23 Reasons to Put Video on Your Website
1. SEO
Google video searches are conducted when users are looking to “kick the tires” before making a purchase. Since many firms fail to optimize, or severely under-optimize, their video, properly optimized video can leapfrog you to the front of the line in search results.
2. YouTube Search
YouTube attracts more than 800 million unique users every month. Putting your (properly optimized) video on YouTube as well as your site exposes your business to a whole new universe of people who could be interested in your stuff.
3. Attract Social Shares
People love to share video on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Video makes business content spring to life. Increased social shares means increased brand awareness and increased traffic to your site.
4. Build Engaged Social Communities
Companies are always asking, how can we get more people to visit our Facebook or Google+ pages? Because of reason #3, video is a great way to get people thinking about you, talking about you and talking to you.
5. Personalize Your Brand
Nobody likes to do business with a faceless, lifeless corporation. Video allows their people to see your people, bringing prospects one step closer to becoming customers, and bringing occasional customers one step closer to becoming customers for life.
6. Localize Your Brand
Words are detached and distant, but video is intimate, making customers and prospects half-way around the globe feel as if you are next door.
7. Sell Your Suits
You’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all: that’s the reaction most users have to run of the mill executive bios. Convey the unique abilities of your corporate leaders by posting short videos of them making a key point or two.
8. Sell Your Staff
Executives aren’t the only people customers are interested in. Videos featuring members of the crew convincingly show site visitors your business has genuine depth and expertise.
9. Explain Complex Products and Concepts
People have short attention spans, especially online. When you have something complicated to say, video makes the point vividly, clearly and quickly. Result: customers will understand your unique value, rather than leave your site scratching his/her head.
10. Roll Out New Products and Services
When something is new, people seldom grasp it immediately. Writing about a new product or service isn’t nearly as persuasive as showing people what you have. In the early stages of a rollout, video can make the difference between a successful launch and a dud.
11. Establish Thought Leadership
Producing a series of short instructional videos is an excellent way to get people thinking about you as the go-to resource for your area of expertise.
12. Attract Recommendations and Referrals
As a result of many of the items we have discussed thus far, video stimulates online andoffline referrals, which we all know are the best possible type of lead.
13. Impress New Site Users
The mere fact that you have video woven into the fabric of your site will make visitors sit up and take notice. How many chances do you have to make a first impression on your site? Just one.
14. Give Old Users a Reason to Come Back
Why should current customers come back to your site? Answer: to see your latest instructional video or offer-of-the-month video.
15. Keep All Users on Your Site
Watching a video is far more engaging than reading lengthy text about a product or service. Check your web stats. If you have important site pages that are being exited quickly, they may be great candidates for video content.
16. Put Across Big Calls to Action
Want people to sign up for your webinar? Commit to a one-hour in-house audit? Put your sales force in front of the prospect by using video to convey the message on your site.
17. Strengthen Your Site for Mobile Users
Mobile Internet usage is exploding in popularity. And what do people like to do on smart phones and tablets? Answer: Look at video. The more your site appeals to mobile users, the more traffic you’re going to capture.
18. Power Up Your Email Marketing
Looking for a way to get people to open and then actually read your email blast? How about making it a short video clip that links to the full version on your site?
19. Differentiate Yourself in a Meaningful Way
The fact that most companies (so far) fail to use video effectively is perhaps one of the best reasons to embrace it. Video lets the market know you are technically sophisticated – a desirable quality no matter your business.
20. Improve the Customer Experience
Providing instructional video – everything from assembly instructions to how to calculate interest – makes for easier onboarding, greater customer satisfaction, and better retention.
21. Stockpile an Arsenal for Your Sales Team
Sales reps can use video in the field, on the fly or as part of a formal presentation, to add persuasive punch to their pitch. Giving the sales team an array of videos will help them close deals; it’s that simple.
22. Connect with Employees and Stakeholders
Although this post focuses on video marketing, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that marketing videos also make a positive impression on employees and their families, suppliers, outside board members, reporters, industry analysts, etc.
23. Stop Wasting Money
One of the biggest objections to video is cost. Videos need not be expensive productions to be effective, but even if they are … if you see value in video, perhaps today is the day to review your other marketing and business expenses. If you can stop doing something that isn’t working in order to ramp up your video marketing, everybody wins.