Why you should be using online video in your marketing mix
In case you hadn’t already noticed, it’s boom time for online video. With higher speed broadband so widespread, video on the internet has become much more accessible and since the arrival of YouTube and other video file sharing websites, embedding video clips on websites has become much easier. As a result, lots of companies are starting to use online video, which is engaging audiences in completely new ways.
Just in case you’re not convinced, let’s take a look at some statistics.
Reason 1 for using online video in the marketing mix… is demand for online video is booming
According to Comscore (http://www.comscore.com/ 84% of web users in the UK are watching online video, 64% of these people are watching video advertising content. And looking at America 82.5% of the U.S. internet audience viewed online video. This means 170 million U.S. Internet users watched online video content in February for an average of 13.6 hours per viewer. For those interested in global markets, that should easily demonstrate the power and reach of video.
YouTube is also enjoying some seriously impressive growth and also shows that just as much as brand video is growing, user generated content is growing at a staggering rate, due largely to the growth in mobile and ease of uploading. The graph below from Youtube shows the average hours of video uploaded every minute, back to June 2007. Whilst growth has been constant, is most impressive over the final 6 months to October 2010, demonstrating a huge increase from 23 hours per minute to 36 hours of videos uploaded per minute.
Image courtesy of YouTube
According to YouTube they are also the second largest search engine in the world - and it's just for video content - making up to 25% of all Google searches. And, just for the record, YouTube gets 2 billion hits per day.
With all that video traffic, reason number 2 is thatyou are 53 times more likely to appear on the first page of Google if you have a video on your website. (Source Vimeo)
One of the most common uses of online marketing video is as a promotional tool that explains who you are and what you do. But video can be used throughout your website as it’s perfect for things like personal presentations and getting across the friendly face of the company, key product or service benefits, case studies or testimonials, tutorials and how-tos, website tours, location tours etc. Quite simply, when you use video across your website, you have a powerful tool that can increase the popularity of your web pages.
Reason number 3, which is video can bring your website alivewith relevant, dynamic content.
There are many great examples of video being used very effectively on websites to deliver compelling and engaging content. And remember video doesn’t have to be expensive, there may well be a requirement for a professionally produced video but simple user generated content can be just as powerful … most people prefer to watch than read.
This presents great opportunities for user generated videos that allow you to share your knowledge and create a dynamic website that attracts and keeps visitors..
Reason number 4 iswebsites with video show 20-40% increase in clicks for more information, meaning visitors stay on your website longer. (Source Vimeo)
This potentially turns them from browsers into buyers — just consider the potential power of a video demo, case study or testimonial.Video gives us the opportunity to provoke real emotions that just would be unattainable through most written text and images. A video can clearly and succinctly demonstrate why your product or service is great by showing the value it brings to others told through the power of the satisfied customer.
But online video is not just about enhancing your website, so reason number 5 is about using the online video channels to help spread the word.
As long as your video is relevant for its audience, you can upload it onto your social media platforms e.g. on your Facebook page; use it in email marketing and e-newsletters; then your friends/followers/connections will share it and send it further. Video is the most likely piece of content to shared and consumed online. Good video content can help you tap into your fans and followers’ friendship and professional networks.
With a clever strategy for using online video you can make it work much harder for you. Rather than just posting it on video sharing sites like Vimeo or YouTube, set up your own YouTube channel. Once you’ve set up your YouTube channel, you can pull in other content from YouTube that is relevant to your company’s activities and that will interest your customer base.
Professionally produced video done properly can be an extremely powerful marketing tool but remember, your video doesn’t have to be run of mill and product based. If you understand your audience, then you’ll know what interests and excites them. Have fun with a video concept, then seed it where your key audience will find it and re-generate it. This can often be a low cost alternative to advertising campaigns.
This user generated video just goes to show that you don’t necessarily need a lot of money to create an online marketing video hit... just a passionate owner and a good idea and script. ‘Pazazz presents one Print Fanatic and his team who love printing!’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpAuDrs5ocg It has been watched by nearly a quarter of a million people on YouTube alone and for further details take a look at http://www.marketingsherpa.com/viralawards2008/5.html
So, there you have it, 5 reasons why you should be using online video in the marketing mix. Now, throw in the prediction that video is predicted to account for 90% of all online traffic by 2013 (New Media Age), it’s crucial for you to incorporate video into your campaign strategy to stay ahead of your competitors.