Why video is the most powerful way to reconnect with your customers.

The world has changed in ways we could never have imagined. People’s routines and priorities have shifted, and the way they live their lives and purchase goods and services are significantly different now from even a few months ago.

Businesses need to think hard about how they adapt to this new landscape, and particularly how they reconnect with their customers and build meaningful, lasting relationships. We think that the strongest and most engaging way to do this is through video.

Video has unique impact.

Video offers so many levels for your business to connect with your customers. Within a video you can create trust and unite with your customers on an emotional and intellectual level. It’s a great way of deepening the relationship between your brand and your customers, and if done right, will help develop a bond that will breed loyalty, recognition and trust.

Your audience awaits.

And the great news is – your audience is out there, ready and waiting to watch your video content. Research from Cisco predicts that nearly four-fifths (79%) of the world’s mobile data traffic will be video by 2022, and that by then online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer traffic – 15 times higher than in 2017.

Many businesses are already responding to the consumer appetite for more visual content, and are building video into their marketing strategy to build sales, brand awareness and trust with a growing customer base. According to Wyzowl’s 2020 State of Marketing report, 85% of businesses have incorporated video into their marketing strategy this year, and more than 83% of marketers attest that video content provides the best return on investment.

Where are customers most likely to watch marketing videos?

Where are customers watching these videos? Social platforms such as Instagram, YouTube and Facebook are the most common. According to Buffer, 81% of businesses now prefer to use Facebook for their video marketing. Sriniras Narayanan, Facebook’s Director of ML/AI sums up the popularity of video in consumer marketing by saying, “If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is a library.” If you’d rather put a more specific numerical value on it, digital marketing expert James McQuivey believes that 1 minute of video is equal to 1.8 million words.

Aside from social, there’s compelling evidence that video content can be an excellent way of encouraging customers to engage with your company’s own marketing platforms. A 2017 study revealed that using video on landing pages can increase sales conversions by 80%. And simply mentioning the word ‘video’ in your email subject line can increase open rates by 19%.

You don’t even need to try and persuade your customers that video is a useful part of the buying process – they’re already convinced. A massive 90% of consumers reported that video helps them make buying decisions, while 64% say that seeing a video makes them more likely to buy a product or service.

What type of video gets the best results?

Hopefully you can see that creating videos is a great idea for your business. All you need to do next is decide what type of content to create. According to Forbes, the top three most effective types of video content for businesses are customer testimonials (51%), tutorial videos (50%) and demonstration videos (49%). So that’s probably not a bad place to start.

Customer testimonial and case study videos

Customers want to know your product or service will solve their particular problem. One of the best ways to do that is by creating case study videos featuring your loyal, satisfied customers who have experienced this already. They are your best advocates – get them to share on camera how you helped them. This helps showcase your products while also building trust.

Tutorial videos

Teach your target audience something they want to know, that will be valuable to them. Brands often use these videos to help customers to get the most out of their products, or to build a trusting relationship with potential customers.

Demo videos

These are all about showcasing your product and highlighting all its key benefits. Whether it’s taking viewers on a tour of your software package, or putting a physical product through its paces, this will have a real impact. Seeing is believing.

And many, many more…

There are obviously many other types of video you can use for marketing.

• Brand videos are often used as ads on social media to generate brand awareness and drive traffic – they often focus on communicating the brand’s personality and culture as well as its products and services.
• Expert videos featuring short interviews with experts or influencers can be a great way of position your authority within your sector.
• Event videos can be a great way of capturing the ‘highlight reel’ from a live conference or sales event, including vox pop interviews with attendees.
• Animated videos give you complete creative freedom and they can be a perfect way of explaining complex or abstract concepts.

Once you’ve decided what type of video you want to make, it’s time to start planning how you’re going to do it. That’s where we’d be very happy to help. Our Motion Team has many decades of experience in all aspects of video production and editing, including animation, 3D and 360° tours.