A picture says a thousand words and a video many more – but the benefits of video marketing extend far beyond saying more with less.
You likely know many of the benefits of video, how it drives higher engagement and boosts conversions. And it’s not just on social media platforms aimed at a younger audience. From how-to videos and product demonstrations to customer testimonials and behind-the-scenes footage, video content marketing is quickly becoming the go-to for brands looking to stand out in crowded markets.
The average adult in the U.S. spends 176 minutes per day watching digital videos (excluding traditional television) according to Statista. And that number, just under three hours, is expected to continue rising. Not having video means missing out on a huge slice of attention. Demand is one of the reasons why short-form video is the top content format offering the highest return on investment right now according to HubSpot’s 2024 State of Marketing report.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are several additional surprising advantages of video marketing, from improving your search engine rankings to providing a new angle for data-driven insights. Here are the top four lesser-known benefits of video marketing that can give your brand an extra edge.
#1 – Video Marketing Enhances SEO in Surprising Ways
It’s no surprise that video content can improve the user experience of your website (people like watching videos, ergo they stick around longer). But video marketing can help with SEO rankings in ways you may not have considered.
For one, the fact that your audience is spending more time on your site watching your videos in itself helps improve critical SEO metrics like dwell time (how long visitors stay on a page) and bounce rate (how quickly they leave). When visitors spend more time on your site, search engines like Google interpret it as a signal that your content is valuable and engaging, which boosts your rankings.
On top of that, video content can rank on two major platforms at once: Google and YouTube, the second largest search engine in the world. This means that, when you optimize your YouTube videos, you increase your chances of showing up on both search engines simultaneously. And because videos often occupy prime real estate on Google’s first page results, you can get an immediate boost in visibility that would have been near impossible without it.
Video Thumbnails’ Role in Search Visibility
It’s easy to overlook the impact a video thumbnail can have on SEO. Maybe you choose an auto-generated one when you upload the video or grab a screenshot of the opening scene. A strategic thumbnail will help move the needle!
Choose a visually appealing, enticing image that encourages the viewer to click on your video in the search results. Thumbnails are the first impression for your content and can improve your click-through rate (CTR), which is also important for SEO.
Make sure to also drop your keyword in the thumbnail file name for added optimization.
Driving Rich Snippets With Video
Implementing structured data may sound technical, but it’s a great way to make your content more discoverable. Adding video schema markup (that is, code that helps search engines better understand and display your content) increases your chances of your video appearing as a rich snippet in Google’s search results.
What’s a rich snippet? It’s those more visually engaging search results that encourage users to click through that include elements like the thumbnail (see above!) and other information provided by the structured data.
Make sure to include key information like the video’s title, description and keywords in your video’s schema to support rich snippet generation and drive organic traffic.
#2 Video Content Creates Strong Emotional Connections
Video marketing isn’t just about delivering information; it’s also about fostering an emotional connection with your audience. Unlike text or static images, video taps into visual, auditory and emotional senses to allow the content to resonate on a deeper level.
Research suggests that the emotional area of the brain can process sensory information up to 20% faster than the cognitive area (see How Cool Brands Stay Hot: Branding to Generation Y, by Joeri Van Den Bergh and Mattias Behrer). This means viewers often form an emotional response to marketing campaigns before they ever consciously process a message – making video a powerful tool for building trust, engendering connection and eliciting a response.
Using Human Elements To Build Trust
Emotions are human, so make sure to feature real people in your videos. When someone sees a team member sharing insights or a customer describing their experience, it brings a layer of authenticity that stock videography simply can’t.
Here are some ways to include the human element:
- Testimonials: Real success stories and customer testimonial interviews add credibility and gravity to your brand.
- Behind-the-Scenes Video: Showing the people behind the company – from employees to leadership – can make your brand feel more approachable.
- Influencer collaborations: Partner with influencers or micro-influencers in your industry and space for social proof.
