Why video is an essential piece to your content marketing

 

Video creation and consumption have undeniably grown exponentially in the last few years, to the point where our everyday life is drenched in this new media. We can’t get enough of it! Consumers love it because it is entertaining and easy to digest, and marketers swear by it for its flexibility and effortless way of engaging their ever-expanding audiences.

We visibly enjoy and are drawn to videos, but why are we wired that way? Marketers have tapped into the psychology of the matter. As it turns out, our greater interest in this media lies in the fact that it stimulates more of our senses–both visual and auditory–offering an extensive experience that appeals to our emotions. In turn, emotional reactions to video ads have been effective in eliciting consumer engagement and action. Likewise, research shows that our brains retain 95% of a given message when watched in a video compared to 10% when the message is read. 

It’s no wonder why we crave videos – our brains are literally screaming for more of it!  

As the war for our attention deepens, video marketing continues to be a key tactic in the content marketing arsenal. But too many marketers still don’t see the value and feel it is unattainable. We’re here to debunk both of those.

 

The pandemic accelerated the rise of video content

 

The unprecedented global events of 2020 have played an incremental role in placing videos in the frontline of content consumption. You probably noticed it yourself in the last year, the surge of video usage across a range of fields for a multitude of purposes. With the implementation of various lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, people found comfort in the never-ending flow of activity on social media. Not only were more videos watched as a means of entertainment, but the media gained traction in professional and educational settings as well. Some schools adapted to the new virtual reality by swapping live lectures and presentations with pre-recordings. At the same time, businesses and organizations turned to video to reach their team and customers, for instance, employees onboarding, product demos, webinars, and going live on social media.

In December 2020, the animated explainer video company Wyzowl conducted a video marketing survey on 813 marketing professionals and online consumers. While most consumers said their video consumption increased in light of the pandemic, 91% of marketers said their use of brand video in their marketing content grew in importance due to the pandemic. 

In turn, video hosting platforms have reached new records. For example, the video hosting platform Wistia experienced just over 103,000 video uploads in a single day for the first time last year, and their overall number of uploads now is 88% higher than it was pre-pandemic. Additionally, the video-sharing platform TikTok ranked as the number one downloaded app in the US and worldwide in 2020. Furthermore, YouTube is ranked as the second most used social media platform in the world. To keep up with the competition, Instagram introduced its video feature Reels in August 2020, and many users reported improved follower count and engagement rates.

 The use of video in content marketing is expected to keep increasing in 2021, providing the ideal opportunity for you and your business to jump on the trend and drive more results! 

 

More data and trends in favor of video marketing

 

Staying up to date with ever-evolving consumer behaviors is essential to keep reaching targeted audiences in impactful ways. And currently, the latest data and trends for 2021 point toward the growing effectiveness of video content.

For the second year in a row, video is the number one multimedia element produced for content marketing. Marketers are creating more videos than ever and people are watching them. Based on Wistia’s data, the number of minutes viewed by consumers has been increasing steadily every year since 2016. In 2020 alone, however, the rise has been astronomical:

 

“People watched 12.2 billion minutes of video last year—that’s 23,211 years worth of content!”– Wistia

 

Not only are people consuming the videos, most of them are also buying the product or service! According to Wyzowl’s survey, 79% of people polled said they were convinced to buy or download a software product or app by watching a video, while 84% said the same regarding the purchase of a product or service.

Clearly, this method is working and people want to see more of this immersive media from brands. So if you are not using video for your content marketing yet, what is holding you back? 

 

Video creation has unlimited possibilities – and it’s easier than ever

 

Historically, businesses have employed video to introduce their brand and product/service formally, but the scope in which this media is used now has tremendously broadened.  

Today, all kinds of marketing videos populate the digital sphere, including brand videos, event videos, expert interviews, educational and explainer videos, animated videos, case studies, live videos, virtual reality videos, and the list goes on. The possibilities are endless and there is no restriction to creative freedom. This offers a unique opportunity for businesses to stand out, communicate with their audience in a personalized way, and ultimately convince the consumer to buy their product or service. 

Many platforms and software have been developed to facilitate video creation, making it increasingly accessible and affordable. Nowadays, the only limitation is truly the businesses’ specific needs!

At Go Local, we believe in videos’ positive impact on your business, from improved user understanding to increased traffic to your website. Crystallize your vision with video content that drives results. Take in our sizzle reel!