Let’s get one thing straight: marketing is an innately human industry. That means it is constantly evolving beyond expectations and formal structure, which can be beautiful, blisteringly fast, & spontaneous all at the same time. But over the past few years, one trend has been sticking strong: video.
Gone are the days when you could hand a potential customer a brochure or flyer. These days, that’s at worst likely to give you a disgruntled look – at best, a polite nod before stuffing it in a bin.
The same goes for an email or text: if they don’t know you intimately, that well-thought-out pitch gets sent straight to the spam folder & subsequently blocked. Ouch.
Ouch! Is your website costing you sales? Find out with a free audit.**
** Not another disguised sales pitch. No strings attached. Applicable tips.
Strong coffee and nearby seating is highly recommended, but not mandatory.
People haven’t become too lazy to read; they’ve become far too selective at what they read to give static ads a chance. Your average customer is bombarded with sales text from all corners: their social media, their Google ads, even their street corner.
To cut through the walls of text, you need to be heard, not read. Social media is the perfect example: long-form text gets the eyeroll. Well-written posts get ignored. But post a video that entertains people, and suddenly the likes, shares, comments and saves come rolling in. Today’s average customer demands to see something real, not read about it.
Facebook has been swiftly and unanimously overtaken by an upstart platform named Tik Tok. Some of the world’s biggest brands (Nike, Duolingo) are already spending massive budgets on the video-only app.
The marketing gods have spoken: today’s audience only want to consume information via video watching.
The smart businesses (see above) have already picked up on this. Video has become so powerful that more than 60% of businesses are using video content marketing. This practice is expected to increase in 2022.
Why? Let us give you a look behind the curtains:
Facebook has been swiftly and unanimously overtaken by an upstart platform named Tik Tok. Some of the world’s biggest brands (Nike, Duolingo) are already spending massive budgets on the video-only app.
1. Video Increases Conversions and Sales
We all know a good landing page is the most important part of any lead funnel. But meticulous studies from some of the industry’s biggest marketing agencies show that having a video on your landing page boosts conversions by 80%.
80%! Just let that sink in. You can practically double your conversation rate with just a 30 second video!
Studies show that explainer videos are the best type of video format to utilize, as the majority of leads who watch one will go on to convert to paying customers.
This shouldn’t be surprising, as we just discussed the fact that the modern-day consumer is a visual glutton. Can you imagine running an ad without an image in it? Of course not; but a video can amp results up even further!
Ouch! Is your website costing you sales? Find out with a free audit.**
** Not another disguised sales pitch. No strings attached. Applicable tips.
Strong coffee and nearby seating is highly recommended, but not mandatory.
2. It Gives Great ROI
Did you know that 80% of businesses agree that video gives outstanding ROI? Did you know that making a compelling & entertaining video has never been easier than in today’s day-and- age? We did, & we think you should too!
There are simply heaps of free editing tools online that are beginner friendly; in fact, there are even apps on your phone that will do most of the job for you!
A simple, clear-cut video that explains the unique-selling point of your product or service trumps any and all of the static competition out there. Think about it: you can get across a much clearer & more personal message via video. Trust us, your customers will thank you for it.
3. Video Makes You Trustworthy
The goal of any business should be to keep on converting and selling over time. But you can only achieve this with trust between you and your market. A high-quality video is instrumental in building trust:
A. It has the power to tap into feelings that words simply can’t.
B. Influencer marketing allows your product/service to be endorsed by a trusted (& hugely followed) member of FB or Instagram
C. Viral marketing – the more social proof a video has (likes, shares, comments) the more trust users will place in it. People are more likely to buy from a video that has over a million views, than only a hundred
D. The right video will also be informative. Studies show that educating your leads on what your product or service goes a long way towards building trust
What’s more, we’ve only scratched the surface of what video can achieve. There are some amazing things being achieved by new markets, such as viral marketing & influencer marketing. Because there are still consumers who are wary about doing business online, but when they see their trusted celebrity use your product, they’d most likely follow their lead.
