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Growth of Video Content Online

Online video viewing is more ubiquitous than ever. According to ComScore, in the month of December 178 million people watched 33.2 billion videos, with the average viewer watching 187 videos per month in the U.S.

The opportunity for businesses that work to produce even basic video can be huge. The month-to-month data clearly points to the fact that watching videos online is a trend that will continue to gain momentum.

Morgan Brown, the Director of Marketing for Turn Here, a leading production and advertising company based in Emeryville, CA lists five steps small businesses can take to market their businesses better with video.

1. Aim for Authentic, Actionable Content – Don’t focus on all of the details and concerns over stock photography, videographers and production templates. Just be authentic and personal. Keep it short, less scripted, and be sure to ALWAYS include a call-to-action. Be sure to include some action path — for example, a trackable URL, a coupon, discount code, or unique phone number to call. This not only encourages viewers to engage with you, but also provides a tangible way to measure the results of your video.
2. Optimize Video for Google Search - Forrester Research ran an experiment on the top-searched keywords and discovered that videos have an 11,000-to-1 chance of appearing on the first page of Google’s results, while text has a 500,000-to-1 chance of making it on the first page. In short, video has a 50 times better chance than plain text for getting to the top of search rankings.
3. Add Video to Your Facebook Page – Try to be fun and creative with Facebook video. Use it as a chance to let users see a more personal side of your company. Keeping it fun will help increase the amount of views and increase the interest of your fans.
4. Get Your Video on YouTube and Third Party Video Sites - YouTube and other video sites are great vehicles to reach an audience who might not find you otherwise. Best of all, you can create a branded YouTube channel and host your videos without incurring any bandwidth costs.
5. Add Video to Your Google Local Business Listing - This ultra-targeted form of marketing is highly effective for driving clicks and calls. And amid a list of company names, addresses and phone numbers, an engaging video brings your listing to life and sets you apart from the crowd.

Conclusion

All data strongly indicates that online video is has been and will continue to grow. Online video is one of the best ways to get in front of and hold the attention of your audience. Research shows that authentic video increases conversion rates, reduces bounce rates, and has an overall positive effect on increasing your sales.

Producing video for your website doesn’t have to be a big production. In fact, most studies find that simple, in-house videos have a greater impact than professionally designed video because they are more transparent and better identify with users.

For businesses, video is an inexpensive way to increase your company’s exposure and better market your business online. There are advantages across the board, including better search engine rankings, higher conversion rates and more exposure and branding for your business.