From advertising to direct emails, there is no lack of marketing tools that e-commerce businesses can draw on to reach consumers and boost sales. But there’s nothing quite like video; 78% of video marketers say video has directly helped increase sales.

And with people consuming 18 hours of video online on average per week, up an astonishing 7.5 hours per week over the past 3 years, it’s a tool that companies can no longer put off.

The roll-out of 5G is paving the way for the video marketing revolution, setting the stage to make the video even more popular. This faster and more accessible mobile phone network is a friction-free way that businesses can make video available to their users.

Free of the technical limitations of older iterations, this new version opens the way to an entire universe of opportunities for brands that want to give everything from shoppable videos to live streaming a try.

With video having a major impact on how brands reach out to consumers, these shifts are no longer a thing of the future. This means that there’s no time like the present to tap into the magic of video marketing – because the future of digital marketing is video.

 Lights, Camera, Call to Action

There are a host of benefits that brands can reap from a great video; adding a video to your website can lift brand awareness and drive engagement. And it will keep people on your site for longer, an analytic metric that Google ranks highly.

The tech giant tweaks its algorithm to better align with user trends and wants, and with websites that include at least one video 45 times more likely to rank higher in search results, riding the video wave is a practically foolproof way to boost your brand’s SEO rankings. 

 “If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine how much a video is worth.”

The benefits don’t stop there. When it comes to the uncertainty of not being able to touch, try on or feel a product, there’s nothing like videos to bridge the gap between shopping in-store and virtually.

A full 95% of consumers find online videos helpful; they lessen the risk for wary shoppers, and potential customers that can watch a video about your product instead of relying on photos are less likely to make a return.

And fewer returns translate into more savings. If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine how much a video is worth.

But not all videos are created equally. A new must-have marketing tool for their ability to engage customers, the plethora of video options out there make it challenging to know where to start.

The right choice depends largely on what your business needs and wants to achieve by incorporating videos into your e-commerce site and, of course, your budget.

To get the camera rolling, take a closer look at a few of the most popular video marketing trends hitting websites today.

Shop While You Watch

While it’s true that people aren’t shopping the same way they used to, the paths people take to make a purchasing decision remain the same – consumers still like to see and test the actual product, and customer reviews and referrals are more popular than ever. This is where shoppable video enters the chat.

“Leveraging shoppable videos have the power to encourage a transaction while keeping consumers engaged in your brand.”

Shoppable videos feature clickable links embedded in the video – a potential customer clicks on the link and is directed to your store. It’s a format that brings together commerce and content in an engaging and interactive environment.

It’s a win-win for any company and leveraging shoppable videos has the power to encourage a transaction while keeping consumers engaged in your brand.

 “This blend of live streaming and online shopping is as engaging as it is effective”.

Traditionally recorded and then posted to a website, marketers are now turning their attention to going live. Essentially the new version of telemarketing, instead of watching pre-recorded content, consumers tune in to live product presentations and can shop directly from the video.

And it works; 2% is considered a good conversion rate in traditional e-commerce, but the median live commerce conversion rate is a whopping 10%, an amazing 5 times better conversion rate. This means that this blend of live streaming and online shopping is as engaging as it is effective.

Target audiences are also eating up instructional content. From how to put together a springtime outfit to how to put together a new piece of furniture, these types of educational videos are a growing source of engaging content that helps brands establish their expertise.

By offering insights into why customers should buy your brand, these how-to videos can also lead consumers down the sales path without the hard sell of traditional marketing techniques.

You’ve Got to See It to Believe It

Seeing is believing; 79% of people say user-generated content (UGC) highly impacts their purchasing decisions, and consumers are 2.4 times more likely to rate USC as authentic when compared to brand-created content.

One of the best ways to give consumers what they want is to offer customer testimonials instead of (or as a supplement to) the traditional written reviews. Video lends a sense of authenticity; allowing customers to see and hear a reaction, making it more credible and engaging.

Unboxing videos are also trending strong. As the name implies, these are videos of people opening up boxes or packages of products they’ve purchased and showing them to the camera.

Once limited to YouTube, this type of video format is now wide-reaching, and users can find unpacking videos for just about any product imaginable on Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook.

“Brands can reduce costs as well as content needs by tapping into the power of user-generated videos.”

Brands can reduce costs as well as content needs by tapping into the power of user-generated videos.

Now useful as social media content as well, companies that turn filmed testimonials and unboxing clips into shoppable videos will hit that sweet spot between forming meaningful relationships with customers and marketing success.

Wrapping It Up

Elespacio has explained the importance of video which has quickly eclipsed traditional forms of marketing to become the most popular type of content online today.

Once you’ve got their attention, keep them tuned in with a smooth, 5G-powered interface that takes the friction out of the equation, and brands will have consumers in a prime position to make a purchase.

“It’s all about giving people what they want, and they want to click play.”

With so much content out there, the challenge is to know how to grab consumers’ attention. But the answer isn’t as hard as it might seem; brands simply need to hone in on the message they want to convey and make sure it aligns with their goals, budget, and image.

That means coming up with video content that meets customers where they are, delivering a seamless interactive experience that combines commerce and content. In short, it’s all about giving people what they want, and they want to click play.

About Elespacio

Elespacio is an award-winning digital creative & marketing agency helping brands grow by creating tailored digital business strategies & intelligent online advertising.

Elespacio helps brands grow by creating tailored digital business strategies and intelligent online advertising. Their agency has grown with technology since the early days of the internet. They’re digital natives.