Video marketing is no longer a medium of the future, only available to those with large marketing budgets. This method of communicating has taken the industry by storm, fed by a demand for video content from consumers. As of 2020, 92% of surveyed marketers report that video plays an important role in their overall strategy. And, 72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video (HubSpot).  It’s important to understand that by incorporating video, marketers are simply responding to audience behaviors.

Research indicates that by 2021, the average person will spend approximately 100 minutes a day (every day!) watching online videos. It is time to elevate the strategy on how your brand is showing up in this space, setting out to not only increase brand awareness, but to turn potential customers into loyal customers.

As our expert team is finalizing 2021 media plans for our clients in legal marketing, tourism/hospitality, healthcare, auto dealership, consumer packaged goods and more, we believe that video marketing must have a role in today’s media strategy. It’s fun, easy to consume, and offers an engaging opportunity for brands to connect with prospective customers. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning your video marketing strategy.

Short and Practical

Video marketing statistics reveal that 66% of marketing videos were 30 seconds long in Q3 of 2019. In Q3 of 2018, 30-second videos accounted for 55% of video ads. This growth in usage is indicative of the 30-second length being ideal when developing video marketing content. Of course, there are always exceptions – sometimes a video needs to be longer to thoroughly convey its message, or a very short video may suffice if the content is straightforward. When planning your video marketing content, keep in mind that studies have shown 33% of viewers will stop watching a video after 30 seconds, 45% by one minute, and 60% by two minutes (AdAge). With today’s consumers having such limited attention spans, it is key to focus on providing a core message at the beginning of your video, and to early on showcase material that improves your audience’s lives or solves their problems in some ways. Your goal should be to win people over first rather than driving conversions from the get-go, offering video as a support for your sales team.

Content Buckets

Brands have unlimited options on the type of video content they can create for their desired audiences, and social media has taught us that our audiences are growing more comfortable with production value that falls short of top of the line. What does this mean? Your brand does not have to spend big budgets on video material, as consumers are used to seeing more casual, yet highly creative content. Some of our favorite content categories for brands include:

• Testimonial videos from authentic customers establish credibility that influences purchasing behavior.
• Brand videos communicate info about your established brand, showcasing your values and purpose.
• Product and services videos, as well as tutorials, offer your brand a chance to educate consumers about your products.

It is important to remember that most videos are not likely leading to direct sales. They are support for your brand to connect with and drive prospects further down the sales funnel. They’re also great tools for service teams to support and delight customers with, creating a more thorough, personalized customer support experience.

Digital Visibility

We’ve learned that brands with a robust video marketing strategy achieve a higher visibility than brands without. A website with a video is 53 times more likely to come up on the first page result on Google than the exact same page without video (Forrester Research). Plus, users spend 88% more time browsing on websites that have video. It can also help boost your open rates for email marketing campaigns. For example, video marketing statistics show that including the word “video” in an email subject line can boost open rates by 19%. Statistic s also reveal the major impact video can have on engagement. For example, tweets that feature video content yield 10 times as much engagement as tweets without.

This dynamic media tool allows marketers to capture the attention of an audience to a greater degree than they could if they relied on less eye-catching content. With a strategic marketing plan in place, using video to drive brand awareness and sales is proving to be a “win” for brands across every industry. If you’re interested in growing your share of the video marketplace, contact Morgan & Co. today. Our digital marketing team is ready to help your business succeed in 2021.