While the Lunar New Year animal for 2015 may be the center of serious debate (the year of the sheep… or is it the goat?), 2015 is unquestionably the year of the video.
Online Users Love Video
It’s no secret that social media posts and blog entries earn far better results when they come along with images but on average, videos receive far greater engagement. This is because videos are automatically engaging by their nature, as well as because there has been an ever-growing trend for consuming and sharing information in video format online. In fact, 50% of the internet traffic in 2014 came from videos!
High quality videos are an internet user favorite because they are quick to consume and they’re often entertaining to view – even for videos created for educational or business purposes. Consumers are overwhelmed with content in this Information Age and they have voted by their actions that video is their favorite way to consume information.
Video and Online Marketing
Video is often associated with YouTube but the statistics may surprise you. Facebook has recently released their numbers on video activity on the platform and their video views have surpassed those of YouTube. Facebook currently receives over 3 billion video views per day! Of course, social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat that feature videos are continuing to grow in popularity. However, it isn’t just social media that has jumped aboard the video trend. Google’s newest algorithm for SEO favors websites incorporating videos. They receive more traffic and better quality traffic and in turn grant the same to participating websites.
Taking Advantage of the Video Trend
There are two ways to get involved with video marketing and a combination of the two is best for most brands. Have high quality, engaging and brief videos produced to share on your social media sites. In most cases, they should not be more than a few minutes long. There are so many different types of videos you may produce and the most appropriate depends on your industry but may include behind-the-scenes style videos, company history, informational/instructional/educational videos, production processes and more. The second method is to be sure to include sharing high quality, engaging and relevant videos you find online – via social media and online searches – with your followers and fans as one aspect of your overall social media strategy.
