7 BEST WAYS TO USE VIDEO FOR YOUR BRAND OR BUSINESS
HOW CAN VIDEO HELP YOU INCREASE SALES AND BUILD BUSINESS? HERE ARE THE 7 BEST WAYS TO USE VIDEO IN 2023.
Ask any marketer or advertiser—video is THE most effective tool for generating leads, building an audience, driving website traffic, and closing sales.
According to Wyzowl’s latest industry survey, The State of Video Marketing 2023,” video is still growing in popularity among both marketers and consumers.
91% of businesses are using video marketing today—that’s up from 81% just five years ago. And 91% of consumers say they want to see MORE online video from brands in 2023.
Also, according to Wistia, the time consumers spend watching online video has increased by 249% in the past 5 years.
So, what are the best ways to use video?
The fact is, there are SO MANY ways you can use video in your business and marketing, deciding which tactics to use can be overwhelming.
7 Best Ways to Use Video
As the information in this blog post will show, there are many different types of video. No matter how it is used, video is an extremely effective form of communication.
The best tactics to use may vary depending on the type of brand or business.
So, without further delay, here are the 7 best ways to use video in 2023:
1. Social Media Videos
As every good marketer knows, the first step to generating sales leads is building awareness. You must introduce your brand and your product to people who have never heard of you.
And the best place to do that? Social media.
According to industry data, 53% of consumers engage with a brand for the first time after seeing Social Media Videos. For younger demographics, that number is even higher. 66% of Millennials engage with brands in this way.
That explains why, according to Wyzowl, the top channels used by video marketers today are YouTube (90%), Facebook (86%), LinkedIn (79%) and Instagram (79%).
No surprise—they’re all social media channels.
One thing to keep in mind, the best Social Media Videos aren’t selling anything. Their objective is to grab attention and plant the seeds for future engagement.
That’s why Social Media Videos are typically short in length (15 to 30 seconds) and often funny or memorable.
They build your audience by getting liked and shared.
2. Streaming TV Ads
The second best way to connect with new customers is actually the old fashioned way—television advertising. 30-second ad buys have been used for decades to broadcast sales messages and build awareness.
However, there is a downside—traditional media buys can be expensive.
Fortunately, there’s a less expensive alternative. With OTT, or “Over the Top” media buys, streaming TV ads reach targeted audiences more cost effectively. In other words, instead of paying to reach a mass audience, you only pay to reach targeted customers.
OTT advertising is served up via streaming TV services like Hulu, Netflix, and Roku. While these streaming services reach smaller audiences than broadcast and cable, the number of cord cutters has grown significantly.
According to Pew Research, 60% of young adults in the US use online streaming to watch TV. And according to Deloitte, in 2021, a higher percentage of US households subscribed to streaming services (69%) than to broadcast and cable TV (65%).
3. Website Videos
After you connect with new customers and generate leads, the next step is engaging and nurturing those leads.
The best place to do that: your website.
That’s the first place people will look to learn more about your company and your products. For example, a Brand Positioning Video on your homepage is a great way to educate consumers and differentiate your business.
But don’t stop there. If you have an “about us” page on your website, an About Us Video can be a great addition.
Website Videos can also make your website more effective. According to Wyzowl, 86% of marketers say video has helped them boost website traffic, and 87% say it has increased dwell time, or the time visitors spend on individual web pages.
Website Videos can take different forms, including animated explainer videos, customer testimonials, employee interviews, and product demonstrations.
And speaking of product demonstrations…
4. Product Videos
Product demonstrations are one of the most effective types of video for closing a sale. They show how products work, their features, and benefits. And most importantly, they can provide emotional context—how using the product makes you feel.
If you have an e-commerce website, Product Videos are especially effective when posted on individual product pages. According to Kissmetrics, website visitors who watch a Product Video are 85% more likely to purchase that product.
And according to Wyzowl data, 89% of people say watching a video has convinced them to buy a product or service.
Believe it or not, Product Videos can even increase in-store sales. According to Google, 89% of smartphone users watch Product Videos on their phone while shopping in person.
5. Email Marketing
No list of the best places to use video would be complete without mentioning Email Marketing. As you well know, Email is a proven and effective way to communicate with potential customers.
Once they have opted in and joined your company mailing list, they’ve given their permission for you to contact them about new products, new features, and future sales events.
No wonder Email Marketing is an integral part of most B2B marketing strategies.
So, what does that have to do with video, you may ask? It turns out that video makes Email Marketing more effective, by just about any metric.
According to Wordstream, emails that contain video can increase clickthrough rates by 96%. A video thumbnail image in the body of in an email increases engagement by 41%. Simply including the word “video” in an email subject line increases open rates by 6%.
In most instances, videos are not actually embedded in an email—clicking a link opens a web page where the video can play. But a new company called EyeMail has a different solution.
They’ve found a way to embed video within the email itself, and claim open rates as high as 60%, compared to the industry average of 22.8%.
6. Landing Pages
Most marketers think of the sales process as a series of brand interactions—also known as the Buyer’s Journey. In many instances, that journey ends with a Landing Page—an online portal where customers “land” after clicking a link in an email or digital ad.
Landing Pages are designed for customer conversion. They’re where customers make purchase decisions, pledge fundraising dollars, join mailing lists, and more.
And video, it turns out, makes Landing Pages work even harder.
54% of marketers routinely include videos on their Landing Pages, and for good reason. According to Wordstream, Landing Page Videos can increase conversion rates by more than 80%.
Landing Page videos can take many forms, including Product Videos, Testimonials, Brand Films, and Fundraising Presentations.
7. Employee Training
The last item on our list of the best places to use video to help your business is a little less expected—Employee Training Videos, or eLearning. Employee Training Videos are one of the fastest growing segments of video production.
This trend began during the pandemic. With large numbers of employees working from home, companies suddenly found it difficult to schedule in-person training sessions.
In 2023, nearly 75% of large enterprise companies have begun using video for onboarding and training purposes.
Microsoft launched an internal portal to deliver training to its employees. By saving the costs of travel and meeting space rental, they managed to reduce the cost of eLearning from $320 per hour to just $17 per hour
Most Employee Training programs use a modular format for self-directed learning. Employees can watch videos at their own pace.
Conclusion
No matter what type of video you need to market your business, you’ll need top quality production to ensure the best results.
Many companies produce their own videos, while others work with experienced third-party companies like Content Puppy Productions. At Content Puppy, we specialize in creating videos that help companies stand out and drive results.
With three decades of advertising and marketing experience, we offer a range of creative services, including video production, post production, copywriting, digital advertising, concept development, and graphic design. Whether you need web and social media videos, TV commercials, or streaming digital content, you'll love working with us.
Get In Touch With Us
To learn more about the services we offer, please click here. To tell us about your next video project, please click here or give us a call at (404) 457-5880.
About the Author:
Harry Hayes is the owner and executive producer at Content Puppy Productions, a corporate video production agency based in Charlotte. Before starting Content Puppy, he spent 20+ years as an advertising writer and creative director.
