What is Video Marketing and How it can Benefit your Brand

Digital marketers and advertisers in recent years have almost limitless channels to reach their audiences. Video marketing has become essential for businesses to connect with their audiences and drive engagement. That said, it’s worth reviewing the basics by answering the question, “What is video marketing?” In this article, we will also explore the benefits of video marketing and how it can be used to achieve business goals.

What is Video Marketing?

It’s been said countless times that an image is worth a thousand words. As for a video, multiply that by another thousand. Video marketing is a powerful tool that effectively engages your audience in your marketing campaigns. 

Video marketing is a way to tell people about your brand, product, or service. It increases engagement on your digital and social channels and educates your audience. Besides, the tool allows you to reach them with a new medium.

Why is Video Marketing Important?

Video marketing began gaining popularity in 2005. But, things took off after Google acquired YouTube in 2006. The website boasted seven different ad formats by the end of 2009. The rise of smartphone technology also contributed to the increase in video marketing statistics. Digital technology makes it more convenient to watch videos on mobile phones.

Recent studies show that video continues to benefit the majority of businesses. Wyzowl reports that 91% of companies will use video as a marketing tool in 2023. The data is at an all-time high since they started tracking the indicator in 2016.  

Video marketing is a great catalyst. It enables small-to-medium-sized businesses to compete against larger organizations effectively. The right video marketing campaign can level the playing field because a good, eye-catching, memorable video is compelling regardless of the size of the business that released it.

What are the Benefits of Video Marketing?

With access to faster networks, businesses are using more and more videos to engage with their customers. Many companies use videos to help create engagement with their audiences. Below are the benefits of video marketing and why you should use videos in your social media campaigns. 

• Increases Engagement: Video is a highly engaging medium that captures viewers’ attention more effectively than other forms of content. It allows businesses to tell their story compellingly and interactively, leading to greater engagement and brand recognition.
• Boosts SEO: Videos can improve search engine rankings and drive website traffic. By embedding videos on their websites and sharing them on social media platforms, businesses can improve their search engine optimization (SEO) and increase their online visibility.
• Builds Trust: Videos are a great way to build trust with potential customers. They can showcase a brand’s personality, highlight its values, and demonstrate their expertise in a particular industry or field. By establishing this trust, businesses can increase the likelihood of converting viewers into customers.
• Provides Measurable Results: Video marketing provides measurable results that can be tracked and analyzed. By monitoring the number of views, shares, and engagement rates, businesses can evaluate the effectiveness of their video content and make data-driven decisions.
• Appeals to Mobile Audiences: With the rise of mobile devices, video has become a preferred medium for consumers on the go. Videos can be easily consumed on mobile devices and are a great way to reach audiences using smartphones and tablets.

Most Popular Types of Videos 

Now that you’ve got the answer to the “what is video marketing,” check out the ten types of videos below. An effective video marketing campaign incorporates more than one of them.

• Demo videos show how your product works, including unboxing or conducting a software walk-through. Here’s an example from Native Union promoting their Night Cable. 

• Animation videos employ engaging imagery to convey otherwise complicated concepts.
• Augmented reality (AR) videos superimpose a digital layer to what the user is viewing and is excellent for showing how something would look if the company’s product were inserted into the picture.
• Brand videos build awareness of your company’s brand, mission, products, and services.
• An event video is perfect for a company running an event such as a fundraiser, conference, or discussion. Create a highlight reel!
• Explainer videos help the audience understand why they need your services and products. So often, these videos follow a standard formula of presenting a story where a buyer has a problem, and the solution lies with the company’s products or services.
• How-to or instructional videos teach your audience how to do something new but also help viewers gain an understanding and appreciation of your business. Videos like these offer a compelling way to learn how to do something online while showing the audience exactly how to do it, just like how Tasty made this step-by-step guide on cooking pasta. 

• Interviewing experts, Not a fluff piece but an in-depth interview with an expert or thought leader in your industry.
• Livestream videos are an eye-catching, dramatic way to get the viewer’s attention, often using a behind-the-scenes format, interviews, and demonstrations.
• Personalized message videos: Nothing drives engagement more than making the customer feel special, and customized videos provide a means for the business to reach out to a customer to answer a question or make a recommendation.
• Testimonials/Case Studies get your customers involved in the campaign. Word of mouth is one of the most effective means of advertising, so having satisfied customers tell their stories on video is a surefire winner.

Final Thoughts 

Now that you have the answers to the question “what is video marketing,” video-making resources, the next challenge is that video marketing is more strategic. So, if you plan to engage in video marketing, you must create content your target audience wants to see. It should be something that people will watch and share with others. It would help if you made an effective video marketing strategy that delivers results.