Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you might have noticed that your Instagram feed and pretty much every social media platform you’re on has more moving images, aka. videos. You’re not the only one— we’re noticing it on our screens as well.
Even in news articles, most of the time a video accompanies the text. So, why is video everywhere nowadays?
Text and images are still content people consume on a daily basis but video content is much more preferred, According to WordStream, 59% of executives say they prefer video over text.
Content marketing has shifted from plain text with pictures to video content and it looks like it’s here to stay. In this article, we break down why people prefer video over other types of content.
What People are Watching?
Before we dive in, here are some examples of what people are clicking on.
There are so many different types of video content circulating online. Each type of video content caters to different people.
Some of the most engaging video content includes explainers, presentations, vlogs (video blogs), tutorials, webinars, customer testimonials, and live streams just to name a few.
Videos such as explainers, vlogs, and customer testimonials have a lot of value for the audience. They’re informative and provide a lot of digestible content for those who watch them. This makes them even more critical in content marketing than ever before.
Around 81% of businesses use video marketing which increased from 63% the previous year.
Why Video Content?
Why is video becoming so popular? There are so many benefits to using video content and why it has grown so much in the last decade. We can’t fit them all but we’ve narrowed it down to 5 reasons.
Increased reach
Compared to text and images, videos produce 1200% more shares and attract 300% more traffic according to statistics.
Videos are much easier to digest and can deliver more information in a compact form compared to an article where it would take an effort to read through.
The truth is, videos are easy to watch and require minimal effort to understand. Videos also have the ability to contain a lot of information and engage the viewers because of the mix of elements they use such as text, images, and audio.
Also, many businesses can re-purpose videos by publishing them on different platforms which help them reach out to different audiences. Different platforms usually have different demographics and by publishing videos through different platforms, you can tap into a broader audience.
More conversions
Video in content marketing has also grown because of its increased conversion rates. According to Hubspot, emails with video have an increased click rate of 300%.
People are more likely to purchase a product or service if they see a video on it. In fact, they are 1.81x more likely to purchase a product if they see a demo video.
Many brands have taken this route and made videos on their products or services. The videos usually show the audience how they can use the product and how they can use it in their daily lives.
Incorporating videos into marketing strategies can also increase revenue. According to Wirebuzz, videos increase revenue 49% faster than not using videos at all.
Preference
The consumption of videos has increased also due to preference. Online videos are often watched by a younger audience. According to statistics, 66% of US teens watch online videos every day.
Since the rise of smartphones and tablets, video content has become more accessible than ever. We can watch a video with a simple tap on our phones. Due to this convenience, the watch time for videos has also increased.
Google Benefits
Google is constantly changing their algorithm and getting on their first page Lucents General Knowledge is becoming harder than ever. However, if a website has a video, it’s 53 times more likely to appear on the front page of Google.
Other than that, it also increases a brand’s credibility. Having a video on your landing page can boost your conversion rate and engage your audience.
The reality is that videos help attract more traffic and nurture leads. Almost 50% of internet users look for videos related to a product before they visit the actual store and a majority of consumers would love to see more video content from brands.
The Rise of Video Streaming Sites
Youtube, Facebook, and Netflix have dominated our screens, especially in recent times. We’ve seen it all— from cat videos to viral apologies. Youtube has become the most trafficked website after Google.
Thanks to smartphones and tablets, almost half of Youtube video consumption comes from mobile devices. Although Youtube is the most popular, Facebook is slowly becoming another popular destination for videos with around 500 million people watching 100 million hours of video every day.
Netflix is currently the number one paid streaming video provider. Although compared to Youtube it’s lagging behind, it’s quite impressive since it’s a paid service. In total, there are one million Netflix subscribers in the world.
The Future of Video
When we look at the state of content marketing today and the rapid growth of video content, it’s obvious that video is not going anywhere anytime soon.
The consumers for video are constantly growing, making video content a potential method to reach big audiences from different demographics. Compared to last year, there are way more people that watch video this year— showing the apparent growth of this type of content.
Due to this, marketers are also increasing the use of video content in their strategy. To keep up with this rapid growth, brands are expected to incorporate video content to survive and hopefully thrive in the industry.
Videos may seem complex but they’re not as hard as you think. You don’t need expensive equipment and an unlimited budget to create a great video. If you’re a bit tight on budget, opt for vlogs, customer testimonials, or live streaming.
However, we think videos are a great investment and have proven useful for future use. So now that you have a rough idea of why video content has grown in the last decade, we hope it gives you some perspective about using video in your strategy.
Author
Shraddha Shah
