Since the 2010s, video has become an increasingly important staple of the online browsing experience.

Long gone are the heady days of the late 1990s when it was enough for a business website to have text and a few simple pieces of clipart or primitive graphics. The increasing affordability of broadband Internet download speeds during the 2000s allowed bandwidth-hungry streaming video content to become a part of what people consume online for the first time, leading to the launch and rapid ascent into popularity of Youtube, the leading online video sharing platform to this day.

During the 2010s, broadband access has become universal and speeds have become much higher, allowing many households to stream full high-definition videos where previously they were limited to much lower speeds. Many younger people are now eschewing television and relying entirely on Internet streaming for their home video experience. To project an image as a progressive, vital company in tune with the tastes of the times and in touch with today’s younger generations who make up an important part of the consumer base online, you should aim to have a variety of video content right on your website to supplement your text content.

Videos grab attention

One of the first things to remember about video is that it feeds people’s senses of eyesight and hearing in a way that is much closer to real life than simply reading characters of text on a screen. Video is eye-catching, grabbing people’s attention. It’s also immersive and easy to follow, feeding users’ brains your messaging directly through their eyes and ears without their having to make much of a conscious effort in order to comprehend.

Used judiciously and filmed thoughtfully, video can project a positive, reassuring image of you and your business that fosters trust. It brings you closer to your target market by projecting a lifelike moving image of you together with your authentic voice directly through users’ home computer equipment. The same cannot be said of reams of text on a website by themselves, as they have a much more remote, detached and impersonal feel.

Video content is remembered

People tend to have a good memory for things they have seen or heard in real life, and the same is largely true of video content they have watched, far more than it is for text they have read. This is probably because of the immersive nature of the format.

If you want your messaging not only to be read in the abstract, but also to be remembered and subconsciously registered in people’s brains, then audio voice recording supported by appropriate video footage is a far more powerful tool than traditional text and still pictures are by themselves.

Where Video Marketing’s Used

Video marketing can be used both right on your website and in off-site third-party video-sharing platforms such as Youtube and Vimeo. Vimeo still has a much smaller market share than Youtube, but has significant niche appeal to many businesses for their professional marketing content on account of the lack of third-party advertising and of recommendations for similar content on other people’s channels.

At GWS, we strongly recommend a multi-pronged approach, incorporating both video content on your website (which may be embedded from Vimeo) and an independent Youtube channel. Many people use Youtube as a search engine for interesting, informative video content, so you may well reach potential new customers through a Youtube channel who would otherwise never have found you on your website through regular web search.

Videos can be affordable

The cost of professional video may seem overwhelming if you have a dedicated traditional video production agency in mind. Just thinking how expensive music videos and television commercials could be in the 1980s for those who were prepared to pay for them should be enough for you to realise that the sky is the limit as far as possible marketing budget on video is concerned. Truly, it can cost as much as the budget you are willing to throw at it.

However, there’s absolutely no obligation to spend vast sums on video production these days. Many of the newer niche video marketing companies offer a much more affordable service than the traditional providers, and if you feel up to the technical challenge, you can even film your own videos and post them just as they are, giving a more relaxed, informal feel to the end-product that some customers can find more attractive than any amount of professional polish, and saving you money.

Videos are mobile-friendly

Video can appeal to smartphone users as they able to watch it on the go. While they are commuting or travelling, or whenever they need to fill a small gap of time, the smartphone can be the go-to to watch video.

Video has the power to engage users and keep them engaged for longer than a still image or text piece, so it is an effective way of holding their attention. The longer you can hold a user’s attention for, the more chance your brand of business has of being able to create a memorable moment or relationship with the user.

If your business’s platform can consistently offer the user something they like and enjoy, then they are likely to keep coming back for more. The more they come back, the better the chance of strengthening that relationship and perhaps eventually leading to the use of your service or business.

With the increasing amount of time spent on our smartphones, you would definitely be missing a trick if video was not used to engage.

Videos get shared

Videos have the incredible ability to tell stories, inspire, educate, and make people laugh out loud, along with many other things. If you can crack the successful formula of a great video, it’s likely that it will get shared far and wide. People may share it amongst their friends or on social feeds, and even discuss it in conversations.

This will mean a lot more eyes on your video than you would otherwise have had; and all this sharing and free promotion will help to increase your brand awareness.

Social Media Video Marketing Tips

• Set your budget & goals
• Develop an appealing story
• Stick to a posting schedule
• The ideal video length is 60 seconds
• Select Your social media platforms carefully
• Monitor their success

Video helps your search results

Video can keep people engaged for longer, potentially resulting in them staying on your webpage for longer.

If someone were to navigate to your webpage and was confronted by a whole page of long-form text, unless really interested in the topic or searching for important information, they might be inclined to navigate away from the page almost immediately. Whereas if someone is confronted with a webpage that includes text, images and video, with lots of rich content, they are far more likely to stick around for longer, perhaps watching the video and scrolling through the text.

If you can be successful in getting users to spend a longer time on your pages, this will improve your bounce rate, which Google will look upon favourably, and may boost you in the search rankings.

Video testimonials are believable

With such a wide range of products and services available, and the vast amount of businesses who are all offering a similar prospect, reviews and testimonials have never been more important.

And what is better than a written review or testimonial? A video testimonial. This offers the reviewer the opportunity to be brought to life, and has the power to make the message much more impactful. People relate to people, and if a potential customer can see a real-life customer talking and explaining their positive experience with your business, they will be much more likely to convert.

If you are keen to start thinking about video content for your own business, read our article 'Creating a Storyboard for Your Video Content' for tips on the process. At GWS, we also offer Online Film and Brand Video services if you could use some further help on getting started. We'd be happy to help.