10 Jun How Video is Influencing Customers

Since the COVID-19 pandemic and global shutdowns, more business has taken place online than ever before. Staff meetings, marketing, and purchases became almost exclusively online for over a year, and some businesses have a desire to keep things this way even as society begins to open back up and return to some level of normalcy. Video has evolved as the primary form of communication – whether that’s live video conferencing, streaming, or pre-recorded – since it’s the closest to in-person communication that’s possible.   If your business wasn’t already using video in its digital marketing strategy, it should be clear now more than ever that it’s worth the investment. Not only does video work to get conversions and drive traffic, but customers also report that they enjoy and prefer it.   According to HubSpot, 54% of people report that they want to see more video content from marketers. It’s estimated that by 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic, which is 15 times higher than it was in 2017!   And in 2019, video was rated the #1 form of media used in content strategy above blogs and infographics, and it will only continue to grow in popularity. Image source: HubSpot   But why and how does video work to influence customers? We recommend incorporating more video into your digital marketing strategy for three main reasons:  

• It’s useful as a tool for your customers with re-watch value.
• It allows authenticity and genuine expression of brand identity.
• It provides easy-to-access content that’s rich for SEO.

 

Usefulness

  According to Google research, 55% of consumers use online videos to do shopping research while they’re in the store. Videos can help them determine the quality and trustworthiness of the company and brand through watching video reviews, walkthroughs, and advertisements.   Some customers even report using video in place of a shopping list to remind them of items they need to purchase. For example, if they plan to make a recipe or complete a project, they might re-watch the video in the store to ensure they have purchased all of the things they need.   If a customer is between brands, they might watch various marketing and advertisement videos to decide which brand’s voice speaks to them the most.   There are various types of videos whether created by the business themselves or by users including unboxing videos, reviews, how-to’s, as well as informational videos and advertisements.   Sometimes these types of videos end up converting customers by building a trusting relationship with the company or the content. More than 50% of people say that online videos are what helped them decide which specific brand or product to buy.   In comparison to other content, video is so quickly accessible and can have incredible replay value to your customers. Video is a practical and useful type of content that you can provide for your customers to demonstrate your service or product so they can see it in action.  

Authenticity

  Because video is just about as close to in-person contact as one can get, it’s an excellent way to create a connection with your target audience. Video makes it easy to tell your company’s story in a creative, quick, and engaging way.   Incorporating video into your website and landing page can give your audience a chance to get to know your company in a way that feels akin to face-to-face interaction.   Seeing the faces and hearing the voices of real people who work for the business, experiencing the colors, logos, language, and message of the business all woven together really creates an authentic and genuine experience for your customers.   You also have a unique opportunity to be creative and engaging in ways that simply aren’t possible “on paper” through email or text marketing.   User-created videos also have an authenticity factor. Who better to endorse your product or service than a real customer?  

Ease of Access

  Finally, videos are just incredibly convenient and easy to digest content. When videos are posted on social media, users can scroll through or watch videos with the sound off or watch for a while without the commitment of even needing to actually click on the video.   This requires very little from its users – it offers something to engage in without forcing it or even asking for something in return from the user, such as clicking a link or navigating a page.   Videos can be consumed much more quickly and with less effort than text, and they can convey information more efficiently.   Plus, Google loves videos. Because watching a video requires time, they tend to increase the amount of time a user spends on your website (dwell time) which actually gives you an SEO boost for Google ranking.   Just having a video on your landing page can increase your conversion rates by over 80%, and simply mentioning the word “video” in an email subject line increases the rate by which those emails are opened by 19%.   Of course, we don’t mean to imply that it’s easy to generate video content—but it’s certainly easier than it used to be, and it’s definitely worth the investment. Videos can be short and typically perform better when they are under a minute, and you might also consider moving pictures and animations like GIFS to increase engagement as well.   It’s also important when you make video content to ensure that it’s optimized for Google and as accessible as possible. This includes ensuring you use relevant tags, make compelling and accurate video descriptions and tags, and also make it ADA compliant by including close captioning and/or a transcription of the video text.   There are plenty of resources for small businesses to quickly make videos on their own through a streamlined process, or you can enlist the help of an agency like Social Spice Media to help you create affordable, quality video content.   Overall, adding touches of video to your digital marketing strategy is not as overwhelming as you might think. Get in touch with Social Spice Media to learn more about creating a marketing plan for your business and how you can incorporate video into your current strategy. Our team serves the local needs of Ventura County and Santa Barbara as well as anywhere in the United States.