Why Video Marketing Is Vital For Brands In 2021

Video content has evolved significantly since fluffy kittens first won our hearts on YouTube. In general, video is now a presence in our day-to-day life as we hop from a phone screen to a computer screen to a TV screen. And what's waiting for us on these devices? Videos from our favorite brands and creators.

Savvy marketers have projected the video boom for years.

Just take a look at the stats:

In HubSpot's 2017 State Of Inbound report, about half of participating marketers said they were ramping up their Facebook and YouTube video strategy.
Currently, 85% of businesses use video as part of their marketing strategy, and 92% say it's integral, according to a Wyzowl study.
A recent Zenith study estimates that in 2021, people will spend an average of 100 minutes watching videos every day.

The data is clear: video content is paramount, and consumers want more from their favorite brands, which leads us to your business.

The importance of video marketing is vital for growing a business, connecting to your audience, and spreading brand awareness online. But why are videos so resonant to audiences? Most importantly, how can you start using video marketing to promote your brand online?

In this guide, you'll learn precisely why videos are the most popular content online and how to get in on the action.

What makes videos so relevant?

It's no surprise that everyone loves videos. They're everywhere and for a good reason. Videos are highly engaging because they're easier to process and digest than text.

In the past few years, it has become something of a necessity as the COVID-19 pandemic has limited many interpersonal marketing options we took for granted, such as networking at conferences and workshops. More than ever, video is now a crucial part of any serious marketing endeavor and it cannot be ignored.

Research shows that viewers remember 95% of information from a video versus 10% of information from reading text.

That's a considerable gap in retention.

And it doesn't hurt that videos are super entertaining. As marketers, we can harness this video stardust and sprinkle it across our marketing campaigns.

Whether you need polished product videos, want to highlight your services, company, or staff, or to build your social media community — videos are vital.

Fortunately, videos are now one of the most accessible formats to produce with free video templates and software like PosterMyWall at your fingertips.

Not to mention the ease of picking up a smartphone and hitting record. It's never been easier to produce videos with the resources you already own.

With low investment costs and the potential for massive growth, it's time to get serious about video marketing.

Why your business needs video content

Bottom line: videos are entertaining. Why is that beneficial to marketers? Because if you strategically craft videos tailored to your audience, you can persuade them to action.

How does increasing your website's conversion rate by 80% sound? Pretty good, right? Well all you've got to do is add a video to your site's landing page.

And when it comes to giving customers what they want, it turns out, over half of them want to see videos from their favorite brands!

But videos are expensive to make, right?

Constraints of video marketing

Despite the accessibility of free video templates and online software, many are still on the fence about it. Surely creating videos requires time, funds, and expertise that many marketers don't have. Years ago, you'd have to hire a videographer, production team, editor, art director, and crew to create a branded video.

Now? There are ample resources that make creating videos quick and easy. With PosterMyWall's video templates, you can cover all of your video content needs from one site, including advertisements, promotional video content, restaurant videos, event promotion, and more!

Choose from thousands of marketing video templates and customize them with your branding colors, fonts, and text. To really make your content stand out, you can add up to 4 videos in your next advert, how-to video or product review. With tools like this ready for you, nothing is standing in the way of reaching your customers with high-quality video content.

You don’t even need to worry about adding videos, as PosterMyWall now allows you to create dynamic content with animated text. Use Animations to create sequences of text to deliver more value in less space. You can also use Animations to add your subtitles to videos which is a must have when sharing on Facebook or Instagram, as videos on both platforms are often auto-played mute.

By now you see the importance of video marketing, so how can you apply it to your outreach and promotional strategy? Your first step is to understand the various types of video content.

Types of video marketing content

Ready to tackle video marketing head-on? Here are the best types of video content to incorporate into your marketing strategy.

Product videos: Highlight your products with unboxing videos, tutorials, or demo videos like this unboxing collaboration between YouTuber Jacques Slade and Nike.
How-to videos: Teach your audience how to do something relevant to their needs with instructional how-to videos. For example, if you're in the food industry, create recipe tutorials.
Entertaining videos: The reason people love videos is that they are more entertaining than sales-y. While this TikTok video of Baby Boomers trying to pronounce "Chipotle" isn't blatantly selling their food, it's extremely entertaining and has nearly 8 million views.
Live videos on social media: Going Live is one of the best ways to get personal with your followers. Plus, you won't have to allocate funds to production costs because all you have to do is hit record and start talking. Brands frequently go Live to tease new product lines, interview industry leaders, and host Q&A's.
Customer testimonials: Nothing endorses your brand better than real customer reviews and testimonials, except real footage of customers talking about how amazing your brand is, like this testimonial spotlight from Zoom.
Branded content: These videos are essentially video advertisements like commercials or social media ads that serve to build awareness about your brand values, mission, and culture.
Behind the scenes: Put a face to your brand by inviting viewers behind the scenes of your business operations and production. Instagram Stories and Tik Tok are great platforms to record short, personal videos of your brand's inner workings.

How to incorporate video content into your marketing strategy

With so many different platforms, video types, and corners of the internet, it's hard to know where to start with video marketing. Don't worry, with these video content strategies; you'll see just how easy it is to attract customers with engaging videos.

Tailor content to your target audience

In marketing, we talk a lot about target audiences. That's because they are the people who benefit most from your brand, and that's why you target them. With video content, you want to ensure every video resonates with your ideal customers.

If your audience is actively engaged in politics and social issues, create informational videos about how to get involved like Ben & Jerry’s. Your target audience directs your brand messaging, and video content is part of your messaging, so stay consistent across all channels.

Create videos for different platforms

So many platforms, so little time! Look, just because there are multiple social platforms doesn't mean you have to create video content for every single one. Instead, focus on the platforms most conducive to videos, like YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook.

You can even get great looking YouTube channel art prepared in no time.

Mix up your video content

There are highly produced brand videos, and then there are raw, unpolished videos. You'll want to produce some high-quality branded videos. However, not all videos need to be an investment. Mix it up by sharing behind the scenes or testimonials that don't require any funds. It costs you nothing to go Live on Facebook and have a Q&A with your audience.

As it turns out, people engage more with Live videos anyway and are more likely to watch your content over 10-20x longer, according to Forrester.

Track analytics and engagement data

Let's say users interact the most with your video tutorials. Then you'll likely want to ramp up your tutorial content, right? Engagement data is critical for understanding what your audience wants. Pay attention to your analytics so that you can tailor content that your audience will engage and interact with.

Do viewers make it to the end of your videos? If not, try shortening the video length. The more insight you garner from your video content, the better you can deliver the content your audience wants.

Time to roll the camera

To sum up, video marketing is an effective strategy to engage your audience, attract new customers, and promote your brand online.

With more people tuning in to watch video content daily, you gain access to a massive digital auditorium. Once you capture their attention, they're more likely to take action.

There’s a myriad of online video templates a mouse-click away, and with a smartphone in your pocket, you've got everything you need to succeed. It's time to roll the camera, give your message traction, and bring much-deserved attention to your brand!