You probably don’t need anyone to tell you that video has taken over as the preeminent digital channel. Ours has been a visually driven culture for decades; all computers needed was the technology to support it, and that tech is now fully integrated into everything from cell phones and cars to refrigerators.
With the advent and oversaturation of video, though, comes the consumer’s ability to tune out: the classic, ‘200 channels and nothing’s on!’ has been a complaint about cable and satellite TV for years. Now, people just scroll and swipe social media, or let a streamer play. It’s almost as bad to be ignored as it is to not be watched at all.
It’s one thing to produce video for video’s sake: something put out into the ether and whatever happens, happens. It’s another to take a thoughtful, value-centered approach, incorporating a video marketing strategy designed to cut through a cluttered online videoscape, standing out from the others and connecting with your intended audience where they are.
After all, video marketing is just content marketing, and good content marketing comes from good content philosophy and practices. The medium may be different, but many of the underlying principles remain the same.
Even in this era of constant online noise, you can still leverage the power of video to grow your audience and your business.
Competition for engagement from B2B and B2C audiences is fiercer than ever, with growing numbers of platforms, brands and individual creators all vying for attention online. And video continues to be one of the preferred forms of content for businesses and buyers of all types.
Just how popular are videos? Well, according to Datareportal’s Digital 2024 Global Overview Report, 92% of internet users worldwide watch videos online each week. You’re likely among the vast majority of people who watch at least one video and so you know how snackable, shareable and engaging this type of content can be – when done well.
The statistics speak for themselves: videos typically are shared more, viewed more and generate more engagement than other forms of online content. Video marketing can harness that power to drive brand awareness, generating demand and, eventually, sales.
In fact, HubSpot found that video marketing for business growth is on the rise and yields the highest return on investment compared to other types of marketing content in their 2024 State of Marketing Report. In particular, interest in short-form video is surging: 30% of marketers say they will start creating short-form videos this year and, among those already doing so, 50% say they plan to do more.
There are several ways to incorporate video into your marketing strategy, from animated explainers to live product demos to connected TV advertising on streaming platforms. The benefits of video marketing are vast and include:
→ Enhanced engagement and retention rates: Video marketing can captivate and retain your audience’s attention more effectively than text or static images, which is especially important for content that aims to educate or entertain.
→ Increased conversion and sales: Whether it's a product demonstration, customer testimonial or behind-the-scenes look at your company, videos have a powerful way of building trust, showcasing value and compelling viewers to take action.
→ Improved SEO performance: Including video on your website can have a surprisingly positive impact on your search engine optimization efforts. You’ve no doubt noticed that search engines like Google display video content on SERPs, attracting organic traffic. In addition, YouTube is the de facto second-largest search engine: publishing video content there can not only drive significant traffic, as a Google property, strong YouTube performance can have a positive effect on Google rank results.
With billions of users engaging daily with platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Threads, social media offers low-cost opportunities for brands to tap into vast audiences and connect with their target audience in an engaging, personal way.
Considering how those social media algorithms often prioritize video content, it’s no surprise that Kuno is getting more requests for both video and social media content.
One size does not fit all in social media video content. Each platform has its own unique culture, user behaviors and demographics, demanding tailored approaches for maximum impact.
For instance, while short, snappy videos perform exceptionally well on TikTok and Instagram Reels, we find longer-form content does better on YouTube and LinkedIn. Understanding the each platform’s nuances and culture allows marketers to craft videos optimized for specific formats, aspect ratios and audience preferences.
By adapting content to suit the platform and its user expectations, brands can ensure their videos resonate effectively and drive desired actions from viewers, rather than pushing for a big view count.
Success in social media video marketing requires more than just publishing content—it demands strategic planning and execution to maximize reach and engagement.
One of the most effective strategies for any marketing content is simply to tell a good (and relevant) story. This will never go out of style; relatable narratives connect brands to their audiences, build trust and foster deeper connections.
Additionally, incorporating interactive elements such as polls, quizzes or calls-to-action encourage active engagement from viewers as opposed to mindless scrolling.
Collaborating with influencers and leveraging user-generated content can also amplify reach and credibility.
Producing great content will only take you so far. Consistent monitoring, analysis and optimization based on audience feedback and performance metrics are essential for refining strategies and keeping your finger on the pulse of what your audience needs and wants – or even who your target audience is – because those elements are ever evolving.
Even the best-produced video won’t perform at its peak without a strategy in place. Creating effective video content is part art and part science to ensure that content strikes the delicate balance of being both findable online while also being engaging and interesting.
To maximize the impact and return on investment of your video marketing, make sure to follow a roadmap of best practices that will help you tell your story and elevate your brand.
For instance, an explainer video that aims to educate your audience about your product or service serves a very different purpose than a testimonial video or live-streamed event. An animated video to increase brand awareness and show your company’s values will look very different from a product guide. Consider the message, audience, industry trends and how the video ties into the rest of your content.
This is where working with a marketing partner like Kuno Creative can help support your goals beyond simply producing a video and instead help you tie it into the bigger picture strategy.
