It’s not just you. Traffic is getting more expensive.
Since Google’s SERP update to remove right-hand rail ads, CPC to maintain a top position on Google has increased more than 60%.
44%
Percent of consumers who start their product search on Amazon. Read our guide to learn how to sell on Amazon.
That’s just the cost of keeping your site ahead of your immediate competitor’s around the world. You also have Amazon, eBay, Facebook and Instagram. The latter two, according to Facebook’s first quarter 2016 results, already occupy nearly an hour of your customer’s time per day online.
As a result of this, retail marketers are tasked with competing on all channels –– Facebook, Google Shopping, Amazon, eBay, Pinterest –– and through all mediums –– paid, organic, affiliate, social and more.
It sounds like a lot because it is.
It sounds potentially overwhelming because it could be. How do you prioritize and know where to focus your efforts?
Proactive marketers and ecommerce owners actually see this expanding multi-channel complexity as an opportunity.
Each of these channels is on the lookout for engaging content. Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Google –– every single one of them are looking for ways to better serve their customers and to add more value to their visitors.
This is a complex task because traditional value adds are no longer as effective as they used to be. It’s why you’ve seen so many Google and Facebook algorithm updates. It’s why you’ve seen Amazon testing so many beta projects. It’s why all of your ad formats and options are in constant flux.
And the surge in mobile traffic is a large driver.
Mobile users don’t interact with content in the same way desktop users do. And, mobile internet usage has surpassed that of desktop.
This is where video comes in. Video engagement from mobile devices is incredibly high. Just take a look at the numbers from YouTube:
More than half of YouTube views come from mobile devices
The average mobile viewing session is 40 minutes
YouTube’s mobile audience alone reaches more 18-34 and 18-49 year-olds than any cable network in the U.S.
Compare that with other channels, like Google or Facebook, and here is what you get:
YouTube, the world’s second largest search engine, is owned by Google, the world’s largest search engine. Videos now appear in 70% of the top 100 search result listings.
Facebook receives more than 1.5 billion visits per month –– more than any other online channel. YouTube is a close second, with 1 billion unique visitors per month.
Facebook’s algorithm updates often demote branded content from the feeds of many users, unless those brands pay to promote the content beyond a small sample of their already existing audience. But branded video posts still do remarkably well, many garnering millions of views. A video posted by NowThisNews featuring Kleenex garnered 9.3 million views, for instance.
Video is the most compelling way to engage consumers, especially those coming from mobile devices. Create high-quality videos, and even the major industry players you compete against will push your content to the top of user feeds.
Better yet, use those videos on your own website and you’ll increase conversions and AOV.
88% of surveyed business owners and ecommerce managers say product page video has increased conversions
69% increased AOV for sites featuring video on product pages
Consumers are 64-85% more likely to buy a product after viewing a product video
Video and increased mobile revenue simply go hand-in-hand. And outdoor retailer Kelty can prove it.
Earlier in 2016, the brand redesigned and relaunched the entire site –– focusing on an improved mobile UX. As part of that overhaul, product videos were created for nearly all product pages in an effort to bolster merchandising efforts.
“Mobile is very important to us,” said Cory Barnes, Digital Marketing Manager for Exxel Outdoors. “If you look at the percentage of visitors that are using mobile devices or tablets, the number increases every year. We expect that trend to continue and we want to make sure that someone on our site is having a great experience no matter what device they’re on.”
For Kelty, mobile conversions since the redesign are up 147%
That’s the power of video, and the purpose of this guide. In it, you will learn:
How to develop a video marketing strategy for a variety of channels, including email nurture streams, SEO, social media and more
Which marketing channels will drive which KPIs, including increasing traffic, conversions, AOV or all three
What it takes to produce a quality video, with a checklist even the most novice marketer can follow (and one that experts would be wise to always have on hand)
Actionable steps from industry experts including Alex Birkett and Adii Pienaar on how to use video to increase conversions and generate ROI
15+ examples of successful product videos by brands across the web, with commentary on why the video works for the specific industry
If you want to attract and convert mobile audiences, video is a necessary part of the process. Get started now.
Tracey is the Director of Marketing at MarketerHire, the marketplace for fast-growth B2B and DTC brands looking for high-quality, pre-vetted freelance marketing talent. She is also the founder of Doris Sleep and was previously the Head of Marketing at Eterneva, both fast-growth DTC brands marketplaces like MarketerHire aim to help. Before that, she was the Global Editor-in-Chief at BigCommerce, where she launched the company’s first online conference (pre-pandemic, nonetheless!), wrote books on How to Sell on Amazon, and worked closely with both ecommerce entrepreneurs and executives at Fortune 1,000 companies to help them scale strategically and profitably. She is a fifth generation Texan, the granddaughter of a depression-era baby turned WWII fighter jet pilot turned self-made millionaire, and wifed up to the truest of heroes, a pediatric trauma nurse, who keeps any of Tracey’s own complaints about business, marketing, or just a seemingly lousy day in perspective.