`
The rapid evolution of the digital world including digital media continues today with a growing move into more video content over what traditionally may have been limited to text and graphics. From iPads to phones, more and more people are streaming videos daily to get news, learn new things, look things up, or for entertainment. This opens up a vast array of new opportunities for those in content marketing- and one that should not be neglected by any forward-thinking marketing professional. As the costs of digital technology continue to fall, it will become of vital importance to embrace this space.
As consumers increasingly expect and demand video content, it will be very important for SEO (search engine optimization) service providers to fall in line in order to continue to be effective. Video marketing is a valuable, relevant, and flexible medium in today’s online world. Data by HubSpot highlights the importance that it currently plays and where recent trends might take it in years to come. Their data projects that video will account for an astounding 80% of web traffic by 2019- only two years away! Retrospective database analyses show that add a video to marketing emails can increase CTR (click-through rate) by 2 to 3 times the baseline. Even simply embedding videos into your web page content can increase conversion rates by 80%.
To go a bit further and look at the actual impact on revenue, survey data show that 90% of customers say that videos help them make purchasing decisions. Youtube has said that their mobile video consumption has consistently doubled year-over-year and they expect that trend to continue in coming years. More than half of customers also are more likely to actually buy a product after they see a video of it. As a result of all of these facts, online marketers are increasingly turning to video content to carry out their digital marketing strategies. Aside from product promotion, videos can also be used for advertisements- a bigger revenue source for many top content creators on Youtube. This may be more in line with what SEO experts for content-based websites are looking to venture into.
As the video continues to permeate the world wide web, search engines like Google are increasingly updating their algorithms to account for the role that videos play on website content. This can be important to consider when building out a well-balanced content development strategy for your web pages. Putting relevant videos on the site can not only potentially generate revenue but also count as valuable content which might help you rank better. It may also lead to more engagement and web page view time from your visitors so there is little downside. The one consideration is that you should try to have some other content from just the video on the page. Too many videos can also be harmful if it slows download times too much. You should always do a benefit-risk assessment when you are considering adding video to your web pages.
When you are considering the benefits, one thing to think about is the impact it will have on your brand. Video content has been shown to improve brand recall, which can pay dividends not only in terms of increasing the value of your brand but making it a standard for something which can keep customers coming back. The visual and auditory nature of videos is unparalleled in its ability to create this connection with potential users. When they see the video or something that reminds them of it, they will think about your brand. If the video is particularly well done, they may even share it with friends or on social media which can have a viral and synergistic effect. One of the important things here is to of course make sure your videos are of the highest quality possible in order to attract viewers, shares, and likes. This means making it as memorable as possible and having high production value. The colors, fonts, logos, and voice should be consistent with your website and your brand in general. It should really all be one cohesive piece that speaks to your company or website rather than a number of deliverables which are separate and just thrown onto the same webpage. The style and format of a video go a long way here.
In addition to these tips for video marketing tips, think about potentially using landing pages which can easily improve your company’s SEO value and also increase conversions for your ultimate consumer prompt. One of the important things to remember when designing landing pages or pages on which videos exist is to make sure that they will appear professionally and as you want them to across the wide range of device sizes and types out there. This means that it should work just as well on that Samsung S4 as it does on the latest and greatest iPad or laptop. Responsive design can help you accomplish this and is a growing attribute of importance in Google’s own algorithms as it recognizes the vast variance in types of devices that people use to access the web. User-friendliness is the ultimate goal here for both you and the search engines.
An information rich website with quality videos and consistent branding across all web pages, social media websites, videos, and all content can go a very long way in developing a brand and having a great marketing impact. These are really almost going to become fundamentals for websites and businesses in particularly competitive niches so it is important to stay on top of the curve and make sure you have the right set of deliverables to uphold and communicate the value of your company. The video advertising business is growing alongside the popularity of videos with companies like Headspace leading the way with more interactive and user engaging ad formats which keep watchers listening and watching and in turn increases conversion rates for the advertisers. You want to position your website and videos to attract these advertisers.
