Video. Yes, it’s everywhere. You aren’t just imagining it. And users are watching more than ever before. A recent stat from Cisco suggests that in 2019, 80 percent of all content consumed online will be video.
Well, that time is here, so it’s important to start thinking about how can start utilizing video this year if you haven’t already. If you need somewhere to start, here’s my take on three of the biggest benefits of video.
Video is a Great Way to Tell an Engaging Story
Video allows brands to more easily tell a story about a product or service in a way that’s intriguing to users. It gives audiences a way to feel more emotionally connected to what a brand is portraying. In addition, storytelling is the future of content marketing. As WordStream reported in July 2018, users watch more than 500 million hours of videoson YouTube each day. This is a breathtaking number and speaks to the trend of video only increasing as a way people prefer to consume media.
Video Creates More Engagement on Social Media
As users are scrolling through various social media channels, they are more likely to stop and engage with a post that contains video. According to Wordstream, 82 percent of Twitter users watch video content on Twitter, and 45 percent of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos per week. Again, according to CISCO, social video generates 1,200 percent more shares than text and images combined.
Our team at Meld has seen this to be true in our own testing of video. We are utilizing Facebook Live with our clients more than ever. Through this, we are seeing a large increase in video views, reach, and engagement—even beyond the live event. There are many different ways to leverage Facebook Live. Whether this is through sharing Q&As, showcasing new products, posting live video case studies, or keeping your audience informed of what’s happening in your industry, the possibilities are endless.
Video is Good for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Once video has been implemented on your website, you’ll likely notice an increase in your SEO rankings. Why? Users spend more time on your website because they are watching your videos, which tells search engines that your content is valuable. The more time they spend on your site, the higher SEO rankings you’ll receive.
According to SEO Hacker, in addition to implementing new videos, it’s important to take a look at older videos on your site to see which videos are performing the best. This will provide insight into which types of videos you should make content for moving forward. It will also allow you to update the title, description, keywords, relevant links, tags, etc.
If a video is not performing well, we recommend taking a look at Google Analytics and data from a heat map tool.
When looking at the data these tools provide, it’s important to analyze the bounce rate, time spent on the page, any specific point in the video where most people stop watching, and if there is a point on the page that people stop scrolling.
These insights will show you where you need to make adjustments: content, quality, length, title, etc.
How have you implemented video in your marketing? Connect with us on social and let us know what impact you’ve seen. And if you’re looking for an agency to help you discover the best ways to reach your audiences with relevant and authentic video, let us know!
