The mantra “Watch what Google do” is a good one for marketers to bear in mind when looking to the future. When Google bought Blogger it was a sign of things to come – and months later having fresh content (or blogs) on your website became pretty much mandatory for SEO performance. So when Google bought YouTube, it was another good indication that video was set to play a big part in online marketing.

True enough video on your website contributes to your SEO and ranking position, but on social media it is equally if not more important. Firstly, video content is shared and engaged with three times more than any other type of content. Video increases viewers understanding of your product or service by 74%. A third of all online activity is watching videos. 75% of users visit the business website after viewing the video. 80% of users remember the video ads they see online. Oh, and YouTube is the second largest search engine on the globe, so you should probably be on there!

So why is video so great? Here comes the science bit – a brain function (called the Fusiform facial area) forces us to pay attention to faces as the gathering point for information and believability. It’s this that helps us to recognise patterns of faces in almost anything (cars, houses, potatoes, trees…) Secondly, the human voice makes information more understandable – hearing it enable us to understand and retain it considerably more than just reading it. Thirdly, emotions are contagious and watching someone will convey emotion. This ensures an empathic buy-in from the viewer meaning they are more likely to proceed through the sales funnel. Finally, movement gets our attention. We have survived and evolved by noticing movement so people are wired to pay attention!

It’s a no brainer, but video can feel like an expensive option. Having a well made corporate video that reflects your business will pay for itself. You might consider a more amateur approach for smaller bits of content or even look at going for animated content. There are plenty of free or monthly payment software options online to choose from. But whatever you do, make sure you do something – don’t miss out on the most powerful out there!

What do you think? Let us know in the comment box below.

By Harriet Thacker

Harriet is a marketing expert, social media enthusiast and Shake Social’s champion blogger. Struggling to maintain your own blog? We can help!