Video options abound, particularly given its growing influence on content marketing success. If you’re thinking video is best done on social media channels, you may not reap the biggest benefits. You need to create videos for your website.
To make that pitch to your brand’s executives, read on and grab some stats to support your case. Plus, explore a way video can become a revenue stream for your business.
Video brings more search traffic
Companies incorporating video content in their marketing strategy see 41% more search traffic than businesses without video, according to an Aberdeen study shared by HubSpot.
#Video content sees 41% more search traffic than text or image via @aberdeengroup #research. @HubSpot Click To Tweet
It’s not surprising. Videos often stand out in search results thanks to the rich snippets. They attract a lot of clicks even if they don’t rank in the top three.
Though that traffic stat is from 2015, the influence of video is only growing. Google gives more exposure to video content by featuring video featured snippets in position zero (above top 10 results):
Video converts more users
Adding video to your site isn’t a “a fashion accessory, it’s a ‘must-have’ … for every commercial website,” according to EyeView, a video solutions agency. But that doesn’t mean just posting any video on any page and expecting a return.
Adding #video to your commercial website isn’t a fashion accessory, it’s a must-have. @EyeviewDigital Click To Tweet
“If you’re going to add video to your site, you must determine whether it is … effective at driving site visitors to your conversion goal,” the EyeView author writes.
While the definition of a conversion goal varies, results from varying companies show the power of video content to convert site viewers:
- EyeView’s case study shows pages with video converted 80% more in some cases than pages without video.
- Unbounce reported a 100% increase in conversions with help of a video.
- Webprofits added a video to the landing page and saw the increase in conversion rate by 16.4% at a 90% confidence rate.
- Conversionxl shares a case study where a video on the landing page achieved an increase in conversion rates by 79.3%.
#Video helped increase conversions 100%, says @Unbounce via @danlsteiner. Click To Tweet
Video leads to more purchases
Content marketing can be a tough sell to executives who are interested in its direct relationship to selling. While video’s ability to bring in more clicks and increase leads through conversions is awesome, it also positively affects customers’ buying decisions (and your company’s bottom line).
Consider these stats:
- One in three millennials say they bought a product after watching a how-to video about it. (Google)
- Users who engaged with video were more likely to sign up for the site’s platform hosting plan than those who didn’t watch. (Wistia)
- 96% of respondents said videos were helpful when making buying decisions online (Animoto)
96% of @Animoto survey respondents say videos helpful in online buying decision via @danlsteiner. Click To Tweet
Bonus option: Video courses earn income
If you want to grow your commitment to video and bring additional success, put together a course. Providing a video-based educational experience allows you to:
- Position your brand as a niche authority
- Give your audience more reasons to convert
- Nurture your leads to turn them into loyal customers and ambassadors
- Monetize your video marketing to create a secondary source of income
Use #video courses as an additional revenue stream, says @danlsteiner. Click To Tweet
Quite a few platforms allow you to host and market your online course. To make the choice easier, here are some considerations:
Profit-sharing platforms
Usually free to join, these hosting sites retain a good portion of the course income (as much as 70% based on my experience). The platform dictates structure, pricing, and promotion. This solution works OK for those doing their first course because it doesn’t require an initial investment (apart from video creation) and it can be a great way to test your idea and concept.
Possible tool: Udemy is a well-known platform that offers a free solution for video course hosting. It doesn’t give much freedom to content creators.
Advanced hosting platforms
If you want to retain all revenue and have more flexibility, monthly subscription hosting platforms are a great option. Once you recoup the monthly charge, whatever you sell is your income.
Possible tool: Uscreen offers an array of course marketing opportunities for $99 a month. Design courses as you want, add your branding, use your own domain, and use marketing automation and email marketing features to engage more students based on where they are in the course. You can also create and market a standalone app for your video course, creating new discovery (through app stores) and engagement channels for your brand.
DIY options
You also can use build-it-yourself solutions that incorporate self-hosted videos and self-integrated WordPress plug-ins, as well as WordPress learning management system themes. Only take this route if you work with a reliable developer because of the setup and components involved.
Possible tools: This colorlib post details a solid collection of WordPress learning management system opportunities.
That’s a wrap
Video isn’t just for social media feeds. Using it on your site offers many opportunities that can bring bigger success for your content marketing strategy. It takes time to create and implement a strategic video component, but now you can make the case for why it’s worth that investment.
Have you been using video content on your site lately? Please share your favorite tools and tricks in the comments.
Please note: All tools included in our blog posts are suggested by authors, not the CMI editorial team. No one post can provide all relevant tools in the space. Feel free to include additional tools in the comments (from your company or ones that you have used).
Sure, you can catch Content Marketing World with on-demand video, but why not opt for the live experience? Register today to join thousands of your fellow marketers Sept. 4-7 in Cleveland, Ohio. Use code BLOG100 to save $100.
Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute