Why video is the top way to market your business

In today’s business landscape, if you aren’t thinking about how to incorporate video content into your marketing strategy, there’s a good chance you’re leaving business on the table. As consumers continue to engage more and more with video content online, this marketing tactic continues to grow in importance each year. It’s increasingly more important to make sure your business is including a video content strategy as part of your marketing plan.

Why is video a top way to market your business? Consider these facts as you start to place more importance on this type of content.

According to research from Statistica, people across the globe spend nearly 20 hours each week watching video content online. That means they are spending around 2 hours every day engaging with content they see online. It makes sense, too. Social platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram have made video content easily accessible, allowing viewers to scroll through content with the swipe of a finger.

What’s more, Wistia’s 2023 State of Video report shows that product videos, webinars, and educational videos tend to lead to the biggest return on investment for most businesses. That same report says a 3 minute video is the “sweet spot” for keeping people fully engaged.

Video content is great for improving how you show up in Google searches. For example, if you share video on your website, it increases the amount of time people spend on your site, which increases the visibility for your website.  That’s because Google tends to rank website bases on certain selection criteria, including the experience users have on your web page.

The better the video content you make, the more people are likely to stay on your website and linger there for an extended period — sometimes twice as long as they normally would. That means adding in thoughtful content that is insightful, relatable, and valuable for the user will increase the results to your website. Do your research to find out what people are looking for, so you know how to create the content they’re looking for.

Statistica says that 92 percent of people are watching any kind of video content just to have something to watch. Yet within that group, viewers are looking for tutorials (nearly 26 percent), live stream events (27 percent), and educational videos (25 percent). This means you have a huge opportunity to capture a group of highly motivated viewers who are seeking content about your company.

If you’re taking the time to explain your business or products, viewers begin to see you as trustworthy and an expert in what you’re talking about. In fact, more than half of consumers want to watch videos from the companies and brands they support. Give them the content they’re looking for and continue to build their trust.

Videos are a powerful way to boost social media engagement with an audience. Consider this statistic: half of social media users prefer watching video content on a platform over other types of content. On top of that, nearly 60 percent of users will watch an entire video if it’s less than 60 seconds. Also as impressive is that 52 percent of people are more likely to share videos than any other types of content.

Those numbers mean video packs a powerful punch. The more people watch your videos, the more they’ll appreciate your brand or business, the more they’ll share it with friends and family, and the more they’ll support your success.

In other words, video isn’t just a nice-to-have in a modern market. It’s a must-have. And fortunately, viewers aren’t judging the quality of videos when it comes to their engagement. Simply getting branded videos out to engage with your market is a marketing strategy you need to deliver upon.

Fortunately, that means you can grab your phone and a tripod or work with your marketing team to bring some of these videos to fruition. It doesn’t have to be a major production to be successful. Just make sure you’re being consistent and authentic. And be sure to put work into a smart strategy of content. Whether it’s sharing testimonials, telling your brand story, or sharing quick updates about new products or services, your customers will love you for it.

If video content seems like a difficult task, it’s time to reframe your thinking. With time and preparation, it’s feasible to bring great video content to life, even with a small budget. Do you have ideas on how to help small businesses create great video content? Share it in the comments below.

Jim Allen is a business leader and entrepreneur who has built one of the top-producing real estate groups in the Triangle. He is President of The Jim Allen Group, which is consistently named one of the top real estate teams in North Carolina and even North America.