Did you know?
54% of consumers want to see more video content from the brands they buy from.
For most brands tirelessly implementing a marketing strategy, the entire purpose or goal is to acquire customers. But that’s only half the battle – even once you’ve got their attention, you have to give existing and potential customers a reason to stick around (and buy more).
There’s just one teeny-tiny problem: customers are easily swayed. In today’s world of online shopping, next-day delivery, and the increase in shoppable social media feeds (like Instagram), our attention spans are small and our need for brands that serve us is expanding, rapidly. The competition for audience attention is fierce, and brands that don’t innovate and pivot with their marketing strategies are doomed to fail in the eyes of their customers. One viable solution is video. In fact, it could be the cornerstone of many brands’ marketing strategies going forward, given video is the favourite medium of content consumers want to see from brands. 73% of consumers are influenced by the content that brands put out in order to engage audiences, and video does most of the heavy lifting.
But why, exactly, does video work so well to convert audiences into consumers, and why should it matter for your marketing strategy?
For starters, video is one of the easiest ways to consume content
For most audiences, pretty pictures and story-like captions do the trick in engaging attention and focus. Customers follow brands and buy from them not only because they like their products, but because these brands make them feel something – there’s an emotion tied to every purchase we make, whether it’s a need, a want, or a feeling of status.
But those same customers spend hours online (not just social media, but online shopping, too), and keeping their attention once you’ve got it is really the biggest hill you have to climb.
Some studies have shown that video can have a return of up to 63% versus other forms of media, like photography. To add to that, 93% of marketers say they’ve landed a new customer because of the use of video in their marketing strategies.
As a pet brand, you can reap the same rewards of using video as part of marketing your pet products and services. You can use it to get messages across quickly and creatively, but also to showcase new products, provide valuable information like how-to’s and FAQs, and connect with audiences through live streaming or video segments like “Founder Fridays”.
Video accounts for a lot of mobile traffic
By now, you’re probably tired of hearing about the importance of mobile traffic and how crucial it is that your consumers can shop with you easily online through their mobile devices!
But there’s a reason why many brands use video content on their social media platforms – because video constitutes 50% of all mobile traffic.
Not only that, but some studies predict that, by 2021, 80% of all traffic (mobile and web) will be comprised of video content.
That may not seem significant if you’re focused on driving sales and acquiring new customers, but think of it this way: if video can capture and keep a customer’s attention, they’re likely to come back to your social accounts to consume more content. And that means increased brand awareness which can lead to sales.
Video content is so versatile, you’d be crazy not to try it!
Because it’s such a versatile medium, video can be used in a plethora of ways to help market your brand. And for some, video is the main form of content marketing even above and beyond blogging and creating written content for download.
For example, you’ve probably seen some of your favourite brands on Instagram create custom IGTV segments, or have Instagram Lives every Tuesday to talk about a certain topic (for instance). This type of content is always video-based, and more brands are using video in their social feeds as well as for everyday posts, like Instagram or Facebook Stories.
The benefit? Your audiences feel connected to your brand because they’re seeing something happen and unfold before their eyes. This is especially true when brands use video to give customers insights into their everyday operations, like behind-the-scenes segments or themed content hosted by different team members (like a Founder, CEO, or product creator). Given that live video is set to make up 13% of traffic by 2021, there’s no reason not to try it.
You don’t have to be a professional videographer to create content – as long as your video content benefits your audience by providing value, you can use it in a variety of ways and don’t need to get too technical!
Video can help customers make purchasing decisions
Have you ever come across a product video and watched it to learn more about how the product is made, what it does, or how it works?
The reality is, we come across this video content every single day. We see it in ad commercials on YouTube videos, in sponsored Instagram Stories, and even from brands we loyally follow or buy from. And there’s a reason why brands use video to tell a story about their products: it helps customers make a buying decision!
In fact, 90% of consumers claim video can help them make purchasing decisions. By seeing a product in action, seeing how it works, seeing the benefits of the product, or even hearing about it through video testimonials, customers can connect with and relate to the struggles the product solves, and that’s how you win their purchase.
But that’s not really all – video can also help customers identify with a brand and its products more quickly than simply reading about a product through a website or from looking at a static image. Because our attention spans are so limited, we need to be kept consistently engaged, which video does more effectively than a photo post with a caption.
Video can help humanize your pet brand (aka the most important reason for using video)
Every brand is trying to connect with their customers on a human level.
You don’t create the pet products you do simply because you enjoy creating them – your goal is to help solve a pain point or challenge that you’ve experienced, and that you feel you can provide a solution to for others who have faced the same challenge.
That’s a very human thing, and by being human with your branding (what you do to market your pet brand), you have a better chance of connecting with your customers. This connection = sales.
Video can help you achieve that by making your brand story and communication (messaging) more personal. Think of it this way: would you rather see a robot tell Apple’s story of how they revolutionized the modern computer, or watch Steve Jobs talk about it?
Chances are, you’d rather see Steve Jobs talk about Apple.
Well, your customers want to see you and your pet brand communicating your story. Storytelling is crucial for engaging audiences and helping them understand, then believe in, what it is you do, and why you do it! This helps establish a relationship between you and your customers, where you both know that behind your brand there are real people trying to help other real people.
Ultimately, you can only benefit from video
While video may seem complicated, it’s actually one of the easiest ways to engage your audiences without needing a full-fledged studio or team of professionals to help you do it.
The great thing about video is that it can be raw and human without all of the flashing lights of a big production because it’s the strategy behind your use of video that truly matters.
And, if video is something you’d like to start implementing into your marketing strategy, we have the know-how and creative mindset to help you put video to work, so you can engage customers, establish loyalty, and drive those sales.
