The statistics about using video are pretty impressive. Cisco estimates video will make up more than 80 percent of all internet traffic in 2022, a jump from 75 percent in 2017. YouTube claims that more than 1.9 billion people visit it each month, watching billions of hours of video.
Although it’s now become clear that “pivoting to video” and tossing out all other forms of content in favor of video marketing was shortsighted at best, there’s still value to be gained from video creation and video content marketing.
If you’re going to jump into video content marketing, here’s what you need to know and what you can do to get started.
Who’s Watching Videos?
By far, 18- to 34-year-olds make up the biggest segment of the video viewing public. More young adults watch YouTube than TV networks.
Although young adults might be the biggest audience for video, they aren’t the only ones watching. The Pew Research Center found 56 percent of adults over age 50 use YouTube and that a large percentage of people between the ages of 30 and 49 are also using YouTube.
More than 70 percent of people revealed they would rather watch a video to learn about a service or product than read about that product or service. Well over 90 percent of people have watched a video that explains how something works.
Video is the type of content people want to see from brands. More than half of the respondents to a HubSpot survey ranked video as the content they want to see from companies in future.
Who’s Using Videos?
Video isn’t just popular with audiences, it’s also popular with marketers. More than three-quarters of marketers who’ve used video said doing so has helped them increase sales. The same number said video has led to a boost in website traffic. Meanwhile, 80 percent of marketers stated video made people stay on their sites for longer.
What Results Do Videos Produce?
Video not only catches someone’s attention, it produces results for marketers. Here’s a quick look at the type of results you can expect from video:
- More shares: 83 percent of people would share a video they liked with their friends.
- More email opens: If you use the word “video” in an email subject line, people are more likely to open it.
- Increased purchase intent: Nearly 65 percent of people are likely to make a purchase after watching a video about a product.
- Better recall: People remember what they saw in a video better than they can remember what they read.
Where Are People Viewing Video?
YouTube is popular for viewing video, and the vast majority of people who use YouTube are watching videos on mobile devices. But YouTube isn’t the only place where people watch video.
Nearly 70 percent people also watch video on Facebook. Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat also capture a smaller portion of the video-viewing audience.
How to Get Started Using Videos
Want to get started with video content marketing? If you’ve already got a content marketing strategy in place, “pivoting to video,” or adding video to your current content plan, is pretty easy.
If you don’t have a content marketing strategy in place, you can start with video and other forms of content later on, if you’d like.
Here’s what to do:
- Choose a format. You can transform existing content into a video, such as a written how-to guide or customer testimonial.
- Connect with a video pro. If you’re not 100 percent about your skills with a camera, partnering with a content creator or influencer who knows what’s what when it comes to video is the way to go.
- Have a goal. Always know why you’re using video and what you want to get from it.
Choose a way to measure your results. Tracking results goes hand in hand with having a goal. That way, you can see if you’re on track or not
One last thing to keep in mind when using video content marketing: You might have to try a few different styles and formats before you find the one that works for your brand. Once you land on the video that best reflects your brand’s voice and resonates with your audience, you’ll know.
