Video has been creating human connections between businesses and customers for decades. Whether that was a 30 second commercial on soap operas in the 1950’s, or a viral video on Facebook, video creates a meaningful experience each time it gets an impression, view, or share. That is why video matters so much to marketers in 2017, or as David Grimes says:

“Video marketing is the most effective way for you to get someone’s attention and engage them for a substantial period of time. Keeping someone engaged is the best and quickest way to gain their trust. Gaining trust is the only way to convert your audience into happy, long-term clients/customers/subscribers.”

That trust is the reason video is relied on by some of the largest brands in the world, with the chance to grow even more with the emergence of mobile and other technologies. We’ve put together the top 5 most important reasons for why video marketing matters:

1. The Brand Humanization Effect

Brands have been trying to connect with their customers on a personal level for as long as business has been around. Typically, this took place in person. But in the 21st century, this has been video content that streams straight to a computer or mobile device. Video can ultimately encapsulate all of these qualities that marketers strive for in every single piece of content:

• Communication
• Storytelling
• Engagement
• Human
• Relational

Brands want to connect with their users, and video gives them the perfect opportunity to do this each and every day. Whether that’s on social, owned media, YouTube or another channel, video is the best way to connect with an audience.

For example, Reebok’s 25,915 days campaign that gave their customers a glimpse inside of the importance of physical activity, while humanizing the company’s mission statement.

“The average human lifespan is 71 years. That’s 25,915 days. 25,915 opportunities to make the most of our time, honoring the body you’ve been given through a commitment to physicality. So what are you waiting for? The clock, and your days, are ticking,” wrote Reebok.

2. The Video Virality Phenomenon

Virality is defined as “the tendency of an image, video, or piece of information to be circulated rapidly and widely from one Internet user to another; the quality or fact of being viral.” This phenomenon can be any piece of content but has been incredibly effective when it comes to video marketing.

Videos are shared at a staggering rate, particularly on channels like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, where shares and likes can quickly take views into the millions. Viral videos must have top-notch storytelling and communication to succeed at the scale that many marketers covet. While sometimes this can happen organically, there are a few steps you can take to push video content into the category of virality.

Length

There are a lot of recommendations that say viral videos should always be less than two minutes, but it really depends on the audience and content. While certainly “short and sweet” can be very effective, video content like “How to Make a Murderer” on Netflix reached viral levels (10 hours of content) by being viewed by 19 million people in its first 35 days.

Subtitles

85% of videos on Facebook are viewed without sound (mobile!), which means that your video must be digestible from all channels that you market on. Make sure to include not just the video, but the words being shared.

Add Value

Whether that value is educational, inspirational, or humorous, all viral videos add something to life of the person watching.

3. The Power of Live Video

Live video is relatively new, in terms of online marketing, but it has quickly grown into one of the most engaging mediums for video. According to our State of Online in 2017, live video has 3x engagement of standard video content. The novelty of live is intriguing to the general public, and it’s clearly resonating.

So, how can marketers use the power of live video?  Here are some of the most engaging times to use live video on the internet:

• Meetups
• New product releases
• Announcements
• Conferences/speeches

And specifically at TwentyThree, we’ve seen a lot of success with the live stream of events and conferences for engagement:

4. The Mobile Revolution

Mobile is changing the game for every single marketing channel, but on mobile, it’s even more impactful. 50% of views now come from a mobile device, which means marketers can reach their audience at any time, day or night. An even more staggering number is that 90% of videos viewed on Twitter are on a mobile device.

Marketers must optimize their video content to effectively be viewed on mobile, which also plays into the idea of virality, where videos have subtitles, are (sometimes, see above) shorter, and quickly add value to the viewer.

5. The Emergence of Video Measurement & Automation

The last reason why video matters, is that video is finally measurable. Video has historically featured vanity metrics like views and impressions, but those metrics don’t allow marketers to properly test, identify users, or automate the behaviors of video viewers.

Channels like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are important for sharing a message, however, it’s vital for marketers to get their audience onto their website where videos can be properly measured by video marketing platforms. With video marketing platforms there is now an option to also optimize lead scores based on this data and create valuable workflows for viewers.

Video isn’t new, nor is it going anywhere, and that’s why video is one of the most important mediums for any marketing department looking to improve their messaging, data, and human-connections.

Want to learn more about why video marketing matters? Download our infographic, The State of Online Video in 2017.