Video is enjoying a prominent position in the digital landscape these days, as statistics suggest. Videos are not only easy to consume but also interesting and entertaining to watch. This is why social media platforms are flooded with a large volume of video content every day, and businesses are using this trend as a powerful digital marketing tool.
Business owners and marketers look for growth hacks to quickly acquire customers and increase their sales and revenue. Looking at the rising popularity of video content and its immense potential in today’s digital world, there’s no denying that businesses should start creating video content if they want to grow online.
It has also never been easier to create and edit engaging video content. It comes with a learning curve, but most users do get the hang of it fairly quickly, owing to the increasingly intuitive video creation platforms. A simple, free online video editor can do an incredible job of surpassing the attention barrier and conveying relevant messages.
Let’s look at a few reasons why video is the best growth hack for businesses in the current scenario.
Increasing Popularity Across Channels
There is no doubt that social media users love videos. Users are more interested in seeing videos than other content from the brands and businesses they follow, which has led to the increasing popularity of this format across channels.
Video consumption for an average user has almost doubled in the last few years; the pandemic has further impacted content consumption behavior.
Brands are expected to deliver engaging content on social media more than ever before; there’s no better format than video to do this.
Brand Exposure and Engagement
If you browse your feed on any social media platform, you’re very likely to see video content in the first few seconds. The reason is that video performs the best with most algorithms as it captures users’ attention for longer.
This explains why Instagram videos engage audiences better than any other content format and why video-based Tweets see 10 times more engagement.
Social media platforms push new features for better adoption, most of which are video-related. For example, Instagram heavily promotes its Reels feature, making it an effective growth hack on the platform.
Pinterest video pins are showcased at the top of the search results as they are meant to be eye-catching and hold the audience’s attention longer than a static pin.
Improve Message Recall Rate
Research suggests that humans remember 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read, and 80% of what they see. This explains how videos help your audience comprehend and remember the value of your product.
Businesses can create captivating Voice over video around the brand and products to make sure they are always at the top of the minds of the target audience. Video ads also offer an effective retargeting strategy to boost conversions.
The price of voice actors varies, but comprehensive services like Voices allow you to find voice actors at any price level and with whatever skillset you are hunting for. Within minutes you can find someone that will work for your brand.
Increase Customer Trust
One of the best ways to growth-hack with videos is to embed a product video on your sales page to increase the percentage of visitors who end up buying the product.
While a simple text and image-based description may not make a difference, a video shows the product in action and helps the users determine the value of the purchase themselves.
Longer Shelf Life
Video content not only gets more engagement than other formats but also tends to stick around for longer. For example, an Instagram Reel can appear before users weeks or months after it has been posted.
As videos typically generate more interaction and shares, they remain in the virtual environment for longer.
Repurposed Across Platforms
Creating high-quality video content takes more time than capturing photographs, but once done, it can be used to reach audiences across platforms which translates to a greater ROI. Most brands, content creators, and influencers use the same videos on Instagram Reels and TikTok as both platforms have a similar intent and format.
16:9 videos can also be shared on YouTube, Facebook, and IGTV as each platform suits long-form content. Videos can be repurposed across platforms in several ways, like converting short videos for Instagram Stories into Pinterest video pins.
Facebook videos are often an ideal format for Instagram feeds, and Live broadcasts on Instagram can be automatically shared to IGTV.
Appeals To Gen-Z
Gen-Z is highly connected to the internet and has grown up using platforms like YouTube for entertainment and education.
A YouTube survey suggests that over 50 per cent of millennials and Gen-Zers say they can’t imagine their daily life without videos. This makes it clear why TikTok became so popular and successful among Gen-Z users.
More than 35 percent of TikTok users fall into this group, and a majority of the user base on popular social media platforms comes from Gen-Z.
Better Connection
Customers today want to know more about the brands and content creators they follow, and videos are quite effective at doing just this.
When you use videos to showcase your brand, your business gets a face and creates a deeper, more emotional connection with the audience. Moreover, it is easy to personify the product offering, which is much more relatable than a series of static pictures.
Powerful Sales Tools
Videos are better capable of attracting customers as compared to text and images. Internet users are more likely to purchase a product after viewing the brand’s video. Most marketers agree that social media videos are powerful ways to engage new customers.
Brands can use videos to showcase their offerings in a dynamic way, providing a unique context not achievable through pictures.
Final Thoughts
There are several ways to growth-hack your business, but video particularly amplifies your marketing channels, offering a low-cost, low-risk method to grow your business. As digital-first experiences get more important, the video will only continue to gain popularity.
With all the benefits it offers, it’s recommended for businesses to work on getting their video marketing game right, as it gives you a chance to stand out from the crowd and reach a wider audience.
If you aren’t creating video content yet, you are missing out on a lucrative growth opportunity for your business.