YouTube boasts over a billion users watching over a million hours of content each day – that’s pretty impressive. A lot of these users are in Australia, with 1 in 2 Australians using Youtube in August 2017. In that month alone, a staggering 15.6 million Australians viewed YouTube videos, that’s an increase of 1.6 million since January 2016. Clearly YouTube has a huge marketing advantage over other social media platforms.

Facebook marginally beats Youtube when it comes to user numbers, however, both of these are clear winners against any other social media platform in Australia. Youtube is and always has been a video-based platform. Facebook may be a late starter to the game when it comes to video capability, but it is putting up a good fight with its live stream capabilities. It’s a well-known fact that our brains prefer visual content, so no matter what the platform, video marketing is clearly the way forward.

Not convinced yet? Here are seven reasons why you should be using videos as part of your digital marketing strategy.

Boost your conversion rates and ROI

Showing people a video of your product in action is the next best thing to them actually coming into your store and trying it for themselves. It allows them to easily view the benefits and use of your product without ever having to leave the comfort of their home. Adding a product video to a landing page has been shown to boost conversion rates. Videos are cheap to create and animation software availability makes it increasingly accessible to even the smallest business, making them a good return on investment.

Google loves video

Google loves videos, and not just because Google owns YouTube (although that is worth noting), but because videos are good for SEO. Embedding your YouTube video within your website will boost your exposure and bounce rate because people will stay longer on your website to watch it. It also directs traffic directly to your site rather than to the YouTube platform. Google also uses YourTube within its search results when it is asked a ‘how to’ question.

Appeals to mobile phone users

What was once done on a computer is now being done on Mobile phones and this includes watching videos. With improved global internet coverage and mobile phones that are designed to play high quality videos, people are increasingly watching videos on the go. This means that having video content will help appeal to these Mobile Phone Users.

Build consumer trust

Videos demonstrate transparency. This is especially relevant if you use them for testimonials or to tell your story and showcase your business’s ethics and values. For example, you may include a video focusing on a customer and the success he/she has achieved by using your product. This can help to increase the authenticity of your product and make it more relatable to your audience. This also relates to the first point we made, if people can see a product in action they are more likely to purchase it. A Facebook live video could showcase life behind the business, creating trust between your business and potential customers.

Boosts engagement (via shares)

People share emotions more than facts. So if something is funny, entertaining, or moving, it will get shared. This happens more with video than any other form of content because videos are easier for users to like, share and distribute. Of course this doesn’t mean your videos have to go viral, but they can be used to help create engagement with your audience, as social shares can help to increase your website traffic.

Provides value (how to’s)

Providing value is an important factor in content marketing. Sharing knowledge in the form of ‘how to’s’ has been shown to be hugely successful. Therefore, using a video to educate your audience can be an extremely powerful tool. If somebody doesn’t know how to do something and they have internet access they will ‘Google it’. If you type ‘YouTube’ along with the thing you want to know about- instead of directing you to YouTube- Google will provide a list of YouTube videos in its own search result.

Content conveyed clearly (launch, product uses and description)

Explainer videos are highly popular when used in relation to new product launches. An example of this is an animation video. Animation videos are a simple and effective way of engaging and explaining a concept, procedure, product or service.

With year on year growth, video marketing is something your business should consider in its content marketing strategy. A video doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive to make and if you’re uncomfortable with being on camera then consider an animation video. Either way, it’s a trend you don’t want to miss. If you need any assistance with your video marketing strategy, contact our team at Lauren Benedetti.

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