If you’ve been anywhere near the internet in the past five years, you probably already know just how important video is, and how much it has become a part of the online landscape. As internet (and especially mobile internet) speeds have become faster, the barriers that kept video from dominating in the past have fallen away. People are now watching over one billion hours of YouTube per day, live video streaming is possible even from mobile devices, and the marketing world has caught on to the importance of these shifts.
Connect with your audience
People no longer see the internet as being separate from their real lives; being online is thoroughly integrated into the modern lifestyle. Whether through social media, online shopping, or simply browsing the web, today’s internet users are looking for more than just information – they want an experience. Video gives you the opportunity to connect with your audience and to take them on a journey. This in turn builds trust, which is one of the fundamental building blocks of customer loyalty.
A whopping 90% of consumers watch videos on their mobile devices, which means they can have access to your content wherever they are, but it also means that you have the chance connect with them on a perpetual basis. The rise of social media “stories” over the past year or two shows that people really like the idea of checking in on an ongoing basis to find out what is happening right now, in the moment. Smart brands getting on board with this flowing river of communication.
Reach out to potential customers
Search engines love visual content, and video is currently skyrocketing in that regard, but did you know that YouTube is actually the world’s second-largest search engine? This means that many users are skipping text search altogether, and going straight to video to find out what they want to know. This speaks volumes about how people want to learn things – video is a great tool by which you can send out content that will give the right information to your target audience in a format that appeals to them. In turn, people love sharing their favorite videos on their social media accounts, making the potential for growth and outreach even higher.
Prepare for the future
Enthusiasts keep touting augmented and virtual reality as the wave of the future, and although so far the biggest push has been in the gaming world, VR keeps knocking more and more insistently on the door of mainstream acceptance. As the video tech market experiments with software and devices that will cater to everyday users, it’s only a matter of time before brands learn how to leverage this technology. It’s up to you how close to the front you want to be when this breakthrough starts happening, but there’s a lot of buzz around those who are already starting to experiment with AR and VR now.
In short, the are very few remaining limits to how you can use video online, and savvy digital marketers will be doing their best to incorporate video into every corner of a strong marketing strategy. If you haven’t done as much in this arena as you would like, this year is a great time to start pushing forward and bringing your audience the type of content they want, to help them connect more strongly with your brand.
Feel free to reach out if you would like more information on how to integrate video into your overall online marketing strategy!
Cogo Interactive is an award-winning digital marketing agency specializing in online marketing strategy, web design, SEO and social media marketing. We work with clients in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, DC and nationally.
