In today’s digital world there are all kinds of effective content. However, while the written word is often the go-to in terms of appealing to and educating an audience, there’s something about videos that really hit the spot.
According to a recent marketing survey, 68% of all online users stated that they would prefer to learn about new products or services by watching a short video.
But why is that? And how do you go about creating engaging video content for your website?
The Importance of Using Videos
For many people, creating a video seems like a tedious hassle. You have to write a script, get camera-ready, try not to be awkward, learn how to edit seamlessly, and so much more. However, we can assure you that it’s worth the hassle. Plus, once you get the hang of it, it’s no longer a tedious and task-oriented operation.
First and foremost, videos are a critical component of your website and social media channels because they are the most attention-grabbing pieces of content you can offer scrolling users. Unlike a long-winded paragraph, videos can be much easier to mentally consume.
They don’t take any work to watch, just a few minutes of a users’ attention.
Videos are also very similar to having a conversation — to an extent. They allow for more context in terms of tone of voice and the important social cues that may be lacking in text-driven conversations.
Most importantly, videos allow you to be creative while condensing critical information down at the same time. In essence, they give users exactly what they want — quick and interesting information through a storyline with an aesthetically pleasing background.
The Benefits of Using Videos on Your Website
To expand on the importance of using videos, let’s dig deeper into four of the top benefits they provide:
1. They Offer Quick Delivery
Unless you attract a bunch of speed readers to your website, very few people are taking in and processing all of the valuable information you’re putting out.
Custom videos allow you to get your message out in a format that is processed quickly and easily by your visitors. Not to mention, videos are much more attractive than plain text. This means your visitors can readily take in the information presented to them in said format versus being presented with a novel.
2. They’re Engaging
Videos show rather than tell, which demonstrates the difference between passive and active engagement. They encourage visitors to focus on your message both visibility and audibly, which inevitably increases a user’s time on your website.
That equals more exposure to your calls to action, value proposition, and more conversions. Plus, when people are actively engaged, they tend to remember a lot more information.
Additionally, when you allow your visitors to see you and your team, it makes them feel like they know you. This instantly strengthens their trust in you and ultimately your bond.
3. They Drive Traffic
Search engines are obsessed with new, constant content. When you create a custom video, you’re giving them just that while also capitalizing on your optimization.
With videos, you can still implement target keywords in the title, tags, and description. You can also create your own YouTube channel for the added bonus of garnering views from multiple locations — minus the duplicate content issues.
4. They can be monetized
Instream video ads capitalize on publishers who are making their own video content and want to stitch advertisements into the video — whether that is at the beginning (pre-roll), in the middle (mid-roll), or at the end of the video (post-roll).
YouTube is a great example of instream ads. If you decide to monetize your videos, here are several tips to follow on how to maximize your earnings.
How to Create Engaging Videos
So, how do you create these engaging videos that build trust, entertain, and increase your conversion rates?
Here are a few stellar tips:
Capture the Curiosity
Curiosity is one of the driving forces behind human development. The same goes for progress and ingenuity. We always want to know more information, especially the how, what, why, and where of things.
The trick to piquing said curiosity? Create a knowledge gap between what the reader thinks they know and what they want to learn.
One way to do this is to put together the most interesting parts of the video to create a preview that makes viewers want to click “play.”
Hook Their Attention
Piquing curiosity is one thing, but what happens when a viewer clicks play and becomes instantly bored?
You technically have three seconds to make your viewers want to continue watching your video. So, use that first three seconds to summarize your main point in the most attention-grabbing way that will leave your audience wanting more.
Tell a Story
Powerful stories generate emotion — specifically, empathy.
Create a narrative that’s personal, relatable, and weaves in the necessary facts geared towards your niche. When viewers can place themselves in your shoes, they begin to feel inspired to take action.
So, don’t just take people through the “how to” process of some product or service. Show them by telling a story that tugs at their cerebral cortex. Or heart strings.
Make it Visually Stimulating
Watching is arguably the best way to learn, which is why visual storytelling is so effective. However, if your video is sluggish and drab looking, it won’t be as effective since it’ll probably put your viewers to sleep if they haven’t clicked out of it already.
So, make your videos colorful, fun, and exciting. Give your viewers the visual representation of your products, services, or main points that they deserve.
Establish Credibility
Typically, you want to appeal to your viewers via:
- Ethos (ethics)
- Pathos (emotion)
- Logic (reasoning)
However, you don’t want to depend on these things alone — especially when it comes to logic. If you want to establish trust among your audience, then you must come off as credible.
That means it’s important to back up any of your points with the relevant data and sources. People like their proof, and they’ll like you a whole lot more if you do the dirty work behind obtaining that proof so they don’t have to.
Engaging videos are the unicorn of all content. Their visual aspects and sound grab viewers’ attention, and they get your message across while telling a compelling story. So, what’s not to love?