Marketers can’t ignore the media habits of their target audience. We should instead use this information for our marketing strategies. This article will explain why video should be part of your content marketing strategy and how campaigns that are based on video content can make an impact.

Internet users watch at least 1.5 hours per day. This is a lot of video content and it doesn’t have to all be cat videos. Video is consumed by users for many reasons. 86% YouTubers say they use the platform to learn new things.

Hence, video content works so well.

Let’s first look at the reasons why video is so popular with today’s audiences.

• It is dense and full of relevant information. Forrester Research estimates that a one-minute video can convey the equivalent of over 1.8 million words.

• Trust is built through video. EtailingGroup found that 57% of customers feel more confident watching product videos before making an online purchase. This makes them less likely to return the product.

• It stimulates all our senses. The combination of visual and auditory senses activates more brain parts than reading alone. A video can help 95% of viewers retain the message, compared with 10% if they read it in text.

• Excellent for storytelling. The combination of audio, video, and animation makes it possible to communicate rich information efficiently and memorably. Video communication is much easier than audio and can be used to create connections.

• Share-friendly. Videos are more shared on social media than text and images together, which is a lot of organic reach.

Going viral: the video Mecca

You’ll soon see that virality is not a random outcome. These are some of the key features that make online videos extremely successful.

Content must make a connection to the audience and provide useful, realistic, and actionable information to become viral.

It is therefore crucial to research and plan a viral marketing campaign video. There are many kinds of video content that companies can offer their customers throughout their buying journey. Marketers need to understand their audience’s pain points, create videos that make them feel connected and position a solution (which usually is our product or service) to solve that problem. Simple right?

How have some other brands done video marketing well?

Purina launched Puppyhood, a video series. Through sharing the love between a man with his dog, they engaged their audience. These videos were viewed millions of times and became viral among dog lovers. Relatability? Check. Check. Are you a sucker for cuteness? Check. They were able to identify their target audience and the best way to communicate with them.

American Greetings launched a 2016 marketing campaign titled “The World’s Toughest Job.”

The 4-minute video was virally shared by the team. The video reached the top spot on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, and was given a lot of attention by media giants such as The Wall Street Journal.

You won’t be disappointed, so we recommend you watch the video!

Relatability? Check. Check. Check. Did you find it a little challenging? Check.

Are you still struggling to understand viral videos?

We hope you’re as pumped for video marketing as we are!

Let’s start by building the foundations for a viral video. This will allow us to ensure that we have done all the preparations and laid the foundation to guide, nurture, and educate our target audience on the benefits of our solutions.

The topic of content strategy is one that is well worth a book. We can however tell you that we have already prepared one. Our free ebook, “Content Marketing that Works” will provide a simple and practical guide for creating a content strategy.

Wait so, should we be doing anything else aside from video marketing?

What is the answer? The answer is yes.

Video is growing in popularity, but the message is what is most important. A great video content marketing strategy is only one component of a bigger strategy that must take into consideration multiple touchpoints in your buyer journey. How do people find the video, even if it is the main point? What can they do once they have seen it? What does it do to drive action?

We are an integrated marketing agency in Miami that sticks to our guns. We believe that marketing strategies should focus on the best return on investment.

Keep in mind that the more contact we have with our customers, the faster a relationship will be established. This ultimately leads to happier customers. While video is only one channel, if done in the context of other integrated activities, the ROI can be incredible.