Video : It’s What is Next.

By Bob West

I have written here before about the value of video in a marketer’s toolkit, and a quote I recently encountered has prompted me to do so again because it crystalized for me how marketers should view video.

“See video as a natural progression of customers’ expectations. In the past, they expected to see a product picture to make a purchase decision, then a gallery of pictures, and now a product video,” explained Gaby Paez, Associate Director of Research, Conversion Group.

Two parts of this quote stand out to me: First, the idea of incorporating video into a marketing campaign as the evolution of a marketing effort just makes so much sense. I think many marketers see video as something so new and different from what they’re currently doing that they don’t know how to move or where to begin on video. But, the truth is, video is not all that different from a singular image or a photo gallery. Video can be as simple as running those images through a software program to automate their transition.

Secondly, while many companies don’t embrace video because of their own, internal issues or concerns, they likely don’t think about what the customer expects or wants from them. As we’ve shared before, video views on all Meister Media websites have jumped more than 40% from 2012 to 2013. The message to marketers? The growers you want to reach do watch online video for work, and they are increasingly interested in doing so.

Here are some of the additional benefits Paez mentioned for adopting video:

  • Branding — craft a consistent message for a 24/7 global audience
  • Add human touch to testimonials — increase value and credibility of testimonials by sharing customer stories/case studies in video format
  • Repurpose existing content — create short videos using slides with the content of existing blog posts
  • Boost awareness, visibility and reach — share product information, training, tips, or instructions with demos or video tutorials

The author is the Director of Interactive Sales for Meister Media. To discuss how Meister Media can help you produce video, contact him at 440-602-9129 or [email protected].