Hubspot’s State of Marketing Report (2020) highlights that video is overtaking email, blogging and infographics as the most-used type of marketing content.
And it’s not just consumers streaming the latest Netflix series who are driving those numbers. People are looking for video content from brands too. Reviews, unboxings and product demonstrations – people are hungry for information before AND after they have made a purchase.
For B2B marketers, video is also potentially powerful content format. Research from VendeDigital shows that 59% of B2B decision makers prefer video over text content. It also points out that video makes for ‘sticky’ web pages, as viewers stay longer. Overall, B2B customers like video because it adds colour to the written word, says VendeDigital.
Another reason video is becoming more important in marketing is the rise of millennials (aged 23 to 38). This age-group turns to video content more than any other to date. In a global survey of 12,000 by YouTube, half of those in Generation Z and millennials said they ‘didn’t know how they would get through life without video.’
For B2B marketers, these are significant age groups. Millennials are are at that stage of their careers where they have the managerial power to influence important purchases. And some of Generation Z (aged 13 – 22) will be graduating into working life soon.
Perhaps the most significant point to note about the rise of video, is that it’s not necessarily about entertainment. In fact, YouTube’s research showed that 46% of global viewers use video content to learn something new. As YouTube says: “Video has grown from an awareness-only medium to an engaging one, and ad strategies should follow suit.”
(Image: Adobe.com/Sutipond Stock)