Online marketers have moved beyond text. 87 percent are incorporating video into their advertising strategies, and the supply matches the demand: 85 percent of Internet users report watching videos on a regular basis. With such a symbiotic relationship, it would be a real waste not to use video in your own marketing campaigns. If you need a little more convincing, however, here are just a few of the benefits that you’ll enjoy when you embrace the video revolution.
Your ROI Will Be Meaningful
The biggest question about any marketing strategy has to do with its return on investment (ROI). You need to know that you’ll recoup your costs and generate a profit that’s substantial enough to be worth your effort. The good news is that a whopping 51 percent of digital marketers report that video gives them their best ROI. In addition to growing revenue faster with video content than plaintext content, you can also boost your conversions by as much as 80 percent. When combined with the inexpensive nature of shooting and sharing homemade content, video can become one of the most cost-effective ways that you advertise new sales or try to reach new customers.
Your Content Will Be Shared Over and Over Again
92 percent of cellphone users will pass along videos to their friends. 10 million videos are recorded and shared on Snapchat each day. Video content in general will enjoy 1,200 percent more “likes” and “retweets” than text and images alone. However, the biggest jackpot is when your video hits viral status. You’ll receive thousands if not millions of views, clicks, pingbacks and subscribers, and all of it will originate from a single video. This is the Holy Grail that many digital marketers chase, but it should be noted that even if your ad doesn’t go viral, your video content will still receive more shares than other types.
It’s a Great Tool for SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the secret to rising high on search engine results pages (SERPs). Instead of being content with a website stuck on page 15, you can use SEO to maximize both your visibility and authority in search engine algorithms. As you might have guessed, video is a great moneymaker when combined with SEO. Not only can you see up to a 157 percent increase in traffic from search engines when you use video as a marketing tool, but having a video on your landing page will drive up the likelihood of reaching page one by 53 percent. You’ll also enjoy three times the amount of inbound links when you include a video with your text in blog posts.
You Don’t Have to Be a Professional Filmmaker
Most video creators aren’t Steven Spielberg. As long as you’re putting out high-value, high-impact content, it doesn’t matter if the production values aren’t quite up to Hollywood standards. The message is what’s truly important. On that note, don’t be afraid of sharing your message in a casual or non-commercial way. Dallin Larsen, formerly of MonaVie, created a series of YouTube videos where he speaks directly to the camera about the life lessons that he’s learned during his career. You can create similar content with nothing more than a video camera and a topic that you feel like discussing. Remember, it’s more likely to get clicks than the same information written down or stuck in an infographic.
These are just a few reasons to consider adding video content to your digital presence. It doesn’t matter if your business activity is centered around a simple social media account or an elaborate network of sites, ads, apps and databases. Video can benefit business owners of all types.