It’s not an exaggeration to say that video content is taking over the internet. It’s estimated that by 2022, video content will account for 82% of all online traffic. A lot of small businesses are hesitant to take the leap into creating video content though, thinking that it requires a huge production budget or someone on the team with video expertise. 

If Instagram and TikTok have taught the world anything though, it’s that it’s possible for ordinary people to produce excellent content on a budget with little to no previous experience. So why is video content marketing so important? Let’s look at some statistics…

Video marketing statistics 

Wyzowl recently released the State of Video Marketing report, which revealed the following:

• 68% of consumers say that the pandemic has impacted the amount of video content they’ve watched online, with the overwhelming majority (96%) saying this has increased.
• People now watch an average of 18 hours of online video per week.
• 84% of video marketers say video has helped them generate leads.
• 96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service.
• 84% of people say that they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video.
• 79% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy or download a piece of software or app by watching a video.
• People are twice as likely to share video content with their friends than any other type of content.

Why video content is so important for marketing 

Video marketing matters because of its ability to increase brand awareness, attract website traffic, and drive sales. Did you know that YouTube is the second biggest search engine after Google? YouTube has almost transformed into its own internet – people talk of falling down the YouTube “rabbit hole” – when watching one video turns into hours spent watching one video after the other, with no concept of time passing.

That is the power of video. Whether it’s a how-to video, a brand commercial, a music video, or a product demo, consumers are turning to video content for entertainment and education, and to influence their decision-making. And it’s proven more effective than any other form of content in engaging consumers.

So, why is that? 

Videos establish an emotional connection 

Video content humanises brands and establishes a relationship with the audience. Think about the power of film and television to capture attention and completely absorb a person in the storyline – brands and businesses can access that same emotional connection through video. With the ability to combine imagery, music, text, sound effects, and the spoken word, video is an experience as opposed to a piece of content. 

When you create a video, you have the ability to manipulate emotion, to cause shock and awe, to make people laugh or cry… That emotional experience is what makes video content so memorable and impactful. It’s also what makes it shareable. People love to share videos that make them feel something – it’s a way of connecting with others. It’s something individual content creators often say, that their video content has helped create a relationship with their viewers. 

It’s no secret in the marketing world that consumers’ purchase decisions are driven by emotions, not rationality. The right story with the right emotional impact makes it more likely that a consumer will choose your company over a competitor’s.

Video marketing attracts new customers 

Video marketing is ideal for reaching new customers and building brand awareness. Videos can show people who you are, what your company does, what you stand for, what makes your business different, and how your products or services solve their problems. When consumers come across your videos, they may not be looking to buy, but effective content marketing is ensuring that yours is the first brand they think of when they are ready to purchase.

Video content introduces people to your brand and builds trust over time if your videos resonate with your audience and provide valuable information or entertainment. Many brands have discovered that in giving something for free, the number of leads in their purchase pipeline ‘magically’ grows.

Search engines love video content 

So you want to rank higher in search engines? Videos are just as important as the content on your website in determining your search engine ranking. Videos are highly consumable and encourage users to spend more time on your website, so search algorithms prioritise video content. Google also owns YouTube, which means YouTube videos are highly favoured in the search results. 

In the same way as you would optimise your text content for SEO, you also need to make sure your videos are optimised – with descriptive titles, eye-catching thumbnails, and links that lead back to your website. Videos can bring a lot of organic traffic to your website if they’re optimised correctly. The trick is that your video content has to be engaging and worth watching. No one’s going to click on the link of the video that’s trying too hard to make a sale.

You might be wondering what kind of video content is considered engaging then. Let’s take a look.

The types of video content that people enjoy watching 

There are many different video formats that could work for your brand. It’s best to experiment for some time to find out what resonates with your audience and what they want to see more of. Here are a few different video content types you could try:

How-to or explainer videos. This is one of the most popular educational formats for video marketing because it provides value while also advertising your product or service. Create a useful tutorial, show how to make something from scratch, or teach viewers how to do something new or interesting. The more customers can engage with your product or service, the more likely they are to continue using it. 

Q&A or interview-based videos. Collect customers’ questions and answer them in a video or series of videos. Interview an expert or industry professional on a subject related to your business. These videos can generate interesting stories and marketing buzz if the person you interview has a following of their own.

Behind-the-scenes. People love to peep behind the curtain. Give them insight into the people behind your brand and how the product is made. Behind-the-scenes videos can help develop that emotional connection and make a company seem more human and authentic.

Jump into video content marketing 

Whether your goal is to build brand awareness, increase conversions, improve customer retention, increase customer loyalty, or upsell current customers, including video in your marketing mix can only benefit your business. Creating video content is not nearly as expensive or as complicated as you might think, and you don’t need a degree to work your way around video editing apps. If you’re holding a smartphone right now, you have a video recording device at hand already.

There’s no doubt that video content adds value to businesses and brands. If you’re hesitating because you don’t have the time, a digital marketing agency can help create video content to get you started with video marketing. And with video content set to make up 82% of all online traffic in 2022, this is not where you want to fall behind. The next time you find yourself watching a video online, think about the content you could be creating to find your next customer.