No longer an option, video has become an essential resource for business growth and more.
Like most things in today’s ever-evolving digital world, change is fast and frequent. At first, online video was consumed by visiting a website, watching an online commercial, or catching a few YouTube videos to learn about a product. Today, video is accessible on every major social media network, entertaining, educating, informing, and transforming.
Video is essential for businesses, both large and small and according to HubSpot research 66% of consumers watch video content (i.e., product demos, reviews, FAQs, unboxings, etc.) to learn about a brand or product.
Seeing is Believing
Consumers increasingly expect to see video content from brands. Video provides the opportunity to see for themselves how a product or service works, identify the perks, and sort out what they like or dislike. Video can reveal more authenticity than a product shot that’s been extremely edited. This can boost trust in the brand.
HubSpot reveals what research revealed when consumers were asked why they watch videos:
32.8% - To help me relax and unwind
26.3% - To laugh or be entertained
13.3% - To explore an interest or passion
11.5% - To learn something new
6.8% - To escape from daily life
What these stats tell us is that even if you're creating informative marketing videos, you should experiment with content that’s fun and entertaining.
Chances are your product relates to someone's interests, hobbies, passions, or career. This is where creating buyer personas will help clarify your target audience. By identifying video topics your target audience will enjoy, value, and benefit from means they will also remember your brand.
While production quality is important, this doesn’t mean you must enlist celebs as influencers or pay high dollars for a studio rental. Instead, use your imagination and you’ll discover there are plenty of ways to produce an affordable, quality video from home or workspace. Remember, the success of a video relies on the value it provides.
The wave of short-form content has shown that consumers want quick, catchy videos; preferably under three minutes. Also, set the right pace for your video content. Before you post it online, watch it from the perspective of a busy consumer. Will the video pull them into the action quickly and hold their attention?
As the video world continues to evolve, each generation will play a significant role. It’s good to know that at this point in time, the video landscape is changing in favor of marketers.
Not only do consumers prefer to learn about brands via video content, but they use it as a necessary tool in the information-gathering phase of their buyer's journey.
It’s also encouraging that the majority of video consumers now strive to learn something new about an interest or hobby, rather than just using video for entertainment.
For marketers, this is an opportunity to harness educational videos in their strategy and offer consumers content that relates to their niche, while also marketing a brand or product.
Video is here to stay, and will continue to expand, change, and evolve to fit new consumer needs and new platforms. Let Witmer Group guide you on your marketing journey to create and implement video as a valuable tool for your lead nurturing and ongoing business growth.
