The discovery of motion-picture technology in the late 19th century quite literally changed our perception of the world. Whereas previously visual arts presented objects from the perspective of the human eye, photography and later cinematography allowed for the creation of pictures from infinitely many points of view, thanks to the mobility of the camera. This made photographs and films an endless source of fascination, and their mechanical means of reproduction opened them up for far-reaching commercial use as well.
People’s fascination with motion-pictures is showing no signs of stopping in the 21st century. If anything, it is becoming something of an obsession thanks to online means of distribution. Modern-day marketing experts were quick to notice the potential of online video for promotional purposes, which explains the upsurge in popularity of video-marketing in recent years. Understanding how to leverage video marketing to promote your brand is essential for any modern business, which is why we have prepared a short primer on the topic which you can find before you.
Theory
The first question we need to ask is why video marketing works as well as it does? The first piece of the puzzle lies in human physiology. Our perceptual system is focused on visual perception in general, and on the observance of motion in particular. This means that we are hard-wired to pay attention to movements in our environment, whether they are on the screen or in the real world.
The second piece can be found in a video as a vehicle for delivering information. A video is simultaneously capable of presenting visual images, their transformation over time into different images, and potentially audio information as well such as sounds and music. This enhanced capacity for holding information allows for relatively seamless embedding of promotional content.
The final piece lies in the fact that video content saves on interpretation time. The multi-channel nature means that whichever channel we focus on, the rest will function as a frame of reference for figuring out what we are perceiving. This is what makes videos so easy to consume, digest, and swallow the marketing message in the process.
Statistics
If you are more practically minded, there are plenty of statistics to back up the claim that video marketing is the way of the future. A cursory glance at the history of TV ads, cartoons as toy commercials, and product placement in movies, should have already clued you in that video marketing is proven to work, but some additional proof wouldn’t hurt.
In 2017, online video content accounted for 74% of total web traffic. Data also suggests that there are more than 3.5 billion people browsing online, which gives us an audience of 2.5 billion for video content alone. No other form of content has ever had this amount of reach in history.
Video content generates 12x times more shares on social media than textual content and images combined. The potential of a particular video to go viral across the globe is greater than a presidential tweet. Just imagine combining the two.
Having video content on a landing page raises the odds of it being the number one result on a relevant SERP by 53%. With the acquisition of YouTube in 2006, Google gave us a hint that online video is going to be huge in the future, and recent statistics show that they were right.
Opinions
Theory and numbers might not convince you, but the opinions of marketing experts might.
In a survey done by Wyzowl, 94% of businesses reported that video is one of the most effective promotional tools at their disposal. 83% of the companies in question also reported that video provides a good return on investment, with 81% of them claiming that they saw an increase in sales.
Another study by the Aberdeen Group claims that video marketers get 66% more leads per year, as well as a 54% increase in brand awareness.
Testimonials such as these are an indication that the importance of video is being recognized by businesses worldwide. The increased availability of corporate video production services is another sign that industry experts are only starting to explore the full potential of video for marketing purposes.
Conclusion
Video content has seen a meteoric rise in popularity in recent decades, and the trend is showing no signs of stopping. There is little doubt that video is an effective form of marketing, so the sooner businesses get on with the times and start producing video content, the better their rewards will be in terms of brand awareness, profits, and market dominance.