What's Up with Video?
It’s no surprise that 1.3 billion people use YouTube. We’re curious humans who live in a culture of images. What is surprising, however, is that 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. That’s crazy. And what’s more, almost 5 billion videos are watched on YouTube every single day. That’s right. 5 billion!
There are a lot of people out there pushing content to YouTube, businesses included. But with all of that content, the question arises: How do you stand out from your average content creator, especially after you realize that 20% of the people who tap play on one of your videos will leave after the first 10 seconds?
Catch an eye
This might seem simple, but it’s not. Your videos have to be really, really good. You can’t just sit in front of a camera and drone on about whatever it is you’re into. You have to stand out from the crowd with popping intros, snazzy montages, and great tunes (all of which are brand-appropriate, of course).
If you need help creating amazing visuals, check out these courses:
Demonstrate your product
Sad but true, people would rather watch video about your product than read about it. While that might make Gutenberg stir in his grave, it’s great for you. Even if you don’t have time to become a video master, you can, at the very least, capture your product with a smartphone and load it up to YouTube. People want to see what they’re buying and they want to see how it functions. If you have the time and ability, however, then also make it pretty.
Track it!
One of the nice things about video is that it’s pretty easy to track. You can see how many people are watching it, sharing it, and commenting on it. If you pay attention to the stats, then you can easily tell what your consumer likes and doesn’t like and tweak your content to match the preferences of your target audience.
The word itself
Don’t ask me why, but if you’re already sending out a marketing email each month, you’ll have 19% higher open rates and 65% click-through rates simply by putting the word “video” in your subject line. Like I said, people want to watch it, not read it.
You like me, you really like me…
Content marketing isn’t just about conversion rates and making a little money. It’s about articulating the problem you solve in the market, cultivating trust with your target audience, and expressing your brand properly. With video, your customer gets to know you and your product and, through their comments and interactions, you’ll get to know them. So in a strange way, video allows you to create long-term relationships and build trust with your audience.
Yes, conversion is a thing, too
Yeah, you’ll make money, too. Simply put, video converts. Recent research says 71% of marketers report video conversion rates outperforming their other content marketing efforts. While I can’t say that you’ll definitely see an increase in sales because you start releasing awesome videos to YouTube, I can say you’ll have a pretty good chance of connecting with your target audience, which often results in increased conversion rates.
What are you waiting for?
I know it can be a little scary to put yourself and your product in a video and send it out to the internet. But, if don’t right, you really have nothing to lose. Your customer will love it. You’ll conversion rate will most likely increase. And, who knows, you might just have fun doing it, too!