The Power of Social Video: How Video Can Breathe Life into Your Marketing Mix [Infographic]

With consumers watching more social videos than ever, video marketing is no longer optional – it’s a necessity.

Considering that 44% of people watch five or more videos online every single day, social video represents a wildly valuable opportunity for businesses across all industries.

Brands that want to make an impact and stand out in the social marketing space need to make video content an integral component of their marketing mix.

The infographic below focuses on recent statistics that reveal the true power of social video. Let’s delve deeper into these insights to find out why video is such a valuable marketing tool and how you can harness the power of social video for your own brand or business.

Video content is more popular than ever

With 85% of Americans watching online videos every day, social videos are more popular than ever – and the demand for video content is growing. Consumers’ preference for video content is expected to continue increasing in the coming years. By 2021, video is projected to account for 82% of all web traffic.

So, the sooner businesses realize the value of video content, the better.

Social video is a powerful tool for your brand

If someone is scrolling through their social feed, your goal should be to hook them with interesting visuals as quickly as possible. The first few seconds of a video are crucial to grabbing viewers’ attention and increasing your completion rate.

If you can catch someone’s eye and get them to watch for three seconds, 65% will watch for at least 10 seconds and 45% will watch for 30 seconds.

What else can you do to encourage viewers to keep watching? Tailoring video content to your target audience can boost your retention rate by 35%. And since 71% of consumers find sponsored videos relevant or highly relevant, it’s definitely worth investing in a paid campaign to ensure your videos are seen by the right eyeballs.

Furthermore, your audience remembers 85% more of what you say in videos than text-only posts.

You can use social videos to drive action

Marketers love video content because it inspires the consumer to take actions – both online (in the form of website traffic and social sharing) and offline (buying decisions and purchases).

Here’s a sample of what social video can do for your business:

1. Boost shares and exposure: Videos are more likely than other types of content to go viral and expand your audience. More specifically, social videos get shared 1200% more than plain text or static images.
2. Drive web traffic: After watching a video on Facebook, 60% of people visit the business’ Facebook page, while another 70% often visit the business’ website.
3. Influence buying decisions: 80% of millennials watch online videos as part of their research when considering a purchase. Branded videos also increase purchase intent by as much as 97%!
4. Lead to real-world purchases: Businesses that leverage the power of social videos experience 49% faster revenue growth – which is linked to the fact that 64% of shoppers have bought something after watching a branded video on Facebook.

So, whether you’re looking to get started with or expand your video marketing efforts, you’re on the right path. Not only does publishing interesting, relevant video content allows you to connect with consumers and boost engagement online, it can also motivate viewers to take specific actions.