Make sure that your video is informative. Anticipate the questions that a buyer may have. Establish a relationship with your customers. Get them to include you in their conversations as this will endear you to their followers.
4. It Will Boost Your Search Engine Rank
Studies have shown that a video will increase your chances of being 1 st in a Google search by at least 50%!
Video increases the time a visitor spends on your site, and this builds trust that signals the search engines that you have good content.
Make sure that your YouTube videos are optimized for SEO by writing interesting titles and descriptions. Then, add a link to your website. Look into interactive videos as this will encourage more actions.
Do not forget that Google owns YouTube, and because they love their own, most of the top three positions in the search result are taken up by a YouTube carousel.
Ouch! Is your website costing you sales? Find out with a free audit.**
** Not another disguised sales pitch. No strings attached. Applicable tips.
Strong coffee and nearby seating is highly recommended, but not mandatory.
5. Mobile Users Watch Videos
Explosive fact for you: did you know that 90% of consumers watch videos on their mobile devices?
According to YouTube, mobile video consumption increases by 100% every year.
People like to watch videos on their mobile phones and mobile phone users keeps on growing every year; therefore, video audience will keep on getting bigger.
Consider this additional statistic from Google: there are twice as many smartphone users than TV viewers and there are 1.4 times more mobile viewers than desktop viewers.
As a brand, your videos should cater more to mobile users.
6. You Can Explain Everything in a Video
There is no better way to get your thoughts across than creating a video. If you have a new product coming out, an explainer video can help your market know more about it. Forty five percent of businesses who use video marketing have an explainer video on their homepage. Most of them say that their explainer video is tremendously effective at converting leads and helping consumers understand the benefits of their product/service.
The right explainer video will include:
A. brief introduction to your product/service
B. rundown on it’s USP (not features)
C. Exactly how the product or process works
D. A little about yourself – think origin story!
Aside from explainer videos, you can also create animated videos to explain a difficult concept.
Animation can bring concepts to life in an entertaining manner.
7. Grab The Attention Of Those Elusive, Lazy Buyers
Most consumers want something that is easy to consume. Handing out a brochure no longer works because no one has the time and energy to read through them. If you are selling a vacuum cleaner, no one will read to know the name of the parts and how to operate it. They’d rather see what goes where and which buttons to push.
8. Videos Encourages Social Shares
Over 50% of social media marketers use video. When more than half of the industry uses a particular tool, it pays to understand why.
In this case, social media platforms actively encourage video content creation. Facebook, for example, Live Video, 3600 Video, and Life Stage. Instagram has IG stories and Reels.
Don’t even get us started on YouTube; studies have shown that almost everybody who uses the internet, also regularly uses YouTube, and it is already ranking as the second most popular social media platform.
Take note though that in social media, people share emotions more than information. Users share a video only if it’s entertaining. Remember this when creating your videos. Social shares can drastically increase traffic to your website.
9. Video Ads has the Highest CTR
Among the digital ad formats, video ads have the highest click-through-rate averaging at 1.84%. A non-skippable 15-second YouTube video has a completion rate of 92% and a skippable video has 9%. Video ads also work well on social media platforms. Facebook are now telling us that 74% of the total Ad Recall can happen in the first 10 seconds of the video.
10. Incorporate Video in your Email Campaigns
An introductory email that includes a video is more effective in catching attention than an email that is all text. In fact, there is a CTR of 96% for emails that include video. This is because a video displays a much higher level of interactivity and engagement, as opposed to static text. Not to mention it also gives the recipient the impression that you are putting in the extra yard of work just for them.
Ouch! Is your website costing you sales? Find out with a free audit.**
** Not another disguised sales pitch. No strings attached. Applicable tips.
Strong coffee and nearby seating is highly recommended, but not mandatory.
But Wait…How Do I Make A Video?
