How Video Has Forever Changed the Content Marketing Game
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The world of content marketing is an ever-shifting place. Due to technological advancements and the increased saturation of content from the internet, the marketing tactics that were popular 5 years ago might be irrelevant today. A form of content that is important in today’s current marketing landscape, that continues to change the face of content marketing, is video.
The Rise of Video Marketing
Though video isn’t a new marketing concept by any means, it continues to increase in relevance with each passing year. With 85% of internet users in the United States watching online video content and many businesses utilizing it, integrating video is an obvious step for competing against the digital marketing strategies of your competitors.
Some of the many categories of successful branded video content include:
- Explainer and demonstration videos
- How-to videos
- Interviews
- Webinars
- Animated videos
Why Has Video Changed Content Marketing?
Video marketing’s rise to popularity is no accident. Video offers benefits that cannot be replicated with other forms of content that came before it. Below are 6 reasons why video marketing is crucial for brands to pay attention to in 2020 and beyond:
Search Engines Adore Video
Since most consumers find content through search engines, they continue to play an immense role in the success of marketing strategies. The content that Google appraises as valuable to consumers is pushed to the top of search engine rankings. In general, a video with strong SEO that integrates keywords, compelling descriptions and titles, and a valuable user experience will do much better in search engines than written content. The probability of ranking on the first page of Google is 45 times higher with video than with text results!
Video is Shareable
With the popularity of social media across age groups, it is important to capitalize on their ability to increase your brand awareness. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other digital spaces house a plethora of viral content. Video is better for accomplishing widespread reach on these platforms, as it generates a whopping 1200% more social shares than text and image-based posts! Plus, with more brand awareness comes more potential customers your way.
Video Is Personable
Unlike blogs and written posts, videos have the potential to connect with consumers in a more personalized way. This is because video gives you the opportunity to showcase the faces and voices of your team members in a more visceral way than written words can. Though words are extremely powerful in transforming business, at the end of the day, they don’t reveal the person behind the screen quite as literally as videos do.
In contrast, with video, consumers can hear and see the emotion, personalities, and perspectives of your team. This reminds consumers that your business is made up of real people, which helps them connect with your brand in a more authentic way.
Video Builds Trust
It is a marketer’s job to create content that builds the trust of their target audiences and makes them believe in the effectiveness of a product. Videos are great for accomplishing this goal, for 64% of consumers are motivated to purchase a product after seeing it in social videos.
Overall, video’s format is perfect for providing educational advice that shows how your product works. With the luxury of both audio and visual aspects, complex topics are easier to break down on videos than through text or photos.
Video Doesn’t Break the Bank
Video has proven itself to have a positive return on investment, as 88% of marketers have found it to be. Despite the expensive upfront costs of gear that comes with quality videos, the sales, and lead generation that it motivates is well worth it. Furthermore, because video connects so well with consumers, snippets can be reused and reposted on a variety of platforms, including your social media accounts, email marketing campaigns, website landing pages, and more!
Video Lends Itself to Busy Lifestyles
With the busyness of our daily lives, audiences want to consume content that is the easiest and most entertaining to digest. Furthermore, since accessing content can occur literally anywhere with the help of mobile devices, it is important to create content that grabs people’s attention no matter the distraction.
In general, humans are better at processing visual information, as it makes up 90% of the information transmitted to our brains. Because of this, video’s visual medium is much better at sustaining attention than text, which takes more energy and focus to read. This is especially the case with small phone screens and outside noises that occur when viewing content on-the-go.
The Bottom Line
Video has forever shifted the way that consumers engage with brands. Its popularity and benefits in today’s digital landscape make it an essential part of any content marketing strategy. No matter the size or sector of your business, maintain a competitive edge by brainstorming a video strategy today!