I’ve always been skeptical of statistics thrown into online articles. I’m not skeptical of the stats themselves, as most of them come from a reliable source, such as Comscore, Google or reputable research groups (unreferenced stats are, or course, a total credibility crusher). What I have a problem with is that no one explains in plain terms what the stats mean for a business and its digital marketing.
So here are four statistics about video on the web, and what they do, in layman’s terms.
16 MINUTES 49 SECONDS – THE AMOUNT OF TIME THE AVERAGE INTERNET USER SPENDS EACH MONTH WATCHING ONLINE VIDEO ADS.
(COMSCORE)
The first thing to note in this statistic is the term “video ads”. It’s important to know that much of the video content businesses make are in fact ads. The content might be educational, or even a testimonial, but in essence it’s still an advertisement for the business and its services.
This stat is important because it shows that people are watching video advertisements, either by choice or because they have too. Internet video advertising is really still in its infancy. If you think the YouTube ads and other sponsored content is the full extent of where video advertising is heading on the web, then the future has some surprises in store for you. Video advertising on the web is actually one of the most cost effective ways of advertising your business per capita, when compared to the mainstream advertising platforms of television, print or radio.
50% OF PEOPLE WHO WATCH WEB VIDEO DO IT ON A MOBILE DEVICE.
(GOOGLE)
Most people that I recite this statistic for react by nodding their head in some kind of attempt of interest and feign surprise that the number is so high. The odd few don’t even see why this is important. Every study I’ve come across, whether it be by Google or any number of web tracking companies like Super Monitoring, all indicate that access to the internet by mobile device is the fastest growing segment – most even say it’s on track for 60% in a few years’ time!
This is important for a number of reasons, but the main one is customer experience – companies that fail to have their online assets set up and optimised for mobile devices will fall behind the pack. Even now, if I’m surfing the web on my phone and find a website that I have difficulty using, I’m more inclined to leave the site and never return. I simply don’t have patience for those kinds of things and as more and more websites are optimised, neither will your customers. So always think about the experience, the way that your customers find your videos, how the videos work in that space and whether your digital assets are actually optimised and not just merely compatible for mobile devices. Big difference.
WHEN A VIDEO IS INCLUDED IN AN EMAIL, NEWSLETTER OR EDM, CLICK-THROUGH RATES ARE INCREASED BY 200-300%.
(FORREST MARKETING GROUP)
The ultimate goal with email marketing, as many of you would know, is to reach good open and click-through rates. The click-through is an important aspect because you can direct a recipient into a completely branded experience, such as a landing page or website, and get rid of other distractions. Including a video in the email provides a stronger prompt for people to click through.
Unfortunately you can’t watch a video in an email (yet), so an image that links straight to a web page with the video on it is the most effective means at the moment. The crew at Indietech have a very, very clever trick when it comes to embedding these images in emails – but their secrets I cannot reveal!
PEOPLE WHO WATCH A WEB VIDEO ARE 64% MORE LIKELY TO PURCHASE THAN OTHER SITE VISITORS.
(COMSCORE)
I love this stat, and why shouldn’t I, it justifies my existence!
So the big question around this statistic is – why? There are numerous reasons. Some people are visual, some people hate reading, some people love videos, videos add a sense of authenticity to the offering, just to name a few. For me, the most important thing is the opportunity to engage with a potential customer one-on-one. Video is one of the only formats that can truly engross and capture someone’s attention. Text, photos and graphics, whilst all necessary, allow the eye to dart all over the place on a web page, while video captures the full attention of the viewer. The real art is in capturing and holding that attention for as long as possible. This is an area where many businesses make misjudgements. The best way to start is to get to know your ideal client and learn what content they’re looking for.
So to wrap this article up, when you see statistics about web videos (or maybe anything for that matter), take a moment and think about whether that statistic is relevant to your business. Does it affect the experience potential customers have with your business online? Can you utilise an aspect of technology to better connect with your potential customers? Does it provide any additional insight into the buying patterns of your customers?
And lastly, if you see a stat that doesn’t have a source, just disregard it. After all, 62% of statistics are just made up on the spot.