What Are The Benefits of Using Video Marketing?

What is video marketing?

Video marketing is the use of video content to promote a product or service or to educate a customer about something new. It is a separate discipline often combined with other types of marketing, such as content marketing or social media marketing.

The strength of video is that it is versatile and can be adapted into multiple formats, making it suitable for almost any platform, from social media to television. But that’s not all. You can also use video to promote anything – new products, events, the latest promotions and discounts, or changes in the business.

Video marketing is growing in popularity every year. Video is more dynamic and interactive than images and text. They deliver a lot of information in a short amount of time. And you don’t have to read it. As a result, they can persuade more people to take the desired action – buy, subscribe, etc.

Expert advice

Video marketing is a great tool that allows small, medium, and large businesses to keep people informed about what’s new while promoting products and services. When set up properly, it will not only increase sales but also create a loyal customer base.

Video Marketing Statistics

Video marketing began gaining a stronger foothold in 2005 when YouTube appeared online. But it wasn’t until a year later that things really took off. By then, the popular platform had been bought by Google, and by the end of 2009, it allowed users to create seven different ad formats on the platform.

The popularity of video marketing was subsequently boosted by the rise of smartphones, where video content is far more convenient and practical to watch than anything else.

The fact that video content is important to businesses is confirmed by the Video Report: Video Marketing Statistics for 2024, in which Wistia discussed five key points on the importance of video marketing in 2024. Those points below underscore the growing significance of video marketing as a versatile and effective tool for engagement, lead generation, and overall marketing strategy.

1. Audiences highly value educational and instructional videos, which were the most engaging content produced by businesses last year. This indicates a strong preference for content that provides industry knowledge and product usage insights.
2. High production budgets are not necessary for high engagement. Low-budget videos, even those recorded with simple tools like webcams, can be equally or more effective. This lowers the entry barrier for smaller brands and allows them to compete effectively in video marketing.
3. Videos are highly effective for generating and nurturing leads. By incorporating email capture forms and calls to action (CTAs) within videos, businesses can seamlessly integrate video into their lead generation strategies.
4. The time people spend watching videos is increasing significantly. In 2023, companies saw a 15% rise in video plays and a 44% increase in total watch time, indicating a growing audience appetite for video content.
5. Businesses increasingly use video performance data to achieve marketing goals, guide creative decisions, track web pages’ impact, and prove ROI to stakeholders. Key performance metrics like conversion rates, engagement rates, and play rates are crucial for measuring the success of video content.

Did you know…?

The coronavirus pandemic has increased the use of mobile phones and the viewing of video content. Statistics from Nielsen show that in the US alone, time spent on mobile devices increased by a whopping 215% between 2019 and 2020.

The basic types of video marketing

Video marketing, or the videos you can use within it, comes in various formats and styles. The basic types include

Brand videos

The main aim of brand videos is to provide customers with basic information about the brand and build brand awareness. Unlike other types, they can be longer. However, when creating them, remember that they need to be interesting and enticing so that people don’t stop being entertained after a short time.

Sample videos

These videos are used to show how your product works and its main benefits. For example, you can film the product being unboxed and set up or show customers how they will use it in practice.

Instructional Videos

Tutorial videos are very similar to demonstration videos. The only difference is that they are educational rather than marketing. They are designed to help customers understand the product’s features and how to use it to solve their problems.

Explainer videos

Explainer videos usually aim to help viewers better understand why they need a company’s products and services. They also often include examples of how to use them.

Animated videos

Animated videos are playful and great for telling a story or explaining a difficult topic in a simple way. Their advantage is that they can appeal to multiple generations and are very entertaining.

360° and virtual reality videos

In 2016, Google claimed 360° video ads have a much higher click-through rate and 41% more views and shares than regular video ads. This is no surprise. This type of ad allows customers to explore a product from every angle, giving them a better idea of the product.

Live Video

Live video allows you to interact with your customers in real-time. It’s authentic and personal, as opposed to pre-recorded and edited. It gives the person the feeling that you are interacting only with them. This makes it easier to convince them to buy.

Expert interviews

Expert interviews are great for building trust with your audience. An expert, such as a doctor, fitness trainer, researcher or someone with years of experience, can convince customers of the quality of a product and motivate them to buy with their claims.

Case studies

Just like expert testimonial videos, case study videos build trust. They show how the product has helped real customers and their satisfaction, making the communication much more natural than just listing strengths and giving hypothetical examples.

Personalised videos

A special type of video that you send only to a specific group of your customers, such as one of your focus groups. This type of communication is more personal, which makes them feel special and more likely to buy.

A tip

Personalised videos do not have to contain any special editing or graphic elements. In fact, the simpler they are, the more authentic they are and the more successful they tend to be.

Types of video marketing by medium

Videos used in video marketing are also divided according to the medium in which they are published. This strongly influences the format, length, and processing of the video.

Based on the medium, the main types of video are as follows:

Banner videos

Banner videos are mainly found on traditional websites and e-shops. They tend to be short and to the point. They often use interesting graphic elements to attract the attention of potential customers.

The format of banner ads varies. Popular sizes include:

• 728 x 90 px
• 468 x 60 px
• 300 x 250 px
• 336 x 280 px
• 200 x 200 px.

Videos on social networks

Social networks allow users to use different video formats. For example, the elongated types characteristic of stories and reels predominate on Instagram. The same goes for TikTok. Facebook, on the other hand, is known for combining several formats. In addition to long-form videos, users can also post videos in landscape format.