Above all, authenticity is key. It’s easy to tell when something is scripted or contrived, so, even in marketing videos, it’s vital to keep it real.
Increasing Viewer Retention Through Emotional Appeal
Emotionally engaging videos not only attract attention, they keep it. You’ve likely witnessed that yourself: a Hollywood blockbuster that keeps a full theater on the edge of their seats for hours or a viral video that accrues millions of views and shares.
How can you recreate that for your videos? The truth is, there’s no secret step-by-step for success. Like all marketing strategies, it’s a bit of science and a bit art.
But the same elements that make for a good story – relatable characters, compelling conflict (i.e., customer pain point(s)) and a satisfying resolution with a hero – also drive powerful video marketing.
At the same time, be sure to balance emotion with action by pairing your video with a clear call-to-action (CTA) to guide viewers to the next step, whether that’s subscribing, visiting a landing page or making a decision on a purchase.
#3 – Video Boosts Brand Recall and Message Retention
Humans are wired to remember what they see – much more so than what they read. And this has really important implications for brand recall and message retention. People retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to just 10% when they read it in a text, according to Insivia’s SaaS Marketing Report.
If you want to make sure your message sticks, creating videos is a must.
Visual Memory and Its Impact on Branding
Visual memory is the ability to remember and recall information that you’ve seen. It’s the foundation for learning, processing and understanding the world around us.
The way memory works means that elements like logos, brand colors and consistent visual themes can leave a lasting impression on your target audience. This makes videos particularly effective for brand awareness campaigns.
Make sure to create videos in a variety of formats, such as:
- Product videos
- Educational videos
- Explainer videos
- Video tutorials
- Social media content
- User-generated content
Repetition and Consistency in Video Messaging
A common marketing adage says people need to see a message at least seven times before it sinks in. People learn and remember from repetition, and a marketing video is one of the most effective tools for delivering a consistent message that lingers.
Make sure to align the visual style and tone in all your videos for a unified brand experience.
#4 – Video Marketing As a Tool for Data-Infused Insights
One of the great advantages of video marketing is the level of detailed, data-driven insights it provides. The right tools, like HubSpot, which can integrate video metrics into your overall marketing analytics, allow you to leverage this data to refine and optimize future campaigns.
When every second of attention matters, using video metrics and analytics can help you make prudent decisions toward the strongest ROI.
Video Metrics To Focus On for Performance Optimization
Not all metrics are equal – some help to paint a much more vivid picture of what’s going on than others. Focus on the most important metrics to understand how your videos are performing and where adjustments in your strategy may be needed, like:
- Watch Time: The total duration viewers spend watching your video. This can help you identify which segments of the video are most engaging and where people are dropping off, which can indicate room for improvement.
- View Count: The number of times a video has been viewed indicates the your content’s reach.
- Engagement Rate: Likes, shares, comments and other interactions help you gauge how well your video resonates with your audience.
- Clickthrough Rate: The percentage of viewers who click on your call-to-action, demonstrating how effectively your video prompts the desired action.
Using A/B Testing To Fine-Tune Video Content
A/B testing is a staple in any digital marketing strategy. It’s the best way to compare the different elements of your content and see what performs best, so you can hone content based on real-time data.
To set up an A/B test, create two versions of your video with a single element changed. This could be the title, description or wording of the CTA. Run both versions and track the performance metrics. The data will reveal which tweaks drive the best results!
Why Kuno Creative Is Your Go-To Partner for Video Marketing Strategy Success
At Kuno Creative, we specialize in helping brands realize the vast potential of all digital marketing channels – including video marketing.
From innovative strategies and engaging content to dynamic video production, compelling design, comprehensive demand generation and much more, we have a full team of creative professionals ready to work closely with you to drive measurable results.
When you partner with Kuno Creative, you’re not just getting a video. You’re gaining a dedicated team committed to helping your brand grow through innovative, strategic video marketing services and comprehensive strategies that build your brand and generate growth.
