If online video hasn’t been a priority for your company, it could be because:
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a. Staff are already too busy. There hasn’t been time to produce videos.
b. Budgets are tight. There aren’t many resources to invest.
c. We just haven’t gotten around to it.
Truth is, it’s hard to justify not having at least one video on your website. Online video is too powerful an “audience builder” to ignore it. There’s always a way to tell an interesting story with video. And, production costs have come way, way down.
So, online video has moved from “nice-to-have” to “must have.” Here are a few reasons why. See if you agree:
1. Video Dramatically Increases Your Exposure Online
A website with a video is 50 times more likely to rank on the first page of Google search results. YouTube is the number two search engine, so having videos posted there makes it dramatically easier for people to find your products or solutions online.
2. The Moving Image Is Compelling
As a vehicle for storytelling, video and web videos are pretty hard to beat. Through animation, you can demonstrate how a product works. Also keep in mind that human faces provoke powerful interest within us. A friendly person on screen explaining your solutions can be quite compelling.
“Remember – only 7% of communication are the words that we actually speak, the rest comes from body language, facial expressions and tone of voice… video gives you all three!” – Luan Wise, Marketing Consultant
3. Your Potential Audience Grows Bigger By the Day
It’s no secret that millions more people go online every year. But did you know 85% of people consume 10 hours of online video a month? Social media networks and platforms like Vimeo and YouTube will only have more clout going forward. Don’t handicap your efforts by failing to invest in such a compelling media format.
“A truly great product video both informs and inspires viewers to give you their attention (and their wallets).” —Vimeo
4. It’s Easier To Break Complex Ideas Down To Simple Ones
We regularly meet clients who find it difficult to explain how their software or solutions work, because the ideas are abstract. Rest assured, there are inventive ways to solve that conundrum. First, look for statistics that can represent data visually via charts, graphs, or infographics. You may also be able to leverage a visual metaphor. Either way, applying “action” to what is normally a static image may enable you to explain your concept in a brilliant, engaging way.
5. Videos Help You Convert Prospects Into Customers
Website visitors look for video content first. That’s good because it happens to be the best way to keep people engaged once they arrive. Animations and videos give you a way to show a product in relation to a person and in the context of its purpose. They allow you to construct a problem/solution narrative that can be viewed very quickly. It probably won’t surprise you to learn that 90% of online shoppers find videos useful when making a purchase decision.
6. Mobile Devices Make It Easier than Ever for Prospects To See Your Video
The explosive popularity of mobile devices has breathed new life into web videos. Why not take advantage of that? It’s easier than ever to cue up a video from your tablet or smartphone, and the number of devices worldwide continues to increase steadily. Bottom line: As mobile devices proliferate, video marketing becomes ever more crucial.
“Video will become as ubiquitous as text on the web.” —Brightcove CEO, Jeremey Allaire
7. Video Is A Great Long-term Investment
You may not need an explainer video for every product in your lineup. But most businesses should have at least one overview video to stake out territory on YouTube and Vimeo. Very likely, you already have content posted on web pages or in brochures that can be turned into a video script fairly quickly. “Elevator statement” videos spun up from such content have been known to dramatically boost ROI and aid brand awareness.
Ready for Some Good News?
Production costs have gone way down while the quality we’re able to deliver just goes up and up. These days you can really work wonders with a few stock images, customized illustrations, and some engaging music. By working to avoid using images or design elements that date quickly, you can really increase the shelf life of your videos as well. The longer your video is relevant, the better ROI it can deliver for you.
“I can imagine why phone users would be more engaged with video than those on other devices, since phones are personal and can command more of your attention than other screens.” —re/code
Here’s How The Process Works:
Typically after we generate a draft script, we’ll collaborate with your team to refine it. Once approved, we can create a storyboard that shows you how the visual material will play out. When your team approves that storyboard, we’ll create animations and build out the visuals according to a scratch-track on the timeline. From there, your team can review video iterations to provide comments. Refine, review, and repeat — and you’ll have web videos and/or explainer videos powering your arsenal of promotional outreach in short order.
Talk to us about how you want to leverage video and web videos. We’d also be happy to show you other videos we’ve produced for clients. Just e-mail me here.
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Sources may include:
Making A TED-Ed Lesson: Visualizing Complex Ideas
Just Take My Money — Nine Rules For Creating Killer Product Videos, Amy Liuser, Vimeo
Good News for YouTube: YouTube Says People Love Mobile Ads, Peter Kafka, re-code
Why Integrating Video Is Important For Your Website
3 Reasons to Incorporate Video Into a Landing Page