Guest Post: How Video Marketing Can Add Value to Your Business

Video has come a long way from the era of TV commercials to the present day of Youtube, TikTok, Vimeo and Instagram reels. And it’s here to stay. Want to know how to add video marketing to your business and what it might do for you if you do? Read on!

What is Video Marketing?

Video Marketing is all about promoting your product or service through the use of video content. Video content comes in different forms: explainer videos, tutorial videos, product demos, product reviews, live streams, vlogs. Which ones you will use depends on the stage of your buyers:

1. Awareness stage: how-to videos, FAQ videos;
2. Consideration stage: explainer videos, company showcase videos;
3. Conversion stage: customer testimonials, case studies, product demos, products reviews.

Why is video marketing more important than ever?

Online videos will account for 82% of all consumer Internet traffic in 2022, up from 73% in 2017 (Cisco). 86% of businesses already use video as a marketing tool and 88% of people would like to see more video from brands in 2022. So is it worth it to invest time and money in videos? We can’t think of any other answer than: yes, very much so!

Here are 5 reasons why video marketing became paramount for eCommerce brands:

1. Trust is built through video

   Through video, brands can connect with their target audience on an emotional level. Emotion is the driving force behind purchasing decisions and decision-making in general, so by getting people to like you and trust you, you are raising your chances of winning more customers.

2. Video improves SEO

   Because search engines regard videos as high-quality content, using them can help your SEO tremendously. It goes without saying that they need to be properly optimized by using the right keywords, a compelling meta description and a strong title.

3. Video keeps visitors on your site for longer

   According to Wyzowl, 82% of marketers say video has helped them increase dwell time, which makes total sense when you think about the fact that video has the power to capture the viewer’s attention for a longer period of time. One thing to keep in mind though is the type of content you choose to post and where, because video in itself can only do so much if it’s not relevant and well positioned. For example, a product demo on your product pages will get you better results and engage your customers more than a company culture video.

4. Video boosts engagement

   Customer engagement should be a top priority for any eCommerce business.

   A report from Wyzowl shows us that when asked how they’d most like to learn about a product or service, 73% of people said they’d prefer to watch a short video, in comparison to only 11% who’d rather read a text-based article, website or post. So it’s pretty clear that Video stars in a crushing win over Text.

5. Video brings your audience closer to an in-store experience

   There’s no denying that the in-store experience is impossible to beat, but you can come very close to that with the help of videos, which convey more information through sight, sound, and emotion than words or images alone.

   94% of marketers say video has helped them increase their understanding of a product or service, Wyzowl also points out, so for those who prefer the comfort of their home, video is the best you can offer for an engaging and interactive experience.

Now that we’ve established the importance of video, let’s go on to determine the next thing we promised we’ll talk about:

How to leverage your videos

Video Marketing can boost the effectiveness of your email and SMS campaigns. Also, the usage of videos on your website and landing pages can directly increase engagement and conversions.

Email campaigns

Every day we are bombarded with emails from all directions, so the million dollar question is how do you stand out from the crowd?

By using video in your email campaigns, you can boost click-through rates, conversions, and brand awareness, all while communicating to your audience in an entertaining and engaging way. Even open rates can be increased just by adding “video” to the subject line, according to research. The reason is that people are genuinely curious and on top of that, very busy. So they will always prefer a 30 seconds video over a 7 minute article.

Capture their attention with short and enjoyable stories like a customer’s positive experience with the brand or a new product demo or even a warm holiday video that offers a special promotion.

SMS campaigns

The advantage SMS has over Emails is that their open rate reaches 98% compared to the latter, which makes them an excellent medium of communication with the customers.

Adding a link to a 15-30 seconds video in your SMS campaign can only improve the recipient’s experience, avoiding the possibility of a monotonous message.

Social media campaigns

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, said that “Video is driving an immense amount of growth online for all the major platforms right now.” Brands may use video on social media to exhibit products in a dynamic fashion, giving context that is nearly impossible to create with a single photograph.

Creating a Video Marketing Strategy

For starters, having a strategy can ensure an engaging and mobile-friendly experience. Try to be genuine and always tell a story. We, humans, looove stories.

Next thing to consider is that at the end of the day, all the video content you are sharing online is not living life to its true potential. It’s true that customers can watch it, enjoy it, share it, but what about the elephant in the room? They can’t directly buy from it.

We can’t help but wonder what happens when they decide to buy? What’s the journey they take? Could the way back to your website be too long and full of temptations? We are afraid so.

But our partners at VideoWise, the leading shoppable video solution on Shopify, can solve this problem. With their help, you are able to add shoppable features to your existing video content and instantly embed the videos in your Shopify store or incorporate them in your email or SMS marketing campaigns using VideoWise’s shareable links.