How to use video marketing to drive e-commerce

As marketers search for more innovative ways to attract new audiences, video has become a must-have tool. Statistics suggest that video accounts for 74% of all online traffic and the demand for it has increased at a rapid pace.

For an eCommerce business, videos, in particular product videos have an incredible ability to increase conversions. In fact, according to Kissmetrics viewers are anywhere from 64-85% more likely to buy after watching a product video, which means that the power of visual content is something that can no longer be ignored.

Despite its potential, video is still often under-utilised in eCommerce marketing strategies. In this post we will demonstrate the different ways you can integrate video to grow your online business.

Product video

There’s no doubt that getting your customer’s attention is one of the most difficult parts of marketing your products. The benefits of a well-designed product video are endless. Not only are they x4 more likely to be watched than read about, they are also extremely beneficial from a search marketing perspective. This is because Google displays a mix of media in search results including video, images, maps and news. So having product videos for particular search terms will give you a better chance at ranking. Similarly research also suggests that Google favours video in search rankings, which again means that having quality product videos on your site will boost your position in SERPs.

Shoppable video

Many organisations that have experimented with video content are making their videos “shoppable”- this means that when a customer watches a video they can click on the products shown in the video and make a purchase. For eCommerce, this can be a valuable asset as it allows the buyer to take immediate action. The great things about shoppable content is that it’s ripe for sharing on social and also gives you the ability to exhibit your products in a snappy and creative way.

Similarly, with the rise of mobile usage, shoppable videos allow eCommerce businesses to tap into micromoments, where consumers are looking for content that serves the right purpose at the right moment. Because of this massive shift in mobile user behaviour, visual content is becoming one of the most impactful ways to communicate with time-poor audiences on the go.

Instructional video

If you’re launching a new product or service then video can be incredibly useful to show how it works. 98% of people claim to have watched an online tutorial to learn more about a product. In today’s busy world the modern consumer doesn’t want to have to read through swathes of content to get the information they need, so investing in good quality video content can give you the competitive advantage.

Social video

Video sharing is a huge part of social media and can be an effective way to get your message out there in a fun and shareable way. If done well, from an SEO point of view your video has the power to generate a large number of click-throughs and referrals.

Most social platforms allow businesses to publish content that have features that enable call-to- actions to be utilised. This encourages viewers to visit landing pages resulting in quicker conversions. Similarly, due to the growth of video format on social channels, integrating your eCommerce videos causes less disruptions. While a short promotional clip on a website might seem out of place, on social media it is fairly commonplace. This natural acceptance means that content has a far better chance of performing well.

The power of video is both convenient and effective for the consumer but also provides marketers of eCommerce businesses with a compelling, versatile and shareable medium to reach new audiences. It’s important to remember that people not only enjoy video content but will actively go out of their way to find videos that hold their interest. If your eCommerce brand is able to fill that need, then you will have established a reliable way to gain new fans and increase traffic to your site.

Author bio:

Ad-Rank Media is an award-winning natural search agency specialising in SEO, content marketing and digital PR.