Written by Hanedi Karajeh
According to Marketing Group Insider, research has shown that people prefer visual content to plain text. Image-focused platforms like Instagram are proof of this. Visual content makes a brand’s message more memorable. We must consider that now more than ever, brands are no longer only working towards selling their product. They are creating a brand identity to encourage customer loyalty and word of mouth. One way that brands can create their identity and make themselves a part of their consumer’s lives is advertising with video.
According to blogger Adam Hayes, consumers watch more video than ever, and use video as an integral part of their journey with brands. In fact, 95% of video marketers plan to increase their spending on video in 2020. With more people becoming more familiar with the digital world everyday, marketers continue to have the opportunity to introduce their brands to new audiences and grow their following.
In 2020, Google held a “Thank You” pandemic campaign where they thanked unsung heroes like parents and teachers who made living in a shelter-in-place existence possible. This campaign accumulated a striking 20 million views in just under a month. The campaign ads used real user generated videos to warm the hearts of viewers who shared the same struggles. A Google search bar was placed on top of the videos with questions such as “How to teach from home.” The takeaway message? Use Google to find the answer to any question – It’s the best place to find it.
With viewership in the billions all throughout a variety of video platforms like Youtube, TikTok, and Instagram, brands have the freedom to experiment with video marketing and see what works for them. According to the Hootsuite blog, 4 million brands are advertising on Stories and small businesses are posting an average of 2.5 Instagram Stories a week. Hootsuite even offers instructions on how to create the ideal Instagram Story for your business.
In addition Instagram recently introduced Reels and, according to Later.com, brands are using this feature to highlight the best of the best of their business. Photographers are showing off their work and clothing brands are showing their audience how to wear their pieces. Public reels are featured on the explore tab which helps brands share their videos with people who don’t follow them, in turn growing their following.
According to Business of Apps, YouTube users watch an outstanding one billion hours of content a day, and content is viewed on mobile platforms 70% of the time. YouTube Data shows that 80% of shoppers who watched videos related to an item they wanted to purchase, including virtual property tours, did so early in the decision making process.
Video marketing has started to dominate the advertising industry, and videos are quickly becoming more and more tailored to what the audience wants to see in order to increase viewership. On the reverse side, audiences are excited to see what your brand has to say and learn who you are. Now is a great time to review your mission statement and key points of differentiation and jump into video marketing.
