Video Marketing – Is Investing in Films Really Worth It

The growing number of Internet surfers causes that marketing has become an inseparable part of the web for good. Because of the characteristics of the medium in which it functions, the tools of Internet marketing are still being developed. Video content has become very important for Internet marketing. Find out what video marketing is based on and who can make use of it.

History – the First Video on YouTube

On April 23rd, 2005, Jawed Karim, the co-creator of an Internet service for hosting videos, uploaded the first film made with his high-school friend Yakov Laptisky.

He was not aware that at that moment he was shaping the history of world media, while sharing the film on a niche (at that time) start-up service. A year later, YouTube was taken over by Google for 1.65 billion dollars.

The next element in the revolution leading video to conquer the world are social networks. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and, finally, the fully mobile (created specially for millennials) Snapchat are turning into places where billions of people share, comment on, and store videos.

Forms of Video Marketing

Just like the Internet, video marketing does not like stagnation and monotony. It has to be diversified and change depending on the recipient and needs.

The most popular forms:

• films presenting companies “from the inside” – they show the human face of a brand and cause that it becomes closer to the recipient. An emotional bond is created between the company and the recipient.

• presentations of products or services in everyday use (explainer video) – they can be combined with a product review. Product presentations uploaded on the Internet are frequently longer than TV ads; they’re not limited by the length of broadcasting time. This is one of the first video forms used by companies, especially start-ups and those functioning in the new technology sector (all types of applications). It is a tool, by the help of which it can be explained, how a product works and what its function is. This type of video, of course, also fulfils a promotional role. Explanatory videos are usually uploaded on Internet sites.

• testimonials – our decisions about shopping are based on the references of others, which we can find on the Internet and they do not always have to be recommendations from friends. For that reason, posting opinions of satisfied customers or business partners on Internet sites has already become a norm.

• instructional videos – they are about how to use a product. They are used by companies more and more often. Besides, they are expected and, what is interesting, produced also by customers. It is easy to understand why. There is currently a great and growing need for that type of videos. You can simply enter YouTube and see the films of people who bought a given product and who are sharing their emotions connected with opening and using the product for the first time. For sure, manufacturers should not only create instructional films, but also watch those kinds of films made by Internet users, because they are a free source of a lot of valuable information.

• guide/video blog (vlog) – it’s probably one of the most often used video forms on the Internet. In the hands of brands, it can take different forms – starting from culinary blogs with recipes (e.g. Cooking with Lidl, Siemens instructions ) and ending on absurd recordings concerned with the slogan “Will it blend?” of the Blendtec brand.

A vlog is a type of combination of different forms. It can be a guide, but it can also fulfil an entertainment function.

• animation – it is more of a style of making a video than a type. An animation is, above all, a method of telling a story in an interesting way, but also helps in presenting complicated processes, which, if presented only by the help of text, could simply be difficult in reception. This form is ordered by our customers very often and used in courses, demonstrations inside the company, and also, e.g., in product ads, guides, and instructions outside the company.

• curriculum vitae – a film presenting a person, their competences, knowledge, and professional experience – short films which take a few minutes.

• humorous films – another function, which can be fulfilled by a video is simply entertainment. A video which entertains the audience and makes them laugh has a chance to go viral in social media and such an effect is actually priceless for every brand. “A positive buzz” also helps in making the group of fans larger; it lets you stand out against competitors and can be a way to be remembered by consumers. However, people interested in those types of films are not always the target group of the company.

• webinar – this is a training, a lecture, a workshop broadcast live online. Although webinar is a limited form when compared to face-to-face meetings, it really has a few important advantages. With its help, you can make the brand known, educate the audience, and at the same time immediately interact with the recipient, e.g. by way of an immediate reaction to questions or conversations on chat (on the margin: thanks to this kind of chat, you can find out really a lot about current or potential clients).

Facts You Should Know

According to a report of the company Cisco, by 2019, 80% of the global Internet transfer will consist of videos.

76% of companies claim that video materials have helped make their Internet site more popular.

A greater number of visits on the website not only has a good influence on SEO, but also gives the possibility of winning potential customers. In times, when the video keeps getting more popular, content in text form should be made complete by video materials. This way, we will be able to present our product much better.

On average, people spend 2.6 times more time on Internet sites with video content.

The time spent on an Internet site is information for the search engine regarding how useful the service is. Video materials on the site are the next way to have better SEO results.

84% of consumers make decisions concerning shopping after watching video materials.

79% of consumers choose films instead of reading product descriptions.

75% of consumers may decide not to buy the advertised product because of the irritating voice of the presenter.

9 out of 10 consumers watch weekly at least 1 video on the Internet.

70% of consumers have shared films of brands among their friends.

Only 3% of consumers claim that they would never share the film of a brand in social media.

You will find the source for the above mentioned numbers and more statistics on the following site (Click)

Recently, video marketing has moved from niche to mainstream. Moreover, according to statistics, this trend will continue to grow. Video materials on the Internet are not only on YouTube. They show a wider range of articles on web portals, replace written instructions, and, of course, they help raise sales. At the same time, you need to remember that video marketing is not supposed to be confused with a TV ad.

In a TV ad, communication is one-sided, while video marketing, in its original form, is supposed to be more interactive. Via comments, recipients can react to the message immediately. What is more, video marketing does not have to be limited to video material; it can provide links to information on products and addresses of stores, as well as share a site for registering.

In 2010, Chris Anderson, the creator of the “TEDx” conference format, said that “what Gutenberg did for writing, video can now do for face-to-face communication” and claimed that video creators “may begin the greatest cycle of gaining knowledge in the history of mankind”. It’s true that the video has become a tool which binds communities, when there are important matters and events.

In 2007, YouTube launched a partnership program making it possible to earn money from your own content uploaded on this platform. Five years later, already 30 thousand partner accounts had been registered and Forbes had determined that the creator (active on YouTube) making the greatest profit can get commissions between 2.5 million and 12 million dollars. Apart from earnings made on the mere partnership program, creators make a profit on product placements and on working with brands. PewDiePie, the author of the greatest number of subscriptions (44 million people), is an example of a person-institution who is active on YouTube and whose fame and recognition can be envied by rock stars.

It is worth it to invest in a video. It is important, however, that the person responsible for putting the video marketing strategy into practice analyses the group of recipients correctly to find out about their interests and their most frequent problems in order to provide them with the appropriate type of video content.