If the concept of video marketing is still foreign to you, then you’re not alone.  This relative newcomer on the scene has many online businesses puzzled, and others wondering how effective it really is.  But with the rising popularity of corporate YouTube channels and the engagement of the audiences they attract, smart marketers are scrambling to learn more about this dynamic and entertaining medium.

Some industry analysts are predicting that video marketing will soon be so common for small and medium-sized businesses that its effect will be as revolutionary as email marketing was in the last decade.  Instead of serving as an audience aggregator to help amateur entertainers like Justin Bieber morph into teen idols, online video is just as likely to make a creative video from an unknown business go viral overnight.

But online video is not limited to YouTube.  Video results are starting to show up in Google’s search results with more and more frequency, and they are adding tremendous dimension to corporate websites and rich media campaigns.  Even Forbes Magazine has weighed in on this phenomenon recently, saying that executives now regularly find actionable business information by watching videos online.

Videos Reach Younger Customers

When online marketers use video marketing, they are doing it for more than sheer entertainment.  To SEO specialists, an online video result on Google is just as valuable as any other result.  Ranking highly in video search results helps companies capture the attention of young people who are generally more interested in watching videos than reading words on a page.

Young audiences are more accepting of online video because they grew up in the YouTube generation.  This means they are just as comfortable watching video on their laptops as they are on TV.  For them, the beauty of online video is its instant accessibility and immediacy.  Instead of waiting until a program is scheduled on television, YouTube allows viewers to find what they want instantaneously.

Strength in Numbers

The YouTube network has grown even larger with the increased use of video-enabled smart phones.  If you walk onto a train platform or into a doctor’s office waiting room, chances are you will see someone watching a video on their phone, and it’s not just kids watching them.  Busy professionals often find videos a great way to pass the time in airports and long train rides.  Second only to Google in the number of monthly searches, the network now boasts more than 2 billion views every week.  Isn’t it time you harnessed the power of this audience as a marketing channel for your business?

SEO and Video Marketing

If you come from the traditional SEO mindset, you may wonder how video can really help an SEO campaign.  After all, aren’t the Google spiders just hungry little word monsters crawling around in search of keywords?  That may be true, but there are plenty of ways to associate your videos with your SEO keywords.

At Yoobly, we keep up with all the latest trends and monitor any changes in algorithms for major search engines.  As a result, we are well aware of how much more frequently Google is including a video result in their primary Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).  We know how to optimize your corporate videos so they rank among the top search results.

Here are some facts that will make you want to get started with video marketing right away:

According to Comscore, product videos on a website increase the likelihood of a conversion, or purchase, by 64% Forrester Research recently reported that an optimized video increases the likelihood of landing on the front page of Google by 96% According to a study by Internet Retailer, videos increase the amount of time a customer spends on your website by 9%.

While we may still be in the early stages of video marketing, and may not yet fully realize its potential, there is no denying that video has become a lot more accessible.  Companies who are using video marketing successfully are developing a more personalized relationship with their customers.  By publishing multiple videos that tell a story about their company, online businesses are able to educate, entertain and build credibility for their products and services.

Let us manage your video marketing

Getting started with online video can be complicated for a small business.  Without the right software, production capabilities and a video marketing strategy, it can be difficult to do it right.  When you work with the video marketing team at Yoobly, you can rest assured that your corporate videos will be well optimized and marketed to the appropriate online audience.  When done right, video marketing will help your company stand out in ways that you never dreamed possible.

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