Social media is now the first port of call for those seeking information. A recent Gallup poll found that 64% of internet users in the U.S. get their news from social media, with Facebook leading the way as the top news source among adults. This means you need to step up your game to ensure your social media campaigns aren’t overlooked by your audience. Videos are one of the best ways to do just that. Why? Because they’re more engaging than static images, GIFs or even links to longer articles or blog posts on sites like Medium and LinkedIn. Let’s take a look at why videos are so important for your social media campaigns…

Videos are visually engaging

The first advantage of videos is that they are visually engaging. Humans are visual creatures and we process visuals significantly faster than we do words. This is especially true for social networks where the majority of our experience is visual — scrolling through feeds and liking or commenting on images or video clips. A recent study found that static images have an average engagement rate of only 0.07%, while GIFs have 0.09% and links have 0.13%. Videos, on the other hand, have an average engagement rate of 0.36%, more than three times higher than images. Visual media also has the power to increase brand equity and drive sales. One study found that visual ads have a 90% higher brand recognition rate, while another revealed that visual ads increase sales conversion rates by 68% on average.

Video ads are more effective than just ads

Another advantage of video is that it’s more effective than just ads. People don’t want to be interrupted, but with video, you permit them to watch. You can grab their attention with a fun or engaging video and provide them with a call to action at the same time. When done correctly, you can even earn a few extra seconds of views on your video. That’s why many social networks recommend using video for ads. You can also personalize ads with video and link them to your product catalog, which is an advantage of having your video library.

Audience behavior and demographics matter

When choosing a type of content for your social media campaigns, demographics and behavior are important factors to take into account. While visuals are important to everyone, they’re also heavily influenced by culture and demographics. For example, Asian cultures prefer images with people in them, while Western cultures prefer images with objects. You can also see huge differences between generations. For instance, millennials are more likely to react to short-form content (1-2 minutes) than long-form content (more than 5 minutes), while those over the age of 35 prefer the latter.

Brands that use video see major benefits

When you consider all of the benefits of videos, it’s not surprising to learn that brands that use video see major benefits. A survey of 2,300 U.S. marketing professionals found that 84% of them use video in their social media campaigns. Another survey of 258 brands found that those that used video saw a 65% increase in video views and an 85% increase in video shares. That’s not all, though. These brands also saw an average increase of 41% in ad impressions overall and 57% in ad click-through rates. They also experienced a 38% increase in average click-through rates in the email campaigns they used video in. With all of these benefits, it’s clear to see why video is so important for your social media campaigns.

Video is also one of the best ad formats

Another advantage of using video in your social media campaigns is that video ads are one of the best ad formats. When compared with other formats, video ads have a much better conversion rate. This is especially true for mobile video ads, which are 10 times more effective than just static images. That’s because video ads are effective at grabbing the attention of your audience and keeping it long enough for them to take action, whether that’s clicking on your ad or watching your entire video. Video ads also have the added benefit of being more memorable than other types of ads. People are three times more likely to remember a video ad than they are to remember other ads. That’s why many brands choose to use video over just static images or GIFs.

Bottom line

Videos are an essential component of marketing campaigns. From social media to email marketing, they allow brands to showcase their personality through creative, engaging content. It’s also the perfect opportunity to show off your product in action, whether it’s a new gadget or something else. And with engagement rates on social media being so high, it’s important to keep up. Videos are also easier to consume on a mobile device because they take up more of the screen than static images. This makes it easier to enjoy your content without having to zoom out and squint. When you want to take your social media campaigns to the next level, adding video is a great place to start.

Originally posted 2022-11-27 07:09:47.