Guest Post By: Jay Manciocchi, JD.
Let’s face it—people LOVE video! Ask yourself: “Would I rather read a 10-page white paper, review related case studies or watch a compelling video on the same subject matter?” Your average person is far more likely to watch a video than consume other mediums for the same information.
Video has become one of the most effective and efficient ways to deliver key messages about your company and its offerings. Whether placed on your website, in the social realm, or directly on YouTube, video is an increasingly powerful medium that will allow you to impactfully deliver your value proposition(s) and motivate your target audience to take action. According to a Content Marketing Institute (CMI) survey, 70 percent of B2B and B2C companies already use video content to engage new and existing customers.
This article examines why people love video, the benefits of video content, and how cloud-based SaaS apps are revolutionizing the production and editing of online video.
Why Do People Love Video?
Our nation’s increased consumption of online video content should come as no surprise. After all, there’s a reason why YouTube is the second largest search engine and one of the most trafficked sites on the Web. In fact, eMarketer noted that more than 70% of internet users watched online video content in 2012. Industry experts predict that this figure will reach 77% percent by 2016.
According to acclaimed author and speaker, Susan Weinschenk, Ph.D (a consultant to brands like Walmart, Amazon and Disney), society’s preference for video consumption is rooted in the following psychological principles about why customers behave the way they do:
1. Voice conveys rich information: the simple sound of a human voice speaking to us has an impactful way of converting information into meaningful content.
2. The Fusiform Facial area makes us pay attention to faces: this brain function predisposes us to use the human face as a gathering point for information and believability.
3. Emotions are contagious: the body language of emotions appeals to our psyche and we naturally love to share emotions.
4. Movement grabs attention: another trait that is a core part of our anthropological DNA is the power of peripheral motion. Since the Stone Age, we’ve survived by noticing things in motion.
What Are the Benefits of Video Content?
1. Increased Customer Engagement Opportunities
Modern customers have become research experts. On their paths to purchase, they immerse themselves in product (or service) information from all available sources, and video has become their go-to tool for web browsing research. A number of studies demonstrate that video is proven to improve conversions and engagement of online visitors. A MultiChannel Merchant study found that when product videos are available on an ecommerce site, one-third of visitors will watch them, and people who view these videos are 85% more likely to make a purchase.
Some companies have taken even greater steps to make their video content highly-personalized and relevant. For example, SundaySky found that seven of the top 10 US cable operators and telecommunication providers are pursuing customer care strategies that involve the delivery of personalized video bills to their customers in order to proactively educate and support them.
2. Video Content is Great for SEO and Social Media
Not only will video help you engage your audience better, but it’s also great for SEO. Search engines, such as Google and Bing, started paying closer attention to user experiences when they made their algorithm updates last year, and they now give greater deference to video content in search rankings.
Video content also attracts the attention of social users. Video is one of the most popular forms of content that users share on Twitter, and we can only expect video to become more common with the advent of the Twitter-owned video app www.Vine.co. On Facebook, videos drive twelve times more shares than text and photos combined, according to M Booth.
3. It’s Cheaper Than You Think!
Small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners may think that they need a robust marketing budget to produce high-quality videos. This is simply not true. Sure, a big video budget can help your business look like a Fortune 500 company, but you would be surprised how well you can produce quality video with hardly any budget at all. Introducing your product or service with cloud-based video technology can be inexpensive, easy and fun.
4. No Video Camera Required
Don’t have a video camera? That’s OK—most smart devices, including smartphones and tablets, have video recording abilities with great megapixels, and you can now seamlessly edit the assets that you capture with SaaS applications. Simply shoot and upload your videos into The Cloud to edit them from the palm of your hand, whether you’re ‘on-location’ or visiting a tropical island in the South Pacific (assuming that the island has Wi-Fi, of course).
How Do I Get Started?
How do you take advantage of this incredibly engaging medium for your company’s messaging? First, don’t feel obligated to hire an overpriced content marketing agency or team of freelancers to write, design, shoot and edit your next video. Fortunately, cloud-based apps provide several innovative options that make creating a video a simple and seamless part of your marketing efforts.
Here are three cloud-based applications that you can start using today:
1. WeVideo
WeVideo www.WeVideo.com is redefining video editing by leveraging the strength of The Cloud. Simply upload your video clips and photos, create your storylines, and edit them online. Oh, that “cloud thing” means there’s no software to download; rather, all video editing takes place in the browser on your computer, tablet or smartphone. This SaaS app also offers collaborative functionality that allows users to co-create the same video or come up with their own unique versions from clips in their cloud-based video libraries.
2. Animoto
This recently redesigned format has brought online video to a new level of simplicity. By using Hollywood-quality backgrounds, edits and motion formats, you just drag and drop-in video or still images, select music from their library or your own, and you’re done with production. What comes out of Animoto www.Animoto.com is a great looking video that is perfectly timed to the music and ready for embedding or distribution.
3. Screencast
Screencast www.Screencast.com allows you to create videos by taking screen shots and adding your voice-overs. Many people use Screencast for video tutorials and software demos. Others are having success talking through PowerPoint presentations to show business models, sales processes and more.
Conclusion
Quality video content doesn’t need to be an expensive or overly-taxing production endeavor. You do not need thousands of dollars or fancy equipment to produce a high-quality video for your company. So, grab your camera, head to The Cloud, download the right SaaS App for your needs, and unleash your inner-Director talent. Indeed, your business will reap the benefits of connecting with your audience through this medium.
More Information
Want to learn more about how small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are using cloud-based applications to lower their costs and increase their operational power? Visit: https://buff.ly/10EejaQ
Jay Manciocchi, JD.
Head of Content
www.SaaSMarkets.com
Follow: @JayManSanFran