In the pre-digital period, companies mainly used traditional media channels such as radio, print advertising, television, and billboards. While companies still had to compete for their target audience’s attention, it was much easier to maintain. 

In this digital world, however, that has dramatically changed. The average consumer is exposed to a plethora of content per day throughout a variety of channels. From traditional advertising to online and native advertising, it’s harder to compete for a consumer’s attention. 

With the amount of content available, it’s not hard to see why video marketing is so popular these days. Not only does it come in an easily digestible format, but it also gives us a break from the abundance of textual information out there. With the right messaging, video marketing can also help cut through the noise and reach your intended audience easily. 

Why video? 

Video is not only a versatile content format, but it’s also engaging and easy to share across a range of various platforms. Consumers tend to favor videos as they’re easy to digest and can be both entertaining and engaging. When appropriately incorporated into your strategy, video marketing can also provide a sizable return on investment (ROI) through many channels. 

What is video marketing? 

Whether you’re new to digital marketing entirely or just looking to learn more about video marketing in particular, it helps to know that digital marketing encompasses all marketing that is done online. Video marketing is a subset of digital marketing, and an important one at that! It involves companies creating video content that is concise, informative, and engaging in order to capture an audience’s attention and convert those leads. 

Some reasons why businesses do video marketing include: 

  • Introduce and promote their current product or service offering 
  • Increase engagement on their digital channels and social media 
  • Educate their consumers
  • Reach their target audience through a new medium 

What makes good video content? 

While it might be tempting to create a wide range of video content, a crucial component of a successful video content strategy is to have a solid understanding of why you’re creating these videos in the first place. Some questions to consider include: 

  • Who’s your target audience? 
  • What type of channels are you going to post the video to? 
  • What’s the goal of these videos? 
  • What type of messaging do you want to communicate? 

Only by keeping these questions in mind will you create video content that’s relevant to your target audience and the channels where you plan to disseminate it. 

What are the types of videos that can be used for online marketing? 

There are a few different types of videos that you can create for online marketing. These videos can be used at different stages of the customer journey. Some examples include: 

  • Demo videos: Showcase how your products work, be it a software or a physical product
  • Brand videos: Build brand awareness and showcase your company’s vision, product, or services
  • Event videos: If your company is hosting an event, you can create an event video with a highlight reel or showcase interesting presentations.
  • Interviews: Conversations with experts within your company or thought leaders in your industry. Having interview videos is a fantastic way to build authority and a sense of confidence with your audience.
  • Explainer videos: Help your target audience better understand why they need your particular product or service.
  • Animated videos: When you’re trying to explain a concept that might otherwise be hard to grasp, animated videos are a great way to get your message across.
  • Case studies/ customer testimonials: Real customers are your best advocates, so there’s nothing like having a case study video featuring your satisfied and loyal customers.
  • Live videos: Give your audience a unique behind-the-scenes look at your company, which can potentially result in high engagement rates.
  • Virtual reality videos: Up-and-coming technology that allows your audience to see content from every angle and immerse themselves in a location or event
  • How does video marketing enhance digital marketing efforts? 

With digital marketing, there are typically two objectives – traffic and conversion. By using the right videos in digital marketing, you’ll be able to achieve both objectives quickly.

Traffic 

According to Cisco, by 2021, over 80% of internet traffic will consist of videos. Search engines like Google love videos and view them as high-quality content, so they’re much more likely to reach the front page of search results. Using videos in various types of content and on your main web pages can do wonders for your website’s SEO and direct more traffic to your website. 

Conversion 

Video marketing can also help with conversion as 90% of consumers claim that video can help them with their purchasing decisions. It’s a good idea to place videos on your landing pages. Videos are also great to have on your website as they increase engagement – especially with individuals who aren’t big readers. 

Video marketing in digital marketing

Video is one of the most popular forms of content globally, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. In an impersonal digital world, videos are not only engaging, they’re also fun and an excellent way to engage your audience and introduce them to your business, product, or service. 

If you’ve already got a digital marketing strategy in place for your company, video is something you’ll want to throw into the mix. By incorporating video marketing into your digital marketing strategy, you’ll not only direct more traffic to your website and convert your audience, but it’s also a more meaningful form of content that will help set you apart from your competitors.