In terms of Internet content the widespread use and popularity of video has grown rapidly. According to Cisco video already accounts for roughly 69 percent of consumer Internet traffic. Video marketing content is only going to increase over the years. Cisco estimates that in just a few short years video will account for roughly 82 percent of all Internet traffic by the year 2021. Video is entertaining and informational. With the widespread use of video across the Internet if your marketing strategy does not include at least a small component of video you need to start including it. Let’s take a look at why video is so incredibly powerful.
Consumer Engagement
For starters, videos are much more successful at garnering consumer engagement than any other form of content that has come before it. Video has the unique ability to show instead of tell. This allows the medium to really set the mood and draw users in and make them feel. The moving image also has always been captivating to human beings. Consumers are far more likely to sit and watch an entire video rather than sit and read an entire article. Since video has spread so thoroughly through our culture and world it is no wonder why this medium is more familiar and engaging than text. Videos are also easy for people to share and show their friends, family, or colleagues. How many times have you been around someone who was said something along the lines of, “Hey, check out this video,” and then pulled out their phone? How many times has someone tried to show you an article while you were standing around talking?
Video Drives Traffic
Video is more social and it has the ability to go viral. Just like standing around and sharing videos with friends on your phone, people share videos online on social media platforms, websites, and blogs all of the time. Video drives more people to your business because it gets viewed and shared far more often than text-based content for example. The more people who are watching your content the more people who will be clicking on your links and checking out your website. If you create solid video marketing content that entertains and informs your target audience without being overly pushy or promotional, you will get a lot of shares and a lot of people will click-through your links and check out your website and other content. No other medium has the ability to drive traffic in the way that video does. Video marketing content the traffic through the website or blog or profile and then increases the amount of reads or shares you get on your other content efforts. Video is the real key component when it comes to any marketing strategy because it has the power to drive traffic through all of your other content.
Is it Even Practical for Me?
You may be thinking that video is just too expensive or out of reach for your small business, but you couldn’t be further from the truth. Thanks to the ever-expanding world of technical abilities great looking videos can be shot and edited on a phone and computer. Plus, the great thing about the Internet is that a lot of people are not looking for super slick production value like people are on the television. If you can create a good video that entertains and informs people will share and watch even if the quality itself is less than perfect. Look at Youtube and all of the videos that are extremely successful on that site. Most of those videos are homemade. Do not disparage homemade quality, because it connects with a lot of people and it can be an effective way to market your brand depending on your service or product. Even still making professional looking videos too is a lot cheaper than it has ever been before so there is no excuse not have video marketing content be a big part of any company’s strategy even if you are a small business.