Video marketing has become essential for business success. 88 percent of businesses report that video is an important part of their marketing strategy. Integral to this is the branding video, which serves the purpose of keeping your brand at the forefront of consumers’ minds. Here’s how and why.
Branding videos create emotional connections
The potential of video when it comes to brand awareness and engagement is higher than that of any other type of content. 80 percent of consumers remember video content they’ve seen in the last month. This means that if you’re using branding videos, these consumers will also remember your brand.
Branding videos do not sell a product or service but rather build the brand as a whole and develop the desired image. Here’s an example branding video for a Lawyer firm in Melbourne, it’s designed to show the brand as sassy, all-female, powerful and professional.
Branding Video Edit by Rockmans Creative Media from Rockmans Creative Media on Vimeo.
Video is a highly efficient medium for building consumer engagement because of its ability to involve viewers in stories and provoke emotional responses. This technique has long been used in television advertising, by presenting a brand as something consumers can either identify with or aspire to. Luxury car brand advertisements, for example, are often more about the lifestyle associated with the brand than about the cars themselves.
Brands are also now engaging audiences in this way online with the video content they share. Videos that spark an emotional connection with an audience through being funny, moving or thought-provoking have the potential to go viral online. Some of the most successful branding videos have achieved up to 30 million YouTube views.
The way we interact with brands has changed
The fact that brands are now so keen to tap into the audiences of online video platforms such as YouTube shows how the power of social media has changed the way we interact with brands. Consumers these days are far more in control of the fortunes of brands – YouTube users become influencers and celebrities in their own right by attracting large numbers of followers. Many of the biggest brands in the world are now lining up to partner with YouTube influencers in their brand campaigns.
This shifting tide can be seen in the fact that social media is increasingly overlapping with the mainstream media when it comes to brand advertising. The ultimate advertising slot for brand commercials has always been the US Super Bowl. This may not have changed, but the way we interact with brands has, and major businesses are recognising that fact. This is why Nissan chose YouTube stars to voice their Super Bowl campaign in 2015 – a perfect illustration of the fact that video as a medium has now in many ways eclipsed the power of the brands themselves when it comes to influencing people.
Video advertising reflects changing viewing habits
It’s unsurprising that YouTube stars are now crossing over into mainstream television advertising, as it reflects the viewing choices of the shifting consumer market. YouTube is the most popular source of video entertainment amongst millennial consumers – 67 percent of those surveyed said they “can’t live without it”. Only 36 percent felt this way about traditional television.
Additionally, 58 percent are perfectly accepting of brand advertising in online video, as they believe it supports the online celebrities they admire.
Branding video trends are driven by social media
All of the top three social networks – Facebook, YouTube and Instagram – are dominated by video content. YouTube is completely dedicated to video.
This says everything about the content that today’s consumers want to see, and social media users accept branded content as a natural part of their social interaction online. 95 percent of online adults aged 18-34 follow brands on social media. 70 percent of social media users have shared branded videos, while only three percent said they would never share a brand’s video under any circumstances.
This demonstrates the power of branding videos when it comes to engaging audiences – young consumers now see branded video content as something that they actively want to share.
Branding videos drive more traffic to your website
62 percent of businesses report that their video advertising campaigns have increased the amount of organic traffic to their websites. This is as true for the B2B market as it is for B2C – 65 percent of business decision makers will visit a brand’s website after watching a branded video. 39 percent will contact a vendor about that brand’s products.
Branding videos increase audience engagement on a wide variety of platforms and in many different ways, having a highly positive effect on brand awareness, conversions and sales. Should your company be using them? Unequivocally, yes.
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