Video is everywhere, and it’s on the rise, big time. A recent Cisco Study predicted that by 2017, 69% of all consumer internet traffic will be video. Everything is pointing to this medium as the future of content marketing, and small businesses that fail to include it in their internet marketing strategies may well come unstuck.
More than 50% of companies are already using online marketing videos, and this figure will rise as brands become increasingly aware of the possibilities. So, what’s so great about video and why should you be embracing the trend for your brand? Here are 3 very good reasons:
1. It has incredible reach
Apart from Facebook, YouTube receives more unique visitors per month than any other channel, with 200 million people in the UK alone watching at least one online video each week.
2. It offers enormous shareability
You don’t have to look far to find an example of an amazingly successful viral marketing video. It’s not hard to see how Dove’s ‘Real Beauty Sketches’ with its message that women are more beautiful than they think they are, topped the list of most shared videos of 2013. And video can work for small brands too: if you create engaging video, your viewers will share it with others. It will increase the time visitors spend on your website and interacting with your brand.
3. It’s easy to digest
Video is naturally engaging and – crucially in this age of information overload – it’s easily absorbed, providing a unique way of communicating a wealth of information in a short time. According to Dr James McQuivey of Forrester Research, watching a minute of video is equivalent to reading 1.8 million words!
Clearly then, video represents a significant opportunity for brands. BUT (there’s always a but….) it needs to be done well. To get the best results, follow these guidelines:
- Make it valuable and relevant – create content that is relevant to what your ideal customer is searching for on the internet. This could be an answer to a frequent question, a customer review of your products or a tutorial.
- Produce it well. Don’t panic – we’re not suggesting that you hire an expensive video production company or a team of freelancers to write, design, shoot and edit your video effort. Thankfully, there are now several online options enabling you to implement video as part of your marketing efforts quickly and simply. Try Animoto , Bravo (both free) and Screencast to start.
- Distribute it widely: to fully realise your video’s potential, you must make it easy for users to find and share it. Promote it across several different social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+.
So, why not get started today? Creating and promoting a great, helpful video content could re-energise and amplify your social media marketing efforts. With video taking content marketing by storm, it’s high time that YOU tapped into its potential.
