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Henrik Ibsen once said that, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” As humans we know this to be true because we so easily relate to visual imagery. Now take this one step further. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what’s video content worth? A billion words? A trillion?
In the last few years, online video consumption has become the most dominant form of communication. Videos aren’t just viewed on YouTube or your favorite social media platforms anymore. Now they are often embedded on countless business websites in order for organizations to take full advantage of this influential digital marketing strategy.
Is your business using video content? If it isn’t, it should be and here’s why.
Why Your Site Needs Video Now!
We all know the internet is changing constantly, but did you know that it is changing our behaviors too? For instance, the internet has changed how we all consume information. Over the past few years, Americans have shifted from content readers to content viewers. Fewer and fewer of us are taking the time to read lengthy text online, choosing rather to watch a video on the same information.
According to Statistica, the most popular online activities include: text messaging, checking email, and, you guessed it, watching videos. As of the writing of this article, there were 239 million U.S. digital video viewers online.
In fact, more than ⅓ of all online activity is spent watching videos!
This behavior shift has caused some rather remarkable changes in how businesses have begun to organize and format their websites in order to reach more viewers, keep them on the page longer, and ultimately convert those leads into loyal consumers.
#1 – Videos Are How Users Consume Content
Did you know that the average internet user has increased their video watch time from 88 minutes per day to 100? That is a sizable increase in consumption of videos! Furthermore, by 2022, internet videos will comprise more than 82% of total consumer internet traffic.
Along with the dramatic growth in video consumption, there is the matter of attention span of viewers to take into account. In 2000, Microsoft conducted a study measuring how long people can focus on one thing for a specific amount of time. The results showed the average person’s attention span was 12 seconds.
That means your business has 12 short seconds to catch your viewer’s attention!
In addition to the short attention span of the people browsing the internet, many of us tend to want to consume information in the most efficient way possible. Watching a video rather than reading content seems like the most efficient way.
Therefore, visitors to your business site are much more apt to engage with videos than with static text. Visual content is essential to keeping viewers on your page and interested in your services or products.
#2 – Video Can Improve your SEO
Videos can give your business a major edge with search engines. For example, YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. Guess who owns YouTube? You got it, Google, the largest search engine!
If you create an optimized YouTube channel where all your videos are located (even if you have the video embedded on your actual website) you will have a built-in advantage for your company to have an increased presence in Google’s search engine results page. Take advantage of this and add keywords for the video title, descriptions, and tags and you could see an additional SEO boost.
Another reason why video is great for SEO is that it keeps visitors on your site longer. How long a visitor stays on a page is an important factor in how well a page ranks in search results. The longer the visit, the more important Google thinks the webpage is. Therefore, if your viewer is absorbed in a video, they will stay on your site longer and improve your overall SEO ranking.
#3 – Video Delivers a Cohesive Message
Unless your website visitors are speed readers and can absorb your website content quickly, you may not be getting your marketing message across clearly.
By creating videos about your business, team members, testimonials, or even product demonstration on your service or products, you have a much better chance of getting your brand’s messaging across to video viewers than you do to a text reader.
Video should not necessarily replace your content, but rather complement the content by allowing visitors to choose what way they will digest your website’s information.
#4 – Video Gives Your Company Personality
What better way to stand out from your competition than to have videos of your team members and workplace to connect with your target audience! Your online videos can show off your company culture and, more importantly, the personalities behind the name brand. Video can quickly make your business come to life in a tangible way.
Not only can your videos show off a side of your business that doesn’t come across very easily on a website, but all of those videos can be shareable across your social media platforms. When you create original video content about your products, services, or insider information about industry, your social media is maximized because you’re driving people to your content and your site, rather than away from your site.
What Types of Videos Should You Put On Your Website?
Now that you have a better sense of how many people are actually watching videos online and the benefits that they could bring to your company, you may be wondering what kinds of videos you should put up on your site.
Here are a few examples that may get you started.
- Case Studies – An indepth look at an issue, challenge, or specific problem that faces people in your industry. Videos of this type can explain the cause of the problem, explore how your business solved it, and go deeper into your procedures for doing that. Case studies can also put a face to the type of work you do.
- Testimonials – There’s nothing better than when a satisfied client puts into words how your business helped them. Non-scripted, natural sounding testimonials are pure gold! They are real-life proof that your organization does what is promised in its marketing campaigns.
- Product or Service Demonstrations – A demonstration of your services or products gives your potential consumers a first hand look at what you do and how you do it. Studies show that consumers are 64% more likely to buy a product after they have watched a video about it.
- How-To Videos – Similar to demonstrations, these videos can give more detailed information about how to fix a problem or issue that involves your business.
- Insider Tips & Tricks – Everyone loves getting insider tips especially when those tips are actually useful in real life. In fact, these are some of the most shared videos on social media.
- Team Member Introductions – If your organization requires close collaboration between clients and your team members, a video introducing your team can build trust and understanding about who you are as a company. This is basically an “About Us” page in video form that helps show off your company culture and personality.
Now, more than ever before, attracting and engaging visitors to your site is paramount to the success of your marketing efforts. Viewers are looking for fast, creative ways to learn about you and your business. Videos can provide yet another way to access information about your products, services, team members, and your brand.