It all started when companies ‘needed’ websites as the internet began to grow around 20 years ago. ‘If you weren’t online, you weren’t in business’, they said, because potential customers couldn’t find you.
Back then, the internet was a much less crowded place and the rational was simple – a quick Google search for the right keywords could put your brand front and center for the world to see. And the end result? Customers galore!
Of course we know today this is not usually the series of events. I’ve had a website for many years and only on a few occasions have people ever reached out directly to me from this site. Most of my clients have come from word of mouth and developing good relationships with people.
While it depends on the type of business, video has since become the next wave of how customers prefer to consume content. It’s not always faster having to watch through a full length video compared to reading a support article for example, but humans are visual creatures. Give them a compelling video including interesting people and content, and it’ll give you the best chance to make a solid connection with your audience.
In a 2017 State of Video Marking Survey, 81% of businesses surveyed saw an increase in a sales through the use of Video Marketing.
And this doesn’t just stop at creating your own content. YouTube influencers for example can have incredible power over their audiences, recommending them products and services to try. In fact, 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations. And this includes me as well!
However, I still think there’s an important case for companies controlling their own marketing message and having their own video promotional and instructional content to match. The influencers are just another way to augment and strengthen the marketing strategy by getting the message out to as many of your demographic as possible by people they trust.
So in case you’re still on the fence about video marketing, I would recommend doing a quick Google search to see some of amazing statistics around this subject. And just like the old adage, if you’re not on video these days, your competition will most likely have the competitive edge when consumers can’t find you or your brand.
