The age of video marketing is here, and it’s not going anywhere. With the rise of platforms like TikTok, it’s no surprise. The number of viewers watching digital videos hit 244 million in 2020, and that number is growing steadily year over year.
Almost every social media platform, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, has begun to prioritize video content over other forms, which means you won’t be effective on social media without it.
The fact is, eCommerce and video content are both growing exponentially in popularity, which means that it’s never been a better time to invest in video marketing. Consumers want to see engaging video content from brands, so much so that 92% of marketers say that video content is a crucial part of their marketing strategy.
Video marketing enables you to tell a compelling story about your brand and your products or services. It gives the consumer the opportunity to experience what you have to offer in an engaging format while providing marketers with the engagement metrics they need to inform their lead nurturing efforts. For example, if one of your videos has a high thumb-stop rate, then you can create an enticing offer around that content to get visitors into your sales funnel. There are various ways to use videos in your marketing strategy and make it worth your investment.
Why do eCommerce brands need video marketing?
Video marketing engages your audience and the content is also highly shareable. Have you ever seen a cute, funny, or interesting video featuring a product or brand that you love and shared it with a friend? It’s likely that your customers have, too.
Video marketing builds trust with your audience and can increase purchases. When consumers watch a video of what your product does or how it works, it makes them more likely to purchase. In fact, Think with Google found that 64% of shoppers watch online videos to inform their purchases. 88% of consumers were convinced to buy a product by watching a brand’s video, according to Wyzowl.
With stats like these, it’s easy to see the value that video can add to your marketing strategy. The next step is deciding how to incorporate video into that strategy. The good news is that there are multiple ways to do this, and you don’t have to pick just one.
Different types of eCommerce marketing videos
How-to or demonstration videos
Just like its name, this type of video shows potential customers how to use your product. This type of video is beneficial because it helps the viewer picture themselves using the product. How-to videos work well for products that may not have an obvious use at first glance. They’re also great for health and beauty products.
Product review or testimonial videos
Product review videos are especially beneficial to various kinds of brands because of their ability to provide social proof. If a consumer can see that their favorite influencer or content creator likes your product and finds it useful, they’re more likely to purchase it. Product review videos give your brand credibility and create trust with potential customers.
Behind-the-scenes videos
Behind-the-scenes videos give consumers insight into how your products are made or how your brand is run. This is another way to build trust with your customers and elicit engagement. Showing consumers how your products are made makes them feel like they know exactly what they’re buying, while also allowing them to feel like they know what to expect from your brand.
Video ads
In recent years, video ads have risen in popularity, especially on social media platforms. The average person scrolls through over 300 feet of content daily, so there’s immense value in creating attention-grabbing video ads. There are multiple platforms on which you can place video ads, but keep in mind that video ads come with an additional cost. Video ads require the cost of production, but they also require the cost of ad placement.
Product videos
Product videos are very brief, usually lasting no more than 30 seconds. The goal in creating a product video is simply to show the product from all angles, also known as a 360-degree video. Product videos are meant to inform the customer as quickly as possible and are not used to tell a story.
User-generated videos
You’ve likely heard of the term user-generated content (UGC), and user-generated videos are a form of UGC. User-generated videos are created by your customers or influencers. These videos will likely align with other categories, like how-to videos, video ads, or product reviews.
How to use videos in your eCommerce marketing strategy
Digital Advertising
The majority of paid advertising platforms also enable you to utilize videos in your campaigns. The most important factor, beyond budget, is placement. The goal is to ensure that the right people are seeing your video ads, so make sure you perform a preliminary analysis of what platforms your audience is using. The platform will often dictate what type of video you use. Some platforms, like TikTok and Instagram, will do well with testimonials and UGC, while others, like Amazon, might be a better platform for how-to video ads.
Once you have a budget and you’ve decided which videos you’re going to use and which ad platforms you want to leverage, consider performing A/B tests to see which videos bring you the highest ROAS. Similarly to how you would test various static ads to see which performs better, you can do the same with videos. Once you’ve learned which video ads perform the best on each ad platform that you utilize, you’ll be in a good position to decide how you want to scale going forward.
Social media content
One of the best places to utilize video marketing is in your brand’s social media content strategy. All social media platforms enable the use of video, and many of them (like Facebook and Instagram) have begun to prioritize it over the use of static images.
Social media is also a great place to test different videos and learn what types of video content your audience wants to see. It’s important to remember that, if you’re going to invest time in posting and promoting social media content, you also need to invest in the quality of the production. Videos with a higher production quality are more likely to be noticed.
Try creating how-to or testimonial vertical videos for Instagram and TikTok. Share behind-the-scenes snippets on your feed or in stories. If you’re going for higher production value, you could even create vlogs for YouTube. Videos are also a great way to begin working with influencers and content creators. Experiment with different types on each active platform and see what works best for your brand and audience.
Website
Don’t overlook your website when it comes to utilizing videos. Your website is the perfect place for testimonials, how-to videos, and product videos. Add how-to videos to your product descriptions. Share customer or influencer testimonials in your product review sections. Connect your social media platforms to your website in a way that allows consumers to preview video content. Treat your website as though it’s a brick-and-mortar store and consider how you want your customers to experience your products.
Should you invest in video marketing for your eCommerce brand?
The short answer is…yes! Whether you decide to create videos in-house, or you decide to outsource production, there is immense potential for ROI. Videos serve as a way to connect with your audience and showcase your products in a way that entices your customers to buy. You can also reuse video content as long as it’s high quality and relevant to your brand.
If you find that you’re ready to implement the use of video as part of your brand’s marketing plan, but are unsure where to start, our team at Blue Wheel is here to help! We assist with the creation of video content in a variety of ways for a variety of platforms.
Simply fill out the form below and we’ll get in touch to discuss your video marketing goals.
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