Content marketing is one of the most effective forms of digital marketing, and video marketing is one of the most effective forms of content marketing. According to HubSpot, more than 50% of consumers wish to see more videos than any other type of content.
Compared to other forms of content, consumers don’t have to work as hard to interpret information relayed via video. In fact, studies show that video posts on Facebook have a 135% greater organic reach than photo posts.
Brands that do video marketing experience a 41% increase in traffic via web searches as compared to others who don’t. Video content is also known to promote social sharing. According to reports, 92% of mobile video consumers share videos with others.
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The Rise and Rise of Video Marketing
According to Wyzowl, 63% of businesses used video marketing in early 2017. At the start of 2018, this number had risen to 81% and in 2019 the number has yet increased again to 87%.
These brands are not just using video more, but they are using it to greater effect. 83% percent of marketers reveal that video provides better ROI, up from 78% the previous year.
While the rise in video marketing offers tremendous opportunities, it also presents an increasing challenge. 90% of marketers surveyed by Wyzowl confessed that they feel the pressure of competition in 2018 than they did in previous years. All signs point to an even bigger year in 2019. 87% of consumers surveyed say they would like to see more videos from their favorite brands in 2019.
It is therefore not surprising that 99% of marketers who are using video plan to continue using it in the year ahead while an astonishing 74% of those who previously did not use video plan to use it in 2019.
Why Video is Important in Marketing
The effectiveness of video as a marketing tool is buttressed by the following:
- Video Boosts Conversions and Sales
According to ReelSEO, including a video on your homepage can increase conversion rates by as much as 80% or more. Studies have also shown that 74% of users who watched an explainer video subsequently purchased.
- Video Gives Great ROI
According to Wyzowl, 83% of businesses reveal that video provides a good return on investment. Video production used to be a hassle, but now there are free or very affordable video editing tools out there. Even a decent smartphone can make pretty videos.
Also, the content of the video matters as much as its quality. Research also has it that users are put off by videos which don’t explain the product or service they are offering clearly enough.
- Videos Build Trust
Trust is an important ingredient for increased conversion and sales. The entire concept of marketing is based on trust and functional long-term relationship. Videos are capable of engaging users and igniting emotions. 57% of consumers reveal that videos give them more confidence to purchase online.
- Improves Web Ranking
Videos make visitors spend longer time on your website. This longer exposure builds trust as well as sends signals to search engine that your site has quality relevant content. According to Moovly, you are 53 times more likely to be found on the first page of Google if you have video embedded on your website than if you don’t.
- Video Appeals to Mobile Users
According to Wyzowl, 90% of consumers watch videos on their mobile. The growth of the smartphone market will only mean the growth of your video audience.
10 Smart Ways to Ace Video Marketing in 2019
- Be Authentic
One of the ways to ace video marketing is to create videos that are authentic, that clearly convey your passion and knowledge about your product, service or industry.
- Tell a Story
Storytelling is attention grabbing. Always adopt a story-first approach when creating marketing videos. It puts your audience at ease, unlike other marketers who’re too salesy from intro.
- Hire Copywriters/Scriptwriters
To tell a good story you need a good script, and to get a good script you need a good Copywriter or Scriptwriter. This is the crux of direct response copywriting.
- Stay on Topic
Don’t confuse or annoy your viewers by rabble rousing or jumping from one unrelated topic to another. And you don’t want to click bait viewers. It sucks. Stay on topic.
- Keep It As Short As Possible
Average attention span of humans is now same as that of a goldfish, 8s only. Keep it short and straight to the point or you risk losing your audience.
- Use Simple Straightforward Language
Avoid gobbledygook. That’s right, you’re probably trying to look that word up now. Avoid using strange, big sounding words in your videos. If they can’t understand you they can’t stand you. Who needs a dictionary to understand your video?
- Quote Statistics
Fake news abound. One of the ways to counter this impression, is to quote relevant statistics. It makes your presentation more believable.
- Quote Experts
You never know who can influence your viewers to buy. It could be the name of their idol or a respected expert you mention in your video.
- Add a Call-to-Action
For your video marketing to be measurable and actionable, you need to add a call-to-action button at the end of your video. This can take the form of a clickable button or your contact information.
- Be Mobile Minded
According to a study by QZ.com, the average person spends around 30 minutes per day watching videos, and much of that on mobile. If your videos aren’t mobile friendly, you might just end up in the friend zone.
- Size Matters
If your videos are too lengthy or too heavy many users will skip it and try shorter, smaller ones. Some mobile users pay a lot for data and are careful about size of downloads or streaming.
Some Video Editors to Create Simple Marketing Videos
With the growth and popularity of video marketing, finding simple but effective video editing software is key.
Below is a list of 5 best free video editing software. These editors are either free or have excellent free versions;
- Blender
This editing software is available on Windows, Linux, and Mac. It allows users to carry out basic actions such as splicing and video cuts, as well as more complex ones like video masking. Basically, it is enough for most of your video needs.
- Lightworks
This is available on Windows, Linux, and Mac. It has both a free and pro version which cost $25 a month. Some of the features of the free version include high precision video trimming, Multicam support, and export to 750p for YouTube. It is quite easy to learn Lightworks as it comes with several great video tutorials.
- Shortcut
This is also available on the three major operating systems. Like Blender, it is completely open source. This editor supports a wide range of video formats and comes with a good collection of tutorial videos. It’s a timesaver for people who deal with large video files as it doesn’t require them to import the video into the editor.
- VSDC Free Video Editor
This free editor is available only on Windows. It comes with some excellent features which include color correction and audio editing. The learning curve is not so steep.
- Machete Video Editor Lite
Available only on Windows, this is one of the simplest editors on this list of top video editing software. It is excellent for quick and simple editing tasks. However, the free version does not allow users to edit audio, they can only entirely remove audio tracks.
Conclusion
The importance of video for marketing cannot be over emphasized. So, camera, lights, action. Start your journey to effective video marketing now.
