How much do we love watching videos? A lot. So much that videos comprise 82% of all internet traffic! No wonder that 91% of businesses use video as part of their advertising strategy.
So if you’re on the fence about incorporating this medium into your marketing mix (or need some ammo to increase your budget), here are six important reasons why you should use video to your advantage:
1. Reinforce brand awareness
Video is arguably the best way to demonstrate your company’s unique selling point (USP). Why? It invokes our visual and auditory senses, which in turn makes the message memorable.
But here we should stress that not every message needs to — or should — center on selling. Especially if your company is new or relatively unknown. In this case, you should focus on increasing your brand’s awareness.
Think about it: When you’re in the market for any kind of product or service, you’re probably more likely to choose a brand you’ve heard of or are familiar with (all things being equal). You’re effectively eliminating yourself from the consideration set if no one knows your company exists.
2. Educate and attract customers
An overwhelming majority (89%) of consumers want more videos from brands! Give them what they want. And while you’re at it, make your videos helpful in the form of how-tos, demonstrations, tips, tricks and more.
Doing so can:
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- Build trust
- Increase purchase likelihood
- Improve dwell time on websites
It can influence buying decisions, demonstrate product information and so much more. If your audience enjoys the video ads, this can increase purchase intent by 97% and brand association by 139%.
3. Recruit employees
Most job postings list little more than essential details like salary, benefits and desired experience. But you can make your company stand out by showcasing what working there is like with video: 3-D tours, quick introductions from the owner, b-roll of team building activities. Well-crafted internal communication allows you to give a great first impression to potential teammates and convey the passion that drives your company.
If you need a little inspiration, check out what Zendesk did.
4. Improve your SEO rankings
SEO is an ever-evolving labyrinth of algorithmic updates. But what if we told you that video seems to be a constant among those sites that perform well in organic search?
It’s true! Consider:
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- Google uses video thumbnails in 26% of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)
- Video content generates a 41% higher Click Through Rate (CTR) than text results
- Search results with video generated 157% more organic traffic
Source: AIOSEO
This begs the big question: How come?
Well, pages with video typically have:
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- Longer time on site
- Lower bounce rates
- More conversions
In Google’s eyes, pages with this performance are generally viewed as more valuable or relating to a searcher’s intent. And as such, those pages are given a boost.
5. Attract mobile visitors with less written content
If a picture’s worth 1,000 words, what about video? Well, it’s been estimated that one minute of video is worth roughly 1.8 million words.
That’s an interesting thought experiment, but what does it mean? For one, it reinforces the adage of “Show, don’t tell.” Visuals do the explaining, not tomes of text. For two, it underscores the importance of embracing media consumption habits. 70% of all videos are watched on smartphones, which, believe it or not, is a higher percentage than smart TVs! In other words, smaller screens require information to be conveyed in different formats.
6. Boosts Social Media Performance
One of the most sure-fire ways to increase social engagement? You guessed it: video.
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- 50% of Instagram users have visited a website to buy a product or service after seeing a Story
- Posts on X with a video receive 10X more engagement compared to text-only posts
- 74% of Gen-Zers do more research about a company after seeing a Dynamic Showcase Ad on TikTok
Source: Sprout Social
The Camera is Mightier Than the Sword
As a full-service advertising agency with comprehensive in-house video capabilities, Stealth Creative can help with any and every facet of video marketing, starting with strategy, all the way to creative execution, distribution and sales monitoring.
You might also want to check out our article on 5 Surefire Ways to Make Your Video Perform, and then contact us to see how we can transform your marketing plan.
