GUEST COLUMN: How video marketing drives maximum conversions
93 per cent marketers agree that it’s an important part of their marketing strategy.
Mumbai: The rapid growth of TikTok globally, as well as Instagram releasing ‘Reels’ over the last couple of years, is a testament to the rise in video consumption, with users preferring to watch short video clips on their mobile devices.
These short clips, referred to as ‘snackable content’ are often shared by users on their social feeds as well as via messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, etc. Most large brands have been quick to understand the importance of creating snackable video content, as part of their overall marketing efforts and have been leveraging this trend for quite some time, with 93 per cent of marketers saying that it is an important part of their marketing strategy.
What is Video Marketing?
Before we discuss video marketing, let’s take a step back and understand today’s consumer, who spends a good part of his/her day on mobile device. Right from checking the news, to social feeds, connecting with friends and family, to shopping & entertainment, their life revolves around their mobile phones. This offers brands a plethora of touchpoints to reach out to them, via search engine marketing, through ad placements on popular websites, and promoted ads on social feeds based on their interests.
Coming back to the consumer, they are well aware of the ‘techniques’ used by marketers to gain their attention, which makes them look at alternative ways to understand which is the right product for them. Here’s where online influencers and other ‘word of mouth’ marketing plays an important role. Consumers are more likely to trust a product if it has been recommended by a friend or by someone she trusts. This is why, brands have been tapping popular influencers to create content featuring their products. This is manifest in the form of videos featuring product reviews, unboxing, how to use, etc.
Why is video marketing important for brands?
Gone are the days when brands can simply create a ‘360 Campaign’ and expect it to deliver the goods. While certain brands, especially in the beauty and lifestyle space see merit in associating with celebrities to endorse their products, from the consumer’s perspective, this only helps in driving awareness of the advertised product. Consumers would still want to know what others say about the product, read the reviews on online marketplaces, see comparisons between different products before putting down her money.
Here’s where video marketing comes in! By reaching the consumer while he/she is scrolling through the social feed, or when he/she searches for a solution either on YouTube or on a search engine, video marketing enables brands to build a stronger connection with the consumer.
Brands can reach out to consumers at different stages in their consumer journey by creating specific video content, which addresses these stages. In fact, as per research, 96 per cent of users have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service. What’s more, unlike brand films or TVCs, these videos are affordable to produce and brands can easily create a series of videos without breaking the bank!
How does video marketing enhance conversions?
As per a consumer survey on how they’d like to learn about a product or service, 69 per cent users said they’d prefer to watch a short video, in comparison to 18 per cent who’d rather read a text-based article, website or post, or just four per cent who’d like to view an infographic.
The best part of video marketing is these videos help brands to make that all important conversion, by providing links to the brand website or brand store on marketplaces. These links can be embedded at the end of the video, can appear as a call-out at the bottom of the video and can also be placed in the video description, along with other relevant links to the brand’s website, social media pages, etc., thereby building the trust factor.
According to a research by Wyzowl, 94 per cent of marketers say video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service, while 84 per cent say video has helped generate leads.
