Video Online: Why it Matters and Where it Fits into Your Business Plan

Why Video Marketing Matters

Videos are visually engaging and often easier (and quicker) to digest than the average text-based post. If a consumer is scrolling through their social media feed and encounters a video, the visual interest aspect alone may encourage them to keep watching.

Viewers absorb 95% of messaging when they watch videos. When they read something, they only absorb 10%. That’s a HUGE difference. If consumers are seeing your product or service on a video, they’re more likely to pay attention and remember what they saw.

Another thing to think about is advertisements on social media that use video. Video creation company Wyzowl found that after watching a video, 77% of consumers were influenced to buy the product or service the video was advertising. Video ad strategies can assist with lead generation and funneling consumers into specific sales funnels. Once a consumer watches a video advertisement, an opportunity is opened up to remarket to them.

Videos do extremely well on most websites, too. Videos featured on landing pages increase conversion rates by over 80%  – an impressive statistic to say the least.

It’s also good to consider how much video is currently being consumed. Every day on YouTube, people are watching more than 500 million hours of video. That’s a whole lot of video – and it adds to the case that video is the current king of content.

Video Marketing for Your Business

Now, you may be thinking “How can my business use video marketing?”. That all depends on the type of videos you create! There are so many forms of videos out there to choose from. If you don’t know where to start, try one of these options:

• Interviews
• Product Features or Lifestyle Videos
• Reviews or Testimonials
• Music Videos
• How-to Videos
• Vlogs
• Animations
• Tours
• Event Recap’s
• Live Videos
• Behind the Scenes
• Influencer Videos

Those options should get your imagination flowing, but if you need somewhere simple to begin, a live video taken on a smartphone can be very effective. Most social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, have live video capabilities. Plan out what you want to show to your followers (an event, a speech, etc.) and cover it as it happens! This will drive engagement and get people excited about your service or product.

Types of content aside, videos are beneficial to virtually any business. They can often paint a better picture of what your product or service is than a photo or text, and let’s face it, they are more fun! When people enjoy the content, they will be inclined to engage, resulting in more business for you.

Hiring a Video Team vs DIY

Most people like the idea of implementing videos into their marketing rotation – but creating them and having the time to do so isn’t always realistic.

Luckily, hiring someone to shoot and edit videos for your business is a viable option if it fits in your budget. There are people available to do freelance videography and editing, or you can consider hiring a professional agency (like SOS Media Corp!) to get the work done. Many agencies even assist with concepts and social media to help push your content.

DIY videos can be done on smartphones and basic cameras, and there are free or paid editing apps (such as iMovie) that make video editing easier than some professional programs.

Whether you outsource or do the video work yourself, remember to keep videos mobile-friendly, and keep them brief! Watching on a mobile device is how most people consume videos, and unless the content is absolutely riveting, their attention fades after just a few minutes (or seconds!) depending on their interest level.