Is your website missing out on the benefits of video? All too often, video is seen as just an attractive website decoration – the inessential cherry on the digital marketing cake. In reality, it’s far more than that: video is powerful content that can add significant value to your website and is well worth the time and resources invested in it.

Here are five reasons why video is a fantastic resource that every digital marketer should using to maximum effect:

1. It can improve your search rankings – We all know Google likes video – it owns YouTube – and having relevant, keyword optimised video content on your site can help increase its performance in terms of SEO. Video also makes your web content easier to share and gives it greater visual impact when it’s shared on social media and if you’ve invested in high-quality video content and a great script, people will watch to the end, increasing time on site

2. It improves your site’s user experience – Visitors to your website will proactively look for video content – which means that featuring video increases the amount of time people will spend exploring your website. Video is almost expected now and featuring a video on your homepage in particular makes your site look professional and up-to-date.

3. It can be more powerful than copy - One of the biggest advantages of video is that it helps you convey a huge amount of information in just a few seconds, capturing an audience that might not have bothered reading through all your web copy. Video also helps you get your message across in a subtle and almost subliminal way that can be handy for portraying aspects of your company that might sound hollow in text. For instance, you can use the aesthetics of a video to make your company appear bigger, or convey your focus on design, and this will have a more powerful effect than just saying “we are very big and design-focused.”

4. It can help build your credibility - Training or how-to videos are a great way to establish your website as an information resource while demonstrating the knowledge and expertise your team has to offer. Another advantage of this kind of content is that it can stay relevant for years – so you’ll get a significant return on your investment.

5. It can provide the basis for a new brand – Animated videos can be a great basis for a rebrand. A great example of this is the graduate recruitment firm Give a Grad a Go, who liked the graphics in their animation so much they used it as the basis for their entire corporate brand.

If you’re savvy enough to be well aware of the benefits but are wary of video because of the cost, don’t worry: video isn’t as expensive as it used to be, and a range of options are available to suit every budget. Just be careful about choosing budget options that require you to cut corners. If you’re prepared to spend a bit more on an experienced crew, professional scripting and great graphics, you’ll end up with a video that will enhance the value of your website for years.

 

By Jamie Field is Head of Production at TopLine Comms. 

GDPR Summit Series is a global series of GDPR events which will help marketers to prepare to meet the requirements of the GDPR ahead of May 2018 and beyond. Further information and conference details are available at http://www.gdprsummit.london/

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