Video ads in video

They’re particularly common on YouTube, but you’ll see them on many other platforms, too.

They are usually placed at the video’s beginning, middle or end. They are characterised by being shorter, with the main idea being stated in the first few seconds, which the user cannot skip.

TV video ads

TV video ads are broadcast like traditional ads on TV channels or streaming services. They are short and to the point. However, unlike those on social networks or websites, they are more expensive. Therefore, they are more likely to be used by large companies.

Benefits of video marketing

• Video marketing has many benefits. The main ones are:
• It helps expand your potential audience – you can distribute video content through social networks, websites and many other channels. It is very easy to expand your audience and attract new customers.
• Can grab attention – video combines both visuals and sound, which makes it reach customers much better than graphics. You can even use subtitles in your videos, which is another eye-catching aspect.
• Motivates viewers to take action – a slick video can persuade viewers to click through to your website and view your products. It also incentivises them to share the content on their Instagram or Facebook, making it visible to dozens of others. Alternatively, they’ll save, comment on, or like it, automatically increasing your reach.
• Increase conversions and sales – Videos help customers better understand the product and its strengths, effectively increasing sales.
• Helps products stand out – A video tells much more about a product than a photo or two. In a matter of seconds, you can show it to customers from all sides, describe its key features and explain what problems it solves.
• Improves SEO – Video allows businesses to achieve better SEO results. According to TechTarget, Google and other search engines rank sites with video content higher, guaranteeing more traffic.
• Builds trust – Video delivers important information more authentically than text or images, building trust with existing and potential customers.
• Complements content marketing – Video is an important part of content marketing. It is a great complement to photos, infographics, and text, and they appeal to those who need to get information quickly and easily.
• Brand and product showcase – A well-crafted video tells your brand story, showcases your products and provides valuable information to customers in an original and human way. It is such an important part of marketing that you should not overlook it.

Disadvantages of video marketing

Video marketing also has some disadvantages, such as:

• More complicated to create – creating quality videos is not as easy as taking a picture of a product or creating an infographic. You need professional equipment, special editing tools and, most likely, an expert who knows how to turn the footage into an original result.
• You need to invest more money – creating an interesting video that persuades customers to buy costs money, and the final price is usually much higher than other content (photos, graphics, text).
• You will need to invest more time – if you have some experience creating videos, you can create them yourself. But expect the whole process, from filming to editing to exporting, to take many hours.
• High Creative Demands – Customers today are overwhelmed by the amount of content. They see dozens of videos every day. Your content must be original if you want your customers to engage and persuade them to buy.

How to do video marketing?

Like other types of marketing, video marketing needs to be well thought out. Otherwise, it won’t bring you all the benefits mentioned above. If you’re just starting and don’t know how to get started, we’ve compiled a step-by-step guide.

Set your goals

Before you start creating your video, think about what you want it to achieve. Do you want to raise awareness of your company, tell people how to use your product or motivate them to buy it?

The purpose will help you tailor the communication and the type of information you need to include in the video. It will also prevent the result from cluttering and people not understanding the message you want them to understand.

Expert advice

The video doesn’t have to have just one objective. Feel free to combine several. For example, a how-to video can also include testimonials from satisfied customers or recommendations from experts.

Define your audience

Many details depend on your audience, such as:

• The place where you post the video
• How you communicate
• The product you use in the video
• The issues you focus on in the video.

That’s why you need to define your audience well first. Find out your customers’ average age, where they come from, what they like, and how they buy.

For example, if your audience consists of young people, make your video primarily for Instagram and TikTok. The communication should be relaxed and playful, and try to sell the product by addressing an issue that might be bothering this age group, such as school stress or the desire to follow new trends.

Think about where to place the video

Video is a versatile type of content posted on social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube), websites, or even streaming platforms. Which option you choose should depend on your target audience.

Choosing suitable video formats and topics

Choosing a format is easy once you’ve selected a platform to publish your video. Most offer only one or two different options.

The theme should be original to keep customers interested. Feel free to try new trends when creating your video. This is especially true if your target audience is the younger generation.

Build on high-quality

The quality of your videos should be of the highest possible standard. Make sure the images and sound are clear and crisp. Check the content several times to ensure it doesn’t cut, and the frames flow well together.

Make the most of music

A video without music is boring and won’t entertain people. So, don’t be afraid to play a melody over the spoken word to emphasise the main idea. You can find lots of interesting and free music on the internet these days. You can usually use it for commercial purposes.

Don’t forget the subtitles

People watch social media content everywhere – at home, on the bus, walking or at work. Many don’t have the sound on, so subtitles are essential. Use them to get the word out about your product or company.

Grab attention in the first seconds

According to experts, the average adult’s attention span is 8 seconds, and that time is getting shorter and shorter. So, if you want your video to grab people’s attention, make sure it’s engaging from the first second.

Make sure viewers know what to do when the video ends

A good video marketing campaign should tell viewers exactly what to do. So, include a clear call to action. This could be a button to take them to a product page or to sign up for a newsletter.

Don’t forget to measure and compare results

Once you’ve posted a video, check how many people have viewed, commented on, saved or shared it. If possible, also look at the number of clicks to the website, subscriptions or other actions customers may have taken.

Make a note of the results and compare them. See if you inadvertently made a mistake somewhere and what you could have done differently to get more conversions.