Video marketing has been unanimously chosen as one of the rising stars in marketing corridors, thanks to social integration and investments by Internet giants. It is gaining a vital place in the marketing plans of all major companies to connect with consumers, engage with them and convert them into paying customers.

Don’t believe the hype? Here are some statistics to prove the point. According to Syndacast, 74% of all Internet traffic in 2017 will be video. Not only that, studies show that using the word “Video” in the subject line of an email can increase open rates by 19%, click-through rates by 65% and reduce unsubscribers by 26%. According to Twitter, videos and photos get the most retweets.

Some major factors that have contributed to the popularity of videos are listed here:

1. Facebook Boosts Its Video Strategy

Last year, Facebook announced that its video viewership doubled from 4 billion views per day to 8 billion views per day in a period of seven months. This staggering growth of video viewership highlights the immense potential of videos for bringing in advertising dollars, keeping viewers engaged and increasing viewership. Facebook launched its picture-in-picture viewing last year, which lets users watch videos while browsing the news feed. Facebook is also testing a dedicated video feed stream to let viewers only watch videos shared by their network. Facebook is pushing the envelope to create more video infrastructure, and so are marketers to take advantage of its potential.

2. SEO Benefits

Videos have a direct impact on search results. It is common knowledge that rich media, which includes videos, is favored by search engine algorithms. To top it off, the fact that Google owns YouTube also plays a role in video’s increased popularity. Google has been constantly adjusting its algorithm to give its users a meaningful experience while searching. To satisfy user intent, they show a variety of results, and not just exact keyword matches. As a result, search results now prominently feature videos among top results.


3. Easy On The Eye, And The Brain

There’s no shortage of content out there in the digital world. People are overloaded with information that they cannot process. Videos are a breath of fresh air in a world dying with information overload. It is easier for the brain to process visual content amidst a sea of text. Creating an impact through videos is, therefore, that much easier.

4. Viral Potential

Users are more likely to share and re-share videos than other forms of content. It is a great tool for businesses and professionals to showcase their vision, expertise, products, services, company news and announcements for maximum outreach.

5. Kills Many Birds With One Stone

Whichever stage of the customer funnel you are targeting, videos can help. The objectives of educating, entertaining, inspiring or increasing brand awareness can all be achieved through videos. More and more people today educate themselves through product reviews and blog updates before making a purchase decision. Animoto’s research says that 96% of consumers find videos helpful when they are making purchase decisions online. Moreover, 58% of them consider companies that produce videos to be more trustworthy.

Videos drive traffic and engagement, they convey information better than other types of content and promote trust in the brand and its products. Little wonder then that video is becoming a critical component of every company’s marketing mix.

_{Edited by Nedda Chaplin}

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