A glimpse into the power of online video and what it could do for your business

Professionally-produced video boosts conversions more effectively than any other form of content and we're not the only ones who think this. 70 percent of marketers agree because they know that on web pages featuring both text and video, 70 percent of visitors will choose to watch the video. There are several reasons for this - including our ever-decreasing attention spans - but the main reason is that our understanding of something is intensified by watching a video in comparison with skimming a few paragraphs of text.

Google values video because audiences find it useful. Since almost 70 percent of YouTube users have turned to online videos to aid in their purchase decision-making processes, Google clearly isn't wrong. Incorporating video into your website immediately tells the search giant that you offer engaging and valuable content, securing some additional digital brownie points too.

Let's not forget that YouTube is the world's second largest search engine and so even if you were to ignore absolutely everything else, video should still be an important component of your brand's SEO.

Make an exceptional first impression and nurture audience relationships

As consumers become more conscious of the businesses they choose to support, likeable and approachable brands have a clear head start over their faceless competitors.

As well as being something you need to earn, the respect of your audience must also be nurtured. Video can help you to do this, but you first need to understand whether your audience prefers formal educational, personable professional, or casual vlog style content. From time-lapse clips of a day in the office and introductions to your team, to discussing how your brand came to fruition and even just thanking your audience for their support, video is one of the most effective mediums through which to communicate who you are, what you do, and what you believe in.

As an example, take a look at this personal video campaign we created for The University of Gloucestershire. Rather than receiving a standard text based email, the recipient received their own personal (dynamically generated with their name) video...

...pretty neat, eh?

Forming connections and creating additional shareable social content

As consumers now spend more time watching online video content than they do scrolling social media, you're missing out on a lot of connections and engagement opportunities if you're just tweeting a few times a day and hoping for the best. Creating video content will also provide you with extra material to share across your social media platforms. Put together a teaser style trailer for Facebook, chop it into segments for an Instagram Story, and create some gifs to share on Twitter.

Demonstrate your value with customer testimonials

In a world of tutorials and reviews, proving that your products/services deliver real results is crucial.

Video testimonials are always going to be more believable than their written counterparts. We're not saying that you should ditch written testimonials entirely, after all, including '"The best customer service I've ever received" - Janet, Liverpool' in your website's copy might prompt a new customer to make a purchase. We are, however, suggesting that not everyone will necessarily believe that Janet from Liverpool is a real person (sorry Janet) so you need to provide something for those consumers with a touch more cynicism running through their veins.

You don't need a room full of professional equipment to start putting out engaging videos with the power to propel your business further than you thought possible. If you'd like some personalised video advice tailored specifically to your business, come and say hello.