Four Ways to Make an Impact with Digital Video

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth exponentially more, especially when it comes to content marketing. In fact, 68% of people say they’d prefer to learn about a new product by watching a short video, according to Wyzowl’s 2019 annual video marketing statistics.

With so many ways to view and shoot videos, it’s becoming increasingly easier (and more affordable) for brands to incorporate video into their marketing strategies. Today, 87% of marketers are using video to promote their business (Wyzowl). But how are they using it? The following are four of the most impactful ways brands are using digital video in 2019.

Targeted ads

The emotional impact of video is unmatched by static images and text. Video is easy to consume and much better at capturing a person’s attention than a traditional online banner ad. There are plenty of options for placing targeted video ads online and on streaming services like Hulu. There are even options to make your ad non-skippable, which ensures your message is being seen and heard. And with the targeting and tracking capabilities of digital channels, finding the ROI of your video ad is easier than ever.

Entertainment

Whether it’s a 15-second inspirational video on Facebook or a weekly video blog, more brands are creating content with entertainment value to maintain connections with consumers. Done well, this style of video can simultaneously build brand loyalty, create awareness, and generate some great PR. Dissolve, a stock footage company, created a series of “generic ad” videos to spoof common clichés in the ad industry—a topic their audience of advertisers would likely relate to and want to share.

Celebrity endorsement

More celebrities are using digital video to deepen their connection with fans, turning them into regular content creators. As a result, brands are partnering with celebrities and influencers to create video content for their social channels. While it used to be that a celebrity endorsement involved producing a TV commercial (re: $$$$), today’s celebrities are shooting videos for brands on their own smartphones to upload to their social channels, making it more affordable and accessible for brands to partner with them.

Tutorial

Shoppers are increasingly turning to digital channels to research products to buy. A whopping 96% of consumers say they’ve watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service (Wyzowl), and even 1 in 3 baby boomers have used YouTube to learn about a product or service (Google). It’s no wonder search engines prioritize video content when consumers are making product-related queries.

Brands are creating everything from relevant how-to content to product-specific demos to help convince consumers to buy their products. And consumers have been receptive, turning frequently to online video for help in deciding what to buy. Google has the following stats that will be especially compelling to CPG brands:

• Watch time for YouTube videos on “which product to buy” has doubled YoY.
• More than half of shoppers say online video has helped them decide which specific brand or product to buy.
• More than 70% of shoppers say they are open to learning about products on YouTube from brands.
• More than half of shoppers say they used online video while shopping in-store.

Getting started with video

There are many ways to make an impact with video. If you’re among the 35% of marketers who lack the resources to create videos or the 21% who don’t know where to start, MBB is here to help. We’ve expanded our in-house video capabilities to be able to help more brands create impactful video content. If you’re in need of nimble content creation that fits your budget, let’s talk.