Long gone are the days when social media used to be a source of connectivity among individuals. Thanks to the overwhelming trend of capitalizing on every human resource, it has become a huge advertising space, with every major and minor brand vehement about outshining its peers on the concerned platforms.
And by looking at the current trends, it might not come as a shocker when I tell you that this competition will increase at speed far faster than what it was a few years ago, with videos constituting a significant part of it.
There are several reasons for it. First, the attention span of individuals is decreasing with every passing day. Second, the world is moving towards convenience at an enormous pace. The other reasons directly or indirectly correlate with those previously mentioned.
Anyways, to keep your presence alive, it’s essential to keep up with this pace. And that’s impossible without harvesting the power of videos. Why and How? Well, these are some questions worth dedicating an article to ;).
Statistical analysis of various video-sharing platforms
Before we indulge in the discussion of why and which videos to use in your social media marketing campaign, let’s have a look at some convincing statistics associated with each social media platform where you will be promoting your brand through video content:
Youtube
Youtube is the biggest video-sharing platform with over more than 2 billion active users worldwide. Plus, one-quarter of all the internet users spend 10-hours a day on average there, with over 500 videos uploaded every minute.
But that’s not the only overwhelming fact about it. According to statistics, about 55% of marketers keep Youtube as a prime constituent of their marketing strategy. And the reasons are simple.
First, Youtube has a hell of a lot of audiences. Second, it’s the second-largest search engine on the planet. This means they can fully take advantage of various SEO tactics. This ensures maximum reach towards the target audience, and outstanding leads, and ROI.
With roughly 2.89 billion monthly users, Facebook stands as the biggest platform for content marketing, including videos. As per recent statistics, about more than 4 billion video views are generated on Facebook every day, with 500 million users watching 100 million hours of video every single day. And among them, 65% of these views are generated from mobile users, with an engagement rate of 6.01%.
This makes it the next biggest video-sharing platform after youtube and arguably the biggest leads generator for businesses. Plus, you can also seek help from different influencers if your following is relatively weak. The engagement is also relatively good when compared to other platforms. You can share any major and minor stuff through regular posts and stories.
Although mainly used for uploading pictures, the platform became another marketing hub after introducing Instagram videos. With approximately 1.36 billion users, among whom 40% watch and share videos daily, this is another place you can exploit the power of videos.
Although it’s best to make your following by generating engaging content and using certain algorithm tricks like hashtags, you can always seek help from different influencers with a huge following. Additionally, as the stories disappear every 24-hours, you get the opportunity of real-time connectivity with your target audience.
With a whopping 396.2 million users growing at the rate of 2.4% every year, Twitter is yet another prominent place you can target for your video marketing.
According to statistics, the use of video on Twitter has increased by 62% from 2019 to 2020 and is growing at the same rate in 2021, with a 72% increase in watch time year by year.
Moreover, tweets containing videos are 6x more likely to be shared by users when compared to other forms of tweets. This is another great news for your video marketing campaign.
Long story short, now is a great time to begin sharing video content on Twitter as the trend is just taking off. By the time it reaches its peak, you will have a good experience on the platform, with a reasonably good following.
What makes video marketing special?
Now that we have gone through some statistical reports about social media platforms, let’s leap ahead and see what makes video marketing so unique and insanely effective. And why should it be your priority number 1 right now!
1. Crazy conversions
According to a recent report published by Forbes, about 90% of customers believe that video helps their buying decisions easier. Moreover, 64% of consumers find video more persuasive than written content, thus indulging them in trying out the product.
Even more, 87% across every industry use video as one of their primary marketing tools, with a whopping 80% increase in conversion rate. However, this persistence in its use also means more competition. So you must push your creative skills to their limits to stand out and garner their benefits.
2. High trust rate
To make this easier to digest, let’s say I have to sell you a product, and I have two ways to present it to you:
First, in the form of a written description, I’ll present its specifications and features in a long-form sales copy. Second, in the form of a persuasive video, I’ll show off its functionality through practical tests.
Now be honest! Which one would you trust the most? The video, right? Well, that’s basic human psychology right there. I would rather believe in actual footage than a mouth-to-ear story. The same goes for product marketing.
Using videos in your marketing strategy provides your target audience with a quick and concise source that practically gives them all the necessary information. This promotes brand-customer engagement and wins their trust from the very first second.
3. More engagement
It’s crucial to connect with your audience to garner success on social media. This means that whatever you share should be enjoyable from the first second. Or the next thing you know, users will have scrolled past your post without waiting for another moment to pass.
