Do you YouTube? 6 Reasons Why Video Content is Important for Business

Since Google acquired YouTube in 2006, it has been inevitable that the impact of video in the world of the internet would be ever increasing. Social media feeds are full of video content, and the truth is that even pretty poor examples of video content can have a big impact. Bearing that in mind, we thought it was worth setting out an overview of 6 reasons – from Consumer Demand to SEO – why video content is important for business.
“By 2017, video will account for 69% of all consumer internet traffic.” Cisco
Consumer demand
If you want to reach people in a format they want to be reached in, video is the place to go. We love it. YouTube receives more than a billion unique visitors every month. In the UK alone, one in 3 of us views online video at least once a week.

High engagement
It follows that if your customers like your content – be they words, pictures or video, they are more likely to engage with your business. It goes further than that – good video seems to have an unerring ability to ‘go viral’. How many times has the same video popped up in your social media feeds, shared by different contacts? Now, think how often you saw a blog post achieve the same degree of sharing. And that’s just amongst your connections. Offer up great video content and it is more likely to be shared than other content, however good it is.

Visual Impact
Studies that break down the importance of different factors in any interaction note that body language – the visual impact people have on each other in any conversation – is hugely important; more so than words on their own, or even words combined with a particular tone and voice. Using video, you offer your customers and potential customers more than just words or images – you can offer a complete package.

Confidence
A video on your website, welcoming visitors, providing a demonstration, offering advice immediately draws the eye. People feel a connection and from that, confidence. We are becoming increasingly confident making purchases and other decisions as the result of viewing ‘online’ content, and video (done well, of course) will attract customers and keep them on your website for longer. You can also instil a deeper confidence in your product or the services you offer by showing them ‘in action’.
“Using the word ‘video’ in an email subject line boosts open rates by 19%” Hubspot

Creativity
Video offers a level of creativity that words and pictures alone can’t necessarily offer. In this age of instant gratification, you can use video to show people what they want or need to see in new and exciting ways. You can use humour, empathy, shock tactics; you can give your viewers a deeper understanding of what it is you do and who you are – all through video.

Search Engine Optimisation
Create great video that people share and you should see in increase in linking back to your website. These links are great for your SEO – it is one of the things that the web crawlers which index web pages for the search engines are programmed to look for.
If you aren’t using video already to market your business, don’t panic! Why not come and talk to us at WebAdept about your digital marketing strategy and see how video might fit within your online marketing activities. We’re happy to carry out an initial review of your online marketing for free giving you an understanding of what you’re doing well, and where you might need to boost your efforts – and we can talk to you about where video might fit in, too.

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