Video has become one of the most important tools in an inbound marketing strategy. Viewers are consuming video content more than ever before and that trend isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
MORE THAN 90 PERCENT OF CONSUMERS ACCESS VIDEO CONTENT ON THE WEB.
The move from text and visual content to video content has been FAST and businesses who don’t make the transition will be left behind with an underperforming website.
1. It’s how consumers are consuming content
People browsing the Internet have a short attention span, and videos allow visitors to consume more content, faster. Visitors are much more apt to engage with videos than with static text, so creating more interactive and visual content is essential.
This isn’t just a passing trend; the largest online video network, YouTube, which, by the way, is the SECOND LARGEST search engine in the world, reports:
- More than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month
- Over 6 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube—that’s almost an hour for every person on Earth, and 50% more than last year
- According to Nielsen, YouTube reaches more US adults ages 18-34 than any cable network
2. It creates a great website experience
Websites are no longer static brochure sites. Successful businesses are using their website to create a compelling experience around their brand. Marketing directors are looking for ways to make a connection and build a relationship with their visitors, because they know that those connections increase the number of loyal customers in the future.
No matter what a brand’s mission, video on a website supplements visitors’ experiences and builds those connections. Here are three of our favorite examples of how brands are using video to:
- Demonstrate product (B2C)
- Share their expertise (B2B)
- Tell their story (non-profit)
3. It benefits your inbound marketing strategy
SEO
As we mentioned before, YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, and Google, the largest search engine, owns them. Every keyword that you’re targeting for your website can be an opportunity for video. The best part for marketing directors is that Google now displays video in their search results, boosting your chances of being found for certain keywords.
Another reason video is great for SEO is because it keeps visitors on your site longer. One important factor on how well a page ranks in search results is how long a visitor stays on a page, the longer the visit the more important Google thinks the webpage is.
Distribution – Social Media and Email
Video is highly sharable across all your distribution networks. When you create original video content, your social media and emails are maximized because you’re driving people to your content and your site, rather than away from your site.
Online Sales
Brands selling products online can’t discount video. Ecommerce websites are now using video to convert visitors to customers once they’ve entered their buying funnel. Studies have shown that visitors are 85% more likely to buy a product if they see an explainer video first.
