Why Video?

  • YouTube — is the second most popular search engine on the web.
  • 80% — of internet users now watch videos online on a regular basis.  People have a strong preference for video over written text and will stay on your site longer if you have it.
  • Video — is now mainstream on the net and customers are coming to expect it.  Adding moving visuals animates a website and creates a more engaging customer experience.  Video can tell a story or sell a message like no other medium.

Aaron Aigus summarizes why online video is so important on his blog, LouderOnline – 16 Facts about video marketing that will keep you up at night

16 facts about video marketing that will keep you up at night

16 facts about video marketing that will keep you up at night

1. YOUTUBE—A SEARCH ENGINE?
YouTube is the number two search engine in the world. Not Bing. Not Yahoo. But YouTube.

2. INCREASE UNDERSTANDING
Videos increase people’s understanding of your product or service by 74%. If you have a complicated product, or you’re just trying to raise awareness of a new innovation, videos can help customers grasp new concepts.

3. MORE INFORMATION
26% of Internet users look for more information after viewing a video ad. If it’s a well-targeted ad that lasts in the consumer’s mind, it’ll generate more views.

4. BETTER MEMORY
80% of Internet users remember the video ads they watch online. This statistic really stands out to me because the web has become a chaotic, clustered place, and as a result, getting customers to remember your brand has become a daunting challenge.

5. MORE WILLING TO WATCH
80% of your online visitors will watch a video, while only 20% will actually read content in its entirety. Even highly involved customers won’t take the time to finish reading your content. When customers aren’t personally invested in your product or service yet, video is a good way to still get their attention.

6. VLOGGING
Blog posts incorporating video attract three times as many inbound links as blog posts without video—in case you needed another reason to try incorporating video into your normal posting schedule.

7. 1 MINUTE
45% of viewers will stop watching a video after 1 minute and 60% by 2 minutes. You don’t have a lot of time to make your point, so plan each second carefully. Every moment in your video should have a purpose.

8. SHORTER THE BETTER
Videos 15 seconds or shorter are shared 37% more often than those that last between 30 seconds to a minute. Truly—the shorter the better. Respect your customers’ time and be as concise as possible.

9. EXTRA VISITS
75% of users visit the marketer’s website after viewing a video. It’s always challenging trying to find new ways to interest customers. Videos can pull customers into your website.

10. MOBILE MANIA
Mobile users will watch a video anywhere from 2.4 to 5 minutes. While I just used the last two points to touch on the importance of keeping video lengths manageable, there is a place for longer videos, and it turns out, mobile users are more than willing to consume longer videos.

11. DATA TRENDS
Two-thirds of the world’s mobile data traffic will be video by 2016. That’s less than two years away, and two-thirds is a large chunk of data. You need to have a mobile video presence by that time.

12. INTRODUCTORY EMAILS
An introductory company email that includes a video receives an increase in click-through rate by 96%. That first contact with customers after they sign up for your email list is so important. You don’t want to waste it.

13. EXECUTIVE’S LOVE VIDEO TOO
75% of executives told Forbes they watch work-related videos on business websites at least once a week. Talk about a great tool for B2B businesses. Video is an effective way to share valuable information and insight with other professionals.

14. AVERAGE SITE DURATION
The average user spends 88% more time on a website with video. Not only do videos attract more click-throughs, they also do a pretty good job of keeping customers interested in your offerings.

15. COMEDY CLUB
Comedy is the most popular form of online video content among all viewers (39%). No secret here—people love to laugh. They love to be entertained, and if you can entertain them, you’ll build brand loyalty. People protect what they like.

16. INCREASING INVESTMENT
76% of marketers plan to increase their use of video marketing, making it the top area marketers will invest in for 2014. Now is the time to get your team together to start developing a video marketing strategy. The longer you wait, the less of an impact your strategy will have.