Can Video Content Help Your Small Business?

Image credit: Kal Visuals from Unsplash

It is abundantly clear that video content is king in this day and age, what with the prevalence of platforms like YouTube, Livestreams, Instagram Stories, webinars, and more.

It is also evident that each year, a growing number of content marketers become aware of the myriad of compelling benefits associated with incorporating video content into their digital marketing strategy.

Video content marketing is versatile, easily accessible, and, when executed effectively, can give you a significant advantage over your rivals in a number of different areas, including advertising a product or service, increasing engagement with customers, and expanding their reach on social media. It can be created in house on a mobile phone or by a third party animation studio.

Because there is so much content with which to compete, it is essential that your content is optimized to the greatest extent possible, striking the appropriate balance in order to reach customers and grab their attention. A company that uses video marketing effectively can boost their brand image as well as their sales and conversions.

A poor video marketing strategy, on the other hand, can be extremely detrimental to businesses. It is possible for customers to view your brand as unreliable or, even worse, as an annoyance, which will prompt them to quickly switch to one of your competitors.

We have compiled a list of some of the most important advantages of incorporating video content into your marketing strategy. You will find some key insights into the many different ways that businesses can benefit from video content below, ranging from audience insights to key statistics and beyond.

Without further ado, let us jump right into why you need to start incorporating video content right away, before your rivals do!

Customers
If you are not persuaded that video marketing is useful or worthwhile, perhaps the following statistic will convince you otherwise: Video content makes up 11% of all content that is uploaded to Facebook, and it receives 8 billion views per day; this is before we consider the features of Facebook Live and its Story section.

Recent research has suggested that not only is YouTube the second-largest of the search engines behind Google, but that it is also the second most popular website globally, with an estimated time spent watching video content each day clocking in at one billion hours. 

The fact of the matter is that a lot of people enjoy watching videos. They are simple to understand, entertaining, and frequently enlightening. 

Increase conversions
According to a recent study, including videos on your website's page for products or services can result in a 144% increase in sales.

An "explainer video" is an excellent example of how video content can be utilized effectively on a landing page for a product or service. Customers will have the opportunity to watch a brief video in which they will be informed about the features and benefits of your product or service in a manner that is either engaging or entertaining.

The content of videos is constantly being updated. A product video, also known as a live demonstration of your good or service, and product reviews are currently key trends that should be taken into consideration.

Because customers find this content to be interesting and engaging, including it on pages devoted to products and services can increase the number of conversions and sales generated beyond anything you could have imagined.

We already know that people enjoy watching videos, and that video content is responsible for driving sales, but there is more to the story. Video content can build relationships between a brand and its customers, which is reason number three.

By driving engagement and communication with your audience, well-tailored content can give your brand an aspect of reliability, trust, and honesty - values that are important to consumers who are looking to connect with a business.

Google likes it
The ranking of your website in the search engine results page is another great benefit that marketers adore associated with the use of videos. Videos are great tools for delivering information, and they are also great components in many different marketing campaigns.

Videos have the potential to drive a significant amount of organic traffic to your website; in turn, this will raise your site's ranking and result in an increase in the number of views of your videos if you take the time to ensure that the content of your videos has been SEO-optimized by including an appealing and pertinent thumbnail, a catchy title, and high-quality content.

You can drive organic growth and bring in new customers at the same time by adding links to important pages and other components of your website on YouTube, such as landing pages. This will bring in new customers directly to the location on your website where you want them to be (which search engines love).

However, the key to success here is striking a balance.

If you include an excessive number of links or calls to action (CTAs), the customer may get the impression that they are being harassed. We have all seen videos like this. They quickly become counterproductive and annoying, and they have the potential to completely deter viewers from considering you again in the future.

Your competition
92% of digital marketers consider video content to be an important component of their overall strategy. This number is up from 78% in 2015, and it is only going to continue to rise as more and more professionals become aware of the mountain of benefits that videos bring to an advertising campaign.

There is nothing more disheartening than producing a fantastic video that adheres to industry standards and protocols, only to watch it be overshadowed by the sheer volume of videos that are already available online.

For this reason, it is essential to act quickly, differentiate oneself from the competition, and carve out a reputation that is easily recognizable.

Having said that, it is essential to avoid producing video after video with content that is subpar in quality. It is far preferable to have a smaller amount of content that is of higher quality and has a greater number of views than to have a large number of videos with fewer views.

The production of video content requires strategy, as producing content on a consistent basis that is of a high quality will increase your visibility and help you become known as a reliable source before viewers turn to competitors

It is the future
The way in which we make use of technology is continuously evolving alongside its myriad shifts and modifications, as is the technology itself. This means that there are now more ways than ever before to get viewers engaged and receptive to you and your company through the use of video content.

It is essential to consider the various applications of videos, ranging from livestreams to one-on-one marketing videos, in order to have the greatest possible impact. Now is the perfect time to hit the ground running with video content and stay updated on the latest ways that you can bring your message to people because you have the future of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and streaming services at your disposal.

Flexibilty
Video is not just adaptable and engaging. Additionally, it is simple to use, both at the desktop and while on the move.

It is no surprise that people prefer to watch videos while they are on the move now that platforms like Facebook and YouTube are becoming more mobile-friendly. Since 2013, there has been a 233% increase in the number of mobile video views, and this trend is only expected to continue. Concurrently, YouTube has reported that the amount of mobile video consumption grows by an average of one hundred percent each year.

Because video content can be accessed from any location and is appealing to even the most disinterested potential viewers, it is an essential marketing tool that can be used at any time to reach a large client base.

Email
Even getting a reader to open an email in the fast-paced world we live in today can be a significant challenge.

According to recently published findings, simply including the word "video" in the subject line of your email can result in a click-through rate that is 200–300% higher.

This is the reason why an increasing number of marketers are including video content within their email campaigns - this could mean anything from showcasing an item that a customer has abandoned, to an email for a first-time customer welcoming them and building a relationship with them.

Your email marketing strategy can benefit from the addition of an engaging, informative, and persuasive video if it is positioned correctly. People watch videos more than any other type of media, which is something we already know, so why not use this to your advantage and combine it with your other marketing efforts as well?