When examining why video marketing works, brands need to think like a consumer. In one study of social video channels, it was noted that a video generated 1200% more shares than text and images combined. Video marketing works because it’s what consumers want. However, the reasons why they want it vary. In some way or another, a video offers them something text cannot. Whether it’s easier to remember, a preferred method of learning, or mere convenience, video marketing works because it’s what consumers need to truly connect with a brand.

When a consumer reads an article or views a slideshow with no audio, they have to make an investment. Essentially, they must invest their attention as they specifically focus on the text. Video doesn’t require the same investment, as the ad’s message is essentially read to them.  They can do other things while they watch a video. The same can’t be said for text and pictures. Video also offers a visual impact that audio alone can’t deliver. The reason why video works as part of a brand marketing strategy is that it combines all the best parts of marketing that please consumers.

#1 Reason Why Video Marketing Works: Total Recall

When a brand shares a message, they want a consumer to remember it. Consumers are more likely to retain a communication they receive through video than one contained in text. In fact, about 80% of consumers who viewed a video in the past 30 days remember it. There are several reasons why consumers are more likely to retain video:

• Combining visual and audio doubles impact: Even someone who doesn’t stay on the same page where the video is playing will still hear the message. That gives the brand another chance to reach consumers.
• Reduced time investment: Advertisements that are 15 to 30 seconds long have a high completion rate—about 70%—which indicates that most consumers will get the whole message. In that same time, a consumer would only read about half a paragraph, based on the average person reading at 300 words per minute.
• Visual appeal: A well produced video tends to feel more tech forward and aesthetically interesting than a simple text post. While text posts are important too, video makes a company page more sophisticated overall, heightening the consumer’s perception of the brand and the brand’s message.

These attributes make video a more memorable form of media than the average text post or image. Consumers remember the message and by extension remember the brand. It’s also consumers’ preferred method when they need to learn something new, which is a good way to introduce your brand to them.

#2: Video Works Because It’s How We Like to Learn

Video advertising statistics show that consumers prefer to learn about brands via video, and science tells us that 65% of people are visual learners. A consumer’s method of learning matters because this is primarily what they’re going to look to when they enter a phrase into a search bar. They aren’t going to seek out advertisements. They’re going to look for an answer to their question—and often, video is their preferred search solution.

If your brand is the only brand with a video that specifically answers that consumer’s question, you’ll be the brand they remember in the future.

Making a video stand out means making a video easy to discover. Even Google offers limited front page real estate. If your brand is the only brand with a video that specifically answers that consumer’s question, you’ll be the brand they remember in the future. Video allows you to teach something to a consumer and, in the process, become a trusted authority on that subject. This is a method of building brand affinity that pays dividends.

Consider Covergirl’s extensive library of tutorials. These are short, high quality production videos that focus on one specific aspect of makeup. The makeup brand informs consumers and, as a result, establishes the brand as the expert in its niche. Here video creates a better relationship between the consumer and the brand, as the message is shared in a way that’s convenient for the consumer.

#3: Video Works Because it Travels

Your brand’s audience is no longer tied to one place. Customers can access the Internet from anywhere—and they do. One firm reported that 57% of Internet traffic now comes from mobile devices. Video is ideal for mobile because:

• It’s easier to view while traveling: Someone riding a bus or browsing in a store probably isn’t going to have the time to read an entire article, but they will have time to watch a short video.
• It’s an expanding category: Video is the fastest growing medium, and mobile is quickly becoming the most popular platform. In fact, about 85% of marketers report increasing spending on video in 2018, with 75% noting that it’s a critical aspect of the customer purchase journey. As more brands offer video, consumers will have more options, which is why the smartest brands are optimizing their video for mobile now.
• It’s more effective for rewarded views: When it comes to engaging with brands and products via apps, one of the most popular ways consumers choose to do so is through rewarded video. This type of video allows brands to incentivize the consumer at a very low investment cost. This is a strategy Shopkick uses. By rewarding consumers with points when they completely view short videos within the Shopkick app, brands are able to incentivize the consumer without cutting into their margins.

Mobile video is an easy, convenient, and rewarding way for consumers to view messages from brands. Mobile app marketing that uses video is possibly the most effective way of reaching the traveling consumer.

Combine the effectiveness of video-rich mobile app marketing with the fact that video is the preferred, and most memorable, media for consumers and it’s easy to see why video marketing works for brands. Even brands in segments as competitive as beauty have used video to stand out from the competition. Offering consumers video as part of your overall digital campaign is one of the most effective ways to increase your ROI while also building market share.

Shopkick knows video marketing works, which is why video is a key element of the innovative app we offer to our partners who want to create better consumer connections. For more information, contact us.

Image courtesy of Daviles