Video marketing explained

In a world of multiple online channels and social media formats, video seems to be coming out on top. Social platforms like Instagram, Tik Tok and Facebook are all focused on making video central to their platform. Over 82% of internet traffic will be online videos by 2022, according to predictions by online giant Cisco. And the impact of prolonged lockdowns and remote use of the internet during the pandemic has greatly increased people’s consumption of video content.

The spike in video content is not just a quick flash in the pan. This is an ongoing trend that’s changing the way large corporations and small businesses think about their digital marketing.

So, why is video becoming so popular?:

• Storytelling is easier in a video – telling a good story is key to making your content marketing engaging. Telling your narrative via video can appear more organic and 'real' for your audience, making them feel like you’re in the room with them. As such, it’s more immediate as a channel than some written formats.

• Your customers get to see you – although not truly face-to-face contact, video is a more instant and human means of communication. During the pandemic, this has been vitally important for consumers and customers that have been missing out on real-world human connections over the course of lockdown. It’s also a great way to profile specific people in your business and to get their face known in the market.

• Short-form content is king – we have shorter attention spans in the digital age. People are happier to watch a 2-minute video about your product, or service than to read a 10-minute deep-dive blog post. So, posting short, snappy videos can be a great way to boost engagement and convert a higher number of prospects to your brand.

• Production values are flexible – videos don’t always have to be shiny and polished to be effective. You can choose the level of quality and production values you want – whether it's a rough-and-ready vlog recorded on your phone, or a high-production-values video case study that comes across as slick and professional.

• Video engages your customers – video is a fast and effective way to put your people and your brand in front of the right customer eyes. Posts with video content perform better on instagram and younger Millennial and Gen Z audiences will engage more with video. When you want to really tell the story of your product, service or brand, video has to be one of your routes to market.

Putting video content front and centre of your content

If you’re new to video, it’s worth doing your homework and trying out a few different approaches to making your own content. It could be as simple as sitting down in front of your iPhone to record an opinion piece. Or it might mean hiring a professional videographer to create a series of pro-quality videos for your campaign. The entry point to making your own content doesn’t have to be expensive.

This guide to video marketing from Biteable is a good starting point.