A better video experience leads to more action, higher loyalty and more social sharing, with seven in ten (76%) consumers cite video as their preferred content source when consuming brand information, according to new research.
The study, from Brightcove, questioned 2,000 consumers globally. It highlights that 79% of consumers favor digital content over traditional, with more than one in ten (12%) preferring to consume content from brands on their smartphone, tablet or mobile application.
Almost a quarter (24%) of the consumers surveyed said video is their ‘most trusted’ source of brand content. Explaining their choice, 44% said video was more ‘appealing’ to them, while engaging (28%), authentic (29%) and sharable (10%) were also cited as reasons for trusting video content over other forms of brand communication.
The power of better video
In addition, over a third of consumers (35%) cited brand video content as more memorable if it is of high quality. The research found that when consumers had a good video experience:
● Almost four in ten (39%) were more likely to research the brand or product further
● A similar amount (36%) were more likely to tell friends and family about the brand
● Three in ten (30%) said they were more likely to become brand loyal
● Just under a fifth (19%) said they were more likely to share content from that brand on social media
But there’s still work to do
When asked how their branded video experience could be improved, three of the top four consumer responses related to video delivery – better quality streaming (32%), faster launch times (31%) and less buffering (30%) — showcasing that consumers are really now focused on the experience that is being delivered to them, end-to-end.
“In order to keep up with today’s tech savvy consumers, marketers need to truly understand the power of video in the marketing mix,” said Steve Rotter, vice president of digital marketing solutions at Brightcove. “More and more, brands are starting to view video as an opportunity for engagement that sits at the heart of the marketing strategy – not just as an add-on. By delivering a high quality, relevant and engaging video experience to end users, marketers can benefit from increased loyalty, higher brand engagement, more content sharing and higher referral rates.”
Why is video content an important part of the marketing mix?
Video gives marketers a unique opportunity to engage with consumers
• Over a fifth (21%) of consumers feel more emotionally connected with a brand following a strong video experience
• Around a quarter of consumers prefer branded video content because it is more engaging (26%) and more than a fifth because it is personable (22%)
• More than three quarters (76%) of consumers cite video as their preferred content source when consuming brand information
• 79% of consumers now favour digital content over traditional, with more than one in ten (12%) preferring to consume content from brands on their smartphone, tablet or mobile application
• Almost a quarter (24%) of the consumers surveyed said video is their ‘most trusted’ source of brand content
How can marketers improve the branded video experience for consumers?
Marketeers need to invest more time in video delivery – faster loading speeds, quicker launch times and less buffering – to meet the video performance needs of today’s consumers
• When asked what they would like to see more of from branded video content consumers ranked ‘video delivery’ as more important than ‘video content’ features:
o Around a third (32%) of consumers want to see better quality streaming from brands
o A third (33%) want more relevant and engaging content
o Just under a third are calling for faster launch times (31%) and less buffering (30%)
Just under a quarter (24%) want branded content to be more tailored to their individual needs
What are the measurable benefits of adding video content to the marketing mix?
By delivering a high quality video experience to end users marketers can benefit from increased loyalty, higher brand engagement, more content sharing and higher referral rates
• Increase brand engagement through video- After watching a good video from a brand:
o 39% of consumers are more likely to research the subject further
o 36% are more likely to tell friends and family about the brand
o 30% are more likely to become loyal (watch content from that brand again)
o 21% admitted feeling more emotionally connected with that brand
o 19% said they are more likely to share messages from that brand on social media
• Increase website traffic/conversion rates through video – video helps marketers increase website conversion rates by more than 65%
o Website conversion rate for brands using video content is 4.8% compared with only 2.9% for brands not investing in video
o By using video brands experience a €70 cost per lead compared with a €88 cost per lead for non-video using brands
Research Methodology
An online survey of 2,000 consumers was undertaken in the Unites States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. The survey was set up and completed by Vanson Bourne and fieldwork took place in August 2014.