Videos play an important role here. With a strong intro, you can keep them hooked from the very first second. And if they find your video helpful, there’s a good chance that they will at least watch it halfway through.
This gives you enough time to propagate your brand message and make your potential prospects redirected to your main website. Videos with an average length of less than 2-minutes are shown to have more engagement, with 85% shares, which is more than any other form of content.
4. Easy to comprehend
A video demonstrating sophisticated processes or product use with simple narration is easier to understand than a social media post filled with technical jargon. Especially when you are dealing with a population having an attention span of less than a damn goldfish. Keeping this as the basis of our argument, a video is much easier to digest when compared to written content.
According to scientific research, 65% of the total human population are visual learners, with an 80% better retention rate of knowledge presented by a video than written content. Moreover, the processing time of visuals is far less than writing. So that’s just another advantage at hand.
By creating a great explainer video with vital information, you can use these statistical facts to your advantage and make something that can help them solve their issues.
5. Suits social media
Videos suit social media platforms. And if your video has enough creativity to appeal to your target audience, there are more chances of it getting viral. Plus, unlike blogs or the company’s home page or landing page, your video is on the feeds of millions of people simultaneously.
So there’s more chance to have a decent ROI. That too, with the ultimate creative freedom, where you can post almost anything as long as it corroborates your brand narrative. This is something we don’t get to see in any other medium of content.
Types of videos you can use
Following are some of the most incredible video types you can leverage from on social media:
About us videos
Posting about us videos has been one of the main focuses of companies on social media. The reason is simply promoting credibility and transparency between the company and customers and the prospects that shall fall in the conversion funnel.
Through about-us videos, brands tell their target audience what the company stands for and introduce them to some of their excellent employees and show them the organization’s overall work ethic.
In addition to that, they also walk the viewers through their production facilities (if physical/edible product) to show them all the necessary protocols followed during production stages. Various start-ups and big companies use such videos on social media, and it has been doing wonders.
So, the next time you see an M&M video on the discovery channel, be sure that it’s not to entertain you. It’s simply one of their biggest marketing tactics to pass you through their conversion funnel. The same logic works for social media as well.
Product reviews
You must have seen that whenever a new mobile phone is launched, all the Youtube reviewers go gaga over it. Well, most of them are usually sponsored by the brand to review their product. And the strategy simply works because of their vast and loyal fanbase.
The good news is, as long as your product holds public interest, you can do that too. Product reviews are one of the most effective conversion creators. When your product is used, analyzed, and then compared to the industry standards through a highly in-depth review, it has a significant psychological impact in terms of persuasion.
Such a type of video can be monumental in your social media marketing campaign. The only condition is, your product should be really good at what it does to catch the spotlight. For the record, about 73% of visitors who watch a product video are more likely to purchase.
Explainers
Although previously limited for use on a company’s landing page, explainers now constitute a significant part of ads on video platforms. We see them in many forms, including different kinds of animations and live-action videos. Sometimes both styles in one video (more about it in the video below).
With an explainer included in your social media marketing arsenal, you get the opportunity to connect with your audience on a more personalized level. But to successfully exploit the medium, you must understand your target audience first to implicitly target their pain spots.
As per data collected through studying business trends and consumer behaviors, about 60% of marketers use explainer videos in their social media marketing campaigns, among whom 99% are confident in its impact on their overall ROI.
Q&A videos
It’s crucial for any business to connect to its target audience more personally to maintain its user-oriented brand image. And nothing does it better than posting Q&A videos. In this video format, a company representative actually reads the comments and answers any questions that users might have in their minds.
Your company forms a personal bond with its customers. It gives them a sense of care and assurance by releasing such videos from time to time. Moreover, it shows your customer loyalty, which is something that sells more than anything.
Offer promotions
Are you planning to announce a massive sale of your products? Well, no one will know until you spread the word loud and clear. Offer promotion videos that can do that for you.
Although you can use simple, written posts, they often get ignored because of the abundance of banner ads on users’ news feeds.
With videos, there’s more chance that you’ll catch the attention of your prospects by being a bit creative. The results? A considerably colossal lead and conversion ratio!
Conclusion
Social media provides a vast and versatile advertising ground for your disposal. And not using any of it at your advantage means missing out on a lot of chances that could guarantee some excellent profits. Video marketing is one of them.
In this article, we shed light on some specific statistics related to the importance of social media video marketing, the platforms you can use for the purpose, and the type of videos you can use in your campaign.
I hope you found my two cents on the topic helpful. See you in the next one ;).
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