Storytelling has always been an integral part of content marketing. It is what keeps companies connected to their ideal audiences. It is what allows them to charm new prospects. Whether it’s a global conglomerate or a quaint family-owned establishment, they are all in the business of telling stories. And those who know what the consumer wants to discover and how they want to find out about it have the advantage. These days, promotional videos are at the center of most businesses’ marketing endeavors. So it’s okay if you find yourself wondering, “Does my company need one?”
More and more brands are incorporating video into their marketing strategies. If you have yet to do so and are still wondering if your business or your niche, for that matter, needs it, you’re in luck because that’s all we’re talking about today.
From here on, you will discover why video is as important as they say it is and if your business needs it.
Why Do Businesses Need Video Marketing?
This year, there was a 17% increase in video usage. As indicated in Wyzowl’s annual survey, 81% of the 570 respondents have now embraced it as a marketing tool. And of those who have yet to use video, 65% plan on using within the year. Brands most likely have been drawn to this type of content because of its ability to drive several areas of business performance.
Here are a few numbers that might convince you to start making video campaigns:
- 97% of brands using video marketing say it has increased consumer awareness of a product
- 80% say it improved dwell time on a website
- 76% claim it boosted sales
- 76% insisted it increased traffic
- 47% assert it trimmed down support queries
Another important fact you should always remember is that consumers prefer watching visually stimulating content over reading lengthy product descriptions. They find videos more engaging, and it allows them to consume information quicker and easier.
This isn’t a passing fad. Here are additional statistics to give you an idea of its significance:
- 95% of consumers have opted to know more about a product or service by watching videos
- 81% admitted a brand video had convinced them to buy a product or service
- 85% hope to see more brands producing videos this year
Will All Industries Benefit From Video Marketing?
Using video as a marketing tactic does have its perks, but will all industries enjoy the advantages mentioned above? Will your business, in particular, be able to benefit from this practice?
The answer is YES.
Millions of people have made a habit out of watching videos. As you probably know, YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. Each day, a total of 1 billion hours of video is consumed across 88 countries. Not only that, consumers turn to other platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat to watch videos. I’m sure your ideal clients are a small fragment of the vast number of users online. If you know how to reach out to them and where to do that, you can enjoy those benefits.
When it comes to video marketing, success will depend on your strategy. It depends on how much you know your ideal consumer. It rides on the format of the video, its content, and the platform where you will publish it. Hence, find out where you should publish and promote your videos so you can reach the right audiences. If you put a lot of effort into the video production, I’m sure you can elicit the right emotions from your viewers and be more memorable.
Industries That Should Use Video Marketing
We’ve already established that videos make sense for all industries. But to make the point clearer, let me show you a few examples of how different types of companies are using this tool to their advantage.
1. Software as a Service (SaaS)
Selling software to audiences can be very technical. But it doesn’t have to be dreary. So you won’t bore your prospects with too much information about your product, you can make the experience more exciting with a video. It will be easier for them to remember what you have to offer. It will help you build a stronger connection with your viewers and, ideally, convince them to purchase from your company.
Video production value can be as high as Adobe Marketing Cloud’s The Launch, which should get your name out there in a very memorable way. It can also be as simple as a success story where you can ask actual clients to step in front of the camera and share how your SaaS service helped them.
Here’s a client story video we produced for PaySimple to inspire you:
2. Healthcare
When you’re in this industry, gaining people’s trust is quite the challenge. Whether you’re running a hospital or a small clinic, it’s a difficult feat. But it is not impossible. Perhaps with video marketing, it will no longer be too much of problem.
The results of Google’s survey from a few years back might enlighten us all about this massive challenge. Note that this was way before video became as popular as it is today. Their study shows that all 700 respondents watched a video to learn about product descriptions. About 79% claimed they proceeded to the manufacturer’s website after watching the clip. Meanwhile, 63% of the respondents said they shared the information they discovered.
3. Education
In terms of decision making, education comes a close second to healthcare. The quality of education children receive from kindergarten onwards can make such a huge impact on their future. That’s what makes it such a tough decision for adults. So you can have parents entertaining the idea of their children enrolling in your school, you must be able to assure them that you are the best choice for their little ones.
In this case, you don’t have to place your video at the center of your marketing efforts. Nothing beats physical campus tours. But you can still put up a relevant video on the school website to draw parents’ attention and to encourage them to, at the very least, think about the opportunity you’re presenting.
Here’s a video we produced for the USC Suzanne Dworak Peck School of Social Work’s Doctor or Social Work Program:
4. Agencies
Agencies often have to deal with mind-numbing sales processes to get contracts signed. Knowing that your competitors are probably carrying out the same conversation to close deals, it puts you in a lot of pressure.
To stand out, you should give prospects a closer look at your business. Take it from the experience of BluLeadz. By leveraging video throughout the sales process, this inbound marketing agency was able to hook high-value clients.
The company placed an About Us video on their website. It introduced the brilliant minds behind the company, showing prospects that their team is composed of hard-working individuals who are excited to work with new businesses.
5. E-Commerce
Our growing attachment to smartphones is most likely due to the convenience it brings into our lives. These days, we can buy food, clothes, and just about everything else online. Although there’s such a great demand for e-commerce websites, the competition is fierce. If you want to stand out in a crowd of competitors, video content can help you achieve that. By opting to promote realistic representations of your products instead of flat and static photos, you should be able to increase sales and reduce cart abandonment.
6. Law
Even law firms need videos to spruce up the practice. It can assure prospects that you legitimately care about their well-being. As already established, video marketing can help you build that connection with your audience. For law firms in particular, educational videos should be able to aid you in this endeavor. You can also opt to do success stories and testimonials to convince prospects that you are capable and easy to work with.
The Law Office of Jeffrey B. Kelly added a special section for their campaigns to their website. In each of the clips, you will get advice from the lawyer himself.
7. Real Estate
Everyone’s using the internet to search for their dream home. According to the National Association of Realtors’ latest report, more than 74% of buyers from all demographics frequently use the internet to look up a potential home. Those who surf the web often end up visiting the properties that they searched for.
Even in real estate, people only do businesses with those they like and trust. Again, video marketing is the easiest way to stand out and to establish yourself as an authoritative figure in your specific niche. Moreover, it lets you create customer experiences that aren’t easy to forget. You can do educational videos to inform clients about all that they need to know before purchasing a property. As a result, you can gain their trust. To improve sales, you can opt to film customer testimonials.
Conclusion
Video has become the number one choice for creating experiential campaigns. Despite its popularity, embracing this trend won’t make your brand an overnight success. The benefits of video marketing can only be reaped once you’ve made an effort to understand your consumers as well as their pain points. By doing so, you can effortlessly pick the best style of video content for a particular campaign.
What type of business video does your campaign need right now?
To jumpstart the process of creating an efficient video marketing plan for your business, contact us here.