Of course, videos are not standalone collateral – they very much play into your overall brand messaging. It’s important to maintain consistency in voice and brand identity no matter what format your marketing takes.
From developing a story outline and writing the script to shooting B-roll and editing, you want to ensure that your video efforts clearly reflect your brand’s values, personality and tone of voice.
This is where having brand guidelines is key to maintaining alignment in everything from the core message to the aesthetics. Video marketing can be an incredible opportunity to strengthen brand recognition and build credibility with your audience, but it needs to be approached strategically and intentionally, or the result can frankly be counterproductive.
Video content should be compelling and resonate with your audience. It also requires an understanding of storytelling techniques so you can compellingly communicate your brand message and effectively inspire action.
Engaging video content begins with knowing your target audience. What are their interests, pain points and preferences? Conducting audience research and analyzing demographics can provide valuable insights into what type of content will resonate most effectively.
Tapping into emotions is crucial for audience engagement. Whether it's humor, inspiration or empathy, evoking emotion fosters a connection with viewers and keeps them invested in your content. Tailor content to address the interests and needs of your target audience. Stay updated on current trends, topics and conversations within your niche to ensure that your content remains relevant and resonates with viewers.
Not unlike any other approach to good marketing, storytelling lies at the heart of video content. A well-crafted narrative can captivate viewers from the opening scene to the closing credits. It’s important to note that there is good storytelling, and then there is effective storytelling — the latter of which is most important for brands to get their message across and spark their desired action.
Author and podcaster Jay Acunzo says, “Stories illuminate commonalities we might not otherwise see.” Stories should have audiences asking questions and getting the answers through that same content. While good storytelling creates and resolves tension through a series of actions, effective storytelling takes it a step further by inspiring reflection and action.
Acunzo suggests that brands can have one story they tell everywhere they go, but they can tell that story in multiple different ways. The key is staying consistent with your messaging, tailoring its delivery to different audiences and striving to maintain the same impact.
Consider this approach to telling your story effectively:
If you want to tell your story in multiple ways, consider recording one great video and repackaging it for different audiences and platforms. Keep your videos concise and focused. Attention spans are limited, so aim for a duration that delivers your message effectively without losing audience interest. Depending on the platform and content type, shorter videos (under three minutes) often perform better.
Kuno Creative client Maintenance Care has found great success transforming Zoom interviews into multiple pieces of content that are both search engine-optimized and geared for shorter viewer attention spans.
One way they accomplish this is by pulling the best quotes, insights, tips and takeaways from customer interviews and republishing those as standalone clips. Another way is by hosting and recording customer-exclusive webinars and republishing them for broader audiences.
Brands can utilize this strategic framework for leveraging their singular story:
Maintenance Care is a prime example that shows how great content can be captured on video without the need for a significant in-house video production setup. Working with experts who offer video marketing services can ensure your videos look polished and professional. Crisp visuals, clear audio and smooth editing significantly enhance the viewer experience.
Characters are an essential piece of any memorable story. Brands can maintain relevance by weaving compelling narratives into their video content, showcasing real-world examples of how their products or services solve industry challenges. By highlighting people, brands humanize their offerings, establish emotional connections with their audience, and position themselves as trusted partners in the business landscape.
Collaborate with customers, partners and others in your network to introduce new perspectives to your content. These projects can range from joint videos to cross-promotional campaigns, which can expand your reach and draw in new visitors.
User-generated content (UGC) also offers valuable opportunities to expand your reach and engage with your audience on a deeper level. UGC is a relatively easy way to get more video content that is authentic, diverse and engaging. You can encourage your audience to contribute their own content, such as testimonials or reviews. This can be incentivized through discounts or by creating an influencer or ambassador program, depending on your budget.
You don’t need to have a full film crew and studio or a camera that costs more than your house to make great video content. Viewers are used to watching DIY video content from self-taught creators on TikTok, Reels and YouTube.
At the end of the day, people connect with people: showcasing the right characters in your story can not only get your video content in front of the right audience, but it will move them toward meaning and action.
‘Video SEO’ has all the mystery and intrigue SEO used to, as though there were some guaranteed formula or alchemy that shoots videos right to page one on Google or YouTube.
Sorry to be a magic killer, but the approach isn’t entirely different from good, honest conventional SEO.
Start with the foundational stuff: There is no substitute for quality work. As Google increasingly rewards quality, authoritative content with a distinct point of view, the same goes for video. Incorporate thoughtful, appropriate use of keywords along with an intriguing title, encapsulating description and relevant tagging.
Leveraging timestamps: Google’s AI is on the way, but it still cannot read videos for intent. Timestamps and descriptions help give the crawler context it needs to properly evaluate for rank. Think of them as closed captioning for bots, but there’s value for human users, as well – the ability to scan to a particular spot in a video, whether it’s an iconic moment in a movie, or to a critical point in the middle of a brake job. The more helpful these markers are, the greater value they have in SEO on YouTube or Google.
