We’ve talked a lot about the importance of using video when it comes to SEO, marketing and general user experience so in this blog we’re going to help you make sure you know why video is key to your business.
As we all do more of our online activity on mobile phones and tablets it’s no surprise that video has not only become so popular but also so effective.
Video is probably the most accessible form of media out there because as well as being equally effective across all devices, video is quick and easy to digest, entertaining (well it should be) and engaging.
We have all spent time on social media watching a range of videos, none of which we thought were of interest but they caught our eye, so that is job done as far as marketers go.
Why video is key to your business?
Diode Digital found that online video is a 600% more effective marketing tool than print and direct mail combined – so you have to ask why every marketer isn’t using it as their main marketing strategy?
The fact is that many people still think a video is expensive and time-consuming and that they have to create something perfectly polished.
That’s why they continue to use press releases, web articles and email marketing as they think anyone can write them!
We’ll agree video does take more thought and planning, but we have come a long way since the days of videographers charging premium rates, to film corporate videos. Now with the huge improvements in technology, it doesn’t have to be out of your reach.
Most smartphones are more than capable of filming high enough quality videos and there are plenty of phone and web-based applications to help you produce some really high performing uploads.
What videos should you make?
Just like when it comes to writing content, there are so many different types of video that can all help you grow your brand – the important thing is to understand what works and where.
In the past video was always something you did for YouTube and then you could embed the videos into your website.
Now though videos created specifically for social media can have a huge impact on brand awareness and sales, so what types should you be producing?
Explainers
Educating customers properly about your product or service can be the difference between converting a sale or sending them off to your competitors. But a video to explain everything can be so much more responsive and you a far greater return on investment than a written article.
Interviews
Whether it’s a formal sit-down interview or an on the fly talking head, an interview can be a great way to get a conversation started. It can also be used to break news, respond to any criticism or issues or create a call to action.
Reviews and demonstrations
These can be a great way to use and encourage user-generated content from your customers. Some influencers will also do this for nothing except the free products and you can both benefit from the social media coverage. As well as publicity reviews and demonstrations are also a great way to showcase your products.
Lives
If you’re confident doing videos then you should consider hosting live events, on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.
As well as being able to act on things whenever you want another big positive of going live is that the platform will alert all likers and followers as soon as you start broadcasting.
You can also plan them in advance and advertise them to create a buzz – this works particularly well with question and answer sessions or webinar type events to help and educate.
Research found that viewers spend 3x more time watching live videos than videos that aren’t broadcasting in real time.
Why is video so important to SEO
The fact that Google, owner of the biggest search engine, also owns YouTube, means it should be no surprise that users of more of their platforms are rewarded.
YouTube is actually also the second biggest search engine in the world, despite most people not even realising it is a search engine at all.
YouTube video content is also transcribed and processed by Google, so make sure your spoken script is optimised as you would any written articles as this will help you when it comes to SEO.
The fact that more than 100 hours of video is uploaded to the site every minute and that 500 million hours of video are watched on the site every day means if you’re not on there you’re missing out on a huge audience.
Some statistics to consider
Just by mentioning the word ‘video’ in an email subject line, the click-through rate increased by 13%.
Viewers of video retain 95% of a message when they see it in a video compared to just 10% who read it.
82% of users watch video content on Twitter.
Nearly 50% of all video is watched on a mobile device.
By 2019, internet video traffic will account for 80% of all consumer Internet traffic
Videos up to 2 minutes long get the most engagement.
Video tips to take into account
First off, it’s important to know what the ideal video length is for your platform.
This is what Hubspot recommends:
Instagram: 30 seconds
Twitter: 45 seconds
Facebook: 1 minute
YouTube: 2 minutes
The maximum lengths are a little bit different though:
Facebook: 120 minutes
Twitter recommends keeping videos under 30 seconds
Instagram: 60 seconds
YouTube: By default, you can upload videos that are up to 15 minutes long. But you can upload longer videos, by verifying your account. If you have live streaming access, long uploads are enabled by default.
Switch on Autoplay
When putting videos on social media, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram all offer Autoplay as a feature, so make sure you take advantage. This is because if the video automatically plays as a user scrolls through their newsfeed the video will grab people’s attention.
Use captions
85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound so make a visual impact and add captions
Optimise
We’ve already mentioned optimising the script as anything posted to YouTube will be transcribed for Google but you also need to make sure your headlines, descriptions, keywords and hashtags are optimised. More and more people now are also searching for content on social media platforms, so make sure you can be found.
YouTube also allows you to tag your videos, which helps users find your content.
Key calls to action
Again, just as you would a written article, a video also needs a call to action, otherwise what’s the point of the video?
So, if you want someone to read more, buy online or share their experience make sure you say it, so they know where to go next.
Make platform-specific content
We have never been a fan of posting the same content across all your social media platforms because you need to give each one some individual love to be able to really achieve your goals.
Posting native videos to your accounts will always perform better than sharing from one platform to another.
You should also edit them differently for each platform so you can take full advantage of the length of video you can post.
Embed videos to your website
Video establishes a better trust with your visitors than anything else, especially if a business owner is featured as people buy from people.
Video client testimonials are also a great way to turn web visitors into customers because 72% say that positive reviews make them trust a business more.
And one final statistic we’ll leave you with is that video can increase landing page conversions by 80% or more!
Conclusion
Now is the time to see what your phone is capable of and visit the App Store or Google Play to download some editing software so you can take your marketing and SEO strategy to the next level.
