YouTube is a common platform we all use when we need quick snippets of information in easily digestible chunks. It is also the platform we go to when we need comprehensive answers to burning questions like ‘What caused WWI?’ The content that is generated by YouTube videos is phenomenal. Wyzowl statistics show that around 3.7 million new YouTube videos are uploaded every day. Now there’s a massive market for advertisers, just waiting to be explored!
According to LinkedIn, 60% of people would rather watch something than read about it. Search Engine Watch says that 73% of consumers are more likely to purchase a brand after watching a video about it. This proves that video content is our cash cow in marketing. Are marketers exploiting these statistics to their benefit?
Contending with the content
Not all brand messages are easy to understand. Some contain complex thinking behind their execution. Explaining the composition of such a brand to busy customers will be almost impossible via text-based content. The key is to visualize it for them so that they are not only drawn to the creative appeal of the message but also understand how the brand works and why it can help customers. Product demonstrations and explainer videos fall under this category.
An aspect of measurability marketers also look at is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and search engine rankings. When one creates engaging and informative video content, one’s web traffic increases, which in turn offers greater SEO numbers and better search engine rankings.
Customer conversion rates are increased too, by video marketing. HubSpot says that when a video is made available on a landing page, it can increase conversion rates by as much as 80%.
Another reason why video marketing is so effective is that it can be pushed across multiple channels such as social media platforms, websites, and even emails. Creating a short video or demonstration of your product can do a world of wonder in promoting it to customers and encouraging them to give it a try.
It’s all about hitting those sales targets!
The allure of the visual
This can’t be stressed enough- know your audience!
We have become so accustomed to having our every whim catered to, that we have been driven to be advocates of the ‘seeing is believing’ proverb. Therefore, even when we get our information from ‘the horse’s mouth’ we prefer to see it unfold as the story is told. This is why teachers today accompany their lessons with YouTube videos quite often. Reverting to the earlier example, wouldn’t you rather see the destruction of the two World Wars than listen to someone tell you about it?
Well, the same applies to marketing content.
Why?
Credibility. We always favour it when there is a face behind the brand; a human behind the voice. It just makes it more relatable, and human beings thrive on relatability. This goes hand-in-hand with putting a face to the name. It’s a jungle of brands out there. Cutting through the undergrowth is made more possible when people can recall your brand and wean it out from the rest.
We are also emotive animals. Visuals create pathos, which is not always possible through words. An Indian advertisement ‘Share the Load’ in promoting a brand of detergent comes to mind when considering emotionally charged visual content. People’s raw emotions are better visualized than described.
Videos also assure us that what we are thinking of purchasing is exactly what we want. This does not only apply to products. Mothers waiting to deliver babies are more likely to choose a hospital based on a video of its homeliness, empathy, service and overall care. Travellers hoping to book a hotel will first look at the rooms, surroundings, layout, and so on before splurging on the promised luxuries. Credibility is built into video content.
Ease of access
Video content is now easily available on our handheld devices. We can access it anywhere at any time and its shareability is immense. Platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat have made visual content all the more popular because it marries the entertainment and leisure aspects of life with marketing.
Certainly, with ease of access comes lower costs. With no physical logistics involved, video content only accrues the cost of creating the content, which can now also be eliminated with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and then the initial cost of posting it on multiple channels, which is often negligible.
Actions speak louder
Oberlo says that 86% of marketers use video content as a marketing tool. This is a staggering number indeed, but it also means that the market for video content still has potential for growth.
Google has been quoted as saying that it sees video marketing as ‘indispensable.’ If this ‘guru’ we all turn to is sharing such wisdom with us, why would we be foolish enough to ignore the effectiveness of video content in our marketing strategy?
No plausible reason, indeed!
(Anouk De Silva)