The increase in prioritizing video marketing and the obvious push from social media channels to put video content upfront in their feeds are big indicators that consumers are engaging with video more than ever.
If you’re trying to get the attention of those consumers, then you need to prioritize videos as well. Especially if you want your content to increase traffic and sharing. According to a 2023 Wyzowl survey, 91% of marketers say video has increased traffic to their site, and people are twice as likely to share videos with friends than any other type of content.
The marketing community has certainly taken notice. A whopping 90% of marketers using short-form videos will increase or maintain their investment in 2023. Another 21% of marketers plan to leverage short-form videos for the first time in 2023.
Short-form videos vary in length depending on the platform they appear on, but they’re generally less than a minute. Marketers love them because short-form videos in particular, have the highest return on investment and are currently No. 1 in lead generation.
We love videos for many reasons, but for this article, we’ll focus on how they help you engage customers better, simplify complex information, and save time.
Engage prospective customers better with videos
If you ever had to read a book for school as a kid and then watch a movie adaptation of the same story, then you know that it’s way faster and more engaging to watch the movie. Turns out, grown-ups work the same. In fact, 73% of people prefer to watch a short video to learn about a product or service than read about it.
According to a recent study, explainer videos are 65% more effective than PowerPoint presentations and help viewers gain twice the knowledge on the subject matter.
Now, while we often think of videos as content we would see in online ads, websites and social media, many marketers benefit from using videos in their emails or in sending messages to potential customers using the sales navigator. Here’s why: video emails help recipients retain more of the message than text-based emails. And with most of us battling a regular onslaught of email communication, videos can be a breath of fresh air in someone’s inbox.
Simplify the complex in your videos
Now that you have your viewers’ attention with a video maximize their retention. Breaking down complex products or services into small bits – like the method outlined in simpleshow Video Maker to help you create explainer videos – helps viewers retain info like that all-important unique selling proposition.
Taking in new concepts in small chunks is called microlearning, and it’s 18% more efficient than traditional learning approaches. This approach is ideal for everything from educating people on new concepts to pitching them.
This seems just as true the higher up the ladder you go. If you’re trying to sell an idea or product to a senior executive, you should know that 59% of them would rather watch a video than read text in their email.
Executives aside, the amount of people watching explainer videos is staggering. 96% of people have watched an explainer video to better understand or learn about a product or service. With that number in mind, you’d have a harder time finding someone who hasn’t watched an explainer video.
Save time
This is a big one. Whenever you can shave time off of your process to convert new customers, it’s a win. Imagine if you could show your prospects a ready-made video highlighting all the key points instead of repeatedly explaining your products or services during meetings. With a solid introduction, you can skip to a deeper conversation about how your customers can include your products and services in their lives and/or work.
And if the video is really well done, it can convert potential clients on its own as an ad, on a landing page or wherever you’re trying to reach customers. One study said watching a video convinced 89% of people to buy a product or service. That means, video can do the heavy lifting, so instead of spending time convincing prospects to try what you’re selling, you can spend more time finding new leads.
Videos can also be great for informing people about product updates or new versions. Instead of starting from scratch, why not build on what you have? With simpleshow video maker, you can save videos to create a bank of content – all shareable at the click of a button. Then, if your app, service or product drops a new feature, you can edit your videos to include the new stuff so you’re always ready with the latest content.
The bottom line: video is a powerful tool to help you convert customers better, smarter and faster, than text-based marketing alone.