Why influencers and brands should focus on video content

Today’s buyers are savvy and information driven. Shoppers want choices and information to help them make the best purchase. Take video, for example: It’s one of the most, if not the most, engaging forms of content marketing. In fact, 4 out of 5 millenials will view a brand’s video related to a product they want to purchase.

In last week’s article, we featured video content as one of the ways brands and influencers can improve their social media marketing strategy. This week, we’re focussing on the interactive content form and its ability to engage and retain audiences. Let’s delve into a few important video-related questions to better understand why that is and how you can leverage this powerful marketing tool.

Why is video an important and powerful format?

The popularity of video content can strongly be corroborated by the saying, ‘’If a picture is worth a thousand words, than a video is worth a million.’’ And to be exact, according to a McQuivey Forrester study, video is worth 1.8 million words. Yes, a perfectly edited photo with an engaging caption can provide high reach and create a good brand story, but video can also bring your entire social media strategy to a whole new level.

Moreover, video is a digestible and much simpler way of processing information, especially when it comes to original and unique pieces of content people identify with. It can help strengthen your brand message, as well as boost your businesses’ SEO. Plus, the fact video performs well on all devices makes it even more consumer-focused and user-friendly.

What impact does video have on conversion rate?

Researchers have shown that 72% of consumers would rather be informed about a certain service or a product over video rather than a static picture post. That’s exactly why video is a format that increases reach, engagement, and, in the end, conversion rate. So, what are the exact steps of that particular process?

Publishing video content is a more native and unique way of sharing information, which is why you are more likely to receive higher engagement in the form of more likes, comments, shares, etc. The result has a positive effect on social media algorithms - for example, platforms like Instagram ‘’reward’’ the engageable content because they recognize it as a valuable piece of information worth sharing amongst a wider circle of people that might be interested in your product or service. More interaction with your followers leads to a bigger reach which effectively increases your conversion rate - a term that stands for the result you receive after dividing the total number of visitors from the number of conversions (buyers). This 2019 post reported video content can boost conversions up to 80%.

How to adjust your video content to your target audience?

When attempting to create engaging content your audience will enjoy, we recommend doing some traditional marketing A/B testing to learn what type of videos your audience is interacting with. Is your audience responding to more how to’s or informational content such as DIY’s or recipes? Or, are they more interested in aspirational content and a peek into your personal life? It’s important to note that different social media platforms cater to different demographics and typically we see video performing better on Facebook as opposed to Pinterest. You’re able to measure your audience engagement across your content and cater your videos toward topics your customers are looking for.

Consumers decide if they want to watch an entire video based on its first five seconds, so keep the content fresh, fun and engaging. The type of video you publish actually leads us to our next question:

Do you need professional videos in your social media strategy?

Although concepting, creating, and editing videos sounds time consuming and expensive, it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, studies show consumers prefer less polished and natural videos rather than scripted, heavily produced videos. If you think about why social media is successful, it’s because it is the most authentic way to reach your audience. There’s nothing more authentic than a raw video, which is why we’ve seen platforms like Instagram stories, IGTV and TikTok rise to the top when it comes to engagement.

That doesn’t mean anything you record at home will gain greater success than a professionally made piece of content - it only means your creativity is going to attract your target audience much faster than a high-budget production. Less is often more, don’t forget that.

How did influencers influence the rise of video content on social media?

Influencers are pioneers in setting trends on social media, as well as stimulating the rising popularity of video content. Many of today’s most popular influencers came from Vine - a platform where you can post 7-second videos of any kind. After it shut down, most of them continued their work on YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat, where they published different kinds of videos (adjusted to the given platform’s limits) and transformed videos content that, up until recently, they had made for fun, into a real business.

Video provides influencers the opportunity to express themselves as well as create closer and more-personal relationships with their followers. Facing the camera, talking about personal situations, and sharing every day moments over video empowers their position in the social media world while creating a celebrity image in their fan’s perspective. In other words, smaller video fragments like Instagram stories or Snapchat gives their followers a sense they are real people just like everyone else. Through this, it becomes easier for followers to identify with their content and gain trust in what they do. This is also a valuable component when it comes to choosing the right influencer, which is a topic we explore deeper in this article.

Conclusion

As more social media platforms are introduced that focus on video content, brands and individuals have become more creative in the content they produce. It’s easy to see why one would want to take advantage of this powerful marketing tool. Video has already proven itself to be a popular medium, with 87% of online marketers and small businesses using video content in their social media and digital marketing strategies.

During these unforeseen circumstances when an emphasis on digital is amongst the top of your priorities, placing resources on video content can improve your brand’s position while making your business stand out. What buyers truly want and appreciate t is to feel good about the purchasing decisions they are making. Now you know by employing video content is an excellent tool to help you achieve that.