Why is video marketing important?

Why is video marketing important?

In 2012, video marketing showed a dramatic upward trend in both the effectiveness and usage for B2B businesses. Since then, video has become a staple of the content marketer’s arsenal. With the rise of video consumption projected to represent 79 percent of all online traffic by 2018, below are a few other reasons why video marketing should become a part of your B2B marketing efforts.

YouTube is the second largest search engine

In 2008, Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion. Since then, Google has gradually increased the weight of YouTube videos in their search ranking algorithms. As a result, B2B marketers now rank videos as the third most effective tactic (behind in-person events and webinars).

Image Credit: 2015 B2B Content Marketing Trends—North America: Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs

Video engagement is highly measurable

Compared to text-based content, video engagement is much easier to measure and quantify. While still an incredibly important part of SEO and SEM marketing, it is somewhat difficult to see how engaged a reader is with text-based content. An analytical marketer can infer from bounce rates and time on page whether a reader is engaged with text content. However, you can tell exactly how long your video is being viewed before viewers abandon the video. With YouTube analytics, you know exactly how a viewer is engaged with your video.

It is efficient to digest

In many cases, video is easier to digest than text-based content. For services that require some education before a consumer is willing to purchase, it can be easier to digest a well-edited video than lengthy written text. In 2010, one study between Forbes and Google demonstrated that 59% of senior executives would prefer to watch a video than read text. Ultimately, a strategy using both text and video will ensure the user is consuming the marketing content in the form they prefer.

It is efficient to produce (especially for the thought leaders)

In many cases, a genuine thought leader is too busy being an actual thought leader to develop long text-based articles. In an interview video format, a thought leader simply needs to answer interview questions naturally, and discuss their thought leadership topics in a conversational setting. A day of filming can often yield raw footage that will last for many months. In this format, thought leaders simply talk about their views and opinions, and the real work is done post-production.

While video is rapidly gaining traction as a digital marketing tactic for B2B businesses, it should not be used as the only tactic. A combination of written, video, and visual digital marketing tactics will allow the prospective customer to consume the material in the form they prefer.

Please feel free to check out our shameless plug below as one example of measurable, digestible, and efficiently produced content.