Let's do an experiment to show the popularity of video content in B2C marketing today. Open any website or social media platform on your desktop or phone, and scroll. Now, count the seconds before you see a promotional video. Chances are it was under 30. Maybe even less than 15.
Across ads, news, streaming, social media, and more, video accounts for 65% of Internet traffic and sits comfortably at the top of the content food chain. No surprise, then, that the number of digital video viewers is growing rapidly, with 3.5 billion users streaming or downloading video at least once per month.
One of the reasons video has gained this level of popularity is that it is a highly effective marketing tool. Gartner, for example, found that video shows strong performance because this asset type helps to build confidence early in the buying journey, and can be played ungated as part of an asset mix designed to support early influence and business case building.
There is no better format to tell your brand story, showcase products, differentiate, and bring your personality to life than video.
That said, even though it is significantly easier for brands to create video content today, thanks to affordable, high quality camera equipment and user-friendly editing software, many marketing teams still find themselves struggling to execute on video effectively, and to get the most out of their investment.
Challenges associated with getting video right include:
Fierce competition. 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, so you must find a way to differentiate effectively.
Video experiences, even among the same brand, can be fragmented. Often, different departments will create video assets with different approaches across the consumer journey, leading to dissonance.
Managing and curating video is challenging. Orchestrating ever-growing and ever-changing libraries can become overwhelming, making it harder to get a positive ROI. Non-streamlined workflows are a major issue, too, bringing unnecessary complexity. This leads to wasted time and resources, making it harder to meet marketing goals.
It can be hard to measure the overall impact of video unless you have the right infrastructure in place. Without data, marketers must consider emotional responses to video content, which is not easily quantifiable.
In other words, simply using video as a tactic like any other in your marketing mix means you’re not maximizing your investment in producing it. Instead, you need a comprehensive video strategy to operationalize and organize your investment in video, and get the most out of the video content you create.
By adopting this approach, success will not just be measured in thousands of views or a spike in traffic to your website. A well thought-out video strategy can be a significant driver for revenue growth, enabling personalization at scale across the entire customer journey – all adding up to tangible business results.
SOURCE: GARTNER, Create Video Content That Resonates With Customers.
This guide includes practical examples of how you can evolve your video strategy to drive positive outcomes at each stage across the B2C customer journey.
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