3 Ways Avoiding Video Marketing Is Hurting Your Strategy
April 10th, 2017
by Megan Prangley
Are you one of the businesses who still isn’t producing video content for your website or social media channels? You’re not alone; some organizations worry that video marketing is just a passing trend, that it’s too expensive to keep up with, or that their target audience isn’t even watching them.
These common misconceptions could do you and your organization a huge disservice. Any sized company across all verticals, even manufacturing, can benefit from even a few simple, thirty-second videos. If you’re afraid to take the leap into video, you’re missing out on the many intrinsic rewards. Keep reading for some of the ways your business is suffering due to a lack of video content.
SEO Opportunities
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is an ever-present struggle for small businesses. Doesn’t it feel like as soon as you understand it, the rules change? Google just keeps advancing and leaving your website in the dust, but did you know video content can help improve your SEO?
While on-page text is still crucial for SEO, video content is a new way to compliment your SEO efforts. Videos are far more capable of developing their own momentum as a marketing tool, versus something like a blog that takes a fair amount of resharing and babysitting to get views. Digiday reports that videos posted to major media outlets’ Facebook pages receive an average of 7 times the number of shares as article links. That means your branded video is likely viewed and shared more than your blogs, improving your SEO. Make sure you use a keyword-rich title and description to enhance this marketing tool even further.
When you opt-out of video content, you’re missing out this great SEO tool that’s sure to bring your website some much-needed buzz, shares, interactions, and more.
Social Engagement
Any SMB owner knows that social media plays a huge role into how people research and buy in today’s world. Your social media presence, posting new content, and responding to your followers is a huge part of being a successful business. Adding video content to your social media and website not only helps with SEO, but it also builds brand awareness and engages your target audience.
No matter what social site you’re on, it’s pretty evident that video is dominating content. When scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. videos are prevalent and shared among networks at a much higher rate than blogs. By posting a video online, you’re opening up content for sharing that can have a profound effect on your brand, especially if your video goes viral. Without interesting video content, you’re missing out on these valuable views.
According to HubSpot, 92% of mobile video audiences share videos. Chances are your target persona has a cell phone, and reaching them where they are the most is a smart way to build traction. Almost everyone loves video content, from teenagers to baby boomers, and that includes your ideal buyer personas. For proof, YouTube reaches more 18-34 and 18-49 year-olds than any cable network in the U.S. You’re better off promoting video content online nowadays instead of the old-school method of airing commercials on TV.
When you create a targeted video that speaks directly to your audience, you increase your brand loyalty, trust, sales, conversions, and more. Video on your social channels is not only attractive, but it’s becoming expected. Without high-quality brand videos, you’re missing out on the potential for social engagement, and you’re giving the impression that your business isn’t as tech-savvy as your competitors, not an impression you want to make!
Selling Products and Services
Video content can be a popular selling tool for your sales team. Did you know 59% of senior executives report they prefer video when both text and video are available on the same topic? Adding video to pitches, emails, and landing pages helps you convert, and in some cases, actually sell more!
Smart marketers know the majority of the visitors to their website aren’t ready to make a buying decision and will require some nurturing. Did you know nurtured leads produce, on average, a 20% increase in sales opportunities versus non-nurtured leads? Video content like product demos and testimonials helps to educate your leads until they’re ready to make a buying decision. Since video is proving to be the most popular type of content that’s both heavily shared and digested, it makes sense to use it for better selling and lead nurturing.
Without testimonials, product demonstrations, and product reviews, you’re missing out on the chance to educate your buyer in the medium they prefer, as well as where they spend the most time. That makes a compelling argument in favor of video marketing.
West Michigan businesses can experience tremendous benefit from utilizing video content within their marketing strategies. Creating and investing in a video for your inbound marketing campaign provides a serious leg-up and could potentially be one of the best marketing investments you can make.
by Megan Prangley
Megan is a social media enthusiast and marketing manager at ManoByte, a Grand Rapids based inbound marketing company and proud HubSpot Platinum partner. When she’s not blogging about social media best practices, advice and tips, Megan is usually found enjoying a tall glass of craft beer downtown.
Thank you Megan for preparing this post and being an enthusiastic guest blogger for the AMA West Michigan!