Inclusion matters: Similarly, having a video transcript provides full context for crawlers to evaluate both a video and a related page, and it provides an element of accessibility. While accessibility itself is not currently a factor for SEO, it is crucial for user experience, compliance with WCAG standards and, if for no other reason, being a good corporate citizen. The more accessible and user-friendly a site is, the better it is viewed on the whole by search engines. For ranking purposes, it can only help.
There are other opportunities to elevate a video’s SEO much like other forms of content, leveraging structured data or using appropriate backlink and embed strategies.
Again, it may surprise you to learn that the key metrics to gauge performance for video marketing aren’t that dissimilar from other content marketing channels.
A 2022 HubSpot survey informs us that the top six most-important metrics for evaluating video were engagement, conversion rate, view count, click-through rate, follower/subscriber growth and average view duration.
In other words, what marketers are looking for from video is what they tend to look for from social, from blogging, newsletters and podcasting. Nothing new under the sun.
What matters most isn’t necessarily these metrics, but the metrics that best apply to your marketing or campaign goals: what is it you want to do with your videos? Are you looking to elevate brand awareness? Drive subscriptions? Generate buzz for a new product? KPIs are as contextual as your campaigns and content, mileage can and should vary.
Video content is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s an essential element of content marketing. It was the most popular format for enterprise content marketers over the past year, with 94% saying they used video marketing, according to Content Marketing Institute’s latest survey.
Just as they are in other forms of marketing, brands are increasingly expanding their reach by collaborating with influencers and subject matter experts to make videos more engaging. Brands have used influencers and user-generated video content for many years to sell products directly to consumers, with or without the brand’s involvement. The more relatable these videos are, the more people like and share them.
Remember the TikTok video of the man skateboarding to work while drinking Ocean Spray cranberry juice — the one that got more views than any ad the brand has ever produced in nearly 100 years?
As marketing leader Mark Schaefer pointed out, this example shows brands are no longer in control of the message during an era when anyone can be a video creator. Brands that understand this and are willing to use this to their advantage can see huge wins. This may not be as obvious in B2B video marketing, but it’s absolutely still possible.
Adobe’s profiles of how graphic designers use its Creative Cloud software or Squarespace’s “People We Love” YouTube playlist highlighting small business owners who experienced growth by building their own websites are just two examples.
Emerging trends in video marketing show a clear shift toward not only selling a product, but delivering an experience with emotional appeal.
In addition to working with creators, brands are increasingly using motion-graphic videos to demonstrate the value of a solution while intriguing viewers enough to get them to watch a more detailed demo.
They are increasingly adapting video content to specific platforms to provide a more tailored, multi-channel experience. They’re repurposing hour-long webinars into shorter clips hosted natively on YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Twitch or LinkedIn. They’re creating short, 15- or 30-second video clips designed for programmatic ads on connected TV platforms like Netflix and Hulu.
They are saving the deeper dives for their own YouTube playlists, the resources section of their website, or creating their own online courses showing how to use their software or solutions.
This approach maximizes the reach of video marketing while aligning with viewing preferences specific to each platform.
Advancements in AI technology are also revolutionizing the way brands create and distribute video content. AI can remove many barriers to entry for brands that may not have the luxury of in-house video production, enabling them to quickly write scripts, generate images and motion graphics, and even produce voiceovers in multiple languages without needing to hire voice talent or translators.
However, the ease of creating video presents challenges to maintaining authenticity and credibility. As it becomes easier to fabricate endorsements, genuine, authoritative video content will be even more valuable.
As video marketing evolves, brands need to consider much more than just video production. They’ll need a holistic strategy that optimizes video for every channel, including Google’s featured videos and YouTube, the No. 2 search engine. They also need to be able to collaborate with experts to create video content that engages, educates, entertains, and integrates with every other marketing executable. Video may rule the day, but it’s still part of a whole.
To prepare for the future of video marketing and stay ahead of the curve, your company should take a long view. Consider performing an audit of your video assets to see which videos are being consumed most frequently, to what extent visitors are watching, and how videos are contributing to conversions. This may not be obvious, as the average buyer now needs seven or more interactions with your brand before they’ll even consider buying. Incorporating video throughout your website and the customer journey, including services pages, blogs and email, will add to the opportunities you have to give consumers a next step.
We’ve covered a lot of ground here, but the main points should be clear: Video is here, and it’s not going away. Marketers have to learn to live in this space. Additionally, while video is here and evolving, people’s needs and desires are still the same: People want a good, well-told story. Honest, genuine, credible work still wins out. And marketing leaders and company stakeholders should have similar expectations from video that they have from other marketing channels.
Video is still part of an overarching marketing whole. And it has the potential to supercharge your marketing efforts, growing leads and revenue, but it has to be thoughtful, strategic and done well.
And that’s where a multi-disciplinary team of marketing professionals can step in and help clarify your marketing strategy, seeing how video fits in the picture. The Kuno Creative team takes a comprehensive, audience-minded approach to marketing your brand, helping you tell the most compelling stories through video, social media, blogging and professional content and web and creative design.
Schedule a consultation and let’s talk about your story, and how we can help you tell it to the world.
Clare Hennig, Brittany Nader, Jennifer Malins and Annie Zelm all contributed to this article.
