As of this year, 86% of businesses use video marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy, with 98% of those marketers saying that video is crucial to their strategy. If you’re not using video as a part of your marketing, you may wonder why. Well, here are a few really good reasons:
84% of consumers have purchased a product after watching a video
Consumers spend 18 hours each week watching online videos
Viewers remember 95% of a message from video compared to 10% when they read it
There are actually many, many more reasons, but these are compelling enough, aren’t they?
To make the most of your video marketing, you’ll have to stay on top of the latest trends. Here’s what you need to know.
Short-Form Videos Still Reign
What started as a fun take on video has become the norm. Anything longer than 30 seconds and you’re likely to lose your audience. The conversion rates for Facebook videos are highest for those between 16 and 20 seconds. Keep in mind, however, that it’s not so much that these consumers have short attention spans. No, they can pay attention just fine to things that really interest them. The reason you have 20 seconds to capture their attention is because that’s how long they’ll give you before they determine if they’re interested in what you’re selling. So make it snappy.
The Influencer Has Lost Power
The general public has grown weary (and wary) of influencers, with 81% of respondents saying they now scroll right past influencer video. User-generated content, however, is still powerful. By incentivizing real customers and fans of your brand, you’re more likely to cultivate trust with new buyers. Why? Authenticity is key, and younger generations are savvy to fakers.
Shoppable Videos Eliminate Friction
Look, the less space you can create between “want” and “buy,” the better. If buyers have to click through your video to your website, search the website for the product they liked, put it in a shopping cart, and then enter their credit card information, you may just lose them. With shoppable video, there’s one click, from the video to the product page. Pro tip: Reduce friction further on your checkout page with multiple online wallet options like PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Wallet so your customer doesn’t have to go find their wallet, and you’ll see a big surge in purchases.
Optimize for SEO
The SEO rules are always changing. Recently, Google clarified that any “video” pages on your website that have more than a sentence or two of content will not be indexed as video content. What this means is that 1) you should be very concise with video summaries, and 2) any transcripts should be located on a secondary page.
This is, of course, if you’re hoping to drive traffic to your website with video. If you’re posting to social platforms, their rules apply. But you should make very sure that you’ve optimized the “about” or “bio” section of each platform with location information, industry information, and any keywords that might help people find you on Google search and in-platform searches.
Some of these trends could be enduring, while others may be more of a passing fad. If you adopt any of the tips here, be sure to check often to make sure the game hasn’t changed due to shifting buyer behaviors.
JRS Mar/Com is a leading marketing and communications agency dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that drive business growth. With a commitment to excellence and a focus on emerging technologies, JRS Mar/Com empowers businesses to achieve their marketing goals in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
