Anyone who’s dipped their toes into marketing and content creation will know that video is hailed as the next content revolution, with some brands like Buzzfeed already having remarkable success with a video content strategy. Video marketing will continue to be a force to be reckoned with and using it in your inbound marketing strategy is a surefire way to deliver promising results.
According to Wordstream, an online marketing platform helping marketers to maximise their ROI on social media and paid search, we continue to see trends favouring video.
Here are seven video statistics you should keep in mind when including video in your marketing plan:
- 51% of marketing professionals worldwide believe video delivers a good ROI.
- Marketers using video grow revenue 49% faster than those not using video.
- Video content attracts two to three times as many monthly visitors.
- Blog posts with video content attracts three times as many inbound links than those without.
- Viewers remember 95% of a message when they watch a video compared to 10% when reading text online.
- By 2019, internet video traffic will account for 80% of all consumer Internet traffic.
- The average user spends 88% more time on a website with video content.
Image sourced from neilpatel.com
Still not entirely convinced the money, effort and time that goes into video in your marketing efforts? Let’s dig deeper into how video is used throughout the buyer’s journey.
Video in the buyer’s journey:
According to HubSpot, the leading inbound marketing and sales platform, video:
- Increases SEO of educational and informative content
- Optimises your buyer’s journey by tailoring content to increase engagement and brand activation
- Can help you track the engagement of your prospects
- Supports the growth of business and industry knowledge
Using video in the awareness phase
At the top of the purchasing funnel individuals are still in the awareness phase: this is where the buyer identifies they have a problem or an opportunity. Video content in the awareness phase should help attract visitors and be of interest to your buyer personas.
According to Funnelbox, a video marketing platform, “content ought to pinpoint pain points or key psychological triggers and highlight the offering’s unique ability to overcome such challenges. The ultimate goal at this phase is to create a level of awareness around the offering, to intrigue the individual so that when they have a realised need that can be fulfilled by the product or service, they are quick to recall yours.”
Awareness stage videos will help bring the buyer’s problem into perspective and subtly hint at a solution. Use video content that provides answers to questions, but doesn’t necessarily contain a lot of branding. The following types of video can be used in this stage:
- How-to: Create fun and helpful videos that help answer the questions of your prospects. These videos must have a clear goal in mind and be helpful and easily shareable.
- Fun and creative videos (snacks): These videos are fun, creative and can spread virality. They are often posted on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. BuzzFeed, an internet media company, does a great job of creating bite-sized snack videos. Explore their website for some inspiration.
- FAQ videos: These videos educate searchers and solve their problems themselves.
The following video is a good example of awareness stage content:
Slack did an amazing job of turning a boring office commercial into a fun and exciting piece of content. The video cleverly talks to the various people with different personalities you may find in an office setting. The video is short and sweet, has a compelling message and doesn’t need sound to be understood.
Autopilot, a company automating customer journeys states: “Your goal with top of funnel videos is to entertain and leave a lasting impression on your audience. Keep it light, avoid technical jargon, and refrain from showing product details. Before making a huge investment, test the waters with content like influencer interviews or a straightforward education series.”
Using video in the consideration stage
In the consideration stage of the buyer’s journey, the buyer defines their problem and is actively looking for options to address it. In this stage, you let prospects see how they can integrate your product into their lives and how it will make their lives easier. Be sure to be as unique as possible as a lot of businesses are trying to educate the buyer. Create videos that present a variety of options.
Funnelbox continues: “[Prospects] become researchers, comparing the who, what, when, where, why and how of each option. Retention has increased because they have finally committed to satisfying their need. They watch product demos, solicit opinions, look into company backstories, seek reviews, you name it. Nowadays, they are shortening the process by obtaining this information through videos.”
Create the following types of video in this stage:
- About Us: These videos show your visitors who you are and what your brand represents.
- Explainer videos: These videos contain a detailed product overview. It defines a products, service or brand in under two minutes.
Private Property, an online South African property listing company, does an excellent job of creating educational content that positions them as the expert in the property industry:
In this video, customers feel recognised and important. Customers are invited to participate in their storytelling and cultivate a loyal following. The video is relatable and emotional, causes viral sharing and keeps their brand top of mind.
Using video in the decision stage
In the last stage of the buyer’s journey, your prospect is now fully aware of your brand and what it has to offer and it is now finally time to make a purchasing decision. Video in the decision stage informs your audience what makes your product unique and what sets you apart from your competitors. Create videos that present different kinds of options and fosters a sense of purpose and encouragement.
“Video should create a sense of urgency around the purchase but should do so in a way that instills confidence in the prospective client. There is a fine line between reassuring and pushiness. Brands should use video to help the prospects envision what life would be like with the product or service in question, and it should compel them to take action in that moment,” explains Funnelbox.
The following videos work well in converting visitors into customers:
- Product demonstrations: “About the product” videos should be about more than just the product. It should present a problem, solution and an experience.
- Customer testimonials: A customer review builds trust and credibility with viewers.
Uber, a transportation network company, is a great example of a company using decision-based videos to their advantage.
The video explains how to use the Uber Driver application on your mobile phone and highlights each aspect of the interface in detail. It walks prospects through the different stages of using the app by demonstrating what to do from beginning to end. The video cleverly addresses a problem, includes a value proposition, shows how the product works and ends with their company logo. The demonstration tells a compelling story and reaches beyond brand awareness.
Finally...measure what matters:
You may have a beautiful video, but if you’re not measuring its real impact, you’re doing video wrong! Take your views, watch time, traffic source, demographics and type of devices in mind when measuring the success of your video. The Sales Lion, a sales and marketing website, recommends making your video do the work, examining real analytics and understanding its results.
Watch the full video by following the link below!
Wistia Video Analytics: 3 Reasons B2B & B2C Companies Should be Measuring Their Video
If you want to produce your own video, here’s an essential checklist on what is needed to produce a video from beginning to end by our sister company, Penquin.
So, go out, press record and see those conversion rates climbing- you won’t be sorry!
