YouTube has grown from hosting five minute cat videos and Fred to being the second-largest search engine in the world. 55% of people watch videos daily, and experts estimate that video content will account for 74% of all online traffic in 2017.
If you haven’t joined the video marketing bandwagon, here’s why you need to jump aboard ASAP.
1. Most Users (Especially On Mobile) Prefer Video Content
We’ve all heard it before- a picture is worth a thousand words. Whether that’s completely true or a bit of hyperbole, we can all agree that pictures and graphics convey a wealth of information. If those impress you, consider this: a video contains thousands of pictures.
You can smoothly incorporate graphics, text, and speech into your videos- condensing enough content to fill a month’s worth of blogs into a few videos. Videos also foster a sense of personal connection and trust, strengthening customer’s brand loyalty.
Despite mobile viewing screens being significantly smaller than a desktop’s, mobile users prefer video ads, and 92% of them regularly share videos with their friends and family. Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter all incorporate features to make video easily shareable– essentially doing the marketing grunt work for you. Just make sure your video entices your viewers to share it.
2. Video Content Skyrockets Your Google SEO Ranking
We’ve talked about Google’s ranking factors before, but we’re going to hone in on one: engaged time. Google tracks your user’s engaged time, or how much time people spend actively viewing your page. This ranking factor was introduced to fight clickbait and other low-quality content.
One of the big downsides to a traditional blog is that 55% of viewers will only spend 15 seconds reading online articles. You don’t want people clicking your links, spending fifteen seconds scanning your content, then moving on. Even if your article is mind-bogglingly good, this signals to Google that your content may not be up to snuff and your ranking will suffer.
Video combats this directly by encouraging users to spend more time on your site. If you have doubts about the power of video, check out the stats: you’re 53 times more likely to appear first on Google if your website contains embedded video.
Since YouTube is now owned by Google, just posting a video there ensures you content will be indexed by the search engine. However, you need to optimize your video for SEO just like you would any other piece of content. Be sure to:
- Write titles that engage the viewer and hit keywords
- Fill the video description with interesting sales copy
- Include a Call-to-Action and links to your website/services
- Ensure you’re creating valuable content for viewers
If you get a well-SEO’d video content stream rolling, you’ll watch your Google search position climb the ranks straight to the top.
3. Video Content Drives Conversion, Sales, And Click-Through Rates Up
You’ve probably seen or heard of product review videos on YouTube. What you may not have heard, is that these videos are a goldmine for both Youtubers and businesses. Conversions increased by 80% on landing pages with embedded videos, and 74% of people who watched a review/explanation product video later purchased the actual product.
Subscribers and customers thrive on personal interaction. That’s why 82% of marketers claim their video marketing is effective, and 60% reported email videos driving click-through rates up. A small update video embedded in your email goes a long way towards building trust.
At FEAD MEdia, we firmly believe that video marketing is the future. If you’re not convinced by us, listen to the 76% of businesses who say video has raised their ROI. If you’re interested in expanding your video presence on YouTube, or your video marketing in general, get in touch.