable video, innovations will provide new opportunities.
No matter the changes ahead, focusing on serving your audience’s needs through timely, relevant and entertaining video content will set you up for success. Video allows you to connect and engage buyers like no other medium.
With the strategies and best practices outlined in this guide, you have everything you need to implement high-impact video marketing that drives real business results. Actionable advice included:
- Why consumers love video
- Proven video marketing tactics
- Measuring video ROI
- Creating compelling content
- Common mistakes to avoid
Video marketing represents an immense growth opportunity in the coming years. Follow this blueprint to attract, convert, and delight more customers with strategic online video.
