By Ben Molfetta

Business owners who are serious about developing a strong online presence need to incorporate videos into their content strategy.

Why?

• The focus online is shifting toward more dynamic forms of content like video and interactive media, so if you’re not using video to engage your target audience, you risk being left behind by competitors who jump on the video bandwagon.
• The volume of videos continues to rise as they become easier to create and viewers drive demand. Following current trends, video is predicted to reach 75% of all Internet traffic by 2018 (Cisco).

Videos are becoming widespread for a reason – they are effective. They help you in getting found and converting online.

Videos Can Enhance Your Search Engine Presence

If your website is not ranking well with search engines, videos can provide a much-needed boost. Google seeks out well developed and scripted videos and displays them in their search results.

A Forrester study found that pages containing a mixture of text and video are 50 times more likely to rank high in search results than pages that contain just text.

Videos Engage Prospects and Improve Conversions

Videos that provide compelling content get noticed, are more likely to be shared, and create credibility.

Here’s what the data tells us:

• 80% of people remember video ads 30 days after watching them (Online Publishers Association)
• Almost 40% take some kind of action after viewing the ad (Online Publishers Association)
• 50% of senior executives share videos with colleagues at least once per week (Forbes Insights)
• 4x as many consumers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it (Animoto)
• Visitors who view product videos are 85% more likely to buy than those who do not (Internet Retailer)

The Bottom Line

You should make videos part of your online content strategy. They can boost your search engine position and help convert prospects. Your prospects are accustomed to viewing videos online, and many of them prefer it over other types of content.

So figure out how to deliver content using this powerful medium and make videos part of your online marketing mix!

Ben Molfetta is the co-founder of Core Online Marketing. He helps small and mid-sized businesses grow by planning, implementing, and executing winning online marketing strategies. Visit coreonlinemarketing.com or email Ben at ben@coreonlinemarketing.com.

About the Author

Mississauga Board of Trade