With e-commerce booming across industries, it can feel like your brand is drowning in competition. There’s no shortage of companies vying for attention. But while some brands may try and fail to capture the attention they need to grow, you can succeed with ease by leveraging video marketing on social media and beyond.
So what makes video so powerful for e-commerce companies? Long story short, it provides a handful of benefits that can directly help you achieve your business goals. Read on as we dive into five reasons why video marketing is key for every e-commerce brand.
1. Video marketing increases social media visibility
Consumers are no longer just shopping directly on e-commerce marketplaces or independent websites. Social networks are now major sources of product discovery — and many even have integrated shopping features that allow customers to buy without leaving the app. Businesses can no longer afford to miss out on the power of social media video marketing.
With brands everywhere jumping on social, creating highly engaging content is crucial, too. Video, more than any other type of content, can excel at keeping consumers focused on your brand.
So what makes video so captivating? Beyond offering eye-catching movement, it also boosts your visibility.
More traditional social media platforms are increasingly prioritizing video. Take Facebook and Instagram, for instance. On Facebook, videos get 59% higher engagement than other types of posts. Instagram now dedicates an entire tab to Instagram Reels, its short-form video content feature.
Utilizing video marketing will inspire social media algorithms to give your marketing content a boost. Video also allows you to market your e-commerce brand on two of the largest and fastest-growing platforms around: YouTube and TikTok.
2. Videos drive shoppers to your site
The majority of video marketers agree: Video directly increases website traffic. In fact, a study of Facebook advertising actually confirmed that video ads get twice as many clicks as other ad formats.
When posted on social media — among other digital marketing channels — video inspires users to not only watch, but also follow through to your online store. Thanks to the high levels of interest it generates, video can greatly increase your opportunities to capture leads, sell, and even resell to past customers.
Video inspires action. If viral marketing — the practice of promoting your brand through social networks — is already a part of your business strategy, video will ultimately help you reduce your average cost per click and increase your return on investment instead.
3. Omnichannel video marketing boosts sales
So you’re getting more website clicks. How do you increase conversions from there? To no one’s surprise, the answer is once again video.
When each of your landing pages include a video — especially one with a specific purpose — it can actually drive up your profits. Close to 80% of marketers believe video directly and positively affects sales, so using this content format on both social media and your website is a proven way to achieve results.
E-commerce companies can leverage the power of video marketing beyond these two channels, too. When you take an omnichannel approach to marketing by using video across marketing channels (like email and blog posts) — optimized for different types of devices — you create a seamless experience that engages and re-engages clients. This engagement paves the way for brand loyalty, which drives up your e-commerce company’s profits.
4. Millennials and Gen Z prefer video
Millennials and members of Generation Z are easily the future of e-commerce. These are two of the most tech-savvy generations around — the ones that are more than familiar with shopping online and through social media. And with the spending power of Gen Z each passing day, they may soon make up the majority of your client base, if it hasn’t happened already.
Video marketing is crucial for winning over these rising consumers before your competitors do. Here are two stats that prove why you need video to increase your appeal:
- 85% of millennials report buying a product or service after viewing a video
- 52% of Gen Z trust brands with product videos more than those without
With more consumers researching products than ever, using video can help you stand out from written product reviews as you appeal to the world’s soon-to-be most powerful consumers.
Video marketing also allows you to effectively leverage all three of Gen Z and millennials’ favorite social networks: Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.
5. Editing skills are easier to master than ever
If the power of video content on social media (and beyond) isn’t enough to convince you to take advantage of it, consider this: Video marketing isn’t all that hard.
While great editing once required the help of trained professionals, platforms like TikTok and Instagram — as well as free tools like iMovie — have made video editing more intuitive than ever. You can realistically create viral videos just by using your smartphone within minutes, even with no prior experience. Video marketing doesn’t have to be an expensive investment.
Still, when you do want to amp up your editing skills, there are now endless resources available to you. From video editing classes to YouTube tutorials, e-commerce leaders can easily hone their skills and create professional videos without years of education.
Add video to your e-commerce marketing strategy
Video marketing is undoubtedly a powerful tool. When you’re running an e-commerce company, this digital-first marketing technique easily aligns with your brand experience, as well as the expectations of the most tech-savvy consumers around. Add video to your social media posts, website, and more, and you will be impressed with the results.
