What makes someone stop and take notice of a company and the products or services they have to offer? What draws their attention enough to convince them to choose one business over the competition?
Answering these questions properly can be the difference between success or failure. Advertising was once only a matter of having an interesting logo and a catchy slogan. However, consumer expectations have grown as the sophistication level of technology has increased. Even the smallest of companies operating out of remote villages can have clients on the other side of the planet. It takes more than giving out business cards to make that happen. It requires skillfully applied SEO tactics and visibility in the places where consumers are most likely to look. In order to achieve the greatest level of ROI for all advertising dollars, businesses need to learn more about SEO for videos.
The Statistics
Videos currently account for 64 percent of all traffic on the Internet. With over three billion people using the Internet, it’s easy to see why every minute of the day over 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube. Marketers are currently spending nearly $8 billion a year on video advertising. This investment only happens because marketing companies and successful businesses know it works. The consumption rate of video viewing on YouTube doubles nearly every year as people are turning to video as their main source of information and entertainment.
Who’s Watching?
Nearly 80 percent of people are able to recall information from a video advertisement a month after viewing the video.
It’s easy to assume that online videos are all short clips, streamed films, and music videos that are only watched by teens and young adults. The reality is that individuals from every demographic group are viewing videos at some point while online. Colleges and universities use video to reach potential students. Executives watch to learn about competitors, discover new talent, and review companies they are considering as partners. A Nielsen study reported that nearly 150 million Americans watch online videos, and over 90 percent of consumers viewing content on mobile devices share the videos they watch with others. Social media sites have increased the popularity of online video watching and made it easier for the best productions to draw attention immediately from millions of viewers around the world.
Why Videos Help
Videos used in advertising emails increase click-through rates by 200 percent or more. That’s not surprising since almost 90 percent of people asked in a recent survey stated that watching a video encouraged them to choose a product or service. The average consumer tends to believe the information they receive in a video more than what they read in written advertisements. Even more astounding is the capability of videos to provide that information. Studies revealed that one minute of video advertising is equal to 1.8 million words of text in its communication value. When that is considered, along with the fact that nearly 80 percent of people are able to recall information from a video advertisement a month after viewing the video, it’s easy to see how valuable this advertising method is to all industries.
What Content Works
In order for a video to effectively generate business, it has to contain content with some value to the consumer. Being direct is key because over half of viewers will watch for only two minutes or less. In those two minutes, consumers will decide whether or not the products or services the business offers interest them. The entertainment factor matters too because videos with amazing visuals, humor, and relevant information are shared the most. It’s tempting for people to want to describe at length the history and philosophy of their company, but few consumers are swayed into a purchase based on this information. Keep it brief, make it easy to understand, and know who is watching. It’s only possible to talk directly to a potential customer and maintain their interest when business owners understand who their average customer is and what they need or want.
When SEO Matters
Knowing how to optimize videos properly makes the difference between having a video with 10 views and turning into thousands if not tens of thousands of views!
SEO always matters, but it’s most important when the video is created to draw traffic to a website. Corporate videos to educate investors, training videos, and email video advertisements are not the same as properly optimized video SEO. These videos require careful attention to how they are made and described. Everything is important when it involves drawing the attention of search engine crawlers. Knowing how to optimize videos properly makes the difference between a great video with 10 views and a substandard production with a million hits. Carefully scripted, directed, and performed productions are often lost in cyberspace when video SEO methods are not used properly. Video creation is not just capturing something on camera. It is an art form that requires technical knowledge and creativity. It also requires an understanding of marketing and online behavior when the final work is for SEO purposes. Companies that want the best return on their investment need to choose wisely for this type of production. Postcreatives offers more than a competently produced video. We use attention-grabbing visuals and interesting storytelling and mix it with the most effective SEO tactics possible to help each client rank higher on search engines than they have with any other campaign. Contact us to learn more about how a single video has the power to change everything.
