Did you know that an overwhelming number of users consumed information through videos last year? In fact, close to 85% of internet users watched online videos monthly. That fact both seems crazy and also makes sense. After all, think of all the platforms people use to watch videos.

On Snapchat, people watch 10 billion videos every day. On Facebook, half a billion people watch videos every day. And 82% of Twitter users watch videos. Between YouTube and these other platforms, 28% of smartphone users watch videos on their devices daily.

According to Cisco Visual Networking Index, online videos will make up more than 82% of consumer internet traffic by 2022.

Implementing a video marketing strategy delivers on what your consumers want. It also has the added benefit of being a good way to retain your brand information.

The Online Publishers’ Association stated that 80% of viewers remember watching a video ad in the past month. What’s more, 46% remembered the video and took a follow-up action, such as visiting the business’s website.

Why is video marketing so effective? Because it is what people want and when they see it, they remember it.

Executing a video content marketing plan humanizes your company. Hearing testimonials, watching demonstrations, and hearing the CEO speak establishes credibility and trust.

People want to know what happens behind-the-scenes. They want to understand how the company operates and see how the magic happens. Videos that capitalize on this not only perform better but also improve their brand reputation.

Cisco also reports that live video will account for 13% of traffic by 2021. Live video is a great option for giving a human face to your brand. While larger companies have the benefit of immediate name-recognition, small businesses need to humanize their brand.

Nothing will increase your company’s trustworthiness quite like sharing behind the scenes videos.

Getting your small business to the top of Google’s search results is no easy feat. But videos make it so much easier to do. Because Google views videos as high-quality content, they often get higher search rankings.

Google loves videos because it understands that they present a great opportunity for users. Video marketing benefits the user by providing useful information. This information can come in the form of testimonials, product and service launches, or helpful how-to tips. If your videos provide valuable information to the user, Google approves of it.

While simply posting videos on your site won’t automatically boost your rankings, it can go a long way in helping them. Here are some other ways that videos contribute to higher search engine result page (SERP) rankings.

• Lower Bounce Rate: Users will stay on your site longer to watch the full video. This helps lower your bounce rate and keeps users engaged longer.
• Better Click-Through Rates: More people click on search results that contain videos to view products and services. If they can watch how a product works or what the service will provide them, it makes the decision-making process easier for them.
• Increase Shares: People love to share content that speaks to them. If your video resonates with somebody, they’ll be more likely to share it. The more shares you have, the more value you have in the eyes of Google.
• Increases Conversion Rates: According to HubSpot, shoppers are twice as likely to purchase a product after watching a video.

Like we said above, YouTube has the second-highest traffic for searches. But that doesn’t mean Facebook isn’t trying to edge in. Indeed, video viewing on a variety of social media channels is on the rise.

Between shares, likes, and accessibility, social media dominates how we consume videos. 85% of marketers found success in posting videos to social media channels. This goes for organic posts through your business’s page and social media ads.

The same reasons that video marketing works for your website apply to social media as well. You can increase traffic to your website with social media while also building brand awareness.

Social media video marketing also gives you the opportunity to explore new avenues with your video content. For example, temporary video content like Facebook Live and Instagram Stories are very popular with social media users.

You should also experiment with what type of videos resonate most with people. Then, you can use your most successful types of videos to drive traffic to your website.

Truly, video is hard to ignore on social media, especially when you consider these stats:

• 65% of people use YouTube to solve a problem
• 62% of people are more interested in a product after seeing it on a Facebook Story
• Social video produces 1200% more shares than text and image content combined
• LinkedIn videos generate 50% view rates
• 81% of businesses choose Facebook for video marketing

Google and YouTube might have a stronghold on searches for the moment, but, make no mistake, social media will continue to barrel toward the top.

If you’re still wondering, “Why is video marketing so effective?” then look at your competition.

Many business owners either have already seen the impact of video firsthand or are planning to adopt a video marketing strategy. 76% of small business owners who have used video marketing reported that it had a direct impact on their business.

Nearly all businesses who are using video plan to keep on using it in 2020. 96% of b2b companies plan to adopt a video marketing strategy. Your competition likely knows the value of effective video marketing. So, be sure they aren’t leaving you in the dust!

Effective video marketing takes time, and for small business owners, that might not be an option. If you’re a small business owner who knows that video marketing is a key component to driving sales, then why not get a professional touch?