So, now that you’re up to speed on how crucially important a good video is to garnering sales & leads, it’s time to answer that golden question: how do I actually make a good video?
Fear not: the mystic marketing gurus here at Digital Junkies (who just so happen to be addicted to crafting outstanding video content) have already furnished the below guide, to give you a step-by-step guidance on making an amazing video:
1. A great chunk of the market prefer video to reading. Most buyers do not want to talk to salespeople as soon as they enter a physical store. They’d rather look around quietly than call a salesperson if they have questions. An explainer video at the top of your funnel will more than likely keep your audience’s interest. There is less friction & defensiveness
when they are left on their own at this initial stage.
2. Content is more important than production quality. Now, we know how counter-intuitive that might sound right off the bat. But here us out: how polished your video looks will not matter if your content lacks substance. Your audience is more interested in information than lighting, layout, set design, etc. It doesn’t mean that production value is not
important, because it is. But having something up on your site that gives value and information to your leads is leagues better than spending months trying to nail that perfect shot. Just make sure that it is lighted well, the sound is clear, and that there’s nothing that will distract the viewers from what they’re watching. If your video has
subtitles (and they should), double check the synching.
Facebook Live videos, webinar recordings, and other low-prod materials will work if the content is complete. Take advantage because these are easy to make. You can create loads of this type and share across several platforms. Imagine what it can do to your
reach.
3. An effective video appeals to the emotions. When we say that content is more important than production quality, it doesn’t mean you can be lazy and just recite your product description, facts, and instruction in front of the camera. Doing so will bore your audience. Be a storyteller. Talk about your product in an entertaining manner. You can be reading a phone book in front of an audience but do it in a way that will keep them mesmerized.
4. Test your videos. There is no rule of thumb, yet, when it comes to video marketing. Test what works well for your brand. There are types of content that are better consumed when short, while others need to be long. Some are effective when done in animated format, others in role play. Test also where you can effectively put your hooks and call-to-actions.
5. Optimize your videos for specific platforms. A lot of mobile users put their phones on mute especially when they’re at work or in bed. They will not understand what you’re saying unless your video has subtitles. Subtitles may not be necessary in YouTube because viewers are purposely watching a video, but for the ads that pop-out in mobile games, where the user’s intention is to play a game, subtitles are necessary. Remember too that your most of your viewers are on the move. They may be in a noisy surrounding and cannot hear you. Assume that they don’t have their earphones all the time and can benefit from subtitles.
6. Be comfortable doing live videos. Whenever you have a big marketing event, be ready to hold live videos where you interact with your audience and hold Q&A sessions, and interviews with influencers. It may be intimidating at first because there is no rehearsal, script, or editing, but once you get the hang of it, live videos are a great way to build
brand awareness.
7. Video means YouTube. YouTube is the place for independent content creators and brands to build their following. Monetization has long been established on YouTube. Build your following in YouTube.
8. You can use videos in personal sales and support. Videos are not just for introduction and explanation. You may use videos for sales and support. Go ahead and record clips with your sales and support team that viewers may watch at their convenience.
9. Remember your ROI. The effectiveness of the videos at the top of your funnel may be hard to measure, but this should not dissuade you from creating them. Use videos in the other stages of the sales process close to the actual conversion. Videos are bound to speed up sales process because viewers think less and act much quicker.
Video advertising is bound to only stay in marketing, but sooner rather than later, end up leading it. Customers will continue to prefer it over other types of marketing, simply because of it’s interactivity and entertaining nature.
It’s a good thing that video making has become affordable and easy. All it takes is creativity and knowing your market intimately. Tap into the emotions of your customer profile, speak their language, earn their trust, and they will be your greatest advocates. Remember that videos get shared by users. A single damn good video can easily go viral and get millions of views in a matter of days - everybody wants that!
If you’re planning on making a business-defining video for your website, then make sure you bring the experts onto your side. Our marketing gurus have decades of experience making unforgettable videos – call Digital Junkies today!
