In the last 30 years, the world of marketing has shifted from traditional practices (TV, radio, and print) into the digital age at an amazing speed. More consumers are now bringing their attention to mobile devices and the impact of text has lessened as preferences for visual content has risen. For brands and marketers, especially those who want to create greater return on investment (ROI) and conversion rates, video must be discussed as an important medium in achieving those goals.

Why is video so important?

Due to faster network speeds and greater portability, consumers use their mobile devices more often to conduct their online activities, including streaming video content and shopping. (Cisco predicts that video traffic will make up 82% of all internet traffic by 2021 and about half of U.S. adults are now making purchases with their smartphones.) Regarding online shopping, most consumers prefer video content to other mediums in their product research and shopping experiences, and about half of those mobile consumers remember product videos over text descriptions. This preference for video content leads to the question, why would any digital marketing firm, today, not consider incorporating video into their marketing strategy?

Some clients may think that there isn’t enough of a ROI when it comes to video. While yes, producing video costs more and takes more time to produce (possibly slowing down the amount of content being released), the resulting video content may also be just as valuable as pages of text content (a Forrester researcher estimated that “one minute of video is equal to 1.8 million words”). Additionally, the gradual decrease in equipment and labor costs and continual improvements in technology will, over time, offset the expenses and time requirements.

Many marketing professionals argue, and surveys show, that video is the medium with the best ROI.

Video improves the conversion rates of consumers, with customer engagement being greater when video is included, and the intent to purchase increased by 97% when the consumer enjoys the content. Video is also quicker to share, giving content the potential to become viral, as well as more engaging and able to hold waning attention spans.

In the current digital age, video should be the de facto route for all digital marketing efforts present and future. Brands should be looking to investing and incorporating video into more of their campaigns. It commands the most consumer attention, produces great ROI that will gradually improve as technology improves, and is more engaging and memorable for brands and clients.

Do you utilize video content in your digital strategy? If not, contact Taylor & Pond and let us help you elevate your brand.