Brands today need a video marketing strategy – and this idea isn’t new. What has really changed in 2020 is how important video has become on every channel and platform. It’s no longer just a bit of your overall marketing strategy but the gist of your outreach and campaign efforts, especially when it comes to your social approach.
Video is more important to consumers than ever. We stream our favourite shows every day, watch many explainer videos on YouTube to learn something new, or follow events and interviews through live video.
Unsurprisingly, video content’s current fame is due in part to millennial and Gen Z consumers. These age groups are more connected to the internet than older generations and desire to be entertained or learn new things from well-designed online video content. This interest in video isn’t surprising at all. Throughout the last century, we’ve witnessed video moving from black and white television to catchy smartphones. And as consumers have seen this type of content getting more available at our fingertips, brands have discovered many ways to implement video in their marketing.
What is Video Content in Digital Marketing?
Video content is hot right now, and many marketers are looking for creative ways to utilize it and inspire users in their digital marketing strategies.
What's to know is that today's consumers are incredibly attracted to video content because it's easier to assimilate. And, marketing experts are observing it, leading to an expansion in overall importance being set on this style versus other content styles. Studies have shown that nearly 54% of consumers want to see more video content from the brands they support, not only for recreational purposes but also for educational and promotional purposes. With numbers like these, it comes as no surprise why video content should be added to a brand's digital marketing strategy.
In a nutshell, video content is shared in a video format through a brand's digital marketing channels like emails, social media, and websites. It also doesn't have to be for entertainment purposes, which is where many marketing teams get dangled up. Marketers can make use of video in several ways, including:
- Support video contents
- Introduction video contents
- Explainer video contents
- Testimonial videos and more
Video content plays an important role in digital and email marketing. Given that consumers spend more time increasingly watching videos, marketers most likely want to start by implementing video content into their strategies, if they haven't already. For instance, personalization is a huge buzzword right now and is something that marketers need to take for grant and need to get right. We've found that nearly 72% of consumers say they are only interested in marketing messages that are personalized, while 60% of marketers find personalization to be a key strategy for promoting the quality of their leads.
Using creative video content across marketing allows you to build a relationship with your audience by providing them with tailored experiences for their needs. This also allows you to stand out from the crowd, giving your consumers a reason to buy and addressing their requirements and pain arguments.
Via personalization, brands are able to provide highly targeted solutions to users' needs, efficiently saving time when it comes to searching for those solutions, and making a purchase decision. Not only that, but in 2020 brands can become even more memorable, which is what they need as 90% of consumers are more likely to purchase brands that they recognize and who offer relevant recommendations and offers.
How is Video Consumption Changing in 2020?
Consumers are beginning to rely on marketing videos from brands.
Until now, consumers would look at online reviews, visit websites, and maybe search out a few YouTube videos to find out more about the products. Now, with video content being widely accessible on every major social media network, they're learning to trust more heavily on this type of information when they're doing their research.
Brands have experienced higher engagement than ever from video marketing, as consumers expect to see this type of content from companies. While in 2018, a whopping of 87% of customers said they wanted to see more videos from brands, in 2020, it's likely that the expectation of brands to come up with more creative and appealing video content has gotten even stronger.
For marketers, increasing video content expectations mean better customer engagement. For example, when the prospects are clearly interested in a service or products in your industry, they will look for tutorials or reviews, and if they can't find any related to your brand's offering, they might search for another brand.
Half of Gen Z and Millennials are Video-dependent.
It comes as no surprise why newer generations don't know how they'd get through life without video. Every new generation has watched more online videos than the last, so when we refer strictly to those under the age of 34, video contents have more of an impact on daily life than ever before.
According to a YouTube survey, 50% of individuals in both generations said that they could not live without video content in their day-to-day lives. They rely on video content not just for entertainment purposes- both millennials and Gen Z prefer videos as they can gather information better and faster.
With millennials getting close to their 40 and Gen Z beginning to gain more purchasing power, there is a great chance that these two generations will take up a great deal of the audience soon if they aren't already.
Customers want to learn more about their passions or their niche.
Aside from looking for a way to escape from their daily lives, video content consumers are more interested in content that educates them, especially when related to their hobbies, passions, interest, or numerous social causes. And while the second most common reason for watching a video was to learn something new, consumers also said they prioritize content that is related to their passions or dig deeper into their interests.
Based on the statistics, video content is going to play a significant role in digital marketing moving ahead, so the marketing team must take the time to implement creative video strategies if they haven't already.
